Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:26:14 -0800 (PST)
From: Kevin Carson <kc.drummerboy@yahoo.com>
Subject: Drummer Boys - Part 43

Drummer Boys
By Kevin Carson

This story is about my relationship with my friend and, well, much, much
more-than-a-jack-off buddy.  Yes, it includes gay teen sex stuff.  It's
based on true experiences but some of the names and places have been
changed for privacy.  Hey, if this is illegal where you're at or if you're
too young to be reading this, then you better not.  Getting in trouble
isn't cool.  All rights reserved.  No reproductions permitted without prior
permission.  Copyright 2009.

Thanks to everyone who has written to me.  I really appreciate your
comments/feedback and questions about this story.  My email is:
kc.drummerboy@yahoo.com.

Sincerely,
-kevin.

Part 43.

Roosevelt Field Mall is one big-ass shopping center.  I mean... it's HUGE!
In fact, it's so big, I got lost in there once.  I'm sort-of embarrassed
about that, because, actually, it wasn't very long ago when that happened.
But that's another story for another time.  Grandpa says the mall was built
on what used to be an airport, back in the day.  Keith and I figured that
"back in the day" must have been when Dad was a teenager.  Dad just laughed
and said, no, that, "back in the day" really was when Grandpa was a
teenager.  Way back then...

Matt dropped me off near the bus stop by Nordstrom, and said he'd see me
later at my house for practice.  He thanked me again, I guess because he
knew he'd been in my thoughts, in the caring way friends think about each
other.  And that's entirely true.  He had been on my mind for quite some
time, ever since he was in such a down mood that day at Fire Island.  The
day he wondered if he'd ever be as happy with someone as Mark and I are
with each other.  Mark managed to pull him out of his slump that day, but,
you know, I have a plan to do my share too!  I swear, Matt is one of the
most sincere people I know, even if he is a little bit odd sometimes.
Haha, speaking about being odd... I sure don't have any room to talk!

Right after Matt drove away, my phone buzzed as I was walking into the
mall.  It was Nora.

"Heyyyy... where are you?" I teased.  "I've been waiting for over an hour!"

"Oh shut up, Kevin.  I'm running a little late.  Traffic's like at a
standstill... there's probably an accident or something.  I'll be there as
soon as I can."

"Oh, no problem.  I was only kidding.  I'm just walking in now, so I'll
meet you as soon as you get here.  Maybe I'll take a nap or something while
I'm waiting!"

"Yeah, maybe you should.  You're like a zombie these days!" she laughed.

"Hey!  Thanks a lot," I shot back, jokingly.  "Take your time."

"Gotcha, bud!  See you in a few."

I waited at the seating area by Urban Outfitters and H&M, but after a few
minutes I noticed this awful smell... like dog shit or something.  I can
tell you it wasn't coming from me!  I checked the bottom of my shoes
anyway, just to make sure I hadn't stepped in anything, and sure enough, I
was clean.  Besides, even if I had stepped in dog poop, it would have been
noticeable long before that.  And Matt definitely would have said
something, too.  He's just that way.

Anyhow, it didn't take long to discover where the smell was coming from.  A
woman with a baby sat down right behind me, and obviously the kid had a
dirty diaper.  When I say that shit's not for me... I mean it!  Literally!
Ordinarily, I would have said something to her.  Something like... "That's
why they have family restrooms... so you can change your baby's shitty
diaper and I won't have to suffer."  But at that particular moment, I
didn't feel very confrontational.  Not then, at least.  There'd be plenty
of time for angry outbursts from me, sooner than I thought.

But, like I said, the mall is a big place, so I decided I'd just move away
from that damn full-of-shit baby.  I was thirsty, and since Nora wasn't
there yet, I ran up to the food court and got something to drink at Sbarro.
At least I wasn't around that screaming, smelly kid any longer!

"A large diet cola, please... no ice."

"Sorry, sir.  We have to put ice in it."  (So now I'm a "sir"??)
"Otherwise it's too sweet."  I swear, the woman working there had the
personality of a lobster.  How could a sour puss like her know anything
about what's "too sweet"??

