Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2016 06:47:42 +0000 (UTC)
From: doncornelius69 (at) yahoo.com
Subject: We Will Remember Them Chapter 6

This story is a work of fiction. None of the characters are real and any
similarities between this story and/or any characters in it and real life
is purely coincidental.

THIS STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF CONSENSUAL SEXUAL ACTS BETWEEN
TEENAGE MALES. IT IS INTENDED FOR A MATURE AUDIENCE ONLY! IF YOU FIND THIS
TYPE OF MATERIAL OFFENSIVE, OR IF YOU ARE UNDER 18, OR UNDER THE LEGAL AGE
TO VIEW SUCH MATERIAL THEN PLEASE READ NO FURTHER.

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.

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Sorry about the delay in publishing this chapter. Work and life have been
really busy, but I'm already working on the next one. Thanks so much for
reading!

When Charlie spoke to me in a dream shortly after he died, I'd felt at
peace and safe. At the end of that dream, I'd had this glimpse of party I
was at, surrounded by people who were unfamiliar, at a house I've never
been inside. I woke up just as someone tapped my shoulder. By the end of
eighth grade, I was having that dream about once, maybe twice, a month.

I knew it was me in the dream, of that I as sure. The fact that I didn't
know where I was, or who any of the people were never bothered me. I was
looking out through my own eyes, rather than seeing things from another
point of view. I looked down at myself, obviously older and better put
together than myself at the end of the eighth grade. I was talking to an
attractive boy with brown hair, brown eyes and killer tan that was
obviously, and infuriatingly, natural. He had his arm around a blonde girl
who was also very attractive. He was wearing board shorts and was
shirtless, as was I, and the girl was wearing a bikini that was hot pink,
which she filled out well. There was another girl standing next to the
blonde, a brunette, who was eating me with her eyes. She was wearing a one
piece that was very flattering on her. While she was attractive, I just
wasn't into her and she wasn't getting the hint.

Through all this, I wasn't uncomfortable talking to them. I actually felt
good, excited even. And then comes the tap on the shoulder. Each dream went
a little more past the tap, with my head turning just a bit before I wake
up. I always awoke feeling extremely positive and sometimes a little
giddy. At this point, I was certain I was seeing my future or at least a
potential future. I was also certain it had been a little gift from
Charlie, something to use to keep my chin up and help me focus on the idea
that better days were coming.

Which was kind of what I needed given that the summer after eighth grade
pretty much sucked at that point, six weeks after school ended. Spring
baseball had been terrible and we were gearing up for what we hoped would
be a better summer. The high school coach had been watching us play a
little, a good indication that he was looking for potential players for
next year. He'd talked to me a bit, just off handed stuff about why I
played. He seemed pretty satisfied with the answer, if mostly unimpressed
by our craptacular playing.

I was once again working for my father. This year, I was brought into the
business of cleaning up abandoned rental units which is a real
treat. Basically, when someone can't pay their rent and decides to move
out, they usually leave things behind. Like trash, shitty furniture, dog
poop ground into carpet... and one of my jobs that summer was to work on
making the unit rentable again. Reread the part about the dog poop. Yeah,
I'm the guy who cleaned shit out of the carpet. It's a glamorous life I've
led.

One of the projects my father had set me on was cleaning up two units at an
small apartment complex he owned near our house. It was unusual to have
someone there abandon the unit. One was due to the death of the occupant
(traffic accident, not IN the unit, thank God) and the other was an actual
eviction.  My father LOVED evictions especially if the tenant took him to
court. He never hired an attorney and always went to the hearing(even at
that point, he barely had the time to do this... now, he never gets to). He
never lost a single one.

I, on the other hand, was digging dog AND cat shit out of the high pile
carpet in unit 8A. It was the second day I'd been there and I was almost
done with the more gruesome work. I figured I had one more day of clean up
and then I'd be done. As I walked out with two trash bags, I saw this
really cute guy who appeared to be older than me, wearing a Maverick's tank
and a ball cap on backwards. His body was pretty lean, like mine, but there
was a lot more of it. At this point, I was still 5'7" but I'd pushed my
body weight to 155. However, I compared like a string bean next to this
guy. He looked about 5' 11' maybe 185 or 190, with black hair and a nice
even tan. Seriously, the guy was stroke material. He may not have been as
muscular as Josh, but he was a total stud. He was walking from his car
toward the unit next to the one I was working on. As he came up on the step
to the walkway, he suddenly noticed me and smiled... nice even white teeth
that kind of glowed, surrounded by thick, luscious lips.

And then, all I could think about were those lips.

Crushed against mine, a tongue coming through them to open my mouth up and
take possession.  Creating suction on my nipples.  Wrapped around my dick.
Leaving soft kisses on my neck.  Wrapped around my dick.  Sucking on my
balls.  Wrapped around my dick.

I stood there motionless, seeing images in my brain, while my eyes kept
sending the video of him walking up to me. In real time. He had that same
smile on his lips and as he got closer, he held out his hand.

"Hey man, I'm Brian. Are you moving in here with your folks?"

Oh, he's Brian. With a capital B. And he thinks I'm moving in. Yes, you can
do this... remember your breathing, no need to panic. Hot guy, really nice,
shake his hand.

I held out my hand and grasped his. His handshake was firm, solid, but not
bone crushing though I could tell he was being gentle.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Rob. I'm actually just cleaning up the unit so they
can lease it out."

He looked at me curiously, scanning me from head to toe, "Dude, not for
nothing, but you don't look like part of a cleaning crew. You're too
clean."

I laughed, "My father is the leasing agent. I work for him during the
summer and this was one of the jobs he gave me."

He looked at me seriously, "Damn dude, that sucks. I usually just do
yardwork for cash."

