Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 03:38:12 +0000
From: David Lee <dlee169@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long

The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long, Chapter 23

Warning:

This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction between males of
similar age.  If the reading or possessing this material is illegal in your
country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this
site immediately and do not proceed further.  If you are under the legal
age to read this, please do not do so.

The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original
story.  You may not publish it or any part of it without explicit
authorization from me.

I have written several other stories.  My longer ones on Nifty include:
"Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004), "Jacob and Jacques" (May 30, 2004),
"Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Tales from Bentonville" (November 16, 2008),
"Second Chance" (September 24, 2010), and "Tommy and Tanner (October 21,
2012)under "High School" and "Someone to Watch over Me" under "Beginnings"
in the gay male section.

My short stories include: "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 22, 2004
under "Camping", "Of Angels and Dragons" (November 8, 2008) under
"Camping", "A Christmas Tale" (December 22, 2009), "Wyatt's Thanksgiving"
(November 20, 2012)under "High School", "Brazil Affair" (October 1, 2010),
"A Technological Christmas" (December 23, 2011), and "Patrick's Christmas
(December 19, 2012) under "Beginnings," I have one story in the Sci
Fi/Fantasy category called, "Seth's Gift" (October 10, 2010).

You can easily access most of my tales by going to the "Author" button in
Nifty's home page and scrolling down to David Lee.  Some of these stories
are also posted at: www.storylover.us and www.saberpeak.com.

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suggestions.

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David (dlee169@hotmail.com)

--------------------------------------------------------------------







The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long, Chapter 23

It wasn't until Monday that Davy and Jon saw Bradon again after the
homecoming dance.  They started to tease him about being out of
communication since Saturday night, but quickly stopped when they sensed he
wasn't in the mood for levity.

Megan wasn't at school, which might account for his demeanor.  When Willa
asked about Megan, Bradon was evasive, saying he thought she might not be
feeling well.  His answer left them wondering about the whole story, but no
one probed further.  Davy and Jon said they needed to hit the restroom
before going to their afternoon classes and Bradon tagged along.

"I need to talk to you guys after school," he said.  "I didn't want to
discuss it in front of the girls and you'll need to swear not to tell
anyone what I tell you because I don't want it to get around school.  It's
a good thing Megan's little sister went with their mother to nurse their
grandma back to health because that child has a mouth bigger than Lake
Michigan!"

The boys were curious, of course, but were serious enough about their
studies not to let it distract them too much.  Promptly at 2:45, they met
at the bike rack and rode to Jon's house.  Over a fruit snack, Bradon began
to tell his story.

He didn't gloss over his part in the affair, but he didn't go into any
explicit details either.

"How do you know for sure she took the pill?" Jon asked, when Bradon had
finished.

"Her father saw her swallow it and kept watch to make sure she didn't try
to puke it up again.  After awhile, he texted me so I'd know.  He couldn't
understand her attitude anymore than I could.  He said her reaction to the
medicine wasn't much different from when she has her period which started
the next day, so it's hard to say if the pill did anything or not.  At
least she's not pregnant!"

"I guess I'm being nosy," Davy said, "but do you think sex is better with a
girl than with a boy?"

"About the same, I guess.  I was nervous doing it and scared after, so it
didn't seem as spectacular as with Micah."

The minute the words left his mouth, Bradon knew he'd unintentionally
spilled his deepest secret.

"Shit!  Can you un-hear that last part?  I don't want it to get around.
I'm probably bi and not gay anyway."

"I'm afraid you can't put the genie back in the bottle, but I won't tell
and I'm not shocked," Jon smiled.  "We kinda thought you two were getting
it on out there by yourselves at the lake.  I think it's cool if you can go
either way."

"Yeah, we love you even if you're not committed to our team," Davy joked.
"Did you tell Micah about the mess with Megan?"

"We've been texting a lot since Sunday morning." Bradon told them.

"He and I have an understanding that we'll probably not end up as partners
or anything, but we want to stay friends and possibly make love sometimes
even if we get married someday.  Right now, we're both off girls!

I suppose I should go home and do my homework."

"Why don't you stay and do it with us?" Jon asked.  "It's more fun to have
company, don't you think?"

"Thanks!  It's nice to have my good buds helping me take my mind off other
things right now.  Besides, I suspect `Marky' and `Joey' will be feeling
each other up at my house about now anyway."

The guys all laughed over Bradon's supposition, which to them was likely an
accurate one.