"Oh really??"  I said sarcastically.  I knew she was giving me a line of
crap, but whatever.  I dunno... I guess all sorts of things were happening
that were starting to piss me off.

"So that's all you want... just the soda??" Lobster Lady asked.

"Yep... that's it.  Please."

She looked at me with an expression, like, "It's lunch time, you're at a
pizza place and you don't order any pizza?"  Whatever.

As I was walking down the escalator, my phone buzzed again, and I managed
to flip it open, even though I was holding my drink.  Without looking to
see who it was, I answered, assuming it was Nora again.  Boy, was I wrong.

"Now whaddaya want??" I teased.

"Oh... um, Kevin... this is Mr. Lamson calling..."

"Huh??  What??  Uhhh... Mr. Lamson!!??!!"  Shit, I don't know if I was more
surprised or scared.  I almost dropped my soda and tripped getting off the
damn escalator.

"Yes, um, you see, Kevin, I wanted to get in touch with you because..."

"Ahhh... Mr. Lamson, I can't talk right now," I interrupted.  "It's not a
good time.  I gotta go!"  And I hung up as fast as I could.

My heart was pounding and my mind was racing.  I got back to the seats by
H&M and Urban Outfitters, where I was supposed to wait for Nora, and
luckily, the woman with the stinky baby was gone.  I was so damn thirsty I
like chugged the entire cup of soda, ice and all.  Then I had a brain
freeze.  Damn it!!  And I started to get really angry that Mr. Lamson
called me.  What the fuck??!!  What did he want??  It took a lot of nerve
for him to call me.  It's a good thing that Dad, Grandpa and I had a
conversation about what to do if he did try to get in touch with me.  I'm
glad I followed their orders and didn't talk to him.

But what went down next really takes the cake.  It all happened so fast.  I
got up to throw the soda cup in the trash, and I happened to glance in
Urban Outfitters and who did I see?  Of all people... it looked like Marcie
and Mrs. Lamson!  Jesus!  First, Mr. Lamson calls me on my cell, then I
think I see Marcie and "Mother," within a matter of seconds??!!  Give me a
break!!  Now I was in high gear, madder than a dog, as Grandpa would say.
I just had to do something about this, so, in a flash, I decided to march
right in the store and approach them.

"ALRIGHT!!  Which one of you bitches ran my brother off the road and caused
that accident?  Come on, damn it!  Tell me!!  I know it was one of you!!
It had to be!  One of you did it and it almost got him and his girlfriend
killed.  You're not gonna fucking get away with this, no fucking way!  Got
that??  NO FUCKING WAY!!!  If the cops aren't gonna do anything about this,
I will.  Wait and see.  You're both fucked up, and I'm gonna make sure
you... Ughhh!!!!!!!"

As the two startled women turned around to face me, I also got the surprise
of my life!

"WHAT ON EARTH??!!??" the older one exclaimed.  "What's going on here??
Just who do you think you are, talking to us like this??"

"Security!!!  SECURITY!!!" yelled the younger sexy-slutty woman with her.

"Oh My God!!!  Jeez, I'm sorry... oh Jesus, ma'm... I thought you were
someone else... I'm so sorry... Really... Please!!  I'm soooo sorry!!!!"  I
was stunned, to say the least.  My imagination was in high gear, because
the two women were DEFINITELY NOT Marcie and Mrs. Lamson.  They might have
looked like it, at first... from a distance and from behind.  But let me
tell you, it WAS NOT them!!!

"Manager!!  Manager!!!  Do something!!!  This maniac is verbally attacking
us!!!"

Jesus, I was so embarrassed.  But, for a moment, I really DID think the two
women looked EXACTLY like Marcie and "Mother."  I don't know what came over
me.

The manager approached us and I heard her tell someone in her headset, "We
have a situation here..."

