Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:36:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mark Arbour <markarbour2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: Chronicles of an Academic Predator- Chapter 2

CHRONICLES OF AN ACADEMIC PREDATOR

Published First at :  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arbourtales/

Before you read this story, there are a few things you should consider:

1. It contains graphic descriptions of sex between men.  In some cases,
these depictions may get kinky, and include borderline S&M.

2. It is set in the early 1960s, an era before the Civil Rights Act of 1964
when segregation and discrimination were the norm.  African Americans were
referred to as Negroes or Coloreds, although the "N" word was offensive
then as it is now.  I have retained the language of the era because it
reminds me how far we have come on race relations.

3. Be aware that the effects of inflation have been profound.  A good rule
of thumb is to consider that $1 in 1962 is probably similar to $10 in 2008.
So just add a zero at the end of any number.

4. Some authors are good enough to create a mood through their words.  I
need help, so I'll be posted recommended musical selections throughout the
story.


CHAPTER TWO

Musical Recommendation:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPM5khluZWE
"Poetry in Motion" by Johnny Tillotson


	Those square-toed, ankle high shoes!  That was the guy in the
bathroom yesterday.  My mind was whirling; I had to get out of there, by
myself, to digest this info.  I made an excuse to Andre and went to the
bathroom and locked myself in one of the stalls.  I sat there, with my
pants still pulled up, pondering what I had just seen.

	That had to be the same guy.  How many redheads with those shoes
were there in this college town?  How many were queer, as this guy
obviously was?  Did he recognize me?  I tried to recall the look he'd given
me on the way out.  Was it a knowing one?  No, it was a look of fear,
apprehension.  I was safe.  Luckily for them, so were they.  Can't be
outing fellow queers.

	Damn, he was cute though.  And he had a really nice ass, the pants
he had been wearing were tight enough to make it seem small and cute.  When
he walked, it was a confident stride, almost a strut.  I don't think I'd
ever seen anything like it, almost a masculine version of a woman walking
and working her hips.  The fluid way he moved his body, his talents that
I'd already experienced, boy, he must be an amazing lover.

	I had a vision of his face burned into my brain, scarred by that
look of terror, but gorgeous anyway.  His face was a long, oval shape, with
blue eyes, set back farther than normal.  His nose was long, appropriately
matching his face, with a pronounced bridge right below his eyes.  He
reminded me of Guy Madison, only with red hair.  He was sporting a goatee,
and even though I'd always thought they were ridiculous, on him it worked.
One of Jack Kerouac's followers, no doubt.

	It was inevitable that my mind would ultimately turn to sex.  Was
he Deep Voice or Soft Voice?  I recalled the visual of him walking out the
door, then recalled his cock sliding carefully through the hole in the
bathroom yesterday...all of it making me hard as a rock and incredibly
horny.  I dropped my pants and beat off with a frenzy I rarely used,
blowing my load in no time at all.  A few minutes to calm down, let my
erection subside, clean up, and I was ready to return to the real world.
But I'd look out for him.  He's cute, he's sexy, and he's queer.

	Andre looked up as I returned to the table.  "Feel better?" he
asked, assuming I'd been taking a massive crap or something.

	"Absolutely", I responded with complete sincerity.

**********************


	There was an incredibly painful noise dragging me from my
desperately needed sleep.  I lay in bed, thinking that maybe it would end
soon.  It didn't.  I rolled out of bed, staggered a bit, and went in quest
of the offending sound.

	I walked into the front room to find the TV on.  The noise was the
test pattern.  I looked at my watch.  3am. No wonder.  TV programming had
ended over 3 hours ago.  I clicked it off, relieved to be rid of the din.

	I scanned the room, and there was the reason for the test pattern.
Andre was passed out on the couch.  The street light shone through the open
drapes, highlighting his magnificent form, sprawled on the couch.  He was
on his back, with one arm draped over his eyes and the other on the floor.
His legs were spread wide apart, with one leg on the back of the couch, and
one on the floor.  I snickered to myself.  He must have had the spinnies
and needed to keep a hand and leg on the floor to keep the room from
spinning in circles around him.