----------

At the lunch table on Tuesday, Megan joined her usual companions, taking a
seat next to Bradon and acting as if there had never been a problem between
them.  Bradon was clearly uncomfortable in her presence, especially while
she explained to everyone that her period had hit her harder than usual and
had kept her in bed the day before.

"I'm sure that's too much information for the guys at the table," he
cringed.

"Okay, but I thought YOU might be interested to hear about it," Megan said.

"Megan, if you're finished eating, we need to talk privately!" Bradon said
through gritted teeth.

The two of them went away for awhile, and only Bradon returned.  There was
a mark on his left cheek which suggested he's been slapped, but he didn't
acknowledge it.

His lunch companions didn't ask, but suspected there has been a big rift in
their relationship.  No one was surprised the following day when Megan sat
elsewhere.  Jenna and Willa didn't seek her out, but continued to sit with
the boys as usual.

----------

Everything had been going along "swimmingly" first semester for Davy and
Jon, as they liked to say jokingly.  Their grades were excellent, they had
shaved seconds off their times in the pool, and life in general was rosy.

Thanksgiving had come and gone with little fanfare as some family members
were making more elaborate plans for Christmas.  Bradon was back to being
his old self as an unattached young man, and life in general was good.

Then in the middle of the cafeteria a couple of weeks before the start of
winter break, Spencer came to their table and caused a major scene.  He
yelled at Davy and Jon, calling them traitors and fags.  He carried on like
a man possessed, screaming obscenities and using the "f" word as every
possible part of speech during his rant.

The usual rumble of chatter ceased immediately as students strained to hear
what was being said.

"You turned Billy in to the fuckin' narks and he's been arrested.  Now you
have fuck-all to hold over me, so I'm getting even and throwin' your
fuckin' asses out of the closet.  Check them out everybody; these two
fuckers are fucking QUEERS who fuck each other every fuckin' night!"

The noise level returned to normal as one of the teachers on duty marched
Spence down to the main office.  Most of the students went back to their
previous conversations, but a few wondered what would happen to Spence.  At
the very least, he would be disciplined for his use of foul language.  He
might face additional penalties for his gay slurs and disturbing the peace
of the school.  No one knew for sure.

Of course, Davy and Jon were shaken by the unexpected confrontation.  They
had already talked about coming out, but had planned to do it gradually and
without about a third of the student body present!  They weren't sure about
the reactions they'd get, but they soon found out.

Willa reached over to clasp Davy's hand.  Jenna got up and hugged Jon from
behind.

"We care about you," Jenna said.

"But don't you feel like we used you, in light of all this?" Jon asked.

"Not at all," Willa responded.  "We don't want to have any romantic
attachments at present.  We're all friends who enjoy going out and having
fun. None of us is looking to settle down yet.  I'm not planning to get
serious about any guy until I'm in college at least.  Jenna and I have
talked about that.  We don't want someone pawing at us while our main goal
is to get a good education so we can have a future.  I'm not saying you
wouldn't make good husbands someday, but most likely for each other."

"Thanks!" the boys said in chorus.

"We had planned to come out to you girls first," Davy said.  "Well, Bradon
knows, and a few other guys we hang around with."

"I had kinda picked up on it anyway," Jenna smiled.  "You two are closer
than most brothers.  Of course, I guess people could say that about Willa
and me, but we are actually straight in spite of being referred to as
`lezzies' once in awhile."

"Whatever you are, `sweet' is certainly one of your major attributes," Jon
told her.  "Dave and I do appreciate your friendship a whole lot!"

"And that will continue; you can count on it," Willa chimed in.

----------

For the next few days, Davy and Jon walked on eggshells waiting for the
proverbial other shoe to fall, but nothing much happened.  A couple of kids
that Spence had been hanging around with made an occasional anti-gay remark
in their presence, but were careful not to do it when any staff members
were around, and didn't make a scene when they did.

Most of the student body didn't seem to care whether or not Spence had been
telling the truth.  He had acted so bizarre that they tended to discount
most of what he had said.  Besides, whose business was it who loved whom?

Spencer was suspended for three days initially, but seemed to miss most of
the remaining time before vacation.  When he was in class, he seemed kind
of out of it, not caring about his lessons or his physical appearance.  His
classmates began to wonder if he was depressed or doing some heavy drugs.

----------

Despite not being harassed by most of their peers, there was a serious
incident in the weight room which Reed Halverson started.  Since he wanted
to stay tight with Spencer and his crowd to maintain access to the drugs
they could supply, Reed took it upon himself to hassle Davy with gay slurs
at the very moment he was bench-pressing 180 pounds.  Luckily, Jon was
spotting for Davy and steadied the barbell so he didn't lose complete
control when he lost his focus.