"This young man is using such horrible language!!!"  Even though I was
totally in the wrong, the older one, who I thought was Mrs. Lamson, was a
bit of a drama queen.  I thought I'd really lose it when she said she was
so upset by what I said she couldn't breathe.

"But... ma'm..."

I sorta had a flashback to my very first encounter with Emily DeMarco that
day in the cafeteria at school last fall.  I was completely innocent then,
but not today.  I meant well, but I know now I really was in the wrong
doing what I did.  Stupid me, I guess I didn't learn my lesson from the
thing with Emily.  Then... I had another surprise... even bigger than
before.

"Billy... Billy!!!  Don't say another word!!"  It was Nora, walking toward
me, oh so fast!  "I mean it, 'Billy', keep your mouth shut!!!"

Nora was looking straight at me, but I was looking around for someone named
'Billy'!

"Wh...What??"  Was she talking to me???

"He's sorry, ma'm.  My little brother, 'Billy' here... he didn't take his
medicine today!"  Nora tried to reassure the two women and the store
manager.  "Come on 'Billy'... mom and dad have been looking all over for
you..." she grabbed my arm, pulling me along, toward the entrance.

"But... I..." I was kind-of dumbfounded, not knowing what in the hell was
going on.  Obviously my mind was drifting in and out of reality, that's for
sure.  That's what was going on.

The younger woman was a bit snotty, not unlike the real Marcie.  "Your
brother's a little punk!"  Jeez, I've never been called a punk before.  At
least not to my face.

"He should be ashamed of himself!  The way he spoke to us, it was
terrible!!  I'm very upset!!  I need my inhaler!!!" The older one screamed,
with the typical, annoying New York accent.

"I apologize, ma'm, but he's a sick boy," Nora warned with a sympathetic
tone.  "I'm sure you'll be fine.  He didn't mean it.  He gets this way when
he doesn't take his medication.  Now, 'Billy'... we have to go!  NOW!!
COME ON!!"

As soon as Nora and I got out into the mall and out of sight, I asked her
what that was all about.  "What the fuck just happened??"

"I don't know... you tell me!"

"I don't know, either... I saw those two women, and I thought it was
Mrs. Lamson and Marcie..." I tried to explain.  "Never mind... it's a long
story.  And by the way, who's this 'Billy' guy?"

"No one, dumbass!  I made it up... I just didn't want to call you 'Kevin'
and have them know your real name, in case there was any serious trouble.
'Billy' is the first generic-sounding guy's name I could think of."

"And what were you saying about me being on medication???  God Nora, what's
gotten into you?"

"What's gotten into ME????  Jesus, Kevin!  You had a meltdown right there
in the middle of Urban Outfitters.  You went off on those two strangers!
That was the first excuse I could think of to get you out of there!  I'm
glad I heard it all happen, because if I hadn't you'd still be in there
dealing with security."

"Oh God, please."

"Even if you hadn't mistaken those two broads, if it really had been
Mrs. Lamson and Marcie... it would have been bad.  You can't just confront
people like that."

"Yes I can!" I said, defiantly.  "What did we even come here for??  Just
take me home.  I feel like shit now."

"No.  It'll be OK.  Put it behind you.  I'm just glad I got you out of
there before it got worse.  Come on... you need to buy something.  You'll
feel better... come on!"

Nora got me to calm down, which she accomplished as we browsed around in a
few stores.  I finally bought a blue and white-striped polo shirt in
American Eagle that she picked out, and decided I'd wear it to the game on
Sunday.  Haha, I also bought some new boxer briefs, too!  Not red... not
white... but blue!

Then Nora convinced me to eat something.  After lunch, we stopped in the
Aveda store so she could buy some hair stuff or whatever, which bored me to
death.  But she made it quick, though, and then we headed for home.  We
finally were able to laugh about me talking shit to those women in Urban
Outfitters.

"I gotta stop getting in fights with bitchy women, don't I?"

"Umm, yeah!" Nora agreed.  "Tell you what, Kev... you better not flip shit
at me or I'll kick your ass!"

