Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2012 08:45:10 -0700
From: h.schreiber@hushmail.com
Subject: Val n Tyne Chapter 12

Warning!  This story is a work of fiction written by a legal age adult. Any
similarity between the fictional characters and any live person is purely
coincidental. This story contains fictional descriptions of sexual activity
between consenting minor youth. If you are under the age of 18, and/or if
you are offended by this content, and/or if it is illegal in your
jurisdiction to possess or read such material, please leave now and do not
read this story as neither the internet host nor the author can be
responsible for your actions. Please, always practice safe sex; no
momentary thrill is worth your life.

All rights reserved. No part of this story may be transmitted or reproduced
in whole or in part in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system without the written permission of the Author or Publisher,
except where permitted by law. Copyright (c) 2012 by Hans Schreiber and
Flip McHooter.

Special thanks to our editor, Pablo.

This work is a collaboration between Hans Schreiber and Flip McHooter.
Please send your comments to Hans at h.schreiber@hushmail.com and to Flip
at 1977.flip@gmail.com

Val 'n Tyne

Chapter 12

Three's a Crowd

"What are you hungry for, dude? Think we can find something tasty around
this joint that's healthy?" Nick asked, as he and Noah walked around the
big, Spanish-style outdoor mall. Sun-baked plaster was all around,
red-tiled roofs and lots of fountains scattered around the area gave the
shopping center a cool, low-key feeling. The Commons was a fancier place
than the super-huge indoor mall back over in Hartsdale, but it didn't have
much for kids their age. Plus, the restaurants were pretty upscale and
trendy, for the most part.

"It doesn't matter to me. Whatever you want is cool. I'm chill. As long as
it doesn't cost too much coin. Whole Paycheck is expensive, you know, but
that doesn't mean they pay their employees all that much," Noah
complained. "You wanna get us some Chili's? I could go for some Margarita
Grilled Chicken. Yum! You could get a Big Mouth Burger. That's healthy and
would fit your face."

"Shut up, pendejo. Yeah that sounds good, I guess. To tell you the truth
though, I'm not really that hungry yet. Let's see if we can get into that
Dave and Buster's and play some games for a while first. I don't really
want to eat there but they have some kick ass games."

"Freakin' A, I want to. I've wanted to go there for a long time but they
won't let kids in without an adult," Noah responded.

"Yeah they will when it's this early. They don't cut off teens until around
six. Besides, I got a membership card. It's something my dad likes
doing. We rarely go because of his schedule but when we do, we have a
kick-ass time. I think I've got like $50 bucks loaded on this card we can
use to play with."

"Holy Pacman, Mario. Let's go!"

Nick laughed and they headed toward Dave and Busters. Nick had to scold
Noah twice to stop his odd half dance - half skip thing and walk
normal. Noah reluctantly obeyed.

Nick had more fun watching Noah get into the games than he had playing them
himself. Everything was so animated and full of exuberance with Noah. He
was like a big kid running from game to game and falling on the floor
clutching his heart when he would fail in a game while jumping up and down
if he won. Others around him would stop what they were doing and watch in
amusement. Nick's initial embarrassment turned to amusement as well as he
saw the genuine innocent joy Noah had for life. Before they knew it, it was
almost seven when the staff encouraged them to leave.

"Let's head to Chili's now," Noah suggested.

"It's getting kinda crowded out here now though and the lines are pretty
long. How about we pick up some Subway sandwiches and eat them in my car? I
saw one when we walked by that tiny food court. We can open the sunroof,
push the seats back and watch the stars come out. Listen to some cool
tunes. Maybe get some kissy face on again," he suggested shyly. "Just you
and me and the sky."

"Just the three of us?  I love threesomes. Seriously, that sounds nice,
amigo. And my wallet definitely agrees. 'Fancy cars and stars' - you're
such a freakin' romantic," giggled Noah in a sing-song voice. "But wait!
Isn't that some stupid line you use on all of your skanky girl-dates?"

"No way, Woody. Girls aren't all that romantic, contrary to popular
opinion. I said that just for you - why - I seriously don't know. I guess
it must be your sweet testosterone filling up my nostrils. Either that or
your crazy cologne. What is that anyway?"

Noah got suddenly silent.

"What? Why are you all of a sudden so quiet?"

"Well. I ... I'm not sure I should tell you. You might not like it."

"Okay, well now you have to tell me or I'll have to beat it out of you."
Nick laughed and held up a fist.

"My cologne is called 'Possess' and it's got pheromones in it designed to
attract men." Noah looked anxiously at Nick to gauge his reaction.

Nick looked suspiciously at Noah, then realized it was no joke. He busted
out laughing. "Only you would do that. Wow. You're one sly, seductive
fucker, you know that? First the car thing and now, what did you call it,
'Fairy Moan' cologne. No wonder I'm so hopelessly sucked into your
spell. You gonna slip me a date rape drug in my drink, too? You conniving
sex fiend."

"Conniving Sex Fiend - NOT! You are so full of shit, mo-fo. One day I'm
gonna mess you up good and all of that shit's gonna pour out your ears!"

"No way dude, you're the one with shit for brains," he laughed. "Besides,
I'd like to see you try. Anyway, let's roll before that Fairy Moan stuff
drives me crazy and I throw you down and have my way with you right here in
the mall." Laughing and wobbling into each other, the boys cruised on over
to the fancy-schmancy tiny food court with four or five almost empty
fast-food places. They spotted the Subway and once inside were surprised to
see Nick's basketball teammate, Dane, fixing sandwiches behind the shiny
glassy counter. Neither Nick nor Noah had any idea that Dane worked
there. Nick was still embarrassed to see him, especially after everyone
found out about the jack-off picture Nick took of Dane in the toilet
cubicle. He wanted to run and hide but there was no time to turn
around. Noah was, as always, totally clueless and was already in line to
order.

"Let's go somewhere else," Nick said hastily, but it was too late to go out
the door without being seen.

"Why? They're not busy and the food looks good and fresh. You want to eat
something else? Sushi maybe?"

"No, no it's just that ..."

"Hey, Nick! Dude! What you doing here? I thought you were going to the
movies with Val tonight. Oh, hi Noah. What are you guys doing here
... together?"

"Oh, hey Dane," Nick said, thinking fast, and trying to come up with some
reasonable and believable lie, something he wasn't really very good
at. "Noah and I, we bumped into each other... and then we started
talking... and then decided to get something to eat...we were both
hungry. We're not like 'together' here. Hey, are you still mad at me? I'm
so fuckin' sorry for taking that picture. I don't know what I was
thinking." Noah just stood there and scrunched his eyes looking sadly over
at his 'date'.

