Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 16:33:51 EST
From: RitchChristopher@cs.com
Subject: Hawthorne-Awakening-2

All rights reserved. Copyright held by the author. If you are underage or
are offended by gay fiction, containing graphic sex and explicit language,
please exit now.

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			    Hawthorne Awakening

				       
			  A complete short story

                                      	
				    by


			     Ritch Christopher
  

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	Why couldn't he sleep? Steve lay in his bed, tossing restlessly.
He glanced at the bedside clock.  Ten before 4 AM, and little rest.  He was
still disturbed by Noah's taunting behavior at the movies, but worse, he
was unable to understand his reaction to them as he found himself sexually
stimulated, masturbating as he relived Noah's leg touches and Noah's
revelation that he was gay.

	Noah,in his own bed, was remembering his exhilaration at causing
Steve's uncontrolled erections. Noah giggled, then stopped, surprised at
the depth of his feelings. Why had he deliberately tried to put the make on
his brother's best friend? The most obvious conclusion was that Steve was
highly attractive and extremely good-looking. Plus, Noah knew he was safe--
Steve would never have the guts to tell Hal what had gone on between them
in the darkened theatre and, afterwards, in the car.

	Noah would have laughed even harder had he known that he had ruined
Steve's sleep by making Steve question his manhood, fantasizing about the
night's activities. Noah could never dream that Steve was in his bed
thinking about Noah, his own aroused cock in his hand. Noah, as it
happened, was busy jerking off with the same fantasy. He had almost reached
the point of no return when he heard Hal enter the bedroom which the two of
them shared. Noah was only able to curtail half an ejaculation as some of
his semen did dribble and wet the underneath side of his sheet and blanket.

	The bedroom was dark when Hal entered. Noah lay very still and
pretended to be asleep as he peeked at his brother undressing by the light
of the moon, spilling in from the window that separated their two
beds. Once he was naked, Hal stumbled in the dark to the bathroom for his
final night's pee. This short period of time, gave Noah the chance to reach
under his bed for a towelan to wipe off some of the seminal residue. His
testicles ached from reaching only half an orgasm. He grabbed the shaft of
his penis and tried to milk it like a cow's udder to clear his urethral
track as best he could.

	Hal had turned on the bathroom light to urinate and almost walked
back through the doorway before turning the light out. This let him see
that Noah was not asleep and Hal had a pretty good idea what Noah was
doing. Neither of the brothers had ever shared a masturbation session. Both
knew that the other did it, but neither of them ever discussed it.

	"Why should we?" Hal thought. "We're brothers and as long as we
respect each other's privacy and keep our own secrets, why create an issue
that might create a wedge between their brotherly bonds?"

	Realizing that he might have been caught with the clean-up, Noah
spoke, "Hey, Hal, you just getting in?"

	"A few minutes ago," Hal replied. "How was the movie?"

	"Long. Triple feature."

	"Damn! You're ass must be sore," Hal said, but quickly added before
his response was taken the wrong way, "from sitting. I don't know if I
could sit through six or seven hours of non-stop movies."

	"That's because I'm younger than you and my ass hasn't had as much
wear," Noah joked. "How was your date?"

	"I was with Carolyn, if that answers your question."

	"Pretty hot, huh?"

	"A date with Carolyn is not always hot...maybe the first couple of
times were mildly warm, but she's nothing I'd like to settle for, at
least,not for the rest of my life."

	Noah didn't respond.

	"How did Steve like the evening? I'll bet HIS butt is sore...I
mean, him and me's the same age."

	"Oh, he got up a couple of times to go to the men's room...to smoke
a cigarette, I guess. He didn't sit through all three features at one
sitting like I did."

	"Did...did you go anywhere after the movie?" Hal asked,
cautiously. "I mean, to get a bite to eat?"

	"Just the Dairy Queen. We had some burgers, fries, and shakes."

	"Did you go shoot pool after that?"

	"Ah, no, we...we just came straight home."

	Feeling that Noah had relayed the whole truth, Hal was relieved and
that lessened the blow of his not being invited.

	"You shoulda come with us," Noah added. "But just as Steve said,
you had bigger and better things to do with Carolyn."

	"Hey, you went out with Steve, how about going on a double date
with me and Carolyn some time? I mean she knows lots of girls who might
like to go out with you...especially now that you've come home lookin' like
the Incredible Hulk."