"Don't worry.  I'm afraid of you!" I teased back.  Then I sorta changed the
subject.  "Hey I'm really pumped about the game tomorrow and the party and
all."

"Even though you're a die-hard Yankees fan?" Nora laughed.  "You know we're
all looking forward to your get-together thingy tomorrow night.  And we
can't wait to hear you guys play.  Word on the street is you're pretty
good!"

"Umm... I dunno about that," I smiled.  "Actually, I guess we are.
Especially Mark singing lead.  I never knew he could...  And it's amazing
how his voice is holding up, considering the fact that he just had his
tonsils out a few months ago."

"I wanted to ask you, do you need any help with anything?  Like setting
stuff up or whatever?"

"Actually, Nora... I do, if you don't mind.  Maybe you could help me order
the food.  Mark said we could get everything at his store, and he said he'd
help, but I don't want to bother him.  If we could stop there now, that'd
be great, because I have no idea what to get." I yawned.

"Someone's sleepy!  Maybe the reason you wigged out on those women is
because you really are sleep deprived.  How about I take you home first,
then I'll stop at King Kullen and order the stuff for you.  I can handle
that."

"OK."  I didn't argue with that suggestion.  I offered Nora money to pay
for everything, but she said she'd take care of it and I could pay her back
later.

I didn't talk much after that, and in fact I sort-of nodded off to sleep
once or twice in the car.  But soon we were home, and Nora went inside with
me.  We talked to Dad for a few minutes, and that's when I learned more
people would be at the party than I invited or ever expected.

"Hey Kev, I ran into Bob Kramer at Home Depot this morning and we were
talking about your garage band, so I told them to come over tomorrow for
the mini-concert.  I thought it was only right since Matt and Scott are
such an important part of it."

"That's fine, Dad.  Mr. and Mrs. Kramer are cool."

"And, Nora... I saw your dad, too, and we were talking about it, so I told
him and your mom to come too, and to bring Dylan.  I think he'd get a kick
out of seeing how the big boys play."

"That's great, Mr. Carson, but we might have to put him in a straight
jacket.  He'll probably grab the microphone and try to steal the show!
Dylan's a loaded gun sometimes... like Kevin!"

"Oh thanks, Nora.  Thanks a lot!"

"What did you do now, Kev?"

"Nothing, Dad.  I'll tell you later.  I gotta get some sleep.  Nora's gonna
go get the food for tomorrow...  Just get whatever you want, except don't
get any pizza."  Dad told Nora it would be fine to order pizza anyway, that
most people love it, and started to give her some money.

"Really, Mr. Carson, it's fine... I'll take care of it."

"Dad, Nora... I said I'd pay for the food," I insisted.  "This whole thing
is my idea anyway."

"Kevin... we're all just helping you out... it's OK.  Let us do it.  Now go
take that nap!" Dad commanded.  "Here you go, Nora," and he handed her the
money.

So I thought it was best to just give up, and not argue with Nora or Dad.
I went up to my room and jumped on my bed.  It would have been great if
Mark had been there to jump on it with me, but... I'd have to wait a little
while longer for that.  I fell into a deep sleep immediately.  And there's
proof that I must have really needed the rest.  When I woke up two hours
later, my face was all crusty with dried drool.  Believe me, I've had
enough crust on other parts of my body... but this was definitely dried
drool, not dried "something else."

I hopped in the shower, not because I was dirty or anything, and not
because I wanted to jerk off, but because it felt like it was morning.  It
was 5:30 pm, and the guys were coming over within the hour, and I was
missing Mark.  After I got cleaned up I called Nora.

"Hey, umm... thanks again.  And I really mean it.  And I'm sorry for being
such a shithead today at the mall."

"No worries, darlin'... Did you get some rest?"

"I sure did.  You have a way of straightening me out."  There was an
awkward moment of silence when I said that, about "straightening me out,"
because I'm anything but...

"I sorta love it when you're a little bit cranky.  I love keeping you in
line."

"Did you order all the food and stuff?  I trust you, whatever you did.
Except for the pizza.  You and my Dad are definitely in cahoots about
that."

