Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2013 13:37:51 -0400
From: Ronyx <ronyx@woh.rr.com>
Subject: Birds Don't Sing Before a Storm  Chapter 9

The following is a work of fiction. Any similarities to anyone are purely
coincidental. The story is intended for a mature audience. It may contain
profanity and references to gay sex. If this offends you, please leave and
find something more suitable to read. The author maintains all rights to
the story. Do not copy or use without written permission. Write
ronyx@themustardjar.com with your comments. Ronyx is a prolific Nifty
author. Visit my personal website at www.themustardjar.com for more
stories.


Birds Don't Sing Before A Storm     Chapter 9


"You do know Mike's gay, don't you?"

The words echoed in my head long after Rodney left the room. I was puzzled
what he meant by them. He stated it as a matter of fact. There was no
derision or animosity in his voice.

Thinking back, it seemed like most of his teammates were aware of his
sexuality. At lunch, they had made several jokes that hinted that he might
be gay. Even Wentworth had warned me that Mike was a player. Why would he
have warned me unless he knew that I might be Mike's next target?

I was also beginning to worry that associating with Mike at school might
make others suspect that I was also gay. Perhaps, that is why Curtis had
called me a faggot. Earlier on Friday morning he was angry because he
thought I was interested in his former girlfriend, Monica. After seeing me
with Mike, he no longer acted as if I was a serious threat.

Rodney didn't strike me as someone who was homophobic. While we had worked
out, he didn't seem worried that I might make a move on him. I'm not even
sure he would have even reacted angrily if I had. However, one thing I was
sure of- he was completely straight. A gay guy can instantly sense that in
another guy.

However, I wasn't sure about Curtis. His anger towards me made no sense. I
had given him no reason to react like he does when I'm around. Naturally,
he didn't like me moving in unexpectedly. However, Karen, Lane and Rodney
seemed to quickly adjust to my presence.

Curtis has to resent me because he assumes I'm gay. Maybe my father told
everyone about the incident with Rollie. I'm sure my mother told my father
about it. However, neither Karen nor Rodney said anything. Lane certainly
wouldn't have been told because he wouldn't understand.

So he probably suspects I'm gay because of Mike. Mike seemed to instantly
know that I am gay. He began flirting with me as soon as he stepped up and
pulled me away from his sister. It was as if he instinctively knew I needed
to be rescued from her.

Curtis could be a serious threat. He had provoked two fights with me. It
was as if he was challenging me. However, he learned quickly that I was not
one to back down from a fight. I stood my ground.

I went to the bathroom to take a shower after my workout with Rodney. When
I finished, I reached for my towel, and someone handed it to me. I pulled
back the shower curtain, and as I expected, Lane was grinning at me.

He asked hopefully, "Did I scare you?"

"Nope, Little Brother," I replied. He gave me a toothy grin.

"I like it when you call me Little Brother," he smiled as I stepped out of
the tub and dried myself. Lane sat on the toilet seat and watched.

I asked him, "Don't you have anything better to do? It is Saturday."

He shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Not really. Me and Mom got back
from the mall, so now I'm bored."

I laughed and corrected him, "Mom and I got back from the mall."

He giggled, "You didn't go with Mom, I did, Silly." He giggled louder when
I rolled my eyes. When I went back to my room, he followed.

"Wanna go look for frogs at the pond?" Lane asked as I got dressed.

"Frogs at the pond?"

"Yeah," he replied excitedly. "There's a pond behind the McConnell house,
and there's a whole lot of frogs."

"The McConnell house?" I wondered if it was the same house where Mike and
Monica might live. "Does Mike live there?"

"Yeah," he replied. "So. Do you want to go with me to look for frogs? Mom
won't let me go by myself." He grabbed my hand and pulled me from the room.

I waited in the foyer while Lane asked Karen if he could go to the pond
with me. I knew her answer when he came skipping down the hallway towards
me. "She said yes," he announced cheerfully. He grabbed my hand and pulled
me out of the house.

The McConnell home was two blocks away, located at the end of a cul de
sac. The house was like my father's and all the others, except it had a
dense field beside it. The backyard had a privacy fence, and I could see a
pool between the slates.

I followed Lane as he skipped down a narrow path into the field. We walked
about an eighth of a mile until we came to an opening. Just as Lane had
said, there was a small pond with lily pads floating along the bank. Lane
let out a shriek, "There's one!" He ran to catch a large frog, but it
hopped away and jumped into the lake. I stood back and laughed as he ran
along the bank looking for more frogs.