	"Aw, I haven't built myself up that much!"

	"Your chest looks bigger than mine or Steve's or anybody else's,
for that matter."

	Noah dropped his head, a bit embarrassed but didn't respond
verbally.

	"So, how's about it?"

	"How's about what?"

	"A double date?"

	"I...well, maybe. It's just I'm not all that experienced with
dating and I'd rather know something about the person I'm going out with."

	"What difference does it make? All of 'em have holes! Ask Steve. He
and I feel almost the same way when it comes to pussy."

	This remark upset Noah, twofold. First he didn't wish to double
date some floozy with his brother, especially when his brother might see
that girls didn't appeal to him. Second...what Hal said about Steve--Noah
knew that Steve had always had a reputation of being a "cunt hound" and he
knew he might never stand a chance of getting to second base with him.

	"Let me open a window so I can smoke a cigarette. I don't want
Momma to wake up and call the volunteer brigade," Hal said, raising the
window between their beds about three inches. He sat on the side of his
bed, pulled out a Marlboro and lit up. He was enjoying his conversation
with Noah and wanted to prolong it, as he felt somewhat ashamed that his
best friend, Steve, had taken a whole evening to get to know Noah and he
hadn't made the same gesture toward his own brother. "You know, we've never
really talked...you know, the way grown-ups do. Hell, when you left for
school, you were just like a snot-nosed brat kid brother...but you come
back all muscled up and lookin' much older, I feel I don't know you the way
I should."

	Hal's remark pleased Noah, as he was being treated as an equal for
the first time.

	"Heck, we've only got a couple of years separating us. I just
lifted a few weights and got my body in shape, that's all."

	"Yeah, but we can talk about older things now. Hell, you're big
enough to look like MY older brother now. Would you like a cigarette?"

	The offer astounded Noah and he took a Marlboro from Hal's pack.

	"Yes, thanks. I don't smoke much. I just started a couple of months
ago."

	"I saw you drinkin' beer at the pool hall."

	"Rite of passage, I guess. I don't really like the taste of the
stuff."

	"Oh, you will. There's lots of things you acquire a taste for, as
you get older. How about hard liquor?"

	"Not yet. Baylor will overlook an occasional beer, but hard booze?
That would be a major infraction and I could get expelled."

	"You...you, uh, how about girls? You seein' anyone special?"

	"Not really."

	"Hell, it's nothin' for any girl to put out on the first date. You
gettin' any action?"

	"No."

	"Not even a 'bj' or a hand job?"

	"Nope!"

	"Christ! You must get horny as a toad!" The cigarettes were
relaxing the conversation and Hal began to probe in unexplored territory
about his brother's traits. "I...I suppose you're beating off by now."

	"Masturbating?"

	"Yeah."

	"Occasionally?"

	"Do you mind my askin' who taught you? I always thought it was the
older brother's job to teach his kid brother about such things?"

	"Who taught you? You don't have an older brother?"

	"It was just somethin' that came natural to me, I guess. When I was
fifteen or so, Steve and me would go down by Logan's creek and jerk off."

	Noah was glad that the bedroom lights were off so that Hal couldn't
observe the rush of jealousy that suddenly surged in his face.

	"You and Steve used to...jer...masturbate together?"

	"Hell, yes...me, Steve, then later Randy, Tyler, and Wade came
around to learnin' and soon, we'se all doin' it?"

	"All five of you? Together?"

	"Don't get the wrong idea, none of us ever did it to each
other. Hell, that'd've been queerer than old man Taylor's three-balled
bull."

	This eased Noah's mind a bit.

	"But you DID see one another while you were doing it, didn't you?"

	"Sure, we all skinny dipped together. We had nothin' to hide. It
was just like we was sittin' around drinkin' a beer together, only we sat
around and told stories about the girls that turned us on, and jerked
away," Dan explained, as if his and the guys actions were perfectly
normal. "Don't tell me you never jerked off with some of the guys in the
shower at Baylor."

	"No, never!" Noah replied, somewhat too strongly.

	"Well, maybe they don't get around to doin' things in military
school, the things us guys did at regular high school. Would it embarrass
you if I asked if you've ever 'gotten any'?"

	"You mean sex? With a girl?"

	"Hell, yes! I didn't expect you to say you'd had sex with another
guy."

	"Well, actually, no."