"I'm not mad. Not anymore, really," Dane said sincerely. "Actually, I was
surprised, and then once I thought it through, I was flattered you'd want a
picture of me like that. Umm, that sounded kind of gay, but I didn't mean
it like that. Sorry I beat the crap out of you in the locker room the other
day over it. I was just way embarrassed in front of the team over it and I
just reacted. And I'm sorry that Val had to get involved, I know you guys
were friends. He did some serious damage to my hand, but I had it
coming. Man, he's tough! But we're all good now, I promise. If I was still
pissed I would have had you kicked off the team."

Dane glanced around and no one was in earshot so he added in a hushed tone,
"The worst part of it all was that afterwards I was totally self conscious
about going into a toilet stall because I thought everyone would assume I
was in there slapping the salami. I nearly died from blue balls. I don't
know about you guys, but if I don't squeeze the tube and squirt the mayo
like two or three times a day, I'm like going crazy.

So, you want something to drink? Hey Tawny, I've got this covered. Why
don't you go take a break for a few minutes?" Then, ignoring the cute,
short girl with tri-colored hair - and changing the subject - again, he
looked back over at Noah and said, "Hey Noah, you're looking good. Still
not wearing your piercings?" he said quietly. "I almost didn't recognize
you. You look different - better."

Noah, never at a loss for words, was taken aback by the redheaded jock who
had never, ever talked to him before like this. He decided that this dude
was cute, in a simple, non-threatening kind of way. But he still wasn't
going to open up to him. "Um, I left them at home. Wanted to try something
different for a change, that's all. I'm surprised you noticed. Hey - I
didn't know you worked here. How come you don't work at the Subway at our
mall back in town?"

"I don't really work here. I'm helping out my brother-in-law who owns this
franchise. They had a bunch of people call in sick today 'cause it was so
nice out, so I'm helping out as a favor to him. My older sister's in her
last trimester so she can't be here. She's having triplets! My first
niece's or nephew's. Can you believe it! So, like, I was supposed to go to
the tri-plex with Val and you guys to see a movie, but I never heard from
anybody. Have you heard from Val, Nick?"

"No. I tried texting a couple times but no answer. Maybe they stayed later
at the lake. Noah hasn't heard from Tyne either."

"Wait. Are you saying Val and Tyne went to the lake together? For real?
Like on that date thing?"

Noah looked at Nick with hands on both hips and his lips scrunched into a
pucker. "Oh, I think I wasn't supposed to say anything about that," Nick
muttered. "But yeah. They did. Don't go spreading it around, okay?"

"None of my business. Just kind of interesting though. Really
interesting. Anyway, what do you guys want? I can hook you guys up with
some killer sandwiches. Hell yeah, they're super-killer! I'll put extra
stuff on 'em for you. Yummy stuff. Anything you want. He won't care. I've
had three myself already. And a boat-load of iced tea. If you hang around,
we could go catch a show ourselves when I get off at eight."

"Yeah, it shows, dude - all that caffeine's got you bouncing. I've never
heard you talk this much. But that's cool. What do you want Noah? My
treat. It's the least I can do for you showing us those sick moves at the
dance last night and I got some bills burning a hole in my wallet," Nick
offered.

"Um, just a Cold Cut Club, I guess, and a Coke. If it's not too much
trouble," Noah said quietly. He hated to be patronized and was getting more
and more furious by the second that Nick was pretending they hadn't come to
the mall together.

"No trouble at all, my man. I'll add some extra meat and cheese and throw
some tasty veggies on it for you. It'll be butter, I swear. How about some
salami and a nice big squirt of mayo on that club?" Dane grinned
mischievously.

"Uhh, hold the mayo when you get to mine. You sort of ruined me on that. I
got a bad image going."

Noah started tittering with laughter. "He may not want the mayo, but I
think he'd love it if you slipped some salami between his buns." Nick
blushed and gave Noah a playful shove.

"You fuckin' little smart ass," Nick said. Dane was cracking up behind the
counter.

"What was that, Nick? You'd like to fuck his little smart ass," Dane said
rubbing it in. Nick just shook his head over getting double teamed. Dane
turned to Noah and said, "By the way, I have to agree that those were some
really kick-ass moves you showed us. Dude, you were sick! I've never seen a
guy that could shake his ass like you did. That was probably the most fun
that I've ever had at a dance before. And then they played Wild Ones three
freakin' times! Oh - yeah! You know what I really thought was chill is when
your friend, Tyne, the smart dude with the Beeb's long blond hair got
everybody down on the floor. Kinda like in that movie Footloose, you know?
I loved that movie. I must have seen it three times. I want to dance like
that like all the time. I bet it would help with my moves on the hardwood."
Dane did a quick slide, spun in a circle and took an imaginary basketball
shot. "Hey - wait! Noah, weren't you in that? The Drama Club put it
on. Hell yeah! That was you. I remember now."

"Yeah, I was in it. But it was just a small part. Just dancing and not much
singing or talking. No big deal," Noah said. "I'm surprised you came to see
it." This guy sure was chatty. It was driving him crazy. In fact, if he had
one of his Ritalin pills on him, he'd give it to the guy just to calm him
down.

"Well, I remember you. Oh yeah! You were phenomenal. I go to all the plays
with my mom. I've actually been to a couple Broadway plays even. My mom
loves them and drags me along. I don't mind it though. I kind of like it."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Nick! Watcha want? Let me load you up," he said, switching gears. It was
beginning to be difficult to keep up with him.

"Um, well, I am super hungry. How about just an Italian BMT, a Steak and
Cheese, and a Cold Cut Club, too. All on flatbread. Just six inchers,
though. That should be enough for now. Oh, and an extra-large Diet Coke."

"Watching your calories and sugar, huh? I get that. But three sandwiches
enough?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Done!"

Nick and Noah took a seat at a hard plastic table and let Dane do his magic
on the sandwiches behind the counter. Nick was uncomfortable, to say the
least and Noah was just plain pissed off. They sat there, not talking,
staring at the glossy floor, both of them waiting for something else to
happen. Finally, after an agonizing wait, Dane yelled across the empty
store to tell them that their order was ready.

"Hey, it was good to see both you guys. So how about the movie?"