"Whatever I am, it's none of your business and I'll thank you not to
distract me when I'm lifting," Davy exclaimed, as he stood to face his
adversary.

"Get used to it, fag!" Reed sneered.  "I hate queers!"

"I'm asking you nicely, one more time; leave me alone," Davy stated,
evenly.

"Ooh, and what are you going to do about it if I don't, little boy?" Reed
taunted as he shoved him.

Davy didn't answer, but sprang forward and hit Reed with both hands to the
chest, sending him to the floor.  Before the bigger boy processed what had
happened, he was in a hold from which there was no escape.

"Let me up, faggot!"

"I'll release you when you apologize," Davy informed him quietly.

Vin Rossi, who had been instructing two boys across the room, came running
over, initially to protect Davy from the older student, only to find that
Davy didn't need any help.

"Make him let me go!" Reed yelled.

"Ooh, is the `little boy' hurting you?" Jon mocked.

"Shut up," Gunnar commanded.  "Leave my brother alone or I'll take you
out."

"You try it and I'll lay you out just like Dave did him." Jon glared.

"Okay, guys, let's all cool our jets.  I suppose I need to call for an
associate principal," Vin said as he pushed a button on his phone and
requesting the aid of an administrator, "but I'm really inclined to wait
for that apology from you before I ask David to let you up.  We all heard
your language and we all know that's not allowed at this school.  You will
have to change your behavior if you wish to remain here.  Dr. Campbell is
no pushover."

"I'm not afraid of her or anyone else.  My parents will sue!"

"You SHOULD be concerned because she's a black belt and she takes no
prisoners.

Now if you promise to stop fighting, I'm going to ask David to release you.
Do you promise?"

By way of answer, Reed merely grunted.

"Sorry, I must be hard of hearing," Vin said.  "I want a clear `yes' from
you."

"Yeah," Reed sneered, trying to maintain a tough-guy attitude, which was
rather humorous given the circumstances.

"Try saying, `yes, Mr. Rossi,'" Vin insisted.

Reed resisted for another minute before finally getting the words out.
Almost the second Davy let go of him, he took a swing.  Having anticipated
it, Davy pivoted deftly out of range.  Then, in his fury, Reed attempted to
slug the assistant coach.  That was a very bad move at a very inopportune
time.  Frances Campbell, who had just arrived, seized his flying fist and
put him on the floor without so much as ruffling a hair.

"Mr. Rossi, could you take over this hold while I use my phone?"

"Of course," Dr.  Campbell.

Reed was in grave trouble.  Given his age and the seriousness of physically
attacking a school staff member, his punishment would not be kept within
the school system.  Instead, the police were summoned and he was taken away
in handcuffs.

-----------

"God, you should have seen her!" Davy enthused as he explained the scene to
his extended family.  "Nobody's gonna mess with that lady!  She's way
tougher than Collins was."

Todd, Jim, Cade, and Harrison were all seated around the kitchen table at
the Mason-Hart residence, having pooled their leftovers into an impromptu
potluck.  The boys were currently regaling the adults with the details of
the confrontation.

"And, she's cool too!  She listened to my story and said I'm not in trouble
for defending myself against that bully.  She even had Jon and me
demonstrate how I put Reed on the floor.  She said it was remarkably
similar to how she would have done it."

"I'm proud of you," Brock exclaimed.

All the rest agreed.

"Wow, I'm glad my training has actually been of some use to you," Harrison
said.  "I'm so pleased to know that you've learned how to defend yourself
without having to break anyone's bones in the process.  I know that's not
always possible, but it's cool when you can.  I'll bet the farm that no one
else at school is going to cross you!  I'm sure your fame has already
spread across Facebook already."

"Jeez!  I wasn't looking to have a gangster reputation.  I don't want to be
like some old west gunslinger that everyone wants to take on!"

"I think they'll leave you alone once some cute girls start writing ballads
about you." Harrison grinned.

"Hey, that's not gonna happen since I've been thrown out of the closet."

"Well, maybe it will be hot boys instead", Harrison quipped.

"Those hot boys better not try to move into my territory or I'll be gunning
for them!!" Jon exclaimed.

"Why do I suddenly feel like a piece of property to be fought over?" Davy
sighed exaggeratedly, putting the back of his hand to his brow.

Everyone was thoroughly entertained by their antics.

