Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 16:35:40 +1000
From: Mark Peters <mp_ponyboy@hotmail.com>
Subject: Song For Guy - Part 15

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


Dear Reader:  Once again, thank you to everyone who has written
to me about this story, I hope that you all, both new and old
readers alike, continue to enjoy this tale.



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


Legal Stuff: The following story contains descriptions of
graphic sexual acts. Don't read this story if: You are not 18
or over, OR, if it is illegal to read this type of material
where you live, OR, if you don't want to read about gay/bi
people in love or having sex.

The author retains copyright to this story. Placing this story
on a web site or reproducing this story for distribution without
the author's permission is a violation of that copyright.
If you would like to respond to the story, make suggestions
or other constructive comments or advice may be sent to:
mp_ponyboy@hotmail.com

All e-mails will be answered...


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



A Song For Guy

by

Mark Peters



But first, let's remember where we left off in Part 14...


We all laughed, but beneath it there was an underlying
current of sadness, as we all knew that we wouldn't be
seeing each other for a while.

Ben and Samantha hugged and kissed, each of them getting
teary eyed, while I dragged Guy between some bushy shrubs
and managed a hug and a quick kiss, half hidden by foliage
from any curious passers by.

"You know, I'm really going to miss you," Guy said to me,
his voice raspy with emotion.

"Please tell me you won't be away for long," I replied,
in equally strained tones.

"I'll be back straight after New Year. I promise."

"You better!"

When we were all finished, Ben and I could only watch as
our lovers reluctantly tore themselves away from us and
got into their cars and started them, before backing out
of the parking spaces.

With a wave and a blast of the horn, Samantha was the first
to leave, followed soon after by Guy, who did the same,
leaving Ben and I standing on the sidewalk.

We were now alone, but we did still have each other, which
was something at least, and as we watched them drive away
in separate directions, Ben asked, "How come neither of us
have a car yet?"

"Dunno," I answered, "but I reckon at least one of us needs
one. And you're the only one of us who has a license so far,
so I guess it should really be you!"

"Wise ass!"

"Well? Am I right, or not?"



To be continued......





~ PART FIFTEEN ~

Being the middle of December, with Christmas now only days
away instead of weeks, it was bloody hot. This was summer
at its best and I was right, I had decided; one of us
definitely needed a car!

For the entire trip up the hill, all I could think about
was seeing Guy drive away from me, and judging by how quiet
Ben was as he trudged along beside me, his shoulders hanging
low, I would say that he would no doubt be having feelings
of a similar nature regarding Samantha.

When we arrived at his house, which just happened to be the
closest, thankfully Ben's family weren't home, so while I
sat in the shade on their front verandah, on one of the old
cane settees that were his mother's favourites, he went and
raided the refrigerator, returning moments later with two
cold beers.

"Feeling adventurous?" he asked me, as he handed me the ice
cold stubbie (for the uninitiated, that is a small, squat
bottle of beer).

I reached out and took it, although somewhat reluctantly,
and only after seeing the challenge that Ben was all but
issuing with the expression of defiance that he was wearing.

"I thought you were going to say 'no' there for a minute," he
said, as he sat down beside me.

"What chance would I have had of doing that?" I said, laughing
and at the same time struggling to open the bottle.

"No chance at all," he answered, flashing me a familiar grin.

For a while we just sat there in the cool of the shade and
sipped our beers, listening to the chorus which filled the
afternoon air from the millions of cicadas that seemed to
visit us each year.

After he had finished his drink and placed the empty bottle
on the table next to him, Ben said aloud what it was that
I was thinking.

"It'll sure be quiet around here with them gone, won't it?
I'm going to miss them both!"

"Yeah, so am I. But I don't think that we'll have the time
to miss them. . . Have you seen the rosters at the Supermarket
for the next couple of weeks?"

"No," he replied. "I haven't paid too much attention to them,
although I know I've got at least three shifts this week. . .
the boss reminded me when I was in there the other day
picking up my pay packet."

"Yeah, well, like I said, we won't have the time to miss Sam
and Guy, our little asses are going to be running flat out
this week and next."

"Hmmm. . ."

I swallowed my last mouthful of beer and then reached across
in front of Ben, placing my empty bottle beside his, then as
I sat back upright in my seat I accidentally brushed his
bare thigh with my hand.

I quickly glanced at his face to see what his reaction was,
but he was just looking at me with that thoughtful expression
he so often seemed to be wearing.