	We'd gone out to a local Irish pub, and Andre had drunk like a
fish.  I was still hung over from last night, so I only had a few beers.
By 10pm he was becoming obnoxious, not in a violent way, but in a way that
could provoke other drunks who were.  So I drug him home, pushed him into
his room, and went to bed.  He must have gotten up, stripped down to his
boxers, and come out here to watch TV.

Musical Recommendation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCET8pBkgdA
"You'll Lose a Good Thing" by Barbara Lynn


	I walked quietly over and looked down at him.  His hair was messed
up, but that just made him cuter.  I decided to fuck around with him, so I
tickled his hairy armpit.  He moved his arm down to shield it, grunted, but
didn't wake up.  I knew then that I was walking on dangerous ground, but
the temptation, the temptation that had built up for two years now, was
overwhelming.

	I knelt next to him and ran my fingers up his arm, feeling his
strong biceps, up to his broad shoulders, over his protruding Adam's apple.
I paused to shake him and say his name, but got no response.  I shook him
harder.  Still no response.  I damn near punched him.  That got a grunt,
but no other response.

	Suddenly I realized the huge risks I was taking.  If he woke up
now, and caught me touching him, what would he do?  Kick my ass?  God knows
he could crush me if he wanted to.  I stared at him, knowing that I was
playing with fire, willing myself to get up and leave the room.  He was
out, I told myself, rationalizing.  If he comes to I can always say that I
was just trying to wake him up.

	I brushed my fingers over his cheeks, feeling the whiskers that
always seemed to be on this face.  I moved to his chest, gently playing
with each of his nipples.  He had no hair on his chest, surprisingly.  He
moaned a little at that.  Apparently he like having his nipples played
with.  Feeling really daring, I leaned forward and blew on the closest
nipple, watching the air cool it down and make it contract.

	I backed off again, realizing that touching his face, touching his
arm, those things could be explained.  Even touching his chest was a
credible move.  But tweaking his nipple with my finger, blowing on it,
those were clearly sexual moves.  I stared down at his handsome form, and
felt the lust surge within me.  Two years of repressed feelings, of
beat-off fantasies, of lust, and then love burned through my body and
brain.  I willed myself to get up, and walked away, heading to my room.
Suddenly my feet stopped and I turned.  Something inside me was telling me
to take the chance.  It was as if there was a monumental battle going on in
my conscience, a Gettysburg in my soul.  I should keep walking. I should go
back to my room, and whack off.  But I didn't.

	I walked back over to him, poking him some more, really trying to
wake him up, but he didn't budge.  If he didn't move, if he was that out,
what would be the problem with me just exploring a little more?  What would
be the harm if I just got a closer look at the man of my dreams?  I lowered
my face down to his armpits, inhaling his scent, the ripe smell of his body
odor.  It should have grossed me out, but it didn't.  The pheromones just
stimulated me more.  I moved my fingers over his abdomen, playing with his
belly button.  I knew he was ticklish there, and he squirmed as I tortured
him.  Still he didn't wake up.  I moved my body down so I was directly over
his bulging groin.  I traced my fingers down his thick treasure trail.  I'd
always thought it was so sexy and now I was actually touching it.  My own
cock was throbbing, poking out from my boxers.  I panicked and checked to
make sure Andre was sleeping, but he was still out.

	This was my point of no return.  His boxers were tenting; his cock
was hard, or hardening.  I'd never seen him hard before.  Naked and soft
yes, but hard, no.  Was it worth risking a friendship?  Was it worth taking
that kind of chance?  I felt hormonal reinforcements arrive on the
battlefield in my brain, slowly forcing back the forces of logic and
reason.

	I rearranged his boxers to let his cock poke out through the front
slit.  It was massive.  I always imagined that he'd have a big dick, and I
was right.  If I stopped now, I could always say that it was sticking out
like this when I came out to wake him up.  I still might be able to make up
an excuse.  But I'd come this far, and the cautious forces in my brain were
in full retreat.  I traced my fingers gently up the shaft, watching his
face for any sign that he was awake.  He just moaned and thrust his hips
up.  I held it in my hand, studying it, gently stroking it.  It must be all
of 8 inches long.  I'd seen big dicks and small dicks during my cruising
activities throughout the years, but his was one of the biggest.  Not only
was it long, but it was fat.  Thick.  No wonder Barbara wouldn't let him
fuck her.