-----------

Winter vacation was completely different this year for Davy and Joe.  They
spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day rather like they had the year before,
but the day after, they boarded a flight to Fort Lauderdale for a family
reunion with their aunt, uncle and cousins at their grandparents' winter
home.  They weren't traveling alone, of course.  Their dads were with them
as well as their boyfriends.

Mark didn't worry about leaving Bradon home because Bradon wasn't going to
be alone.  He had been invited to spend the rest of their winter break with
Micah at his home in the Chicago suburbs.

Amanda had figured Davy and Joe would appreciate the companionship of their
buddies when they met their cousins who seemed to be turning into brats.
Having their boyfriends along for the trip to Disney World would give them
the moral support to put up with Gabby and Tyler.

She had rented the condo next to theirs for the week from a couple who had
gone to Minneapolis to visit their children so there would be an area where
the boys could retreat when they wanted to.

----------

Their flight was smooth and left on time, which was a good omen for sure.
Davy and Joe were as excited as if it were Christmas morning again because
it was their first experience of traveling by air.  Since they didn't know
anyone on the plane, the boyfriends openly held hands during the takeoff.
Mark and Jon used the excuse of having to comfort their boyfriends, but
neither really needed a pretext.

Davy whispered to Jon that the thrust of the jet engines made his butthole
quiver.  Jon whispered back that almost anything pleasant would make Davy
horny, an observation that Davy didn't deny.

As soon as the seatbelt sign was turned off, Davy headed for the nearest
restroom.  He didn't have to go that badly, but wanted to explore all that
he could.  He stopped to chat with a steward who was brewing coffee for the
light breakfast being served to the passengers in first class.

The young steward was strikingly handsome, which made Davy wonder if he
might be gay.  Several things about him set off Davy's developing gaydar,
but he supposed he might be reading it incorrectly.

As he was about to return to his seat, he felt Jon embracing him from
behind.

"Hey, what was that for?  Not that I mind," he said, leaning back into his
boyfriend's arms grinning.

"I just want everyone to know you belong to me?" Jon grinned, looking at
the flight attendant.

"Hey, I'm not going to flirt with your guy," the young man smiled.  "It's
not that he's not cute enough; I just don't have a taste for chicken."

"Chicken?" Davy cocked an eyebrow.

"Sorry, I wasn't intending to offend.  It's a term for cute guys who are
underage and could get a man into serious trouble."

"Oh," Davy smiled.  "Thanks for furthering my vocabulary.  I haven't been
out all that long, so I'm kinda ignorant.  I guess I should get on the
Internet to look up a few terms."

I would suggest going to, www.urbandictionary.com.  It's a fairly good
site, though some of their definitions are a bit wacky.

"Thanks!"

"I hope your parents won't be upset if you tell them where you heard that.
I don't want to lose my job."

"No worries," Jon told him.  "Dave's dads are married to each other and my
dad and his partner are having a ceremony in the summer.  They would
probably have told us about the site if they knew of it."

"You boys are so lucky!  I wish I could have grown up like that.  I got
kicked out the minute I turned 18.  If it hadn't been for a lovely lesbian
teacher who took me in, I would have been on the streets or couch-hopping
at friends' houses before I graduated.  Fortunately, my guidance counselor
steered me toward this career and it's been a really good gig for me.  I've
seen a lot of the world, and I've met a very nice guy that I'm dating.

Well, the coffee is done and I'd better get my butt in gear.  Nice talking
to you."

----------

When they landed and got outside the security area, they were met by
Grandpa David and Uncle Sean.  Once David introduced Sean, both men
embraced all the boys in turn.

The ride took about 40 minutes by the time they got through all the traffic
at the airport.  A lot of tourists were evidently taking a break from the
colder north lands.  While it wasn't quite T-shirt weather, it was quite
comfortable that far south.

Grandma Amanda hugged all the boys affectionately and they, in turn, all
called her Grandma.  Marilyn's welcome was less effusive, but that was
understandable since it was her first meeting for all the boys except Davy,
and she hasn't seen him since he was in third grade.  She found him to be
pleasant and polite and hoped some of that might rub off on Tyler.

Davy and Joe were really happy to have their buds with them because
Amanda's unspoken assessment of her other grandchildren seemed to be on
target.  They were pretty stuck on themselves.  Within the first half hour,
Gabrielle bragged about all girls from prominent families who attended her
boarding school.  She was obviously trying to impress them, especially Jon,
since he wasn't related to her in any way and looked like boyfriend
material.  Mark was closer to her age, but he obviously wasn't any more
interested in her than Jon was.

