Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2001 01:16:10 -0800
From: Lael Stalnaker <vanyelashkev@pacbell.net>
Subject: Picture Perfect Chapter 3


  This is a dual written story by 2 authors. We have each
taken a character and run with them. Personality and stats
are also individually created. Everything else that occurs
is jointly decided and thought out. We hope that you have as
much fun reading this ongoing story as we did writing it.
You can contact Fred at emeraldj@twcny.rr.com or ICQ#
7554513 or AIM s/n emeraldjay. You can reach Lael at
vanyelashkev@pacball.net, ICQ# 11938988 or AIM s/n
VanyelAshkev. If at all interested, we have other stories
written separately. Fred has "Dreaming of Jaye", in the
High School category. Lael has "Near Collision", in the
Sci-fi/Fantasy section.

  The final 2 sections of the chapter were written
separately, without letting each other know what was done
until the section was complete. We felt this would better
suit the mood and keep things interesting.


"Picture Perfect"

                 By Fred Cole and Lael Stalnaker


Chapter 3: Grand Backyard Tour

"Let me show you around." I led the way outside.

   We walk into the backyard and Greg stops short. It is
huge. A half Olympic size pool, Jacuzzi, and a huge
ornamental garden are the first things any visitor sees. At
the center of the garden is an ornamental coi pond. Further
down the garden path is another entire building, at least
the size of the house.

  I take Greg's hand and start down the path to the gym. Dad
built it for me when I was 12 and he realized I was not
giving up on the gymnastics. He makes big money but I never
pay attention to it. Mom also does something or other that
rakes in plenty. My focus has always been on the gymnastics,
though I guess one day I'll have to pay more attention to
other things, but until then...

  It's neat being able to hold his hand and walk like this.
Who would have thought it last night at the party! We get to
the gym and I let us in. The ceiling is way the hell up
there and it makes the whole building look like an empty
warehouse or something. It's far from empty though.
Everything thing you would find in a fitness gym is here,
plus my specialized equipment. The center floor is covered
with a regulation floor mat for doing tumbling. Along one
edge is a vaulting set up. Another side has the pummel
horse. Third side has the rings. The side we just came in
has lockers for this and that, and a changing room with
shower and sauna. At the edge of the matt, on this side
also, are the bar sets for parallel and horizontal.

  My Dad and Mom use it to work out too. The weights in the
basement are for rainy days so that I don't have to come all
the way out here. The weight training equipment sits as
close to the walls as space will allow. The last thing I
need is to over extend and tumble into all that unyielding
metal! I have a personal coach that comes out nearly every
day except weekends to keep me on track. I usually swim for
a couple of hours to loosen up (and keep me on the team) and
then practice for 5 more hours on my various routines for
meets.

  Greg looks pretty stunned with the set up. For some
reason, I have the urge to show off for him. A private show,
so to speak. I grin and let go of his hand. I walk over to
the floor mats and drop into a split. I begin stretching out
my legs and back. My coach would kill me if he ever found
out I didn't properly stretch before 'doing' anything. Force
of habit. Still, a good one. Last thing I need is to pull
something this weekend and ruin it all!

*******

  Talk about a back yard, Kyle's parents could have bought a
small country with the money they must have spent for all
this. There's a huge pool at least half the size of an
Olympic one. A Jacuzzi is back here too. As we walk farther
down the path through this gorgeous garden, we pass a coi
pond, and then we come upon this building that I swear is as
big as the house. I can't figure out which impresses me
more, holding hands as we walk or the back yard slash
garden.

  It felt different holding Kyle's hand. Not wrong and not
right, just different. It gave me a warm feeling inside.
Once we got to the huge building, he opened the door, and we
stepped inside.

  My eyes just about popped out of my head. This was his
family's own personal gym. He had the weights, the bars, the
vaulting table, and the mats, even a sauna and changing
area. I've seen city gyms less decked out.