"Can't. Sorry," Noah interjected before Nick could answer. "Nick's offered
me a ride home in his car and I can't stay for a movie."

"Maybe we can all hook-up and do something together another time then. Get
Val and Tyne too. Maybe some of the other guys. That would be awesome."

"Yeah, that sounds good. How much do I owe you?" Nick asked.

"Stick a Hamilton in the tip jar and we'll call it even. I'm not getting
paid for this gig and we've got way too much grub that we're gonna have to
toss if we don't use it tonight. That chick back there can use the
tips. Thanks for coming in. It really helped pass the time and it was good
to see someone I know. Both of you. And I mean what I said: Let's all get
together sometime," Dane said with a big toothy grin. He actually was kinda
cute but Noah fought off the thought and persisted in being annoyed by him.

"Okay, cool. Thanks man. We will. Noah, anything else?"

"Nah, I'm all good. Thanks Dane. Good to see you again." Noah grabbed his
sack and drink and headed out the door, followed closely by Nick. Once they
were out of earshot, Noah laid into Nick. "What the fuck was that all
about? You afraid to be seen with me? We were having such a great day and
now you're all scared? What's with you?"

"Calm down, dude. I knew I fucked up the minute that shit spewed over my
lips and out my mouth. It has nothing to do with you and everything about
me. I'm just a freakin' dork! My brain works slower than my mouth
sometimes. Honestly, I'm not used to this, Noah, not really. You're my
first man date, okay. It's one thing being together in front of strangers
or old guys and pruned-face old bitches, but it's another to be in front of
my teammates. I've never been out in public with a guy before and I guess
when I got popped, I got stupid. Stupid beyond belief. Please, please,
please, don't be mad at me. I promise I'll do better. I'll work harder. I
promise. Extra hard. I really like you and don't want to screw this up."

"That's just it. I like you too, a lot, but it'll never work unless you're
cool with yourself and be who you are. You can't be a fake-ass dumb-shit
and expect people to like you. They'll see through it and either ignore you
or give you crap."

"I know," he said dejectedly. After a long minute he said, "I know. You're
right. It's not that easy for me. I don't really have it all together. I'm
not like you, Noah. You're all cool and chill and all, and you don't give a
flying fuck what people think. See, this is just so new to me, and I'm not
used to it. The real truth? Listen: If my parents ever found out I was with
a guy doing stuff like this, they'd freak. They don't care about the girls
I mess with as long as I don't get any of them pregnant, or get an STD. And
it's not that they don't like gays; they do. They have lots of gay
friends. Well, my mom, not my dad so much. Anyway, it's just that they have
my whole life mapped out for me already. Get good grades. Go to an Ivy
League school. Join a fraternity. Intern for a Judge. Buy a Porsche. Get
some speeding tickets. Meet a girl with political parents. Get
engaged. Pass the bar. Get married. Join an exclusive law firm. Crank out
babies and billable hours. Fuck! Being bi, or even gay, just doesn't fit
into that mold. And to tell you the truth, I really don't want that life
they have planned for me. Sometimes I just want to run. Run the hell away."

"Yeah, I can see why. I getcha, man. You'll be burned out or completely
involved in Scientology by the time you're thirty. But you can always hide
out with me and my mom and dad. Seriously, you have to live your own life,
Nicky. That's just the way it is. We're here on this planet for too short a
time to be pawns for our 'rents. Life's too freakin short! Sure, they want
the best for you - they're your parents, but they can't live vicariously
through you. It's not right and it will never work. Anyway, I kinda get it
now and I'll back off."

They were in the big parking lot tromping across the asphalt towards
section C and Nick's super-hot, red Mustang. After a few silent minutes,
Noah jumped ahead of Nick, spun around and stuck his ring finger into
Nick's hard chest, making both of them stop dead in their tracks. "But hear
this right now, out fucking loud: I don't ever want you to pay my way like
I'm some freakin' pussy. I have my own money and I work hard for it. In
case you forgot, I got me a bad-ass ol' dick that works just fine, thank
you very much! We're boyfriends and we're equal in this, I'm not your
bitch. My dick works just the same as yours does and you seemed to love
it. So don't you ever treat me like a pussy-girl. Got it?"

"Yes, Sir!" Nick yelled, chuckling a little bit and glad that the other
subject had changed. He could deal with this, but not the other one right
now. Plus, Noah was cute when he got pissed like this. "I was just trying
to be nice. But you're right. We're two guys and we can pay our own
way. I'm just not used to this new set of rules. Can I at least open the
door for you?"

"Maybe. But you have to run around the car three times first while at the
same time rubbing your head and patting your stomach and yell out to the
universe that 'Noah's the Best Boyfriend Ever!'"

"Oh my god! Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously."

"Okay, I deserve it. It's a good thing I parked a long ways away from
everybody."

"You're just lucky I didn't make you do this in the high school lot."

"No shit!"

They reached the car a few moments later, and true to his word, Nick set
his sandwiches on the trunk, looked around to make sure no one was around
or looking at them, and then took off running around the car, patting his
head and yelling out how Noah was the best boyfriend ever. Noah, for his
part, was bent over and cracking up. He really liked Nick, warts and all,
and hoped that this would turn out to be a good relationship with his hot
jock. After two laps, Nick stopped.

"Hey, I said three times."

"I know, but I'm going the extra mile, or the winner's mile as coach calls
it, on the last lap. Nick took one more look around, unzipped and pulled
his dick out of his fly and took his final lap jacking his dick instead of
rubbing his stomach.

"Oh my god, you're gonna get us arrested," Noah laughed. He secretly loved
the gesture, though.

Once zipped up, Nick clicked the alarm off, let Noah in the car and shut
the door, he then went around and climbed in his side, and asked, "Wanna
eat here or go find someplace else?"

"This is good. It's dark, quiet, and calm enough that we can see those
stars you promised me."

"Awesome. Let's eat! I'm starving."

"Do you really eat three six-inchers all the time?" Noah asked the jock,
while he fiddled around with the stereo to find some smooth sounds. After
clicking back and forth from the radio, the CD's and the Ipod, and playing
Skrillix for a second, he finally settled on a Frank Ocean tune. It was
better than nothing. Sorta sexy. "That's like freakin' eighteen inches!
That's more meat than Val's packing between his legs."

