Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 23:01:35 EST
From: forty40eleven@cs.com
Subject: 'Labored Love' {Matthew Bolda-2} (HS bb)

This story is about love between two males. It is not focused on purely
sexual relationship, but may involve some sexually explicit scenes in
further chapter. If you do not with to read such material, or you are not
of legal age in your area, please return to the archive now.

OK, this is my first story. My friends liked it, so I decided to post
it. Thanks to John and Adrienne for you support and editing
expertise. Enjoy.

-Matt-


Labored Love Chapter 2

"Hey, Eric. Mrs. Harpy said you had the flu. She asked me if I would bring
you the homework for her class. Mr. Michael asked me to do the same when I
told him what Mrs. Harpy said."

	There was my dream guy; standing at my door. All I could do was
stare. My nose was running. I had a slight fever. I was wearing a shirt and
boxers. Thank God I had just taken a shower. I was staring at him still he
finished talking.

"So... can I come in?"

"O, yeah, sorry," I said. I sounded horrible, although I could barely
breathe at all. "I'll be right back; I'm going to go put some clothes on."

"Ok, I'll just wait here then."

	I went and put on some bottoms and came back to him sitting on my
couch talking to my sister. Her name is Erica. She is also my twin. I guess
our mom had too much of the medicine when we were born, or maybe it was her
sense of humor to name us so much alike. Well Erica and I tell each other
everything. She is not the preppy cheerleader kind, but she walks in the
higher social circle. Really no one would guess because she is a model of
kindness. Then again she is a model as well. Not big magazines or anything,
but she is always modeling clothes for different designers. That is what
she hopes to do one day, design clothes. Anyway, she knows I am gay, and
has known for quite some time. I think she is even worse than
Allison. Speaking of which, they do not get along. I guess there just isn't
enough of me to go around. Knowing what she knows, plus her outgoing
nature, I was mortified when I walked in seeing her talking to HIM, then he
turned and said to me, "Hey beautiful, come and sit down."

	I could've killed her; I couldn't believe she told him. I trusted
her with my secrets and she just up and let the most popular guy in school
know I was a queer. He would tell everyone. I could see all the guys in the
locker room asking him if I had sucked him off and getting a good laugh
about it. Then I realized he was smiling at me.

"Don't just stand there, come sit down so I can explain this to you for a
change."

	I sat next to him as I began to wonder what Erica had told him and
to what extent. He was explaining the Calculus work to me and Erica, who
hated math and proceeded to walk into the kitchen to make some lunch since
mom was in Florida on a business meeting and dad was fishing with his
brother. All of a sudden it hit me that Ryan was really explaining the work
to me. He wasn't reading notes or repeating what Mrs. Harpy had said in
class.

"Since when did you understand this?"

"Well...um... Mrs. Harpy explained it step by step for me because you left me
high and dry the past couple of days. You know you owe me one now, and I
have been doing the labs all by my lonesome, too," he said with a smirk.

"O, yeah," I said with a hint of guilt. "I forgot you aren't smart enough
to do it yourself." He made a hurt look on his face, and then he punched me
in the arm. "Hey, watch it or I'll breathe on you."

Just then Erica broke in with a, "You guys better do your homework or I
will come in there and make you.

We got back to work, but then I got back to thinking what he had said when
I walked in. "So, um... what was the beautiful remark you made about."

"Have you looked at yourself lately, you are positively stunning," he said
sarcastically. "I remember the last time I had the flu I looked just as
bad. You should be getting better though."

"Yeah, well, `should' and `are' are two totally different things, aren't
they?"

"They are," he said as we both started to laugh, that is until we heard
Erica start up again about coming in and wailing on us.

	We studied for about two hours and Erica served us lunch. I didn't
eat much because I knew it would make me sick. She knew I wasn't eating
much so she really made it for Ryan. I think she has liked him as long as I
have, but she also knew I had a claim on him already, so she left us in
peace. Ryan was amazing. He knew how to do all the work and was explaining
it in such detail for me. I hadn't told him that I had read up a little the
other day so I wouldn't fall behind, so I already knew everything he was
telling me.  Somehow I forgot to mention that. I liked him acting so smart
for once. He was so dedicated to teaching me. Every so often I would play
dumb and make him keep trying to explain things to me. I think he caught on
to what I was doing because he threatened to get Erica to take a picture of
me walking around in my boxers to put in the school newspaper. Around four
o'clock he left just as I was getting really sleepy.