"Yeah, everything's all taken care of!  And Mark was a big help, too.  Hey
I gotta go... see ya tomorrow!  Have fun, Kev!"

I don't thank Nora enough.  She takes care of me, in different ways than
Mark does, and I never want her to think I take her for granted, even
though I guess it might seem that way.  She evens out my ups and downs.  I
owe her big time!

Scott, Matt, Eric and Mark all got to my house around 6:30 and our final
practice went really well.  We actually set everything up outside to sorta
do a "soundcheck."  I felt like this was some major rock concert, for sure.
In my backyard!!  We decided to add two more songs that we had also
practiced during the week.

At first, I wasn't particularly thrilled about "Believe Me Baby, I Lied," a
country-rock song by Trisha Yearwood.  But it has a good beat and Scott was
getting a bit crazy jumping up and kicking his heels when he yells "HEY!"
right before his guitar solo.  And we also added "All You Wanted" by
Michelle Branch as the next-to-the-last song.  Mark did an excellent job of
putting his own style on all the tunes, especially the ones that are
originally sung by girls.  We were tight.  Real tight.  And we did sound
good, if I do say so myself.

We had finished our "dress rehearsal" and put all the equipment back
inside, just to be safe, even though there was no way it was gonna rain.
The guys stayed until after midnight, and we all just sorta chilled.  Mark
made us laugh a lot, and Matt was really talkative for a change.

"So, umm, Eric... no hot date tonight with Jen?"

"Uhh... that'd be a 'no'.  She's been acting weird."

"Maybe she's pregnant." Matt joked.

"Falsity, Kramer.  No way!"

"Well, you never know.  The way girls are, with a thousand different moods,
fucking your brains out one day and bitching down your throat the
next... there's no way I'd ever want a girlfriend!"  Matt quipped.
Hmmm... I wonder what that meant?

After the guys left, Mark and I stayed up a while longer and talked, and I
told him about the situation I got myself into at the mall earlier in the
day.

"Did Nora tell you about it?"

"No, she didn't say a word to me.  The only thing she said was you bought a
few things... a new shirt and something else, and you were gonna catch up
on sleep."

I could tell Mark wasn't lying, about if Nora said anything to him about
the incident.  That's even more proof of what a great friend she is, and
how much she can be trusted.

"Yeah, I guess I was pretty delusional, but it would have been a lot worse
if it really had been Marcie and her mom.  And I'm gonna need to tell my
Dad, too.  I just haven't done that yet.  Whatever."

For once, Mark and I didn't fool around, which I know is hard to believe.
We did kiss goodnight, though!  For some reason, we both felt satisfied
just being together.  We're together a lot... all the time some would say.
But I know that being apart from him even for a few hours seems like an
eternity.  And although my day had been wild and upside down, it all ended
good.  Things were on track for the party.  Practice went well... extremely
well... and we were pumped about playing.  And of course, Mark and I were
both excited about meeting Nick and going to the Mets game.  It didn't take
long for us to fall asleep.

Haha, as usual, I got up first Sunday morning, and quietly sneeked out of
my room to go to the bathroom.  When I got back, I woke Mark up with a kiss
I couldn't resist giving him.

He was sprawled out on his back, legs spread apart, taking up almost the
whole bed.  He threw back the sheet, uncovering his sleek body.  Of course,
my eyes went straight for the surprise package waiting for me inside his
tight boxer briefs.  I kissed and licked my way down his chest and stomach,
taking a little time to lip-bite each nipple and to watch the bulge grow
inside his underwear.  As for me... well, the head of my own stiff dick was
peeking through the top of my undies, teasing Mark!  I sorta sat up as he
grabbed my rod and touched the wet spot by the fly of my boxers.  Then I
got on top of him and we kissed open mouth, taking turns forcing our
tongues all around inside each other's throats.  Who cares about morning
breath.  It didn't matter.