"Well, now that you put it that way, maybe not. But yeah, usually." He took
a break from shoving one of his sandwiches down his throat to open up the
sunroof. "Actually, I can always eat at least four of them but I didn't
want to look like a slobbering pig. That's why I didn't get any chips. The
only thing I've had all day was that killer breakfast your Pops made for
us. And remember, even though I had thirds, we train all the time and we
burn up energy like crazy. That's why I'm so hungry all the time. You
should see the size of my turds. You'd be amazed."

"I'm sure I wouldn't. TMI, dude, TMI. Maybe you should bronze them and sell
them as dildos. Seriously, thanks for the offer, but I'll pass on
inspecting your dumps. So much for your romantic nature. Somehow I don't
picture you suggesting to some girl that you go eat in the car under the
stars and talk about your turds." Noah just rolled his eyes and shook his
head. He was thinking Nick was hopeless. But he still liked
him. Tons. "Maybe you could frame them, you know, for prosperity's
sake. King might want to buy them and show them in his gallery. Like
cutting-edge art or something."

"Hey, you're the one that just gave me the big lecture on treating you like
one of my guy friends and not my bitch. So it's your fault really." Nick
smiled while Noah gave him a pouty face.

"Hmm. Touche Nicolito."

Getting serious, Nick looked Noah in the eyes and said, "Umm, you know
Woody, straight up, this is really nice. Today has been awesome," Nick
broke the gaze and in a little embarrassment shoved a couple inches of
cheese steak into his mouth. Sauce dribbled down his chin.

"I know. I really like being with you," Noah said shyly. "Crazy-shit
baggage and all. You're dripping. Let me get that for you." Noah leaned
over and licked the steak juices off Nick's chin. "Mmm, tasty."

"Thanks. I think you're gonna mold me into a better man."

"You wish too much. Just make it happen. Don't let anyone mold you into
anything. You're not Play-dough. You decide what and who you are and then
just be it. Hey, look up there! You can still see Orion's Belt." Noah said,
pointing up through the sun roof. "See those three bright stars? I always
look for those three stars. My dad showed them to me when I was really
little. Sometimes I can't find them though."

"You're right. They call those the 'Three Kings' in Europe," Nick said.

"Ooh, I'm impressed. Star trivia. That's the big dipper over there. Those
are the only two I know. I need to learn a third one. I like things to be
in threes."

"Really? Okay, see the four stars to the north of Orion that kind of look
like a kite and then the stars that zigzag out from it is the kite's tail?
That's Draco or the dragon. The one that looks like a house or home plate
next to it, that's Cepheus. Do you know how to find the North Star by using
the Big Dipper?"

"No, how?" Noah was surprised by Nick's knowledge of astronomy.

"See the cup part of the dipper?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, look at the star that makes the bottom front corner of the cup and
then trace up to the star that makes the top front tip of the cup part and
then keep going in a straight line about 1 1/2 times that same distance and
that really bright star you come to is Polaris, the North Star. What's cool
about the North Star is that all the constellations rotate around it, but
it never moves. It's constant and you can always count on it being
there. In a few weeks, Orion will rotate out of our view behind the
horizon, but the North Star is always where it belongs. Cool, huh?"

"Nicky, you just keep surprising me. How do you know this stuff?"

"Well don't go spreading it around, but I was a boy scout up 'til eighth
grade. Then I started getting teased about it and quit. I wish I'd stuck
with it and got my Eagle badge. Oh well."

"See. That's what I mean. You can't let others mold you. Just be who you
are and what you want to be. Fuck the haters. So where's the Little Dipper?
I can never find that."

"Oh, it's easy, the little dipper's right here." Nick reached over grabbed
a handful of Noah's crotch and said, "I got it." Noah giggled and pushed
his hand away.

"No, seriously you sexy freak. Where's the Little Dipper?"

"Okay, see Draco's tail? The Little Dipper is like upside down in the first
bend of the tail."

"Oh!" Noah squealed. "I see it! There should be a third dipper. All good
things come in threes."

"What's with you and threes tonight? You made me run three times around the
car. You wanted to know a third constellation and now you say all good
things come in threes."

"Yeah, that's right. That's what I'm saying. Remember when you romantically
said 'Just you and me and the sky?' That's a cluster fuck of threes."

"That would be four or more."

"What would?" Noah asked.

"A cluster fuck is four or more."

"Figures you'd know that. I'm not even going to ask how you know
that. Three cheers for you for knowing it, though."

"Dude, stop doing that," Nick laughed. "Enough with the three stuff."

"Stop doing what? Seriously, lot's of things come in threes. Like for
instance, Fanny, Flo and Jacky."

"Who's that?"

"The Pep Girls. They were married to the Pep Boys, Manny, Mo and Jack."
Noah said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh my god. You are so whack. This evening is turning into a three ring
circus and you're the freakin' clown."

"See, now you got the spirit of the threes.  I'm gonna find Three Dog Night
on my Ipod and sing Jeremiah was a Bullfrog. And you know how bad I sing."

"I do know, I've suffered through it already. And who's Three Dog Night?
You already sing like a bullfrog so that's a good choice of songs. I think
Dane spiked your Coke with something."

"Three Dog Night's an old band my dad likes." How about I sing Three Little
Birds by Bob Marley?

"Are you trying to make me barf up my sandwiches? Seriously, that was a
terrible song to begin with, and if you sing it, I'll, I'll, I'll..."

"What? You don' lawk mah singin', mon?" Noah said in a really bad Jamaican
accent and looked over at Nick, who was trying not to laugh. "Don' worry
'bout a ting, cause everyting's gonna be all right," Noah wailed and bopped
to the beat in his seat.

"Stop. If you keep this up, I'll have to become a Monk, like in Nacho
Libre. I"ll take those Monastic vows. You know: poverty, obedience
and...and..." He couldn't take it anymore and started busting up laughing.

Noah was giggling and added in his bad Marley impersonation, "An'
chastity. Mon, you doin' dat would be lawk me becoming da Pope, mon, in dat
beeg ass dress wit da gold chains an' rings." The thought of that set the
boys off again.

After they settled down, Nick said with a grin, "Three pointer."

"Please, not again."

"Dude, I hafta have the last word. Haven't you figured that out about me
yet?"

"Then bring it, boy-toy. Three holes in a bowling ball," Noah said quickly.

"That's the best you got? How about a Triathlon?"

"Too easy. Three minutes in a boxing round."

"Good one, Woody. How'd you know that? Umm, paper, rock, scissors," Nick
laughed.

"That's not a sport! Three legged race."

"Three strikes and you're out."