"Get better quick, school is a lot less bearable without you there."

"I'll get right on that."

	The next day he called me with the homework from that day. He told
me that Mrs. Harpy had given him my number and suggested he called me each
day to make sure I was getting my work done. Did I mention she is the most
awesome woman alive? My parents started asking questions about this boy
that kept calling for me. I was sleeping a lot around the time he would
call and my mom would leave me notes on my door every time he called to
call him back. At first it was simple messages, "Ryan called call him
back." then his phone number. Well after the second day and fifteenth note
it was something like, "Your lover is missing you desperately. He is dying
without your love. CALL HIM IMMEDIATELY!"

	Mom and Dad have known I was gay for a long time too. I remember
the day I came out to them:

 "Mom, I have something to tell you."

"Ok honey, but hurry, we need to get to Grand-maw's quick, we're already
running late."

"I think I am... no I know I am gay."

"It's about time. I was about ready to pull you out the closet, I figured
you thought your butt looked big in the outfit you were wearing or
something."

I was speechless. I couldn't believe not only was she not appalled and
stunned, she was making fun of my butt. That was hurtful and unnecessary;
after all I got my butt from her.

"What about Dad?"

"I can handle that. ROBERT!"

"Yes dear?" dad said from the bathroom.

"Eric finally came out."

"Good job son, I was hoping you'd figure it out sooner than later."

	OH MY GOD! Were they trying to give me a heart attack? I couldn't
believe they were so calm about it all.

	My dad came up to me and said, "Ok, a few things. Don't tell you
grandparents. They love you as much as we do, but they aren't really that
open minded and they haven't seen the clues, or your sketch pad. By the
way, I wouldn't leave it lying around if you don't want people to see
it. Before you say anything, we didn't open it. Your mom was cleaning and
she threw some magazines on the chair while she was dusting. Apparently,
your pad was in the mix and fell open. She didn't even notice. I walked up
and saw some really nice drawings of some boys. The little hearts are what
made us think you were gay, and then one picture that was a little less
than modest on the boy's part. I assume that was your imagination, not an
accurate drawing. Your sister wouldn't tell us a thing so don't think she
betrayed your trust. Also, we don't care who you tell at school, but
remember, we won't pull you out, and you have to graduate. You have a whole
4 years until you`re done, and people are cruel. We don't know how many
people you have told, or how many you plan on telling. Be careful and
safe. Ok, we need to get going now."

	We finished getting ready and the car ride was pretty silent until
Dad asked me if there was a certain guy. Erica was grinning from ear to
ear.

"Well," I began, "there isn't one, but there was. Do you remember Andrew?"

"Yes I do, he didn't strike me as the gay type."

"Yeah me neither, but he is the only guy I have done anything with."

"Well I'm glad you feel comfortable telling us about that. What ever
happened to him?"

"He will be going to a different high school when school starts back up."

	Now I am a senior. It is April and I barely have any school left. A
handful of people know about me. I have some pretty good friends. Usually
it is Allison and I, but we like to invite people out with us. She has had
a steady string of boyfriends, but they all get jealous of me. I told
Allison she could tell them I am gay, or I could back off a little, but she
says that if a guy has a problem with our friendship the way it appears now
then they obviously aren't worthy. With friends like her it is no wonder I
don't look for more. I don't think others could compare.

	I went back to school the next Monday. Third period there was Ryan
sitting in Mrs. Harpy's class in the desk next to mine. I should've known
something was wrong when he was in class before me, but when I sat down he
didn't say a word. I looked at him and it looked like he was about to
cry. The whole class he wouldn't talk to me, I kept making quiet comments
to him, but he wouldn't do anything and I couldn't get him to smile. After
the same routine in Physics I got the nerve to be blunt:

"Ryan, are you ok?"

"I need to talk to someone; can you meet me after school? In the parking
lot, I will drive you home so Erica doesn't have to wait for you to leave."

"Ok, I'll meet you at your car."

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