We were both hard as steel, grinding ourselves into one another, until our
precum made things quite slippery.  I couldn't stand it any longer.  I
pulled his underwear down with one hand, letting his stiff tool slap
against his stomach.  I immediately took the whole thing in my mouth and
bobbed up and down while playing with his nuts.  I licked a finger and
touched his hole too, which sent him over the top.  I slowed my sucking and
Mark began to buck and shoot intensely, filling my mouth with his sweet
cream.  Now THAT's what I call breakfast in bed!  After I gulped his load
down, I sniffed all around his pubes and kissed his stomach.  Then I
swirled my tongue around inside his belly button, which made him wiggle!
And giggle!

Mark smiled, and without saying a word, he got on top of me and returned
the favor.  It didn't take long to get me off, and I sorta remember feeling
kinda dizzy, like the room was spinning.  I shut my eyes and whimpered a
bit as he finished me off by hand... both hands, actually, pumping me into
oblivion.  I was on my back, but had my legs wrapped around his waist as my
own geyser of hot cum erupted.  I swear, it was like high voltage running
through my entire body, head to toe.  I shot a nice creamy load over Mark's
fingers, directly on to my lower stomach and in my pubes.  He cleaned me up
with some kleenexes, as we smiled in silence, and regained consciousness.
I was set for the day!

I got Mark a towel and he showered in mine and Keith's bathroom, while I
used Dad's.  He told me he liked the new shirt I had on, the one Nora
picked out, and then he pushed up my hair in the middle and kissed my nose.
God, I felt tingly!  We went downstairs for breakfast, and for once, my
brother, who was already up, was very friendly and talkative.

"Dudes!  I was talking to Scott about setting up some lights and stuff on
the deck and in the backyard.  I know you're not having a full-blown light
show or anything, but I bet we could pull something off that'd be really
cool.  Whaddya think?"

"Hey, yeah!  You can use all the Christmas lights from the drum room." I
suggested.

Keith also said he was gonna help set up the amps and microphones as well
as getting tables and chairs and helping Nora with all the food.  I guess I
hadn't thought too much about all of those details.  I thanked Keith about
80 times for all his help.

"It's almost eleven o'clock, Kev.  Think we should go?"

"Yeah, sure.  We gotta stop at my Grandpa's on the way and get the
tickets."

So we were off!  Grandma and Grandpa both came outside to say" hi" to Mark
and me, and I thought, what the hell... I might as well invite them to the
get-together, too.  It was the polite thing to do, since Grandpa scored the
Mets tickets for me.  I offered to pay him again, but he said "no."
Grandma wanted to know what she could bring, but I said nothing.  Actually,
between you and me... if she made a Texas sheet cake, that'd be fine with
me.  Since Allie and Nick are from Texas, it would have a special meaning,
now wouldn't it?!

"Thanks, Grandpa!"  We waved goodbye as Mark backed out of their driveway.
"See you guys around 6 o'clock, then!" I shouted.  And, just to even things
out, I called my other grandparents and invited them as well.

The weather was perfect... I couldn't have asked for anything more.  And in
spite of the ballgame, traffic on the expressway wasn't too bad for a sunny
Sunday afternoon.  Next, I called Allie, just to check in.

"Yeah, we're transferring at Grand Central right now, Kev.  We're so
excited!  Ohhh... here it is... the "7" bound for Flushing... stopping at
Willets Point/Shea Stadium!  That's our train!  See you soon!"

I told her we'd meet them at the subway station there, that it's just a
short walk to the gates.  Even though the subway is above ground in a lot
of places outside of Manhattan, it's still called the subway.  I was
starting to get a little nervous, and my heart was beating fast.

We couldn't have been any more precise with our timing.  It was
bumper-to-bumper getting into the parking area, but we were lucky to park
fairly close to where we were to meet Allie and Nick.  I saw the elevated
subway train slowing down toward the platform, and within seconds I spotted
Allie... then Nick.  God, he was hot!

"Allie!!  We're over here!"  Mark and I waved.  She saw us, too, and waved
back.