"Shit! Sorry, mate!" I said to him, pulling my hand back
quickly.

"It's cool," he replied, but I could see the uncertainty in
his eyes, and almost hear the cogs turning over in his mind.

I looked away, trying to hide my obvious guilt, but nothing
more was said about it. It was definitely one of 'those' moments,
I thought, and I couldn't help but wonder what he may be
thinking right now. I knew I would never find out the answer
to that though, as Ben always tended to play his cards very
close to his chest.

"Well, I suppose I'd best do something about getting home,
mate," I said, getting up from the settee.

"I'd give you a lift, but. . ."

"Hehe. . . that's alright, Ben, the walk won't hurt me.

But now more than ever, mate, I'm convinced I'm right,
one of us needs a fucking car!"

"Yeah, for once I agree."

* * * * *

I left him then, still sitting on the front verandah and
looking all thoughtful again, staring after me as I headed
down the street.

"Shit!" I said aloud, once I was out of Ben's sight. "Christ
only knows what he's thinking now."

I marched on, struggling with the thoughts and feelings that
were numbing my brain. My feelings for Guy, after seeing him
off today, were as strong as ever. But my feelings for Ben,
long hidden or pushed into the background, were still lurking
about as well, causing confusion and turmoil that I didn't
need in my life right now.

All I could do, I thought to myself, was remember that Ben
and I had already discussed this subject and we both knew
that nothing could happen!

I wasn't sure if that was still the case or not, but for the
time being, all I could do was stay cool and not tempt fate.

"Yeah," I said to myself, deciding that that was what I was
going to do. "If I don't do anything about it, then nothing
will happen. Plain and simple."

I wasn't sure WHO exactly I was saying that for, but I needed
to say it all the same. Or was it that I just needed to hear
it? Maybe now that it had been said aloud it would mean that
it was a fact, for sure and certain, and seeing that it was
now fact, maybe it would sink into that quagmire of icky grey
matter that was my brain and finally lodge itself there. . .

Yeah right!

Who was I kidding?

By the time I reached my house, which I also found to be
empty, I had worked up quite a sweat in the afternoon sun,
so my first stop was the kitchen, where I grabbed a can of
soft-drink from the refrigerator (no beers there, I'm afraid).
After finishing that and disposing of the empty can, I went
to my room and grabbed some clean clothes, then headed for
the bathroom, where a cool shower beckoned.

I stripped off and stood in front of the mirror, which was
something I tended not to do usually, and had a good long
look at myself.

There was nothing special about me. I didn't have Guy's
looks. Nor Ben's build. I was just an average teenager with
an average build and average looks, with another hickey at
the base of my neck and with my sweat soaked hair plastered
to my forehead. I was just me!

I often wondered what it was exactly that Guy saw in me, and
seeing myself as I was doing now, complete with all of my
imperfection, it only served to bring back those inner fears.

If Guy were still here I don't think I would have been
feeling like this. He would know what to say. Or what to do.

As I stepped into the shower I wondered if this was what it
was going to be like, I mean how I would feel, every time Guy
went away from now on!

If it was, then I was going to have to figure out some way of
keeping him here with me . . .

Or I could always go with him!

* * * * *

Christmas came and Christmas went, but it was little more than
a blur for Ben and me, stuck in the supermarket, packing shelves
for the hordes of frenzied Christmas shoppers.

I spoke to Guy almost every single day while he was away. He
made a point of calling me as often as he could, and I called
him at his father's place more than once or twice. It felt
somehow reassuring to know that he was there, just a phone
call away.

One lunch time, sometime between Christmas and New Year, Ben
and I decided to go to McDonald's for lunch.

It was while we were sitting there, munching on our Big Macs
in between snippets of conversation, that someone asked if
he could join us.

We looked up and saw Jonathon Wright standing there holding
a tray of food. He was the guy that we went to school with
who worked there. The bloke that had seen Guy and me holding
hands the day that Guy had gone away.

Before I could say a word, Ben said, "Sure," and pointed to
the empty spot on the seat beside me.

"Thanks, guys," Jonathon said as I reluctantly slid over and
made room for him. "It's crazy in here today, I'm just grabbing
a break before I do another shift. Someone has called in sick."

"That's too bad," Ben answered.

"For them maybe," he said as he unwrapped a burger.

"I don't mind doing the extra shift, I could do with the money.
I want to put as much away as I can this year so I can afford
to go to the Gold Coast for Schoolies Week after we've
finished our exams."