"Awesome, Nicky. Three goal hat trick."

"Not bad. Three minute egg."

"That's definitely not a sport."

"It is for me. You've never seen me cook."

"Let's see," Noah said, sitting back and thinking. "I got one: The Triple
Crown in horseracing. How's that?"

"Not bad, not bad. The Three Stooges. That was too easy since I'm sitting
next to one."

"Smart ass. Menage a Trois. There, take that." Noah smiled proudly.

"What the fuck's that mean?" Nick asked.

"It's French for a threesome." Noah explained

"There you go again. Get your mind out of the gutter," Noah laughed, and
then punched Nick in the arm. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

"Awesome. Alvin, Simon and Theodore."

"Three Blind Mice."

"Snap, Crackle and Pop."

"Ahh," Noah paused, looked up through the sun roof and said, "Three Kings
in Orion's belt."

"Okay, I've got another one," Nick said, after he stopped giggling. He
looked at Noah deeply into his eyes and smiled tenderly, "You, me and the
night sky." Nick leaned in and Noah met him halfway. They brushed lips,
then brushed them again. Then Nick slipped a hand behind Noah's neck and
pulled him into a deep passionate kiss. That led to a solid ten minute make
out session that got them both boned up and horny.

"It's getting late. We should get going," Nick finally said.

"Yeah, I guess. Our rents will start wondering where we are."

"Well, yours will. Mine probably don't even know I'm gone."

Noah looked at Nick's obvious sadness when he said that and felt compassion
for him, but counted his blessings for having caring parents.

"Speaking of that, I wonder why we haven't heard from Val or Tyne?"

"Let's go by their houses before you drop me off to get my car, okay?"

"Yeah. I hope they're all right."

"Me too." They shared not one, not two, but three more kisses and then Nick
started the Mustang and they pulled away. As they did, both of them got a
text message one right after the other.

**##**

Tyne smiled at his big friend, leaned down and kissed him on the lips. "I'm
glad you woke up. I was so scared that I ... that I got you killed or
turned into a vegetable."

"You got me killed? How is this your fault?"

"I brought the wine. I insisted we go home when you knew it was a bad
idea. I made it so we left our clothes by the hot spring so you had to go
get them. I talked you into not leaving right away and then it got dark."

"Oh. That's all true, I guess. You talked me back into it."

"Into what?"

"Hanging you by your balls from a tree, covered in honey." Val smiled his
big ass grin, put a hand on Tyne's arm and gave him a little directional
nudge. "Now go get me some drugs." Tyne turned and disappeared through the
ER curtain. He found the friendly, young Asian nurse who had been checking
on Val's condition and told her that he had just woken up but had a massive
headache and wanted some drugs for it.

The nurse perked up and set her clipboard down and scurried over to Val's
cubicle with Tyne in tow. "Well, sleeping beauty woke up. This is good
news. Tell me about how you're feeling?"

"I feel like he looks." Val grinned and lifted his hand to point toward
Tyne. Tyne was completely taken aback by the comment. The nurse glanced
over at Tyne and smiled with Val.

"That bad, huh?" she said. She gave Tyne a small wink and a smile.

"Oh sure. Pick on the little guy. Next time you drive your truck into a
river, you can just find someone else to drag your sorry ass out of the
water." Tyne walked over to the opposite side of the bed and peered into
the small mirror mounted above the small hand washing sink. "Oh my God! I
do look awful." His beautiful, long blond hair was filthy, matted and
poking in all directions. There was dried blood on his cheek and down his
neck, presumably Val's blood since he didn't see any cuts on his own
face. There was a dirty black smudge on his chin. Having been seen like
this bothered Tyne a lot. His appearance was very important to him.

"You can wash up in that sink right there," the nurse offered, sensing his
discomfort. "But first I need you to step out for a minute while I fully
examine Val. I need to check his private areas."

The idea of going outside the curtains looking like he did, caused him to
grimace. Val spoke up and said, "It's okay with me if he stays. He's seen
me naked before."

"Oh that's right. The two of you were delivered to us naked, weren't you? I
heard the rescuers said you two cuddled up in a blanket together, naked."

"To stay WARM!" Tyne blurted out. "It was a matter of survival." Tyne felt
his cheeks flush. They were naturally rosy anyway so when he blushed, it
looked like he stuffed a couple of taillights in his cheeks.

"Mmm-hmm! I'm sure it was." The nurse teased and added emphasis to the
second 'mm' to imply condescending doubt. She spread Val's eyelids wide
open and peered at his eyes with a small flashlight.

Val grinned, pleased at having an ally to tease Tyne with and said, "Hey I
don't know what happened, I was unconscious. People sometimes go to
extremes to get me naked, but this one tops them all."

"I'm not surprised by that. You are a fine piece of architecture. Luckily,
I don't need an excuse to get you naked." She smiled and winked as she
lifted Val's bandage on his head wound, after she replaced the penlight
back in her scrub's saggy pocket.

"Oh. You big shit. I should have just left you for the bears to snack on."
Tyne placed both hands on his hips and scowled.

The nurse finished peering at Val's wound and folded back the bandage over
it. She took the sheet and drew it down off Val's body and pulled the pale
blue hospital gown up to his neck exposing his athletic body. Tyne was
surprised to see plastic tubing emerging from Val's piss slit and taped to
his upper thigh. He was startled by a sudden yellow stream as it flowed
into view and traveled through the tubing over his leg and down to the half
full bag hanging on the bed railing. Tyne wondered how a tube that big
could get up inside there and it made him shudder and mutter "Eww. Does
that hurt?"

"What?" Val asked, lifting his head to peer at what Tyne was talking
about. "Holy crap, is that thing going up inside my dick?"

"I'm afraid so, all the way up to your bladder. Fortunately, there are no
nerve endings along the urethra so you don't feel it inside of you. The
only discomfort is when it is inserted or if it gets inflamed here at the
point of entry." She lifted Val's dick in her gloved hand and inspected it
closely. Pinching the flesh around the broad tip, she asked, "Do you feel
any discomfort?"

"No." Val answered.

"Good. It looks fine to me." She began rolling his testicles in her other
hand while she held his thick penis up out of the way, asking if he felt
any pain there. Tyne's own dick started to pudge up from watching her touch
and handle the objects of Tyne's personal desire. He quickly focused his
conscious attention toward controlling the involuntary reaction and managed
to coax it back down.