Nick looked to be around Mark's height, about six feet tall, I'd say... and
his resemblance to Allie was amazing.  He had pin-straight dark brown hair,
which partly covered his ears, so you couldn't see his hearing aids.  And
he had the cutest smile.  Not quite as cute as Mark's smile... but damn
close!  He was wearing tighter-than-tight brown denim skinny-boy jeans and
a plain white button-down oxford cloth shirt, partially un-tucked, of
course.  It was wrinkled a bit, which was sexy as hell, and his sleeves
were rolled up almost to his elbows.  His aviator shades were resting on
top of his head.  Definitely preppy!  Definitely delicious!

"Hey guys!"

"Hey!!!!!" Mark and I said, in unison.

Nick was quick to introduce himself first.  "Hi!  I'm Nick Stewart!  You
must be Kevin!"  He extended his arm and we shook hands.  "And I bet you're
Mark!"  They shook hands, too.  Although I was nervous as hell, and
super-excited, meeting him for the first time was unforgettable.  I know
I'll never forget the slight stiffness in my pants!

I looked straight at him and spoke.  "It's so cool to meet you, Nick!  This
is fun!"

Mark added, "It seems like we all already know each other."

Allie hugged and thanked us.  I could tell she was happy - and relieved.
While I know she really liked Mark and me, it was still probably very high
anxiety about us meeting Nick, all things considered.

Although Nick didn't say much, I was surprised he spoke so well.  I
actually didn't know exactly what to expect him to sound like though.  His
speech is different... very deliberate, almost harsh.  While I wouldn't
describe it as having a lisp, the "s" sound is more like "th" and the "r"
sound is like "aw".  And the consonants on the endings of words aren't
always well-pronounced.  But after a while, it's not even noticeable.

I remembered Allie told me to always look directly at Nick when I wanted to
speak to him, so he could read my lips.  She was right.  It didn't take us
long to get used to it.  Communicating was a snap.  He was amazing.


"Well, we're right on time!  We got really good seats, from my grandfather.
He's coming to my house tonight, so you'll get to meet him!"  I handed
everyone their ticket as we walked toward the gate.

"So I know you love baseball, right?" I asked Nick.

"Yahhh!"

"Astros??"

Nick smiled and nodded "yes."

"I really like the Yankees better than the Mets." I told him.  Nick nodded
and laughed and told me he knew that, because Allie had told him.

"I read where they're gonna tear Shea Stadium down, right?" he wondered.
When he spoke, he moved his hands and fingers, using sign language.

"I guess so, in a few years.  And Yankee Stadium, too.  They're building
new ballparks for both teams."

It seemed like Allie and Mark were pals while I sorta hung with Nick.  We
got to our seats along the 1st base line, and they were fantastic!  The
first pitch was thrown at precisely 1:10, with John Maine on the mound for
the Mets.  As soon as the game was underway, the concessionaires started
their thing as they strolled through each section:

"COLD BEER HERE!!!  CO-O-O-O-LD BEER!!"

"Peeeeea-NUTS!!!!!  GET YOUR PEANUTS HERE!!!"

I'm not one for hotdogs, but I gotta admit they really smelled good.  Of
course they did!  They're Nathan's!!  Allie and Mark each had one when the
guy came past out seats for the third time.  Nick and I just looked at each
other, wrinkled our noses, and shook our heads "no thanks" and laughed.

In the top of the fourth inning, Mark offered to take Nick on a little tour
of Shea Stadium.  Haha, better him than me, since he's been there more
often and knows stuff I don't know.  Allie and I had a chance to talk.

"Kevin, I can't thank you enough for this.  It means so much."

"Come on, you've thanked me a million times.  I wanted to do this.  Nick is
awesome.  He seems so... together!"

"He is an amazing kid!  I'm proud of him."

"ICE COLD PEPSI-COLA!!!  ICE COLD PEPSI!!!"