	I continued to slowly stroke his dick, running my hand over the
head, pausing to trace the protruding veins with my fingers.  I kept
checking to see if he was awake, but there was no sign.  His moaning was
louder, and his thrusts more insistent.  I ran my finger over the tip of
his cock, rubbing the wet drop of pre-cum from it.  I couldn't resist.  I
put my finger in my mouth and for the first time, I tasted him.  Tasted his
essence.  I moved closer to add his smell to the palette, the same raw body
odor smell now mixed with the natural odors of his groin, making a scent
that was both repelling and compelling at the same time.

	He'd always complained that none of the girls he dated could suck
dick.  No wonder.  It was huge.  But I could.  I knew I could.  I knew
because I'd had lots of practice, and because I wanted it bad.  Real bad.
Was I willing to risk everything, our friendship, my reputation, maybe even
my freedom just to blow the man of my dreams?  The thought of him scorning
me, hating me, or worse, ignoring me, made me pause.  But then my hormones
generated a whole new reason.  How could I tease my friend, get him all
excited, and then just leave him high and dry?  A thinking person would
dismiss that as ridiculous, but a horny male, with his ultimate goal in
sight is easily susceptible to faulty arguments.  I leaned over and slowly
swallowed as much of his cock as I could.

	He really groaned at that, and tried to thrust into my mouth, but I
held him down.  No way was I going to let him ram that thing down my
throat.  I had to be in control.  "Come on baby, that feels so good" he
purred.  I smiled.  He must think he's dreaming.  I certainly thought I
was.

	I'd thrown the dice, taken my chance, risked everything.  The
decision was made, the die was cast.  I threw caution to the wind,
determined to enjoy this, even if it was the last meaningful interaction we
ever had.  I began to work his cock like a pro.  I took him deep; let him
feel the back of my throat as it spasmed, working to master my gag reflex.
Then I moved up to the head and swirled my tongue around it, teasing the
bottom of his head with the tip.  He was really moaning now, and leaking
like a sieve.  I savored his taste. I slid my hand up the legs of his
boxers and stroked his balls.  I was surprised, because unlike his cock,
his balls were actually on the small side.  That didn't make playing with
them any less fun.

	I kept working his cock, putting everything I had into it, enjoying
every minute, knowing this was probably my one and only opportunity.  I
felt his balls start to rise and knew he was close.  If he came, it might
wake him up, but I couldn't leave him like this.  I'd come this far.  Then,
without warning, he came.  He let out a soft roar, that's the only way to
describe it, and shot stream after stream of cum down my throat and into my
mouth.  I swallowed most, but saved some, savoring his taste.  I'd never
been a big fan of the taste of cum, I mean it was OK, but this was Andre.

	Nervously I looked up at his face, where he had a blissful smile,
but still seemed to be sound asleep.  I squeezed the last drop of cum out
of his dick, licked it off, and tucked it back into his boxers.  I almost
ran to the bathroom, spit the remaining cum out of my mouth into my hand,
and used it as lube to jack myself to the biggest orgasm of my life.

Musical Recommendation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghFBvBmXv4E
"Tossin and Turnin" by Bobby Lewis

	I lay in bed, reliving the last hour.  At the time, it seemed worth
it.  Now that I'd satisfied my urges, now that I'd experienced nirvana, I
feared for the consequences.  Would he wake up in the morning and remember
everything?  Would he come in and beat me up?  Would he yell at me?  Or
both?  Andre wasn't a violent person.  I'd never seen him harm anyone
intentionally.  I was prepared to believe that he had feelings for me, that
he cared, or at least used to care about me.  No, he'd probably get up and
be so thoroughly disgusted he'd just leave.  He'd avoid me at home, ignore
me when he saw me, or, if he was feeling polite, just make excuses not to
be around or not to do things with me.

	The night was passing by at a snail's pace.  I couldn't sleep.  I
was flat on my back, wide awake; torturing myself with all the
possibilities, all the potential forms of retribution Andre could take.  In
the end, I decided that I'd rather deal with anger and violence than to be
ignored.  Would life even be worth living if he truly hated me?  Or even if
he wasn't my friend?  I began to wish with all my heart for a time machine
to take me back to just a few hours ago so I could re-live those moments.
How could I risk something so important to me?