"Sounds like fun," Ben replied.

"It's going to be a blast. I can hardly wait! You guys are
coming, aren't you?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Ben said.

I was still chewing, so I just nodded and tried a smile.

"Kewl," Jonathon answered cheerfully, while casting a sideways
glance at me and flashing a smile that I read more into than
was possibly intended.

Or was that just my imagination again?

For the next twenty minutes we ate our burgers, and drank
our Cokes and chatted about this and that, and despite the
fact that we had never really been more than passing
acquaintances at school, we all seemed quite comfortable in
each other's company.

At first I had been slightly anxious about having him sit
with us, considering that it had been Jonathon who had
spotted me holding hands with Guy that day a few weeks back,
but nothing was said about it and it soon passed from
my mind.

Just as we were almost finished our lunch, Ben said,
"Hey, guys, I'll be back in a minute. I need to go take
a leak."

"Sure," I answered, and watched him as he got up and headed
for the rest rooms.
"So, I guess you guys have been pretty busy in the Supermarket
over Christmas?" Jonathon asked me after Ben had disappeared.

"Yeah, we have. How about you? I bet it's been crazy in here
through the holidays."

"Yeah. I'll be glad when I can get a few days off."

"Just think of the money though."

He grinned. "I'm always thinking of that."

We both watched as a woman with two kids who had been sitting
opposite us got up and left, with children in tow, leaving
us as the only people left in this particular corner of
the restaurant.

"So. Where's Guy these days?" he asked rather casually.

I chuckled inwardly to myself, knowing that the subject of
Guy was bound to come up sooner or later, but at the same
time I felt a shiver go through me.

"He spent Christmas in Sydney, with his father,"

I answered.

"Oh," he replied, then after a lengthy pause adding,
"I suppose you miss him?"

I looked straight at him, not quite knowing what to say
in reply to that.

"W-w-what do you mean?" I eventually stammered.

I wasn't quite prepared for what came next.

Jonathon said, "It's alright. I do understand," and at
the same time moved his hand, which had been sitting on
his lap, across onto my leg, letting his fingers gently
slide across the top of my thigh and caress that sensitive
inner area.

I just froze. I didn't know what to do.

I looked into Jonathon's eyes and could see the question he
was asking me, as plain as if it were written in chalk on
the school black-board.

The thing was, I didn't know how to answer him.

Thankfully Ben came along and saved the day, returning right
on cue from the rest room, which saw Jonathon's hand slide
quickly back onto his own leg and Jonathon's attention get
diverted to the empty packaging on the table in front of him.

I looked up at Ben, with a face that I could only guess was
covered in fear. Ben noticed it and I could immediately see
his eyes narrow and a frown form on his forehead.

As Ben's gaze passed from me to Jonathon and back again,
Jonathon stood up and said, "Well, guys, I'd best get back
to work. It's been good to chat with you. I'll catch up
with you later."

"Yeah, sure," Ben said to him, still not quite fully
understanding what was going on, an expression of bemusement
now flickering across his face.

"See ya," I managed to say, and with one final glance in
my direction he turned and went back to work.

"You want to tell me what was going on there?" Ben asked me
as he sat back down.

"When we're outside," I answered. "Come on, we better head
back to work."

* * * * *

"Are you shittin' me?" Ben exclaimed as we headed back
towards the Supermarket, after I had told him what had
happened. "But he's like, KING STUD at school! He's always
bragging about how he scores with the chicks!"

"Well, maybe he likes dicks as well as chicks? It's not that
uncommon, you know!" I replied.

"Maybe," Ben answered, looking all thoughtful again.

"So, what did you do?"

"What? Besides damn near shit myself? Mate, I just froze."

"Hmmm... I can imagine."

We walked on a little further, each of us with our own
thoughts racing around inside our heads, but eventually it
was Ben who broke the silence, saying, "Jesus. Who'd have
thought it, huh?"

"Just keep it to yourself, will you? Neither of us wants
that sort of thing becoming known, alright?"

"Hey! Just what the fuck do you think I am?" he said, his
voice filled with indignation. "Have I ever said anything
about you? Or about Guy?"

"Yeah, I know. Shit. Sorry, I didn't mean for that to come
out the way it sounded."

"That's OK, mate. It is kind of funny though. Even you have
to admit that?"

"What's that?"

"That KING STUD might actually be gay!"

"Yeah, well, I suppose when you think of it like that. . ."
I chuckled, just as we walked back into the Supermarket.