"After the game, I thought we'd drive around our town a bit, and show you
where we hang out, go to school, all that stuff.  Then my friend Nora
ordered a ton of food, and it seems like what started out as just a few
friends coming over has turned into a full-blown party!  Including parents,
grandparents, neighbors, little kids... everyone!  Then... our
mini-concert!"

"Good!  I can't wait to meet your Dad and also to thank your grandfather."

"COTTON CANDY!!!  COTTON CANDY HERE!!!"

The guy selling cotton candy was right in my face.  "Cotton candy for the
lady??"  Allie smiled at the guy, and he bent down, handing me a big fluffy
pink cloud of cotton candy on one of those paper sticks.  I blushed and
gave him five dollars.  Damn!

Mark and Nick got back to our seats just as the bottom of the fourth
started, and Nick showed us the T-shirt he bought at the Mets team shop.
Then the game really got revved up, because, in the blink of an eye, the
Mets had the bases loaded.  José Reyes took the plate and hit a fucking
Grand Slam, which sent the crowd into orbit, including Nick!  And Allie!
And Mark!  And even ME!!  I swear, not a single soul in all of Shea Stadium
was sitting down!  Everyone was on their feet.  The look on Nick's face was
unbelievable as the crowd went crazy!  CHEERS!!!  FIREWORKS!!!
CHAR-R-R-R-RGE!!!

The fourth inning turned out to be quite a good one for the Mets.  They
scored seven runs in that inning alone.  They won the game.  Final score:
Mets - 8, Phillies - 1.

"Jon said he was going to listen to the game while he's driving back to New
York," Allie chuckled.  "I hope he's not disappointed."

"I hope he's not too upset to drive!"  We all laughed, making light of the
fact that old Jon isn't much of a baseball fan.

We walked slowly down the ramps leaving the stadium, taking our time
getting to the Jeep.  I sat in front with Mark, of course, and Allie and
Nick rode in back.  Post-game traffic was a bitch, which is to be expected,
but we were in no hurry.  We eventually made our way out of the parking
area and were on the expressway toward home.

Nick seemed to be pretty impressed when we showed him our high school.
"It's a big place" he noted.  We agreed.

Mark reminded me that the drum squad was supposed to start practices this
coming Wednesday.  Jesus.  Already!

We stopped for ice cream, and I took my time eating mine.  I sure didn't
want any more brain freezes!  Next we drove down Mark's street so they
could see his house, but we didn't stop there.  Then we showed them some
other places in town before heading home.

"This is our train station, where we usually get the Long Island Railroad
when we go into the city.  Over there's Smarty's Pizza, where we hang out
with all our friends sometimes, like after football games and basketball
games and plays and stuff...  Here's Walgreen's where our friend Nora
works.  You'll both just love her to pieces.  She's awesome!  And King
Kullen, the grocery store Mark works at, is just down the road..."

"There's Starbucks, where Kevin and I hang out sometimes!!" Mark pointed
out, smiling at me.  That sexy, killer, heart-stopping smile...

You know, it might be just another ordinary run-of-the-mill Starbucks to
everyone else, but not to Mark and me.  Even though I was blushing - beet
red I'd say - I smiled back at him, and of course neither one of us
elaborated about what all we've done in there before!  And Mark and I were
reading each other's minds.  Because, by the grace of God, he avoided
showing them the library.

So, yeah, I told you before that Roosevelt Field Mall is a big ass place.
And it is.  We didn't go there to show Allie and Nick, because, after all,
it's just another shopping center.  If you've seen one you've seen them
all, right?  And besides, it was getting late.  We'd been in the car long
enough and it was finally time to have a party, jam with our friends and
play matchmaker with Nick and Matt...

The rest of the way home I thought to myself, for Mark and me, good or bad
(mostly good), the things that have happened at Starbucks and the library
are bigger than big.  And that's not even mentioning all the other stuff,
like the Empire State Building and the cabin in the Catskills and losing
our best friend this summer.  But I know that what's bigger than anything
else could ever be... bigger than any shopping center, skyscraper or all
the other things put together... is Mark's heart.  And Nora's.

 (To be continued...)