	Somehow I had managed to doze off, but the morning sun woke me the
same as a loud klaxon would have.  I was scared shitless.  I almost tiptoed
out of my room to the bathroom.  Suddenly there was a banging on the door.
"Let me in man.  I gotta take a wiz".  I opened the door and Andre came
bursting in, whipping out his dick, the dick that I now knew so well, and
let loose a strong stream.

	"You were really messed up last night," I ventured.  "You must have
passed out on the couch."

	"Yeah," he said while shaking the last drops of pee out of his
cock, "I was stoned.  I don't remember a thing after we left the bar.  But
I woke up happy, so I must have had some good dreams"

	I laughed, relieved, and proceeded to tell him what an ass he'd
made out of himself, and how we probably should drink somewhere else for
awhile.  I was reminded of the "miracle" of St. Elizabeth of Hungary who
was secretly carrying food to the poor in her apron to hide it from her
husband.  When he demanded to see what was in her apron, she opened it to
reveal nothing but flowers.

March 20, 1962


	Over the weekend, France and Algeria had finally signed a peace
accord, ending their almost eight year war that had killed over 150,000
people and wounded another 200,000.  Since I was the resident "expert" on
the subject, Rosenberg called a departmental lunch and asked me to brief
them on events.  I'd had all of two hours to prepare, and the only new
information I could get was from the newspapers, and American ones at that.
It wasn't much.  I'd have to wait until the latest edition of LeMonde was
flown in from Paris.

	Still, I labored on gamely, describing the conflict and the terms
of settlement as best I knew them.  Rosenberg beamed at me with pride, most
seemed genuinely interested, some seemed bored, and a few were openly
hostile, jealous of the high status that Rosenberg held me in, and jealous
that he treated me with greater respect than some of them.  Well, respect
is something you earn.  Guess they needed to work on that.

Musical Recommendation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBtmaq0J2kU
"The Wanderer," by Dion

	I left the building about the same time that I did on Friday and
wandered down to my favorite building with my favorite bathroom.  I was
hoping the redhead would be there.  I walked into the bathroom, the same
smells assaulting my nose, acting like an aphrodisiac, increasing my pulse
and hardening my cock.  There were two stalls in the bathroom, and both
were occupied.

	I walked past the first stall, pretending to check to see if
someone was in there, but in reality trying to see who was in there.  It
was the old troll.  Shit.  That bastard had cock-blocked me plenty of
times.  Glancing at the second stall I saw the familiar square-toed shoes,
so I slowly walked past the door, peering through to see if it was my
redheaded friend.  It was.

	I stood against the wall as if waiting for one of them to finish
up, but positioning myself so I could see through the crack between the
door and stall.  He looked at me and I looked away, avoiding eye contact.
When I looked back at him, he looked away.  Finally our eyes met.  His had
a pleading look about them, a look that told me that he wanted me, wanted
me bad.  He slowly moved his hand, showing me part of his hard cock.  I
moved closer, making sure the troll couldn't see me, until I was right up
to the crack, peering directly in at him.

	I could see that he'd put a piece of toilet paper over the hole to
block the troll.  A man after my own heart.  He spread his legs wide giving
me a great view of his cock and his pubic hair.  He had nice balls, covered
with the same furry red hair that formed the bush just above his cock.  His
red hair fascinated me.  I noticed that his pubic hair seemed to rise to a
point just below his abdomen where it flowed into his thin treasure trail,
seemingly mirroring the goatee on his face that flowed in the opposite
direction.  My hand was stroking my cock through my pants...it was almost a
subconscious action.  He began stroking his cock with purpose, looking me
in the eyes as he did, so I could feel the raw lust and sexuality pierce
right into my soul.  I looked at his eyes, then at his cock, then back into
his eyes.  Suddenly his mouth made the shape of an "O"; he aimed his cock
into the toilet, and shot his load.  Instead of watching his cock, I kept
my eyes locked on his as he shot, and it felt as if we came together.

	At that point I realized how much self control I had lost.  I was
in a vulnerable situation, standing next to a stall, peering in, with a
raging hard-on.  I quickly moved to one of the urinals, pretended to pee,
waiting for my erection to subside.  I heard the stall door open, footsteps
behind me, the door opened and closed, and he was gone.  I still didn't
know if he was Deep Voice or Soft Voice.  All I knew was that I wanted to
see him again.