	"That means I gotta git Carolyn to find you a girl real
soon. You're old enough now. Hell, when I was your age, I'd fucked forty or
fifty different girls...Steve? Well, he'd fucked more than I had...more
than any of us had."

	The rush of jealousy came back to Noah.

	"Hal, I don't want to hurt your feelings and I do appreciate your
offer, but my first time...? Well, I'd rather pick out the person I want. I
want it to be special."

	"You're still a virgin? Got your cherry? Man, I can see I've really
let you down. I almost feel kinda guilty."

	"Don't!--please don't. I just want it to be with the 'right'
person, that's all."

	"How you gonna meet the right girl if you don't go out on dates?"

	'I was just out on a date with the RIGHT person', Noah thought to
himself, 'but I didn't know what to do even if it had been with a girl.'
Then he said to Hal, "Oh, I'll know the person when the time is right!"

	"Well, just remember, my offer still stands. Anytime you feel like
you're ready for your first piece of cunt, let me know. Hell, let Steve
know! Steve can fix you up with gash-- almost better than I can."

	"Maybe I'll ask him, the next time Steve and I go out together."

	"You mean that the two of you have already made plans to go
somewhere's else? Hell, I'm going with the two of you next time. I don't
want people talkin' that you and Steve have gone queer for each
other. Where you goin' next time, anyways?"

	"Oh, we haven't made any plans. I was just saying that if there was
a next time...."

	"Well, if there IS a next time and I'm busy with Carolyn and can't
go with you, just make sure that Steve brings two girls along with
you. That way, everything'll look normal if anyone sees you."

	"I'll tell Steve, Hal."

	"Hell, I'll tell him myself! You won't get mad if I kid him a
little bit about the two of you goin' off to the movies together, will
you?"

	"I'd rather you didn't. I just wanted to be like you and go out
with your best friend, as if you and I were the same age and shared the
same things and the same friends."

	"Buddy, boy! Before this summer is over, Steve and I are gonna
teach you plenty! I wanna be there to see the smile on your face when you
get your first ooze of cooze."

	Noah was sure that his face was redder than a fire engine at a barn
burning. He quietly put out his cigarette in the tin can on the nightstand
and lay down. Hal thought maybe he had gone too far with their first
brotherly talk and dowsed his cigarette and lay on his bed. The room was
dark and neither of them could see the other's face to read the
expressions. Noah stared at the ceiling while Hal pulled up his cover and
rolled over to face the wall. Both were silent for a couple of minutes.
Hal was sure he must have embarrassed Noah. He could feel a slight friction
of tension between the two of them.

	To ease the possibility of latent hostility, Hal finally
spoke. "Noah, I'm sorry if I said anything out of turn."

	"That's okay, you didn't."

	"I...I'm also, sorry if I interrupted anything when I came in."

	"Pardon?"

	"I saw you with the towel when I came from the bathroom. I assumed
you had been havin' a private moment."

	"Oh, that."

	"Did you...did you finish? I mean did you get off before I came
into the bedroom?"

	"Enough," Noah replied.

	"Cause if you didn't, I have no objections if you wanna do it
again. Hell, do it any time you wanna. I won't say anything. What you do is
none of my business."

	"What would you have said if I had caught you?"

	"Probably nothin'...but I would've finished! Shit! Half-cummin'
hurts like hell."

	"Thanks, Hal, but I'm all right."

	"Okay, then. Good night."

	"Good night."

	Hal soon drifted off into a deep sleep, having been sexually
gratified with Carolyn's best. Noah stayed awake for quite a while,
touching himself in the dark, while he thought about all the girls that had
done many things with Steve, wishing he had been one of them.

	Later Saturday morning, Noah found he had slept until noon. He
would've slept longer had it not been for Hal shaking him and shouting,
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake Up! Wake up, Superman! You gonna
stay in bed all day?"

	"Huh?" Noah grunted as he tried to open his eyes. "Heck, Hal, what
time is it?"

	"Noon! Momma and Dad have gone grocery shoppin' and I called Randy,
Wade, and Tyler and they're gonna meet us at Smiley's and we're gonna shoot
some pool."

	"Hal, I'm not awake. I haven't cleaned up, showered, shaved, eaten
breakfast and you want me to go shoot pool? I think I'll pass."