  While I'm looking around in wonderment of the setup, Kyle
lets go of my hand and heads over to the mats. He starts
doing these stretching exercises that, to me, look more like
he's twisting himself into a pretzel.

*******

  Once my body has completely stretched itself out, I decide
on what I want to show him. With a grin, I pull my legs back
together and flip myself up onto my feet in a move that
would make Jackie Chan proud. I can see Greg's eyes almost
pop out of his head. Then I twist and start a fast sprint
toward the far side of the mat. I begin doing side flips, my
arms tightly against my side and end them at the exact edge
of the far corner. Throwing my hands up over my head to get
the momentum going, I then back flip to him again, spinning
over and over. Then a twist happens that I was totally
unprepared for: my shorts going flying off my waist and up
my legs, then off entirely. When I come to a stop, I am buck
assed naked with my back to Greg. I think my whole body is
turning a glowing red now...

  My shorts are now clear across the mat, near the pummel
horse. Without looking back over my shoulder I do forward
flips to them. As I stop moving I decide to go for it and
leap at the pummel horse. I like the twisting and turning. I
can just make out Greg watching me carefully. It finally
dawns on me that he is concerned about me bruising
something. Somehow, I managed to avoid crushing precious
assets through all of this. I end my maneuvering and thump
down on the floor.

  I pick up the shorts and walk back over to Greg. Grinning,
I ask, "So, wanna go for a swim? I think I am way too
sweaty..."

  Greg reaches over and traces a finger down my chest. Then
to my total surprise, he sticks his finger in his mouth,
licking it off. He grins back at me. My turn to have my eyes
about to fall out of my head. Now curiosity is burning me,
so I take his hand, curl all of his fingers over but the
middle one and bring it to my chest. I run his finger down
my chest and then bring it up to my mouth. I suck his finger
into my mouth a centimeter at a time, making sure that the
suction is constant. The salt from my sweat sits on my
tongue, but the taste of him is so good. I run my teeth
lightly onto the skin of his finger as I pull his hand back
from my face. When I reach the nail, I let my teeth graze
right over it, pushing slightly. His jaw is slack as I let
his hand go again. Two can play that game!

  Greg is totally dazed. I grin impishly. Then I take him by
the arm and head for the door. He follows on automatic. We
reach the pool and I dive in, dropping the shorts on the
side as I go in. I come up and wait for Greg. He's standing
there, blushing. He finally shakes it off and strips. I
watch with interest each bit of clothing hitting the ground.
His body is definitely worth watching, trim and well
proportioned. He sticks his tongue out at me and dives in,
splashing me in the face. I laugh and dive down under the
water, following his kicking legs.

*******

  My eyes just about popped out when Kyle flipped himself to
his feet, now that he was finished with his stretches. He
made a run for the far end of the mat, and then started
doing side flips with perfect form, landing on the exact
edge of the mat. Then he started doing back flips toward my
direction. All of that spinning and flipping took it's toll
on his loose shorts, for he soon lost them in mid air. Kyle
was still going along, yet they just drifted to the floor in
the spot where the left him. Ever the trooper, Kyle
continues back in forward flips, to where the pummel horse
is. He makes a leap on to the horse, twisting and turning. I
watch close for fear that he may twist or crunch something
of his that I hold dear. Once he figures out my look of
concern, he finishes his private show, and lands with a
thump on the floor.

  Strutting back to me with shorts in hand, he asks, "So,
wanna go for a swim? I think I am way too sweaty..."

  I stop him mid sentence with my next maneuver. Teasingly,
I stick out my finger and glide it down his chest, then put
it to my mouth and suck it clean, grinning at him the entire
time. Kyle then takes my hand, curls up all but my middle
finger, and traces it down his chest, then sucks it into his
mouth a tiny bit at a time. He drags his teeth lightly
against my skin as he's pulling my hand back from his face,
increasing the pressure once hit reaches my fingernail. My
jaw drops as he lets go of my hand. All he does is give me a
mischievous grin.