*******************

	I sat in my apartment, thinking, for once, about something besides
sex.  Spring Break, a week off, and I had no plans yet.  Should I do the
fun thing and drive down to Florida and hang out on the beach for a few
days?  Or should I do the right thing, be a good son, and go home?

	Home is Claremont, Ohio.  Claremont, Ohio: a big town, or a small
city, depending on your perspective, situated about 50 miles outside of
Columbus.  Claremont is one of those places where you may not know
everyone, but you know who everyone is.  My family is one of the three
leading families in town.  My father, the indomitable Jack Crampton,
President of Crampton Construction, had expanded his father's construction
business, which had taken off over the past few years.  He'd gotten away
from houses and segued into buildings and roads, and he used his contacts
in Columbus to nail down some of the big road construction projects.
Interstate projects had kept him particularly busy.  These days he spent
more time in Columbus than he did in Claremont.  He is totally focused on
his business, and my older brother Jim is following in his footsteps. Jim
is just like my father: looks like him and has his unique combination of
analytical and sales skills.  He's just like the cliché: Tall, dark, and
handsome.  He'll take over some day, and he'll do a great job.  I'd always
thought we were the richest people around...that is until I went to Harvard
for my undergraduate degree.  The power and money that some of my
classmates wielded (or their families did) made us look like chump change.
That was an eye-opening experience for me, one that helped me learn to
appreciate the material side of life without obsessing about it.  Or at
least that's what I keep telling myself.

	The other two families were the Hendricksons and the Schluters.
Bill Hendrickson ran (and owned most of) the local mill.  He was a pretty
rough and tumble kind of guy, but had a good heart.  I guess you had to be
tough to run a mill and deal with the mill workers.  His daughter is
married to my brother, so I see them pretty often.  The Schluters are the
"old money" in Claremont.  Barry Schluter is a descendant of one of the
city founders, serves as the local judge and owns a shitload of land.  He's
also my uncle, married to my father's sister Gail.  The cool thing, and a
rarity I'm sure, is that all three of these guys work together, usually for
the good of the city.  Schluter had control of the local government,
Hendrickson dominated the local economy, and my father had tight state
political connections.

	It would be great to see my parents, my brother, my relatives, but
with Billy Schluter gone I really didn't have any friends there that I
really wanted to see.  I'd wander around the house for a week, bored out of
my mind.

	Andre burst in, interrupting my train of thought.  Andre always
seems to dominate a room.  From his entry to his exit, his raw persona just
demands attention.

	"Hey Andre, wanna go to Florida or Ohio next week?"  I asked.  Why
not let him make the decision?

	"Can't go anywhere man.  Gotta work."  He said this
matter-of-factly, as if it wasn't a big deal, but we'd been talking about
going somewhere all semester.  He knew that, and he was just tossing this
out casually, hoping I wouldn't make a big deal out of it.  Fat chance of
that.

	"I'm confused.  I thought we agreed to go out of town next week?"
My sudden calmness and deliberateness warned him that I was pissed off.

	"Old man Caro needed me to work.  He's done so much for me, I
couldn't say no.  So I promised I'd work Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday."
He looked at me, pleading with his eyes for me to understand.  He was such
a nice guy, of course he couldn't say no to anyone who asked for his help.

	"That's too bad."  He waited for me to say more, but there wasn't
anything.  The frustrating thing is that I knew he'd already made the
commitment and that nothing I did would change that.  And, quite frankly,
if I really thought about it, I probably wouldn't want him to either.  But
that didn't mean he wasn't going to have to pay the price, a little guilt,
for caving to old man Caro.

	"Look JP, how about if we wait until Tuesday to leave?  Maybe we
can go back to Claremont?  We can leave after I get off on Tuesday.  I'll
make sure I'm done by 7."  I just looked at him.  Then I relented
grudgingly.

	"That will work.  My parents will be happy to see us.  I've got to
run back to campus and hit the library.  I'll catch up with you later."  I
could feel his eyes on my back as I left.  What a great spring break.
Hanging out in a deserted college town, then with my parents.  Whoopee.