	"Oh, no, you won't! The guys want some equal time with you, seein's
that you and Steve spent last night all to yourselves. Besides, there might
be someone else I want you to meet."

	"Who?"

	"My surprise! Now forget about that showerin' 'n stuff and put on a
pair of real jeans...none of those military school khakis! I'll go fix you
some cereal or somethin'." Hal ran out of the room then came back, "Hey,
what kind of underwear do you cadets wear?"

	"There's no regulation. We can wear boxers or briefs."

	"What do you wear?

	"Usually briefs."

	"Do yourself a favor and don't wear any underwear under your jeans
today, OK?"

	"Why, for God's sake?"

	"Let your meat dangle! That'll make it grow longer."

	"Where did you learn that, Hal?"

	"Just simple physics, like I learned in high school. It's just a
matter of gravity. As long as your dick is hanging loose, it's bound to
grow. You can't keep it pinned up in a pair of tight briefs. That's like
those Chinese women who bind their feet when they're kids so their feet
won't grow and they can always wear the same size shoe their whole life."

	"Hal, I think you need to go back to school. From the way you talk,
you needed one more lesson."

	"All right, I'll show you soon how much bigger mine is than
yours. It's because I NEVER wear underwear. Come on, Noah, let it show. Let
the women see what you got to offer 'em. You won't stay a virgin very long
if you developed your dick the way you did your chest and arms!"

	Almost afraid to ask, but Noah did, "Is Steve coming, too?"

	"I didn't call him yet, so I guess he's not. Besides, I figgered
you'd spent enough time with him last night."

	Noah couldn't come to a conclusion, but it would appear that Hal
was jealous of his best friend being chummy with his kid brother, or was it
the other way around? Either way, there was an element of envy in Hal's
demeanor. It only upset Noah slightly. Frankly, he was amused and somewhat
flattered at being the center of so much interest ...and
competition?...between Hal and Steve.

	Noah did get dressed, but with a pair of Jockey briefs to keep his
genitals in their proper place. He used the toilet and went down the hall
toward the kitchen. The phone in the hallway rang just as he passed it.

	"Hello?" Noah answered.

	"Mornin'...or rather, 'afternoon'," said the voice.

	"Steve?"

	"Who else were you expectin' to call?"

	"Well, certainly not you," replied Noah.

	"Whaccha doin?"

	"I...I'm trying to find some way of getting out of going down to
Smiley's to play pool with Wade, Tyler, and Randy. It seems Hal planned a
big Saturday afternoon pool shoot before I woke up."

	"Oh? He didn't call me."

	"Maybe he did and you were asleep when the phone rang."

	"Oh no, I've been up since seven."

	"Why so early?"

	"I...uh, had a little trouble going to sleep, so I finally just got
up."

	"Your butt probably kept you awake from sitting through a triple
feature."

	"Yeah, I guess that was it."

	"So, do you want to speak to Hal?"

	"No, not really. I called to talk with you. I wanted to see if you
wanted to go drivin' or something this afternoon."

	"You mean, Hal and me?"

	"Nope. Just you."

	"Why?"

	"I thought you might have more things to talk about...things you
didn't finish sayin' last night. You know, things that you don't want Hal
to hear."

	"Steve, I'd like to, but I'm afraid it might be a little
difficult."

	"Why, for fuck's sake?"

	"Oh, Hal said that the next time you and I made plans, he wanted to
come along."

	"My God! Is he gettin' jealous about last night...about the time we
spent to ourselves?"

	"I'm not sure, but he wants to be with us, just the same."

	"Well, why don't I come down to Smiley's and meet you, shoot a few
games, and we'll see what everyone wants to do tonight."

	"Don't you have a Saturday date with some of your Saturday night
steady women?"

	"They can get by without my stickin' it to 'em one weekend."

	"Okay, then, I'll see you at Smiley's in about an hour. I'll tell
Hal you're coming."

	"DON'T! Just let me drop by and see the look on their faces when
they see me show up...when I wasn't invited."

	"Okay. See ya!"

	"See ya, little buddy!"

	'Little buddy' was not exactly a term of endearment, but Noah
smiled and pretended it to be one. SO! Steve called to talk with him, NOT
Hal! If Noah had let his imagination go wild, he could read all kinds of
things in Steve's phone call. Interested maybe? This was going to be a fun
summer for Noah, after all. He just might meet that "right" person to give
himself to. That was too much to wish for, but he could wish, just the
same.