  He grabs my arm and we head for the door. Once we reach
the pool, he dives in, dropping his shorts at the side. I
can feel my whole body get hot, as I'm sure I was now the
one to do a full body blush. Kyle watches me intently as I
strip off my clothing, and drop it off to the side. I stick
my tongue out at him, and dive in. I guess you could call it
a dive, I splashed him good on my way into the water.

*******

  We play tag for a while, chasing each other all over the
pool. I would stay under, catching up to him and grab onto
him, anywhere I could reach and then scooting off quickly.
He would do the same and scramble to get away. Then things
got even more fun. I caressed the curve of his ass as I swam
by, startling him. He took the challenge and hunted me down
until he could return the favor. I quit trying so hard to
get away after the third time. He swam up and wrapped his
hand around my dick. Within seconds it was hard, making me
gasp. Greg led me to the shallow end and walked us up the
steps.

  Once out of the pool, Greg kept his hold on me and then
turned to me. Our lips met in another of those awesome
kisses, the only difference being that I had to tilt my head
a little. I let my hand wander between us and gripped him
back. I loved the feel of him in my hand, all hard but
flexible and silky. Our tongues danced around each other,
driving me crazy. My whole mouth tingled. So does my hand
holding him, and where he is holding me.

  My head is starting to spin. My other hand goes to the
small of his back, pressing him forward into me. We are
touching all along our bodies now, but refusing to let go of
each other. I can feel my knuckles pressed against his firm
stomach. His hand is barely moving, stroking me. I copy him,
rubbing up and down his length. The air around us feels
charged, electrical. It's definitely time to move on to
something more.

  I pull my head back and watch his face. His eyes are
almost completely shut, entranced. His black hair is
plastered to his forehead, water dripping from the tip of
his nose. I get inspired and reach up, on tiptoe and
delicately lick the drop from it. His eyes open and widen.
The taste of chlorine stings my tongue a bit, but I like it.
I glance around and try to figure out what now. Then I shrug
and begin to lower myself to the edge of the pool, carefully
pulling him down with me.

"Time to try something new," I whisper.

   He nods and sits on the edge. The sun has heated the
concrete nicely and the puddle water from our exit has
cooled it enough to keep from burning our bare skin. I lay
back and swing my body around so that my feet are going the
opposite way from his. He has his trailing in the water, but
flat on the first step. He grins at me and nods
enthusiastically. I watch as he leans into me and licks my
thigh. Shivers crawl up my spine.

  Greg's butt is flat on the ground, his legs spread. His
torso has twisted so that he has his right side flat as he
continues to lick the water from my outer and inner thighs.
I keep myself entirely on my right side, barely an inch from
him the entire length of us. One arm is under my head, elbow
on the ground as I continue to stroke him with my left hand,
lost internally, tracking his tongue on my skin from within.
The intensity of it makes me twitch in his hand.

  Just when I thought I was going to scream with
frustration, Greg moved to my balls. I quivered with desire
at this point. I started to do the exact same thing to him,
licking trails over his nuts. He flexed in my hand, sure
sign that what I was doing had an effect. I moved my tongue
under his nuts, and then slid it around to the top. His skin
was hot to the touch. He one upped me and sucked one of my
nuts into his mouth, then the other. I moaned, instantly
loosing track of what I was doing. His hand was still
stroking me, running up and down my entire length, doubling
the thrill.

*******

  We played tag for a while; first Kyle would swim
underwater and grab me wherever he could reach, then swim
away. Then I would do the same thing, seeking him out and
grabbing whatever I could. He startled me when he started
rubbing my ass instead of grabbing me. So I decided to hunt
him down and do the same, each time he played a little less
hard to catch. The third time I went after him, I swam up
and grabbed his dick, making him gasp. He was rock hard in
an instant. I led him to the shallow end and up the steps
out of the pool.