Suddenly, I saw one to his right and yelled, "There, Lane!" He looked to
where I was pointing and ran toward it. When he did, he lost his footing on
the wet ground and tumbled into the lake. I roared with laughter at his
antics.

He got up and gave me an angry look. "It's not funny, Casey," he
pouted. "Now I'm all wet." I laughed louder as he walked toward me. His
shorts, shoes and socks were soaked. The back of his plaid shorts were
covered in mud.

I bent over and grabbed my stomach. "That's the funniest thing I've ever
seen!"

He walked up and said sadly, "I can't go home like this. Mommy will never
let me hunt for frogs again." I stopped laughing when I saw how
disappointed he was.

"Tell you what," I said as I knelt down in front of him. "Take off your
shoes, socks and shorts, and we'll lay them over that rock to dry." He
looked over at the large boulder to our left. He quickly removed his
clothing. He handed them to me as he stood naked from the waist down. For
the first time, I saw just how underdeveloped he was. He looked more like a
ten year old than a boy who was entering puberty. When he saw me staring,
he put his hands over his genitals. "I told you I was kind of small."

"It will get bigger," I assured him as I took his clothes and laid them out
on the rock to dry in the sun. I sat down on the rock and watched as he ran
around the pond trying to catch frogs. He didn't seem embarrassed to be
running naked in front of me. I was just glad no one was around to see him.

Thirty minutes later, his clothes had dried, so I told him to get
dressed. He whined and said he enjoyed `being free,' but I insisted that he
put his clothes on. I was worried that someone might follow the path to
where we were. I had noticed bicycle tracks, so it was obvious that other
people sometimes came here to play.

When we cleared the field as we walked back home, I saw Mike mowing his
lawn on a riding lawn mower. He didn't have a shirt on, and his body
glistened with sweat in the bright sun. He rode the mower over when he saw
noticed us exiting the path.

"Hey," he said with a smile. He gave Lane a curious glance before looking
back at me. "What are you doing out here?"

"We was catching frogs," announced Lane excitedly. "I fell in the water."

"Cool," replied Mike dismissively. It upset me because he acted as if he
hadn't even heard what Lane had said.

He got off the mower and stood before me. He flexed his muscles and dared
me to look at his body. "It sure is hot," he exclaimed as he adjusted
himself through this thin athletic shorts. It was obvious he had no
underwear on underneath. I watched as he slightly stroked his cock. "How
about a swim in the pool?"

"Yeah!" squealed Lane. He looked eagerly at me. "I want to go swimming. Can
we Casey?"

Mike glared angrily at him and said, "No one invited you, Runt." Lane
looked like he was getting ready to cry.

I walked over, put my arm around Lane and replied angrily, "Then I guess
I'm not interested."

"Come on, Casey," Mike pleaded as he rubbed the front of his athletic
shorts. "Ditch the runt, and let's go swimming."

I was too angry to say anything. I knew if I did open my mouth, I'd say
something that I would later regret. Mike was the first real friend I had
made at school, and I didn't want to jeopardize that. However, with his
attitude toward Lane, I wasn't sure if I wanted to be his friend.

"Come on," I said to Lane as I put my arm on his back to lead him away.

Mike said sharply, "Your loss."

I gave him a cold stare and replied, "Whatever."

On the way home, Lane asked me why Mike had called him a runt. "Because
he's an asshole," I replied as I squeezed his shoulder. I was beginning to
regret that I hadn't stood up for Lane more than I did.

"Yeah," agreed Lane. "He's a big poopie butt."

"You can say that again."

Lane giggled and said, "He's a big poopie butt."

* * * * * *

Mike was still upset with me on Monday when I got to school. I passed him
in the hall after escorting Lane to his class, and he ignored me. I know he
saw me, but he kept talking to some guy he was with and looked away.

One thing to my advantage, from what I'd experienced on Friday, was that my
classes seemed as if they would be easy. Three of my classes- history,
English and Spanish, were more like a review of what I'd already learned at
my former school. Physics and trig were about the same as what I had been
learning. I had never taken law, but thumbing through the book last night,
most of it seemed like it was just common sense. So I don't think I have to
worry about falling behind. Besides, I was a fairly bright student. I guess
I never really applied myself before. Being on the honor roll would have
pleased my mother too much, so I intentionally failed a test or didn't turn
in a major assignment so it would have a negative effect on my grade. Of
course, my mother always heard about it, and that normally led to an
argument.

After leaving my first period class, I was surprised to see Shade walking
toward me. He was talking animatedly with a very pretty girl. When he saw
me, he grinned, grabbed her arm and led her over to me.