The nurse draped Val's large dick back over his thigh beside his balls and
helped him lift his hips enough to retrieve the bed pan they had him
sitting on in case he'd had an involuntary release while he was
unconscious. "Oh, thank you. That feels much better," Val crooned.

 "No doubt. If you need it again, just call for me by pushing this button."
She pulled the gown over him and the sheet back up and then lifted the
sheet off his feet, pulled off his footie's and checked his toes. "Tell me
if this hurts at all," the nurse asked as she pressed the point of a pin
into Val's arms, and then his feet. Each time, Val flinched and jerked
away. "Your pain receptors and reflexes seem fine. I'll go find the doctor
now and see what kind of help I can get you for the head pain." She covered
his feet back up and left.

"What's up with making it sound like I date raped you in front of the
nurse?"

"Well, you did get me drunk and then got me naked after all. At least
that's what you tell me."

"Excuse me? Who got who naked? I seem to remember that part being YOUR
idea. I didn't want to, remember?" Tyne sounded more bothered about all
this than he really was.

"Geez, chill out. We were just teasing you. I know you didn't intentionally
do anything to me."

"Just watch out who you're saying this stuff to. You can't say anything
about the wine in front of my mom. And I don't think you should be talking
about getting naked in front of your parents."

"Don't worry. I didn't hit my head that hard. I know I'm dumb, but I'm not
that stupid." Suddenly, Val grabbed the plastic tub sitting on his tray and
rolled into it as he vomited. He continued to vomit well past having
anything left to purge. Watching it brought dampness to Tyne's eyes. Tyne
took a washcloth from the tray above the small washbasin and dampened it
with cool water. He folded it in thirds and moved over to Val's bedside. He
pressed the cool, damp cloth on Val's forehead. He wasn't sure what that
was really supposed to do, but it was something his mother always did for
him whenever he was throwing up. What it did for Val was to show him the
amount of caring compassion Tyne had for him.

When Val was finally done, Tyne took the plastic bucket and set it
aside. Tyne took the cloth from Val's forehead and used it to gently wipe
the dribbles of bile from his chin and gown. Val groaned as he collapsed
onto his pillow, dropping his arms to his sides, eyes closed and breathing
heavily.

Tyne rinsed the cloth out in the basin and then washed his hands, face and
splashed water through his hair. Tyne molded his hair into an acceptable
look by dragging his fingers through his dirty locks. He peered into the
mirror and deemed it acceptable. He felt better.

The nurse walked in and Tyne explained about the vomiting. Val was moaning
but confirmed to the nurse that the nausea, though still there, was a
little better. He complained about the headache being much worse. "I have
something for that," she said. The nurse injected a syringe full of a clear
liquid into the IV drip that was plugged into Val's arm. "Your parents have
arrived and are signing papers now to admit you and move you up to a
regular room."

"How long do I have to stay?" Val asked without opening his eyes.

"That depends on how things develop. You have some brain swelling and we
need to monitor that for a couple of days for sure. It's not uncommon for
you to feel fairly well when you first wake up and then have it get
worse. You're young and strong and that will help you. Exactly how long you
need to stay, though, will depend on whether it improves or worsens in the
next forty-eight hours. Your doctor will explain all of that."

Just then, Val's mother burst through the curtain. As soon as she saw Val
lying there with the bandage around his head, she let out a small gasp that
she stifled with her hand. Taking just a moment to compose herself, she
approached the bed and took Val's hand. "Val, it's Mom. Can you hear me?"

Val opened one eye and peered at his mother. He smiled wanly and closed his
eye. "Hi Mom. I'm sorry that I worried you. I'll be all right."
Mrs. Hardcastle's emotions broke and she started to cry as her worst fears
were relieved.

"The word we had was that you rolled your truck and that you were in a
coma. I didn't know what to expect. My poor Vally, I was so afraid. Thank
God you're awake and doing better." She pressed Val's hand to her cheek and
held it there. "Are you in pain?"

"My head hurts really bad and my neck's stiff, but that's about all." Right
then, two orderlies came in with a transfer bed and moved Val onto it. They
wheeled him out as Mrs. Hardcastle turned to talk with Tyne.

"How are you doing, Tyne?"

"I'm okay. They just checked me for frostbite and exposure, but I don't
have any problems. I'm just worried about Val."

"I'm sure. So tell me what happened up there." They began walking out of
the ER and toward the long corridor to the main hospital. Tyne swallowed
hard and started with the trip up to the lake and the washed out part of
the road. He spoke of the fishing and how Val couldn't catch any, leaving
out the gay fish theory. Then he told about the picnic lunch, leaving out
the wine. He wasn't sure if the parents would eventually find out about the
wine from the police or the medical people or not, so he took the chance
that they wouldn't find out. Tyne explained that Val wanted to hike
upstream to find some other fishing holes and along the way they found a
natural hot spring.

They met up with Val's father and Tyne's mother who scooped Tyne into her
arms and squeezed so tight, he thought she was going to break his ribs. "Oh
Junior, my baby, I was so worried about you. Are you all right? I knew I
shouldn't have let you go without adult supervision. If I lost you, I don't
know what I would do."

"Mom, I'm fine. It's only Val who got injured." Of course, she wanted to
hear the full story too, so Tyne started over. When Tyne mentioned the
picnic lunch, Mr. Hardcastle interrupted him.

"Tyne, tell me the truth now, were you boys drinking up there?" There it
was, a straight up question. There were only two choices, a flat out lie
that could easily get discovered or the truth. After enough time to make it
obvious what the answer was, Tyne had to admit it.

"Yes sir. I'm sorry. I brought a bottle of wine and we drank it during
lunch." Tyne hung his head and stared at his hospital booties. His mother
glanced at the Hardcastle's. She wasn't shocked since she'd allowed Tyne a
little wine at dinner sometimes. She was worried about Val's parents'
reaction, however. Mr. Hardcastle's reaction surprised everyone.

"Wine? What kind of fruity ass thing is that to be drinking up in the
mountains fishing? No beer? Just wine? Why in God's name would two teenage
boys be out drinking wine in the woods?"

"It's just what my friend got for me from the market he works at." That
seemed to satisfy Mr. Hardcastle for the time being. They had reached Val's
room and since no one was there to stop them, they all walked in. That
helped to distract everyone away from the alcohol revelation. Val seemed to
be resting peacefully so after his mom and dad walked over and peered at
him with troubled looks, they asked Tyne to go on with his story.