March 24, 1962


	Friday.  The last day before Spring Break.  Most people were
bailing out already, trying to get out of town as fast as they could.  Not
me.  I had nowhere to be.  Just go home and beat off.  I was feeling sorry
for myself.

	I found myself walking to my favorite bathroom once again.  I knew
why.  I wanted to see my red-headed friend again.  Maybe he'd be stuck in
town too?  I checked all week for him, but he wasn't there.  I hadn't seen
him around campus either.  I'd found myself taking longer routes around
campus just to see if I could spy him.  I'd even made a point to stroll
down by the diner a couple of times a day, just to see if maybe he was in
there.  I don't know what it was about him, but I was becoming a little
obsessed.  I forced my emotions back where they belonged, deep in my
psyche.

	I walked down the familiar stairs, and I was about to open the door
when I heard loud voices in the restroom.  I opened the door a crack and
peeked in.  There was my red-headed friend, handcuffed, leaning forward
against the sinks, with a look of absolute terror on his face.  He had
tears running down his cheeks.

	"You're under arrest you fucking faggot."  The man behind him must
be a cop.  "You put your dick through the hole in the wall, that makes you
a fuckin' queer, and it means you're going to jail you sick bastard!"  This
guy was on a roll.

	I gently shut the door and fled up the stairs.  The smart thing
would be to just get the fuck out of there.  I had too much to lose to get
involved.  That kid's life was ruined.  He'd probably go to jail.  He'd at
least get kicked out of school, probably deported back to, where was it?
Montreal?  What would his friend say?  Man, he was in some deep shit.  The
only times I'd seen his face had either been when he was scared, like he
was at the diner, or close to blowing his load, like he was last time in
the bathroom.  Yet this time, his expression went way beyond that.
Figuratively, he was tied to the tracks and the train was coming.

	I'd always done the right thing, the proper thing, at least as far
as anyone else knew.  I'd never seriously defied the law, gotten arrested,
or even gotten a speeding ticket.  Yet now, as I rounded the narrow stair
case, I was contemplating something very illegal.  Something that, if it
failed, would land me in deep shit.  As deep as that kid in there.  The
only interactions I'd I had with him had been basically with my dick.  Why
did I feel such a strong need to help him?  Why was I willing to risk so
much to save him?  I stared at the fire extinguisher on the wall in front
of me and slipped my gloves on.

	I heard the door open below, heard the cop growl "You first queer,
and no tricks."  They started walking up the stairs.  I made my decision
and grabbed the fire extinguisher.  The stairs made a switch back, with a
wall in between, so as I crouched on the next flight, they couldn't see me
as they walked up.  The steps got closer and closer.  Then I saw a shoe on
the riser in front of me.  It was a square-toed, ankle high shoe.  He took
one more step, and I jumped up, spraying the fire extinguisher in the cop's
face.  He reeled, blinded by the chemicals.  Then I took the extinguisher
and smashed it into his face, knocking him down the stairs.

Musical Recommendation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IjJ524l49Y&feature=related
"Green Onions," by Booker T and the MGs

	The red-head looked at me, amazed.  "Come on," I whispered loudly,
"Let's get the fuck out of here."  I dropped the extinguisher and we both
ran from the building.  I threw my jacket over his shoulder so it would
hide the handcuffs, and we rushed to my car as fast as we could without
arousing suspicion.  I found myself wondering if the cop was dead.  I
decided that he probably wasn't, and realized, much to my surprise, that I
really didn't care.

	I opened the car door, pushed him in, jumped in myself and hit the
gas.  Neither one of us said anything as I headed off campus and out of
town.  I think we were both too keyed up to talk.

	As soon as we were on the highway, heading south, I calmed down
enough to start planning our next moves.  "I don't suppose you can slide
your hands out of those cuffs?"

	He looked at me dubiously.  "Do you think if I could have, I would
have been sitting here with them on?"  That's the first time I'd ever heard
him speak, or at least knew that it was his voice.  It was the Deep Voice,
the resonant sexy voice.  I was secretly relieved, because it went with his
overall cocky demeanor and good looks so much better than his friends'
squeaky, effeminate voice would have.

	"Fine.  Be a smart ass.  You can keep them on for all I care," I
said in my normal monotone voice.