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	Steve and Hal had met for breakfast every Sunday at Katie's diner
ever since both of them had been old enough to drive a car. Neither set of
parents was particularly religious, only attending services at Bethel
Baptist Church, very emphatically, on Easter Sunday and Christmas. The rest
of the year was hit and miss. It wasn't that the Carter and Jarvis moms
didn't fix breakfast for their sons on Sunday; it was just a ritual for the
two boys and their friends to congregate and brag or discuss their sexual
conquests with their Saturday night fucks, and in livid detail!

	Usually Randy, Tyler, and Wade joined them at Katie's, although
Wade never had a story to relate. That was okay because the rest of the
guys knew that Wade was still a virgin and he made an extra special
audience to whom they could describe their pussy passions from the night
before. Sometimes, when their girls were having their periods and sex was
not all that possible, the guys made up stories just to see Wade's eyes
widen and watch his crotch rise as they inventively bragged, watching his
crotch from the corner of their eyes. It was all in fun. Randy and Tyler
got laid occasionally, usually by girls no one else wanted to fuck...and
since Randy and Tyler were eager and willing to ask them out for a Saturday
night date, the girls overcompensated the two with extra special favors in
appreciation. Whereas Hal might get his usual quick lay with Carolyn, Randy
and Tyler were lucky if they got a handjob, a blowjob, or maybe even a
fuck, sometimes reaching several orgasms.

	It wasn't as if Wade didn't get the chance to get laid, as any of
his four friends were more than willing to fix him up, once and for
all. There was just something that kept Wade from imbibing in the fruits of
female flesh. He'd never offered an explanation, any more than his friends
had demanded one from him. They just assumed that with Wade, it might be a
religious principle or something to do with the closeness Wade had with his
mother.

	But this Sunday morning was unlike any of the others. Hal knew
exactly where to find Steve. Hal's mind was still reeling from hearing his
brother's early morning declaration of love in his sleep. Hal knew that
Steve was not queer, nor would he ever think of having queer sex with
another guy, but Hal's head was about to explode with curiosity as to where
Steve and Noah had gone the night before--and what they had done!

	In all the years that Steve and Hal had been best friends, neither
of them had ever excluded the other from any social event, but then,
yesterday, Hal had purposely not called Steve to play pool with him and the
guys and, in like manner, Steve knew that Hal didn't have a date planned
with Carolyn, so why hadn't Hal been invited to go 'God know where' with
him and his kid brother, Noah?

	When Hal arrived at Katie's, Steve was already sitting in their
favorite red vinyl booth, which could seat eight on date night. Neither
Randy, Wade, nor Tyler was there yet. "Good," Hal thought. This would give
him a chance to quiz his best friend and cautiously try to find out what
had happened on Steve's second date in a row with Noah.

	"Hey, there!" Hal said, as he approached Steve.

	Both of them looked bleary-eyed, as if neither of them had slept
much for the same, and yet different, reason...NOAH!

	"Hey!" Steve answered. "We still talkin'?"

	"Whaccha mean?"

	"I mean that little tiff between you and me at Smiley's yesterday,
when you so carefully chose NOT to invite me."

	"Hell, Steve, I was gonna call. I just assumed you knew where I'd
be."

	"Seems you called everyone else to meet you...all except me."

	"Steve, you and me are like brothers...we always have been! We read
each other's thoughts and know each other's moves. We don't have to call
one another."

	"Maybe not---unless you didn't want me to show up."

	"Why would I do that?"

	"I don't know," Steve said with a quiet edge. "Just skip it!"

	"Uh, where did you and Noah wind up goin'?"

	"Just drivin'. No where in particular."

	"But you told Noah at Smiley's that you and him had somethin'
special planned."

	"Ah, shit, Hal! That was just my way of gettin' Noah away from
those two cunts you were tryin' to set him up with."

	"Hell, I WANTED him to go. Noah's old enough to get his first
piece! Shit! You and me was a lot younger'n him."

	"Noah isn't ready. He told me so!"

	"He told you...and not me, his brother?"

	"Sure, you were makin' such a big fuckin' deal out of it. I didn't
want to force him to give up his cherry to the likes of those two whores."

	"What did Noah tell you--that is, unless you don't trust me enough
to tell me?"