  Once we got out of the pool, I kept hold of Kyle. I turned
to him and our lips met in another one of those mind-blowing
kisses. His hand wandered between us and gripped my shaft.
The feeling was electric, sending tingles up and down my
spine.

  My eyes pop wide open as he licks my nose. He looks
around, shrugs, and then pulls me down near the edge of the
pool.

"Time to try something new," he whispers.

  I nod and sit on the warm concrete. The puddle of water
beneath us has taken the bite out of the sun's heat captured
by the concrete. We can still feel the warmth but it's not
burning our skin. Kyle then positions himself so that his
feet are toward my head, and I'm laying so that my feet are
in the water planted firmly on the first step of the pool. I
lean in close and lick the water from the inside of his
thigh, making him quiver in delight. I continue licking him,
laying with my upper body twisted, my butt flat on the
concrete, but the rest of me is propped up on my right side.
No more than an inch is between us for the entire length of
our bodies. The feeling of it all is intense for the both of
us, with him stroking me and me holding him, while liking
his thighs clean of the chlorinated water.

  As I moved on to his balls with me tongue, he shook with
delight again. He mimicked every movement of my tongue. I
sucked in one of his balls in a show of one-upmanship to his
licking. He moaned at the new sensation. The entire time I
was working on his balls, I was also stroking him freely,
increasing his pleasure.

*******

  I shudder as he rolls his tongue around my nuts, turning
them. His hand still strokes, but slowly, teasing me. My
mouth is now sucking on the inside of his thigh, causing him
to squirm. After that, I angle him toward my mouth and
inhale him. Already, drops of pre-cum leak out onto my
tongue. I lick them away, not letting him escape. My hand
has him right where I want him, and I am loving this. He
released my balls and taken me into his mouth, completing
the circuit. We are now totally linked together.

  It's hard to focus on what I am doing when half of my
brain is concentrating on what he is doing to me! My whole
body tingles as he continues to go down on me. I am
beginning to really like the taste of him. The chlorine
taste from the pool has faded and now it is pure Greg again.
He fills my mouth comfortably and to my surprise, I no
longer gag when he is halfway down my throat. I keep up a
swallowing type motion and everything seems to work right.

  He's moving faster on me, forcing me to pick up my speed
in response. My eyes shut and I concentrate on making him
feel as good as he makes me feel. Within minutes, I feel my
balls pull up and tiny spasms surge. I try to hold back for
as long as possible, not wanting it to end. His mouth is so
hot and wet that it is impossible to hold on for long. Just
as I loose control, he blasts into my mouth. I had been
paying so much attention to the other end of things that I
missed what was happening at mine. We both shoot at the same
time, eruption after eruption, until we both are drained
dry. I reluctantly release him from my mouth and lay my head
on his thigh. I think I understand the term 'afterglow'
now...

  Once the sudden weakness passes, I realize that I am
starving. My stomach growls again, for the second time
today. Talk about embarrassing! I look down the length of
our bodies and make eye contact with Greg. He seems to be
thinking about something. I smile and sit up. Time to do
something about the hunger pangs before I get any louder.

"That was..." I am at a loss for words. Greg smiles and then
nods.

"I know what you mean. Intense!"

*******

  I roll his nuts around my mouth, massaging them with my
tongue. Slowly I stroke him, but now easing up on the
intensity. His sucking on the inside of my thigh makes me
squirm. Then he points my cock toward his face and engulfs
me with his mouth. The lapping of his tongue on the head of
my cock feels incredible. In response, I release his balls
from my mouth and return the favor, feeling totally linked
with him.

  As I move faster along his length, he also picks up speed.
All of my effort is going in to making him feel good. Soon,
I feel his sack start to shrink up, ready to release their
payload, he twitches in my mouth, I can tell he is close but
holding back. I can feel my body prepare itself in
anticipation of his orgasm, the inevitability of it all
driving me close to the edge. We both fire huge volleys of
cum into the other's mouth at the same time. After our
spasms have subsided, I ease his now soft cock out of my
mouth and lay my head on his thigh.