Tyler did his share of bragging too.  He was disdainful about any sport
other than soccer, and had little interest in any American traditions.
Neither of the children ingratiated themselves.  They both acted like they
were better and richer than anyone else in the house.  They seemed to
conveniently forget where the family wealth originated.  Their father was
ultimately an employee of their grandfather.  He controlled the majority
shares of stock and the rest was held in trust for his sons and
grandchildren, Joe included.

Poor Tyler was compensating because in his mind he didn't measure up to the
other four boys.  All of them were cooler and better built.  In order not
to feel inferior, he tried to tear down the others in any way he could.  He
didn't know that the boys he was with would have accepted him without any
reservations had he just been himself.

----------

Tyler began to have a slight change of attitude by the next day.  He seemed
more open.  However, when he saw Jon give Davy a peck on the cheek, he
thought he might have discovered a way to blackmail them into letting him
have the upper hand.

"I saw what you did in the hall, but I won't tell as long as you do what I
say," he told Davy.

"Hmm, what exactly did you see?"

"I saw you kissing Jon!"

"Really, I thought it was Jon who kissed me.  It was just a friendly peck;
we weren't exactly swapping spit." Davy grinned.

"You might do well not to be so casual about it."

"Really?  Who is going to care?"

"Everyone, I imagine," Tyler gloated.

"Have you forgotten that my dad, Brock, and my pop, Brent, are legally
married?"

Tyler frowned, "I thought they were partners in business and you all shared
expenses."

"They do work together at the same company, but I guarantee you that they
are more than roommates!"

"Eew!  Do they have sex?"

"Of course.  Does the idea of you mother and father getting it on disturb
you too?"

"I don't think they do that after having kids!" Tyler seemed shocked at the
prospect.

"Most healthy adults want it whenever they can get it.  Is life at your
boarding school that sheltered?  Haven't you had any sex education?  Don't
some of the older boys play around?"

"I don't know anything about that kind of stuff!" Tyler insisted, almost
too vehemently, making Davy wonder if he'd been involved in some of those
activities.

"Good morning boys," Grandma greeted Davy and Tyler as they arrived first
in the kitchen.  "Did you sleep well?"

"Jon was restless last night.  I think the flight affected his dreams,"
Davy said.  "He's flown before and didn't seem nervous, but maybe he was
trying to be brave for me.  Anyway, he kicked me at least once in his
sleep, but he gave me a kiss when he apologized this morning."

"I'm sure you realize he didn't mean to hurt you," Amanda smiled.  "Don't
let it mess you boys up!"

"What's this about messing us up?" Jon asked as he joined them.

"I was telling Grandma about how brutally you treated me," Davy teased.

"Okay, show me where it hurts and I'll kiss your owie," Jon giggled.

"Um, I suppose I could drop my pants if you want."

"Not in front of Grandma!" Jon exclaimed.

"I've seen you both on occasion at the lake naked as the day you were born
and it didn't offend me, but you'd better keep your clothes on because I
have the first batch of pancakes ready and you should eat them while
they're hot."

Tyler was dumbfounded at the repartee between his cousin and his
grandmother.  From the sound of it, Davy and Jon were more than buddies and
everyone, including her, knew all about it.  He had lost his trump card.

----------

Fort Lauderdale had the advantage of being far enough south to have
pleasant temperatures most of the winter.  However, it was about a three
and a half drive to Disney World even going a little above the speed limit.
Therefore, Grandpa David had booked accommodations at the hotel which was
connected to the complex by monorail.

They left right after their early breakfast, taking the minivan and
Amanda's Avalon.  Tyler insisted on riding in the van with his cousins and
the other boys, so his parents and his sister rode with Grandma.

Having made a brief stop for lunch on the way, they arrived around 4:00 and
checked into the hotel.

Grandpa had purchased passes that allowed them to enjoy everything for two
days.  Obviously, they wouldn't be there for more than a day and a half if
they wanted to see the NASA center.  The boys voted to shorten the Disney
part in order to see the space museum.

If they went in a group, with their cell phones turned on, the boys were
allowed to explore the park on their own, but had to be back at the hotel
by 9:00 p.m. or shortly thereafter.  They were given spending money for
food and then turned loose.

The rest of the family freshened up and went to see some of the things as
Epcot which they'd heard about.  It was a less adventurous time than the
boys had.  Gabrielle thought that would be more suitable than trying the
scary rides with the boys.  Tyler was not unhappy in the least not to have
her tagging along.