Tyne quickly continued but when he reached the part of the hot spring
again, he hesitated. He didn't know if he should say they got in it or not
but finally decided he should since it would probably come out anyway. Tyne
explained that they decided to get in the hot spring, emphasizing that it
was Val's idea. He explained that they had gotten wet in the creek and were
a little cold and were hoping the clothes would dry in the afternoon sun,
Mr. Hardcastle lowered his brow a bit causing Tyne discomfort. Tyne looked
at his mother and said "We got distracted and didn't notice the changing
weather. Suddenly we were shocked by the sound of thunder and flashes of
lightning. Val said we had to get out of the water. I didn't know that
lightning would strike water and fry you, but Val knows that kind of
stuff."

"Oh dear, oh dear," Mrs. von Tyne muttered.

"So we got under these trees to protect us from the rain and it was cold
but then it started to hail and that was really bad. It stung. Val huddled
over me to help protect me from the hailstones. He said I was starting to
get something called hyperthermia. I was shaking uncontrollably."

"Its hypothermia," Mrs. von Tyne corrected.

"Okay, whatever. Anyway, we just hurried back to the truck because Val was
worried about me and that's when Val realized he'd left his keys in his
pants pocket. He just took a rock and broke the back window to the truck to
break in and so we could get me wrapped up in the blanket. After he got us
in, he was going to go back to get the clothes and the keys but I talked
him into staying a while because he was so cold himself. He decided that
was a good idea to warm up so he got in the blanket to warm up before going
for the keys."

"Hold on. He got in a different blanket or the same one as you?"

"Same one. We only had one. He said our body heat would help us warm each
other up faster and it did."

"Are you saying you and my Val got drunk on wine, found a hot spring and
sat naked in it together, then huddled naked under a tree during a
hailstorm, walked buck naked back to camp, broke into the truck and
snuggled together naked in a blanket? HOLY SHIT!" Mr. Hardcastle's voice
got higher and higher pitched as he ranted. Mrs. von Tyne realized what had
probably been going on since she knew Tyne's gay proclivity. She also
sensed Mr. Hardcastle's rising anger and she inched forward, wedging
herself in front of Mrs. Hardcastle who was just staring, dumbstruck in
awe. Mrs. von Tyne was poised to jump in between Tyne and Mr. Hardcastle
like a mother hen protecting her baby chick from the homophobic wolf if she
needed to. The tension in the air was as thick as an Eskimo teenager's cum
in the morning.

"Dad," Val slurred and groaned while he lifted his head to look at everyone
in the room through one eye. "Stop it. It wasn't like that. I just did what
you taught me. Remember when I was eleven and we were snowmobiling? I got
off the trail and got stuck. It was an hour before you found me and I was
freezing cold. You took me back to camp behind you and had me get naked and
crawl in the sleeping bag with you to warm me up."

"But I wasn't naked!" Mr. Hardcastle indignantly clarified.

"I know, but Tyne and I were both freezing. You weren't. It just made sense
to do it that way.  Stop being all dirty minded. That's sick." Val closed
his eye and dropped his head back on his pillow. Tyne had no idea he was
coherent but he was thankful he was. It really deflated Mr. Hardcastle, who
actually apologized. Tyne's mom visibly relaxed and blew out a sigh of
relief.

Tyne continued. "We fell asleep and when we woke, it was getting dark. The
sun was behind the trees and clouds. Val was warmed up so he put on a
sweatshirt that he found in his bag and headed out to get the keys. On his
way, he came across a black bear and he had to like, stare it
down. Luckily, it decided to leave and once Val was sure it was gone, he
went on to get the keys, but that delayed him a long time."

"What? A bear? Oh my God, Val," his mom cried. "You could be dead now!"

"Luckily, Dad taught me what to do about that too. And it worked," Val
mumbled without opening his eye this time. Mr. Hardcastle got a proud papa
smile and hefted his britches a bit.

"Well, once he got the keys, we took off and got out of there. Val wasn't
sure we should try to go in the dark, but I kind of insisted because I knew
mom would be worried about me. When we got to the bad part of the road, we
slid in the mud and then the truck rolled over the edge and landed upside
down in the stream. Val was unconscious and I had to rescue him and pull
him out of the truck. He almost floated away and I had to swim downstream
to get to him. I finally dragged him to shore, then went back to the truck
for the blanket that was luckily wedged between the seat and the door and
stayed dry. After what seemed like forever, I heard the rescue trucks and
that's how it all happened."

The adults were all shaking their heads in shock and awe. They peppered
Tyne with a number of questions until the doctor showed up. He examined Val
again from head to toe, doing the light in the eyes thing and poking him
with a pin. Val joked he was starting to feel like a human voodoo
doll. When the doctor poked his foot for the last time, Val joked, "Hey
Tyne, are you feeling that?" It was good to see he hadn't lost his sense of
humor.

The doctor asked a few questions about what had happened and how long Val
had been unconscious. Tyne was most equipped to answer them and the doctor
asked a few more questions directed at Tyne.

"We'll have a specialist look at his scans when he comes in later. We will
be sending him up for another scan. From the apparent worsening of his
condition, which is normal by the way," the young doctor clarified, "I
think we need to do another scan and see if there is additional brain
swelling or blood pooling between the dura mater and the skull. There is a
lining between the brain and the skull, called the dura and there are a lot
of small blood vessels between them. With head contusions such as this,
these vessels often bleed and put pressure on the brain."

"What happens if there is bleeding?" Val's mom asked in a worried voice.

"Well, probably nothing but careful observation. If it's severe, surgery
could be necessary to drain the blood and relieve the pressure." Val's mom
gave a little gasp. The doctor put his hand on her shoulder, "Don't fret,
it's unlikely it's that severe. He is young and strong and quite
coherent. I do need to ask however, since I saw evidence of another head
injury that seems relatively fresh. Has he had another injury recently?"

"Yeah, he cracked his head hard on the basketball floor at the last high
school game. He got fouled and went down hard," Val's father jumped in. "He
shook it off though and kept playing."

"It actually happened twice and he was complaining to me of a bad headache
ever since then. Plus, he banged his head hard on a tree branch up at the
lake too," Tyne added.

"That's a negative. There is something called SIS or secondary injury
syndrome. Sometimes athletes, especially football players and boxers will
sustain a head injury that seems relatively mild but results in instant
death because the brain was already damaged from a prior injury. The
cumulative trauma of multiple injuries slows recovery and increases the
chances of brain damage."