  Once our weakness has passed, I hear Kyle's stomach growl.
I chuckle to myself delighting in the fact that I caused him
to work up an appetite for the second time today. We make
eye contact, down the length of our bodies, and I can't help
but notice a difference in my feelings toward my best
friend. He smiles and sits up, jarring me from my thoughts.

"That was..." he seems stuck mid sentence.

  I nod and smile. "I know what you mean. Intense," I
finish.

*******

  We need to get ourselves rinsed off so we don't get
chlorine burns. I really don't want a case of green hair
either. That only happens when you don't get the shit all
out of your hair. I have been lucky so far, still the same
blond that I started the season with. I can't help but watch
him as he walks ahead of me toward the house. His butt
muscles flex as he carries his cloths in with him.
Fascinating! We head for our respective rooms, deciding on
faster wash times if separate.

"Was that a gas grill I saw out back?" Greg asks.

"Yeah. Another of Dad's toys. Why?"

"How about grilling something for lunch?" Gregg suggests.

"Sure. No prob. Good idea. I'll raid the fridge when I get
done washing. There should be something in there worth
grilling. Catch ya out back when you're done with your
shower."

"Shit! It's after 1! I gotta call the 'rents, let 'em know
I'm ok." Greg says as he sees the clock in the kitchen when
we come inside.

"No prob, use the phone in your room," I wave him on as I
head down to my room.

  Once downstairs, I detour to my room, grabbing a shirt to
go with my shorts. Rummaging through my drawer, I come
across the proofs of the photos Greg took of me last year. I
had forgotten that I had stuck them there to get them out of
my Dad's sight one night. I plant myself on the edge of my
bed and rifle through the stack quickly. It still amazes me
that Greg did such an incredible job with such short notice.
I had a really hard time choosing the best ones for Dad's
collage.

  I sigh to myself. What the fuck am I doing? I toss the
pile of pics onto the desk and head for the shower. I
snagged some sandals and a tank top with the sides mostly
split out on my way. My brain is beginning to catch up with
the rest of me. Things are way the hell off from where I had
planned. Stupid of me, but I had no idea that things would
turn out the way they had. In fact, I am still shocked that
I went as far as I did. Talk about spur of the moment.
Unless... had I planned it all along, in the back of my head
without really paying attention? I knew Greg was going to be
at the party, after all.

  The water feels great, ridding me of that chlorine itch
that seems to set in as soon as your skin dries. It's ok
when wet, but sucks big time if you leave it. Dries out your
skin too. I chuckle to myself as something dawns on me. Heh,
chlorine dries out your skin... no wonder none of the guys
who swim on the team ever have zits! I had never thought
about it that way before.

  The water felt good on my skin. I soaped up, my mind still
twisting and turning over all that had happened. It all felt
so odd. I knew I liked guys. I know I like Greg. The thing
is, is more than sexual attraction? Is it lust, love or
something else? Do I only want to be with Greg, or play the
field, now that I know what it is like? Geez! How is this
going to effect my gymnastics?

  So many questions just streaming one after another through
my head and no fuckin' answers to any of them! The one thing
that I do know is this: What Greg and I did together was the
most wonderful, exciting sensual thing I have ever done in
my entire short life! And I want more! But do I want a
boyfriend... That's the biggest question right now. Greg is
cute and we've been friends for a while, but somehow... I
don't know. I just never thought of him as a boyfriend. Or
did I?

  I shampoo my hair carefully; making sure all of the stuff
gets rinsed out. The conditioner I pile on like nobody's
business. My hair tends to tangle if I don't. Probably
because of the swimming. So, where do things go from here?
Can we play around and not get involved at that level
everyone seems to want? What if we get caught? What if the
team finds out? Fuck!