	The silence returned, but I felt my anger building.  Then, for the
first time since I can remember, something extraordinary happened.  I lost
my self control, and actually yelled.

	"You know, you sure have a weird fucking way of showing your
gratitude.  I risked everything to save your sorry ass.  You would have
ended up in jail, thrown out of school, deported...."  I glared over at
him, and then continued.  "I should just toss you out of the car, handcuffs
and all, and let you try to explain it to the locals."

	He said nothing.  Interestingly enough though, I didn't care.  It
dawned on me that venting my anger like that made me feel much better at
first.  Then, after I calmed back down again, I felt like an idiot.  That's
why I never lose control.  You always regret it afterwards.  I sighed, and
that seemed to prompt a response from him.

	"Look man, I'm sorry if I seem like a fucking ingrate.  I guess I'm
still a little shaken up.  It's like I saw my whole life flash before my
eyes, you know?  And then there you were, spraying the cop with the fire
extinguisher and knocking him down the stairs like you're Attila the Hun or
something."

	That made me laugh.  "So I'm the knight on the white horse, and
that would make you the damsel in distress."  He laughed with me.  He had a
deep laugh, and when he smiled his cheeks sported two cute dimples.

	"More like some cat in a red Pontiac rescuing a fag," he joked
wryly.

	I looked at my watch.  It was almost 5pm, so I started looking for
a hardware store.  I found one when we hit Newark.

	"I'm going to go in here and try to find something to cut those
hand cuffs off.  I'm thinking a hack saw?  I don't spring convicts very
often, so I'm not sure exactly what we'll need.  I figured I'd go in alone.
You might arouse some suspicion."

	He grinned at me, then felt them with his hands.  "Not that I've
spent any significant time shackled up to know what to do with them either,
but some chain cutters might be useful too."  So I went in and dealt with
the plodding old man in the hardware store.  If he moved any slower he'd be
going in reverse.  I also bought a map.

	I got into the car and drove down the road about a mile until we
found a secluded place to pull over.  I pulled out the chain cutters and
went to work on the links connecting the cuffs.  It wasn't easy, and it
took some assistance from the hack saw, but I finally got the chain cut.
He wisely kept a good look-out, but fortunately I'd found a pretty good
place to pull over.

	I started the car off and began driving again.  "I figured with the
chain cut you have free hands and you can work on the cuffs?"  He nodded,
and started sawing away on them.

	"So what's your plan, now that you've sprung me?" he asked.  He had
a really playful sense of humor, one that I found both disarming and
relaxing.

	"Well, my first instinct was to haul you off to some motel, keep
the handcuffs on you, and just have my way with you for the next week."
His humor was contagious.

	"Here, let me see if I can put them back on," he retorted, which
made us both laugh, and made me think about how much fun it would be to
actually have him chained to a bed for a few days.

	"Seriously though, I thought I'd head down the Delaware Coast,
maybe find a motel on the beach, and then try to figure out what to do
next.  We'll need to find out if I killed the cop or not, and whether or
not there's a massive man hunt on for you.  That work for you, or did you
have some pressing social engagement this evening?"  I heard my humorous
comment fly from my mouth.  Amazing how he had that effect on me.

	He seemed suddenly somber.  "No, I have nowhere to be, and nowhere
to go."  I regretted his change in mood.

	"Well, you do now.  By the way, my name's JP."  It had suddenly
occurred to me that I didn't even know his name.

	"I'm Peter.  I'd shake your hand but I seem to be indisposed."  We
both laughed again.

	"Nice to meet you Peter.  Anyway, I thought we'd start looking
around Dewey or Rehoboth Beach, so when we get there keep your eyes peeled
for a good place, OK?

	He looked over at me, slightly worried.  ""That sounds like a good
plan, but I don't have much money, and these are the only clothes I've
got. I basically have nothing."  By the time he'd finished his sentence,
the worried look had changed to despondency.

	"Don't worry about it.  I got it."  Thanks to my parents, money was
not something I had to worry about.

	"I don't want to be a charity case" he said with a degree of pride
in his voice.

	"Well, you don't really have a whole lot of choices right now do
you?  So be a good fag in distress and look out for motels will ya?"  We
both laughed at that, and traveled on.