* * * * *

When I got home from work that night, I walked inside and
could hear my mother talking to someone on the telephone.

". . .no wait, I think he just got home. Who is it again?"

There was a brief silence.

". . . alright, Jonathon, I'll just get him for you."
I walked into the kitchen with my blood running cold.

This couldn't be happening to me. I already had a boyfriend.
Surely he knew that!

"It's someone called Jonathon," my mother said, as she handed
me the telephone. "Isn't he in your class at school, dear?"

I nodded to her, then put the receiver to my ear and said,
"Hello."

"Hi Tim, it's Jonathon," he answered.

"Hi," I said, trying my damnest to not sound totally
pissed off.

"I. . . err . . . just wanted to say sorry. For this
afternoon," he said. "I didn't mean to shock you like that."

I glanced across at my mother, who was peeling vegetables on
the sink and not taking too much notice of me, but I was sure
that she was trying her best to pick up on the conversation.

"That's OK," I replied.

"You're not pissed with me then?"

I stifled a giggle.

"Nah, not really. Just took me a bit by surprise, that's all."

"Yeah, I suppose it would have," he laughed.

An awkward silence stretched between us.

"Look, I know your mum is probably still there listening.
Is she?"

"Yup, spot on," I answered.

"OK. I won't keep you. I was just wondering if we could
talk sometime?" he asked.

"I suppose so," I answered.

"And without your protector?"

"Huh?"

"I meant Ben."

"Oh, ummm . . . I suppose so."

"Great. How about I come and see you at work some time?
Like, tomorrow."

"Hehe. . . that soon?"
"Yeah, well, unless you'd rather I didn't?"

"No, that's OK," I replied. "I'll see you then."

I disconnected, and walked out of the kitchen, even before
Mum had had time to turn around. The last thing I felt like
right now was facing an inquisition from her.

"Are you alright, dear?" I heard her call after me.

"Fine, Mum. I've just got a headache. I'm going to take some
tablets and lie down for a bit."

I lied.

All I wanted was the chance to shut my door on the world and
have a think about a few things. Like Guy. And like Ben.
And like Jonathon.

* * * * *

"He actually called you? At home? Jesus!" was Ben's reaction
when I called him later that night. Fairly predictable
really, but at least it was nice that I still had someone
I could talk to about these things while Guy was away.

"Yeah, well, when I walked in and heard Mum mention his
name, I tell you, my blood just ran cold."

"Did your mum say anything?"

"Nah, not really. She just asked if he was someone from
school."

"That was lucky then!"

"Ain't that the truth!"

"So, have you heard from Guy today?"

"Nope. I guess he's got plenty to keep himself occupied with
down there though."

"You going to tell him about Jonathon?"

"Yeah, probably. But not until I know what it is that he
wants to talk about, I don't reckon."

"Hmmm. . ."

"So, you heard from Sam lately?"

"Not for a couple of days," he replied, then sighed.

"I really miss her, you know?"

"Yeah, mate. I know. When are they supposed to be coming
back?"

"I'm not too sure exactly. What about Guy?"

"Shouldn't be far away, I wouldn't think. I wish he'd hurry
back though. I could do with a. . ."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," he said, laughing, cutting in
before I could even finish.

"I was going to say HUG, idiot!"

"Oh, sorry. Must have been my filthy mind jumping to the
wrong conclusion, yet again," he replied, his voice edged
with laughter.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Anyway, I better get going, mate. I'll see you at work
tomorrow then."

"Sure thing. Good night then."

"G'nite."

After I had disconnected, I lay there on my bed in the
darkness, thinking about my friends, and wondering just
what it was that Jonathon would want to talk to me about.

I was nervous about him coming to work to see me, but at the
same time I was also kind of curious. Besides Guy, he was
the only other person I knew who was gay, and I reckoned that
it might be kind of nice to know someone else that knew how
I was feeling, or what I was going through.

After a while I got up and went back out into the hallway and
put the telephone back on its stand, said goodnight to Jason
and my parents, who were all watching some obnoxious shoot 'em
up movie on the television, then retreated once more to my
bedroom.

I stripped off and lay back down on my bed, with a strange
combination of thoughts rushing through my mind.

Was my world suddenly getting complicated again? Or was I
just imagining that?


To be continued......



Your comments are most welcome.
Please email me at mp_ponyboy@hotmail.com

Or you can visit my website:  www.ozziewebs.com/ponyboysplace/

(c) Mark Peters 2002. All rights reserved