  Which leads to; are we? I am dieing of curiosity. I wanna
know what it feels like. I wanna know what it's like to do
and be done. Geez, does that thing ever quit! I stare down
at the offending appendage, musing on its ability to rise to
any thought, occasion or potentially embarrassing moment.
Finished off, rinsing thoroughly, desperately ignoring my
body's betrayal. The towel rasps against the sensitive skin
enough to give me breathing room. My thoughts go back to
Greg.

  How do I really feel about him? I like him a lot. He's fun
to be around. Can't hold his liquor though. He's smart, and
has a great body.  His pictures are amazing. Crush, lust,
love or none of the above? I do know that I don't want to
lose our friendship. Well, I guess we don't have to worry
about it just yet. Still, maybe we should talk it through
more carefully... tomorrow.

  I am totally dry now and toss the towel onto the rack. I
haul the split-sided tank over my head and pull it down. Up
go the shorts, a bit tighter this time. Hmmm, wonder if Greg
would take some more pictures. My chuckle startles me.
Didn't realize I'd mumbled that out loud. I think it would
be cool to do some more photos with Greg. Maybe. I want to
try taking some of him. Wonder if he'd teach me how to use
his good camera. I slip on the sandals and trot on up the
stairs.

  The fridge yields up a couple of steaks and some potatoes.
I head out back with the grub and fire up the grill. Within
a few minutes everything is set. I wait to put the meat on
until Greg comes out. I would hate to cook it the wrong way.
Safer to wait. I salt and pepper it while I wait. Then I get
out some plates and silverware. The deck has everything
anyone could want for a deck party stashed away in cupboards
lining the back of the house. My parents love throwing
summer swim parties.

  I collapse in a deck chair and prop my feet on the edge of
the table, ankles crossed. My head tilts back and I stare up
at the clear blue of the sky. Wisps of clouds scuttle in
bands half way up from the horizon. The sun feels so good.
Hopefully Greg will be out soon.

*******

  We head in to Kyle's house at his suggestion; he wants to
make sure he gets all the chlorine rinsed off before doing
anything else. I can't blame him, it would be a shame for
him to ruin his blonde hair by letting it turn swimming pool
green. We decide that showering separate will make the
rinsing off go faster, since his stomach is still grumbling.

"Was that a gas grill I saw out back?" I ask

"Yeah. Another of dad's toys. Why?"

"How about grilling something for lunch?" I suggest.

"Sure. No prob. Good idea. I'll raid the fridge when I get
done washing. There should be something in there worth
grilling. Catch ya out back when you're done with your
shower."

"Shit! It's after 1! I gotta call the 'rents, let 'em know
I'm ok." I say once I notice the time.

"No prob, use the phone in your room," He says as he motions
me on, and then heads for his room.

  I step into the shower and let the water flow over me,
relaxing my body. I'm not really tense, just my feelings are
all knotted up. I can't figure out what I am actually
feeling. Is it just the sex from Kyle that I want or is it a
full-blown boyfriend that I am looking for.

  There are other things on my mind too. If we decide to
become boyfriends, we have to keep things low-key. I mean,
he is on the swim team and, being a jock, that makes him a
prime target for getting picked on by his teammates if they
do find out. What will my parents think, I know my Dad will
be okay with things, but Mom will freak. With the water
causing my body to prune up, I turn off the water, towel
off, and head over to collapse on the bed.

  I lay on my back mulling over my predicament. Not quite
feeling ready for a relationship, but wanting something that
goes way beyond friendship with Kyle. Dad has always
encouraged me to be happy and supported whatever I do; Mom
on the other hand, has always added an ounce of caution with
every bit of support she has given. She can be
overprotective sometimes. I guess I better this call over
with, they aren't used to me being away without calling for
so long. I reach over and dial the phone.

"Hello," My Dad answers.

"Hi Dad, I'm at Kyle's place." I said.

"What are you doing there? I thought you were going to be at
Brian's house."