"Hey," he said as his eyes shimmered brightly. "I was hoping I would run
into you when you told me Saturday you go here."

I glanced at the pretty brunette and looked back at him. A wave of sadness
swept over me, but I was able to contain it from showing. After spending
time with Shade on Saturday, I was hoping that he might be gay. Now,
though, it seemed like he had a girlfriend. "Well," I replied cheerfully,
"Here I am."

Shade looked over at the girl and said, "Casey, I want you to meet my best
friend, Megan."

She smiled demurely and waved, "Hi, Casey."

Shade put his arm around her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Megan and I
have grown up together," he said as he looked at her and smiled. "We're
practically inseparable."

Megan's face blushed as she lightly elbowed Shade in the side. I thought to
myself that they made a really cute couple. Megan was about an inch shorter
than Shade. She had long auburn hair and big brown eyes. However, with her
good looks, she didn't seem to fit the mold of the cheerleader type. She
struck me more like a free spirit, someone who would avoid the `in'
crowd. It made sense since Shade had a similar personality.

"It's nice meeting you, Casey," she said. She looked over at Shade and
added, "Shade has told me so much about you." When I looked over at him, he
shrugged his shoulders slightly.

He grabbed Megan by the arm and started to pull her away. "The bell is
getting ready to ring," he said. "We'd better get to class." They waved
goodbye and hurried down the hall.

In second period, I tried to piece together the exchange in the hall. Megan
seemed to be Shade's girlfriend, but he introduced her as his best
friend. However, he added that they were inseparable. That could only mean
that they were dating.

I was also confused why Shade would have told Megan about me. The way she
looked at him when she said it was as if they were sharing a secret. By the
end of the period, I had convince myself that Shade and Megan were
committed to each other, and that Shade would probably be no more than just
an acquaintance.

Lunch posed another problem. After going through the line to buy my lunch,
I stood and looked around as to where I should sit. On Friday, Mike had
accompanied me, but today he left class hurriedly. Suddenly, I heard him
call out my name. He was standing at a table with a few other baseball
players. He called again and motioned for me to join them.

As I walked toward the table, I passed by where Lane was sitting with his
friends. Lane jumped up, ran over to me, grabbed my hand and attempted to
pull me over to his table. "Sit with us, Casey." Then he whispered softly,
"You can meet Donnie. He's sitting beside me."

I quickly looked over at Mike. I had to make a decision- and fast. I looked
down at Lane, and I remembered how hurt he was that I hadn't sat with him
on Friday. I looked over at Mike, and I remembered how rude he had been to
Lane on Saturday. My decision was easy to make.

I let Lane pull me over to his table. There was a small boy about Lane's
size sitting with two girls. All of them seemed excited that I was sitting
with them. I was also relieved that Donnie was small. He had a head full of
bright red hair, and freckles dotted his face. When Lane told me about
their encounters in the bathroom, I was concerned that Donnie might be a
big boy who was bullying Lane and forcing him to engage in sex. However,
Donnie seemed to pose no threat to Lane. In fact, he seemed like he could
easily be intimidated and bullied himself.

"Hey, Guys!" I said cheerfully when I sat down. They all looked at each
other and giggled. Lane introduced Donnie to me, and then the two
girls. They were shy, and they giggled nervously when Lane told me their
names.

The one with long brown hair was Cynthia. She spoke with a nervous
stutter. It quickly disappeared when she became more comfortable with
me. The other, a larger girl, was named Roberta. She was a black girl whose
clothes seemed rather worn and threadbare. She spoke very little.

When I asked them how school was going, Lane and Donnie animatedly told me
about a lizard that another boy had brought to school for show and
tell. Lane excitedly related how the lizard had gotten loose, and it had
raced across the room as students jumped on chairs and started screaming.

As I was laughing at their story, I looked over at Mike's table. He was
staring angrily at me. My first instinct was to flip him off, but I
didn't. Besides, several teachers were circulating around the cafeteria. I
knew I would get in trouble if any of them saw me.

As we were cleaning our table, Mrs. Crawford approached. She smiled warmly
at me. She looked at Lane and his friends and remarked, "I see you have a
visitor today."

Lane replied excitedly, "My big brother ate with us today. We told him all
about the lizard."

She laughed and said, "And did you tell Casey how you jumped on the table
and screamed?" Lane's face reddened, and I burst out laughing.

"He told me how the others screamed," I laughed. "He didn't tell me he
did."

"Yeah," chimed in Donnie. "You screamed like a little girl."