	"Hal, Noah ain't like us. Sex is special to Noah. He wants his
first time to be with someone he cares about, so that he'll always remember
it."

	"Steve, pussy is pussy! There's nothin' special about it! Good
Lord, I can't think of a girl in this county that one of us hasn't
had. Well, maybe I haven't had as many as you, but there are a few like
Carolyn that I've had and you haven't!"

	"Did Carolyn tell you that I hadn't fucked her?"

	"No, and she'd better not tell me that you have!"

	"Well, relax your sphincter before you give yourself a hernia. I
HAVEN'T fucked her."

	"So, where did you and Noah go drivin'? Did you stop and get some
beer?"

	"I offered, but Noah refused."

	Hal was ready to hint at a taboo subject.

	"Steve, let me ask you somethin'."

	"Shoot!"

	"You've seen how much Noah has grown up. You've seen his big
muscles and his new good looks."

	"I'm not blind, Hal,"

	"Well, don't it seem strange that he's not using his stamina to
WANT to date a girl?"

	"What are you gettin' at, Hal?"

	"Shit! It's just all those stories I've heard...about things that
happen between boy cadets at military school when a guy's away from home
and his family."

	"Hey! You accusing your own brother of turning queer?"

	"If I hadn't known you all my life and if I didn't know about how
much you liked fuckin' every girl in Hawthorne, I'd say you were turnin'
queer for my kid brother!"

	"Hal, you been smokin' weed or sniffin' white powder?"

	"Shit, Steve, it's Sunday morning. You know I don't do drugs before
breakfast,"

	"Then why are you sayin' all those crazy things?"

	"It's just I think Noah's got some kind of crush on you and I'm
wonderin' if maybe you don't feel the same way about him?"

	"Jesus Christ, Hal!" Steve replied, getting angry. "Do you think
that if dick interested me, I wouldn't tried somethin' with you when we
first began jerkin' off together. I never touched you, and never wanted
to."

	"Well, since Noah came home all muscled up, I thought maybe you
might've been attracted to him."

	"It seems that you're the one who's turned on by Noah's muscles. I
could accuse you of wantin' to do somethin' sexual with him."

	"You're full of shit! Dick doesn't do a thing for me...especially
my own brother's dick. Shit! That's incest!"

	"Then why are you insinuating that I have a hankerin' for Noah?"

	"I just wondered about what you two was doin' the past two nights,
ridin' around to secret places!"

	"Hal, the fuckin' Dairy Queen is no secret place, not unless it
changed locations in the past twenty-four hours! If I didn't know better,
I'd swear you're actin' suspiciously jealous! What the fuck's goin' on in
your head?"

	"I don't know. I...just...I got a big problem, Steve.

	"Since when have your problems not been my problems? So whatever it
is, spill it and let's get it out in the open."

	"It's just that...Friday night, Carolyn told me she's pregnant!"

	"Holy shit! You and I both know how to be careful, so how the fuck
did you slip up?"

	"I don't know. Maybe one night I was drinkin' too much. Maybe when
I went back for seconds, maybe I used the same rubber and some of my spunk
oozed out. Maybe I put it on wrong side out and she got a full dose."

	"What the fuck are you gonna do? You got the money to get her an
abortion?"

	"Yeah, I got the money," Hal replied, but his voice became softer
and more serious. "It's just that I've been thinkin', and maybe I want this
baby."

	"Now I'm certain you've flipped out! You want to spend the rest of
your life with Carolyn and some snot-nosed brat?"

	"Not really, but the snot-nosed brat is my kid...and I want my
kid...and if I have to take Carolyn along with the package, well, then..."

	"God damn, Hal!"

	"I know. It doesn't sound like me talkin', does it?"

	"It sure as shit doesn't. What does Carolyn want?"

	"That's where the irony lies. I don't think SHE wants ME!"

	"What?"

	"'s funny as hell. It's okay if we date steady and she lets me fuck
her brains out every time I feel like it, but she don't love me enough to
raise our kid together."

	"WOULD you marry her, Hal?"

	"I think so...I don't know. It's just that Hawthorne is so
goddamned small and everybody knows everybody else's business, I don't want
the people to brand my kid as bein' a bastard."

	"Christ! You've been carryin' this load on your shoulders all
weekend and you come in here and accuse me of queerin' your brother?"