"I was, but I got ditched at the last moment, Kyle brought
me to his place to crash."

"So when are you coming home?" Dad asked

"Well, Kyle asked me if I could stay until Sunday night. I
told him I would have to ask you and Mom before I could give
an answer."

"I don't mind, but I'll let you ask your mother, that way
she knows where you are."

"Thanks Dad."

"Hi." My Mom said in her usual chipper voice.

"Hi Mom, I'm at Kyle's place. Brian ditched me at the party,
but Kyle brought me to his for the night."

"What!? Why didn't you call us?"

"I didn't want you guys to have to come get me. Besides,
Kyle offered when he found out, so I went to his place."

"Thank Kyle for us, he has a big heart."

"I will, Mom."

Then there was a long pause. "So, is Kyle your boyfriend
yet?" She asked.

"What do you mean by that, Mom?!"

"Gregory Robert Johnston!" Uh oh all three names. "Do you
think that your father and I are blind? We've seen the way
you and Kyle act around each other. We know that neither one
of you has a girlfriend..."

"But..." I started just as Mom runs right on over me with
the verbal ball.

"Did you think that we don't know why you hide behind your
camera all the time, and that we don't notice that most of
your pictures are of guys?"

"But Mom..." I managed to get two words in that time.

"Greg, we love you just the same, we figured it out a while
ago. Why do you think I taught you how do so many things? I
wanted to make sure that you could make it on your own if
you couldn't find anyone that made you feel special."

"That's why? You just figured I wouldn't find anyone?"

"Yes Greg, you kept yourself so wrapped up in photography
that we weren't sure that you would stop long enough to have
a life out from behind the camera."

"So, you mean that it doesn't matter if I'm gay? You're not
disappointed in me?"

Then my Dad says from the other extension, "Son, we know
that you can't choose who you fall in love with, any more
than you can choose your eye color. We're happy that you are
doing your best to be all that you can become."

"Sure we're worried that you might get hurt," Mom said, "but
we would worry even if you were dating girls."

"Oh... Well, anyway, Kyle is not my boyfriend. I don't have
one. I just realized how I felt about Kyle this morning. I'm
not sure if I want to be his boyfriend. He's on the swim
team of all things, I don't want him to mess that up, nor do
I want to mess up our friendship."

"Just remember, Greg, we still love you no matter what. You
are our son just the same." Mom said.

"Oh, before I forget, is it okay if I stay here 'til Sunday
night? Kyle asked, but I told him I would have to ask you
two first."

"If you want, dear. Your Dad and I could use the time alone.
Also, if you want my advice about Kyle, think long and hard
about what it is that you feel for him. Don't get me wrong;
being boyfriends is not going to be a cakewalk. You'll have
lots of challenges ahead if you go through with it. There's
a lot more to dating than just sex." 'How the hell did she
know?! Did she watch?' I thought, nearly dropping the phone.

"And," Dad said, "don't forget that we are here for you. If
you need to talk something out, we will listen."

"Th... Thanks, guys." I stammered "I think I know what I
want to do, but I haven't figured out why just yet," I said,
still trying to get that last statement of my Mom's to sink
in.

"Just take it slow," Mom said.

"You have your whole life ahead of you." Dad added.

"Okay, I get the hint. I'll see you Sunday night then. Bye."
I said with a bit of exasperation in my voice.

"Bye," they said in unison.

  I flopped back on the bed still confused. How did they
know before I did? I guess all those pictures in the
darkroom, and the fact that I didn't want to be bothered
with the girls' sports made it obvious. That doesn't matter
now, the parents know and they don't seem to mind, in fact,
they seem to be encouraging it.

  I think I'm going to go for it. I'll ask Kyle if he wants
to be my boyfriend. I know things have to be discreet, but
we can manage. It's only the two of us that have to know.
Considering my parents already thought we were boyfriends, I
know we don't have to hide from them. Guess there is only
one thing left to do.