The other boys wouldn't have been sad without Tyler either.  He had become
obnoxious again, speaking in French to show his superiority as a
multi-lingual person.  Jon had studied the language just enough to be
"dangerous" so he could interject a sentence now and then.  Joe, Davy, and
Mark were taking Spanish, so they conversed a bit in that tongue just to
piss Tyler off.

Tyler was so intent on showing off that he wasn't paying attention to where
he was going and stepped in front of a couple of bigger boys in line for
Space Mountain.

"Watch it, boy!  We're ahead of you."

Instead of apologizing, Tyler sassed them back, which wasn't the right
thing to do.

They threatened to flatten him.

"Tyler, please tell them you didn't mean to cut in line and then come back
and stand with us," Davy suggested.

Tyler didn't heed his cousin's word, but started cussing the boys out in
French.  That also was a mistake because they were from Montreal and spoke
the language fluently.  >From what Jon could make out, they suggested he
have sex with himself in an anatomically impossible manner.

"I don't blame you for being angry," Davy said to the larger of them.  "I
will see that he settles down, but you are not allowed to do him bodily
harm.  I have to deliver him to his parents in one piece tonight."

"And who's going to stop me?"

"We all have martial arts training and I will use it if necessary," Davy
said calmly, assuming a stance that showed he meant business."

"Okay, okay, I don't want to fight you or anyone and get kicked out of the
park.  I'm cool if you take care of him."

"Good!  I don't want to hurt anyone either, but I will hurt HIM if he
doesn't get back here NOW!"

Although Tyler hadn't had the good sense to back off from the bigger kid,
he did believe Davy might discipline him in some way if he didn't do as he
was asked.

"Now, please tell this guy you're sorry and that you didn't mean to cut in
front of him.  I'm sure your headmaster at school would expect that kind of
behavior.  Be a gentleman and offer your hand.  If he chooses not to shake
it, that's his business."

"Okay, I'm sorry.  I wasn't paying attention." Tyler said more meekly than
anyone had expected.

"I accept your apology," the young man said, taking the offered hand.  "I
guess I kinda overreacted too.  We've been cut in front of twice already
today and we've only been here an hour.  Some people seem to be
intentionally rude!"

"So have you been on any other exciting rides?" Jon asked, trying to change
the conversation.

"Yeah, we were on the Splash Mountain ride and got a little wet.  That was
fun."

Before they got onto the ride, they were visiting like old friends.  Tyler
kept quiet, but was beginning to absorb a lesson on getting along with
others.

----------

The following day was a very full one.  The young males attempted to take
in all the exciting rides Disney had to offer.  By the end of it, the boys
were ready to go back to their hotel.  While they were waiting for the
light parade, Tyler sidled up to Davy.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being nice to me and for saving my ass last night.  Dad's always
telling me I need to either keep my mouth shut or figure out a way to
defend it," Tyler blushed.  "You defended me, but knocked me down a peg as
well."

"I think it's best not to go spoiling for a fight, but to be able to take
care of yourself if the fight comes to you.  I've used my training a couple
of times with bullies, but I don't provoke a confrontation with anyone.
Those guys last night weren't real bullies.  They were pissed off because
they thought you were being rude.  You can defuse situations like that by
simply admitting you made a mistake and saying you're sorry."

"I wish I could be like you."

"You need to be yourself."

"But I'm not cool, and I know it," he admitted quietly.

"You ARE cool.  You just need to stop trying to impress people and be YOU.
If you do, you'll be liked.  You've had a lot of fascinating experiences
living in Europe and all, but you need to let people ask you about them
instead of bragging.  No one likes a bragger."

"Okay, I'll try."

"Good for you, cuz!" Davy smiled as he gave Tyler a shoulder hug.

For the rest of vacation, Tyler tried to follow Davy's advice.  The rest of
the guys tried to forget their initial impression and treat him like an
equal.

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Author's notes: Thanks to all who emailed since last posting: Ch. 22: Scott
W, Mendy D, Bill T, Tony W, Bill K, Brian M (Seth's Gift), Tom A, Bill
(Story lover), Bill T, Walt S, Paul R, Trebor, Dan L, Roger L, Trish R, and
Ott H.

I'm requesting your thoughts and prayers for the mothers of Dan L and Trish
R.  Both have had medical issues lately.

I thought you might enjoy the Fiat image for a commercial:

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/fiat-paints-dozen-bodies-500-abarth-cabrio-150234052.html

David