	"I'm sorry, bro. I don't know why I said all them things," Hal
said, then suddenly stopped himself with, "Yes, I DO know! It was somethin'
that Noah said in his sleep after he came home last night."

	"What did he say?"

	"Oh, he was mumblin...somethin' about 'hold me, Steve,' and then he
said, 'I love you, Steve!"

	"You're bullshitting me!"

	"No, I'm not!"

	"Well, you said he was asleep. Maybe he was havin' a stupid dream
and didn't mean what he was saying!"

	"What kind of dream would make him say, 'I love you, Steve'? That
ain't normal for a kid to say."

	"Well, rest your mind. Noah and I did NOT engage ourselves in ANY
kind of sexual activity whatsoever! Even if I WAS queer, I sure as hell
wouldn't try anything with my best friend's brother. I love you like my own
brother too much. We're too close! Hell, I wouldn't do anything to your
sister if you had one!"

	"I know and I know I'd never fuck around with your sister if you
had one."

	"Let's get back to the REAL subject...you and Carolyn. What you
gonna do? Does she want an abortion?"

	"No, she talked like she wanted the kid, too."

	"Then you two had better get your shit together and come to some
kind of understanding. If you both want the kid and you don't want the kid
to be born a bastard, you'd better get together and start deciding
something."

	"I know."

	Just then, Tyler and Randy enter Katie's and came toward the
favorite booth.

	"Don't say a word to them about Carolyn and me," Hal said in a
whisper.

	"You know I won't. Just don't go off on a wild tangent and accuse
me and Noah of-- well, whatever you were accusing me of."

	"God! That's the last thing I'd do...even if was true."

	"Mornin', gentlemen," Steve said, greeting Randy and
Tyler. "Where's the monk?"

	"I think Wade went to church with his mom," Tyler said, "I
sometimes wonder how he became one of us?"

	"Who else has he got to chum around with?" Steve replied. "Let's
face it! None of us has ever said it out loud, but all four of us feel
kinda sorry for Wade, and he sorta serves a purpose for us."

	"A purpose?" Randy smirked, "What kind of purpose does a momma's
boy serve for us?"

	"You just said it, Randy," Steve replied. "The fact that he IS a
momma's boy, there's lots of things we'd do, if he wasn't around...like
getting into trouble...and Wade makes us stop and think before we go too
far. Did you ever think about that?"

	"No," Randy replied wonderingly.

	"Well, THINK about it, asshole!"

	Randy and Tyler ignored Steve's last remark and sat down in the
booth. "You two ordered breakfast yet?"

	"Nope."

	"What are you havin'?" Randy asked.

	"That's a dumbass question. We order the same thing we've been
orderin' every Sunday at Katie's for years!"

	"Well, today I might order somethin' different."

	"You mean seven biscuits and gravy instead of your usual six?"

	The four of them acknowledged the humor and laughed at themselves
as Katie strode over, ostensibly to take their order. She didn't bother
with a pad or pencil because she'd turned in their usual order as soon as
Randy and Tyler came in the door.

	After breakfast, Wade still hadn't shown up, and the four
musketeers departed, each to his own way...Tyler and Randy to Randy's house
to watch Sunday afternoon sports on TV, Hal to go see Carolyn. Steve drove
home, thinking about what Hal has said about Noah's declaration in his
sleep. Steve DID have feelings for Noah, but there was no one in Hawthorne
with whom he could discuss them. The only gay person Steve had ever known
was his cousin, Johnny Kane. Johnny had moved to Briarwood and later to
Mackintosh, New Hampshire. Johnny used to run a crisis center in
Summerville, where he discussed gay matters with kids who were confused
about their sexuality. There were several things Steve would like to ask
Johnny without incriminating himself. But then, even cousin Johnny knew
about Steve's reputation with women and would never believe that Steve was
asking about queer things that concerned himself.

	Steve went home to an empty house, as his folks were having Sunday
dinner with his dad's sister's family. Steve took a chance and dialed New
Hampshire long distance to see if Johnny was listed in the Mackintosh phone
directory. He was astonished when the operator gave him Johnny's home phone
number. He dialed the area code and the first four digits before he hung up
the receiver. He had lost his nerve. He took the piece of paper containing
Johnny's number, folded it, and put it in his billfold. Maybe he would call
Johnny later in the week...AFTER he had seen Noah one more time.


<><><><><><><><><> (To be continued in Part Three)