"Great," Val said, turning his head toward the group. "I was already
stupid, now I'll be a complete retard."

Tyne flashed with his quick temper and in a much too stern voice for
addressing a hospital patient said, "Stop saying that! I told you to never
say that again. You're not stupid, you learn differently. You're very
smart. You were smart enough to learn from your dad how to keep us alive
out there at the lake."

Everyone turned and looked at Tyne, who flushed redder than usual. "Thank
you, Tyne," Mrs. Hardcastle said and gave him a little hug. "I've been
trying to tell him that for years."

In his infinitely subtle way, Mr. Hardcastle asked, "So doc, what are we
talking about here? Is he gonna be able to feed himself and wipe his own
ass or what?" The doctor cleared his throat, scowled at Val's old man and
glanced toward Val.

"I doubt he'll have any trouble like that. He's already exhibiting good
motor skills. But having said that, I've never seen any head trauma patient
not lose something. Sometimes it's minor and has little effect. My uncle
was clubbed in the head with a baseball bat in a bar fight. He ended up
losing his taste and interest in alcohol. So that was a win instead of a
loss, actually. Turned his life around and saved his marriage."

"I know already what I've lost." Everyone focused their attention on Val,
especially the doctor.

"You do? What?" the doctor asked.

"Lawn mowing ability. I've been laying here trying and trying to remember
how it's done and I just can't figure it out. Oh and dish washing. I
definitely lost the ability to do that. And one more thing, bathroom
cleaning. I'm not sure which end of the toilet brush I should hold. It's
just all gone." Val smiled.

"Well," Tyne began smiling, "at least we know it hasn't affected his lame
sense of humor." Everyone laughed along and the doctor suggested that
everyone leave and let him rest. He was about to order some drugs that
would fight inflammation but also make him very drowsy.

The group exited and Tyne's mom asked him to find the nurse with his
clothes so she could take him home. "Mom, I told you I arrived naked. I
need you to find me some."

"Oh dear, that's right. Where can I get clothes at this hour on a Sunday
morning? You might just have to go home in the hospital PJ's."

Tyne immediately flinched. "What the hell, I've been pelted by hail, nearly
got hypothermia, dunked in a stream, picked up naked by Search and Rescue,
had my bare ass videotaped by a news crew, been poked and prodded in all my
private areas by numerous medical types, so I've pretty much written off
any degree of dignity left for this day. Wearing these ugly pajamas home is
no big deal, I guess."

"What's that about a news crew?" his mother asked.

"Oh, when we got out of the canyon, there was one of those ambulance
chasing news crews there and they interviewed me then when I got in the
ambulance, I had to drop my blanket and they taped me climbing in
naked. Jerks. Hopefully, it was a boring enough interview that they won't
show it."

"I hope so. I don't want to have to sue their asses. I already signed you
out down in the ER but if you're leaving in the hospital PJ's I'm sure
you'll have to ride out in a wheelchair." Then turning to Mrs. Hardcastle,
Tyne's mom asked, "Can I speak to you briefly alone?" The two women walked
down the hall toward the nurse's station.

That left Tyne and Mr. Hardcastle standing just outside Val's room in
awkward silence. Mrs. Hardcastle kept stealing glances at Tyne and that
made him uncomfortable. Abruptly, Mr. Hardcastle broke the silence, "So how
come you took wine up fishing instead of beer?" He was scratching the
stubble under his chin as he asked it.

"Well, only because that's what my friend got from the store he works at,
Whole Foods."

"Oh, that explains it. That fruity place prob'ly don't even have beer."
Tyne was relieved that the wine issue seemed resolved for Val's old
man. But then he asked another question. "So what'd you do, drink out of
the same bottle like a couple of wino's?"

"Umm, no. I brought ..." Tyne paused and realized there was no way in hell
he could say he brought wine glasses, "... paper cups."

"Ahh, smart." With that, he fell into silence.

Tyne, against his better sense, couldn't resist and said, "So I guess we
have something in common that I bet no one else in the whole world can
say."

Mr. Hardcastle looked puzzled and gave the "go on" gesture.

"We both shared a bedroll with Val naked." Tyne fought off a smile.

"I was NOT naked. I only had to take Val's clothes off because they were
all wet. I told you that already."

"Oh yeah, I wasn't implying anything. I was just saying it's an odd thing
we share. Val sure does have a big ..." Tyne paused for effect and watched
Mr. Hardcastle's eyes widen and his neck start to bulge, "... pair of
feet. They kept poking out of the bottom of the blanket."

Val's dad snorted. Then he snorted again. He broke out in a full-fledged
belly laugh and a passing nurse scowled at him. He stifled his laughter
with one hand while he slapped his thigh with the other. He reached out and
gave Tyne a small shove and said, "Kid, you're a hoot. No wonder Val likes
you." Tyne just smiled wryly at him.

"So, umm, did the two of you, umm ...,"

"Rub against each other?" Tyne filled in the blank.

"Yeah. Did you?"

Tyne wondered what would happen if he said they weren't in the mood since
they'd already shared Val's dick like a giant Popsicle earlier in the hot
spring. He decided that would be a bad idea and just said, "Oh no. It was a
big blanket. That would be sort of gay, don't you think?"

"Oh. Well that's good it was a big one."  Tyne stifled a laugh of his own
as the moms returned.

"Okay, all set. I verified that you can keep these Gucci pajamas and we've
swapped cell phone numbers. Polly will let us know what the specialist
says. Now let's get you home and put you to bed. Get in the wheelchair."

"Good-bye Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle," Tyne said, shaking their hands. "I'm
sure Val will be okay. I'm sorry this all happened."

"It ain't your fault, son. Shit happens sometimes," Val's dad said.

Mrs. Hardcastle didn't speak, she just held Tyne's hand uncomfortably long
and sliding apart slowly with an odd look on her face. When they released
hands, Mrs. Hardcastle took her own hand and gently rubbed it. Tyne and his
mom peeled away, Tyne reluctantly slipped into the wheelchair and they
headed to the car. On the way, Tyne asked his mother, "Mom, what did you
and Val's mom talk about?"

"Nothing. Just girl talk and traded numbers." Tyne knew she was evading the
question, but he dropped it.

Mrs. von Tyne drove carefully down the exit ramp in the parking structure
and eased into traffic at the exit. "So what kind of things did the news
reporter ask you?"

Tyne didn't answer. His head was slumped against the passenger window and
he was breathing deeply in a sound sleep.