"Did not!" insisted Lane. Just then, the bell rang.

Mrs. Chambers had her students line up so she could escort them back to
class. Before leaving, she pulled me aside and whispered, "Thank you,
Casey. I've seen a big difference in Lane since you've come to live with
his family. He seems more confident."

I didn't know how to respond, so I simply said, "Thank you." She patted my
arm and then walked away with Lane and the others trailing behind her. I
watched as Lane skipped beside Donnie as they left.

As I was walking to my fifth period class, Mike stepped up beside me and
said angrily, "I see you ate lunch with the dummy class."

I turned, balled my fist and muttered angrily, "Shut the fuck up, Mike. You
have one more time to say something about Lane."

He smirked, looked at my fist and asked smugly, "Or what?"

The last thing I wanted to do was start a fight in the hallway. I saw how
my mother reacted to me getting a ten-day suspension. I had no idea how my
father would react.

I took a step back. "Just ease up, Okay?" I turned and hurried to class. I
sat down at a desk on the other side of the room where I had on
Friday. When Mike entered, he looked around for me. He gave me an angry
look as he headed back to his desk just as the bell rang.

The rest of the afternoon was tense. I knew Mike was angry with me, but I
should be the one upset with his behavior. He was quickly becoming an
asshole. He was no better than Curtis.

Things escalated in gym class. After Wentworth took attendance, he told two
students to get some basketballs from a storage room. He then left us to
play basketball. Before leaving, he assigned Mike and Curtis to be
captains. I was the last one chosen. Unfortunately, I was on Curtis's team.

There were eleven guys on a team, so I sat most of the period on the
bench. With five minutes remaining, we had a lead of ten points. Curtis
decided to put in the guys who hadn't played. Mike was determined to win,
so he kept in his starting lineup.

A boy named Drew passed me a ball from across the court. As I jumped to
catch it, Mike plowed into my side with his head down. I took a direct hit
to the kidneys, and I fell to the floor gasping for air. Drew and a couple
of my teammates rushed over and knelt down to see if I was all right. I
looked over one boy's shoulder and saw Curtis high five Mike. Both looked
down and laughed at me.

Still gasping for air, I managed to pull myself up from the floor and
stumble over to Mike. When I got close enough, I attempted to throw a right
hook, but the pain in my side was excruciating.

He shouted "You fucker!" as he rushed at me. He grabbed me around the waist
and we both tumbled to the ground. He hit me several times in the face. I
was defenseless to hit back because I was in so much pain. Just as he hit
me again, I heard Wentworth blowing his whistle from across the
gymnasium. He ran over and pulled Mike off me.

He shouted, "What the hell is going on?" Mike attempted to lurch forward to
hit me again, but Wentworth pushed him so hard he fell to the ground.

"McConnell!" he shouted. "Go hit the showers! When you're dressed, I want
to see you in my office."

Mike started to protest, "But, Coach!"

Wentworth's face reddened as he angrily shouted, "Get your ass out of here!
Now!"

Curtis threw his arm around Mike, and they headed toward the dressing
room. A couple of my classmates wanted to stay to help me, but Wentworth
told them to go shower.

When the gym was empty, Wentworth helped me to my feet. My side was aching
from Mike's head bunt, and I could hardly see out of my left eye. Wentworth
examined my injuries and asked, "What the hell happened?" He put his arm
around my waist and helped me across the gym.

When I didn't respond, he asked again, "What happened, Casey?"

"A little misunderstanding is all Coach," I replied. Since Mike was a
popular athlete, and he seemed to be a favorite of Wentworth's, then I
figured it would do no good to try to explain what happened. Besides, I was
the first one to throw a punch.

Wentworth helped me to his office, and he had me sit in a chair. He told me
he'd be right back, and he quickly disappeared from the room. I stood and
looked at myself in a mirror on a side wall. My face was red, and there was
bruising around my left eye. It was swollen and almost closed shut. I
rubbed it gently and thought, `That's going to be a nice shiner.'

I was upset because Mike hadn't given me a fair fight. If he had, his
appearance would be worse than mine. I had been in a few fights over the
years, and I knew how to defend myself. However, he attacked me as I gasped
for air and couldn't swing at him as he hovered over me on the ground
fighting to breathe.

I waited in Wentworth's office for about fifteen minutes. The longer I sat,
the angrier I became. I was sure that he was asking the other guys what had
happened. I was also convinced that none of his teammates would testify
that Mike had instigated the fight by head bunting me.

I waited around five more minutes before leaving.

* * * * * *

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