"Well, that's my second career,"which got a laugh out of him. "Hang on a
second and let me throw these bags away."

As I walked over to the dumpsters, which were literally a straight shot at
the end of the building, I could feel his eyes on me. I'd picked up a ping
on my gaydar when he'd given me the once over but my gaydar was, frankly,
pretty terrible. Now, I KNEW he was watching me walk. I was pretty sure he
was watching less me, and more my ass. Thanks to squats, I had a nice round
butt that I knew looked good in the shorts I was wearing.

I got to the dumpster and threw the bags in, then turned to see him still
looking at me with a smile on his face. The entire walk back, he never once
took his eyes off me, like a hunter waiting for his prey to get in
range. I'd seen that look before, from Josh, when he'd first moved to town
and it let me feel I was on pretty solid ground thinking this guy was gay
and into me.

When I got back to him, the smile was still there. He didn't say anything,
which made me a little uncomfortable and I blurted out, "What?" with a
smile on my face.

He looked at me a moment longer, "Nothing, you're just really cute."

Which of course caused me to blush furiously and prompted him to say,
"Especially when you're blushing."

"Thanks,"through a big smile was all I could manage to say and he looked at
me sort of strangely for a second.

"You're not out, are you?"

I sighed, my smile fading, "To a few friends, but not to everyone or my
family."

He just looked at me for a moment, scanning my face for some sort of clue
as to why.

"Are you afraid they'll throw you out?" he asked.

I quickly responded, "No, not at all. It's just that I'm not completely
comfortable with it yet. Right now it's like this secret part of me that I
get to hold onto. Once I'm out, everyone knows and then I just don't know
what it'll be like. I'm scared for me, I'm not scared of what someone else
will think."

He just kept looking at me. I could pick up concern and desire from him,
mixed with something that was like bemusement. He finally spoke, "Well, my
dad's not going to be home for another two hours, you want to come in and
mess around?"

I said 'sure' so fast he actually laughed. "Come on."

I followed him as he unlocked the door to the unit. These apartments were
all two or three bedrooms and this unit was a three, I knew, because the
units on the other side where I'd been cleaning, were twos. My father had
originally built these units for sale, then when the market started to tank
in 2008, they quickly became rentals.

We walked into the entry and down the hall to the living room which had a
great view of the golf course the complex has been built on. He turned
around on me as we walked in and I basically ran into him and he caught
me. The next thing I felt, as a steadied myself, was his hand coming up my
back and onto the back of my head which usually melts me like a stick of
butter in a microwave. At that point, if he'd asked me to go down on him
right there, I would have.

He leaned down slightly and kissed me softly. It felt amazing and got my
dick rock hard. He parted his lips, and touched mine gently with his
tongue. I opened up my lips and welcomed him in, rolling my own tongue
around his, which caused him to moan deeply. His other hand, which had been
on my hip, moved to my ass to squeeze and pull me closer to him.

"Fuck, you're hot as hell. What grade are you in?" he asked, breaking the
kiss and looking me directly in the eyes.

I stared right back into his hazel eyes and kinda spaced out, until he
cleared his throat and I mumbled out, "Sorry, got lost there for a second."

He laughed, obviously amused at the effect he had on me, "Yeah, looks like
it. What grade are you in?"

I looked back at him and fear spilled through me. I'm too young for this
guy, I told myself. There's no way he's going to be interested in
me. FUCK. That kiss was awesome and I'm about to fuck it all up. Just lie,
dammit. FUCKING LIE!

"I'm about to go into ninth," I said and, internally, started beating the
hell out of the little truth teller inside me.

"Oh, cool... I was afraid you were younger. I'm going to be a junior next
year."

I looked back at him, blinking away disbelief, "So you're not freaked out
I'm younger than you?"

"No, relieved a little that you're not as young as you look. The way you
kiss, I should have known you weren't in middle school still," he said with
a wicked grin. He grabbed my hand and said, "Come on."

We walked back down the hallway and went to to his room. It was tidy, but
there wasn't much there. From the way he was dressed and how he looked, I'd
figured him for a basketball jock but there weren't any posters on the
wall. In fact, they were all bare.

"Did you just move in,"I asked.

He laughed, "In a way, yes. My dad has been here for about six months, this
is my first time to come. My parents are divorced and he has me most of the
summer and a few holidays, but we usually travel during those so this is
really the first time I've been here."

"That sucks. My parents are divorced, too."

He sat down on his bed and patted the place next to him, asking "How long
ago?"

I sat down next to him."It's been almost a year, but they were separated
for two before that so it was expected."

He looked down at his hands, "Sorry to hear that, Rob. I know it's tough
but you get used to it. Mine have been apart for four years and it really
doesn't bother me anymore. I just don't like that my dad had to move here
for work so now all my friends are an hour away."

"Oh? Where your mom lives?"

"Yeah, in Frisco."

We went into Dallas constantly but rarely did we go north of 635 since it
was Oklahoma. Little did I know that in a little over a year, I'd join the
denizens of South Oklahoma in the city of Plano.  "Wow... that's really far
north."

Brian laughed, "Damn, what do you think Dallas ends at LBJ?"

I laughed back, "Pretty much. Everything north is Oklahoma and we don't go
there, everything west of Stemmons is Fort Worth and we don't go there and
everything east of Central is no man's land."

"Let me guess, your parents are originally from the Park Cities?" he asked.

"My grandparents. My aunt still lives there. I know there's a Neiman Marcus
somewhere north of 635, but I'm really not sure."

"Oh, really, country boy?" he said, pushing me back on the bed and leaning
in over me, kissing me with a lot more force and passion. He climbed on top
of me, keeping himself up with his arms at one point to avoid putting too
much weight on me.

His kisses lit up my brain and then he went to my neck and it was like a
things exploded. Soft kisses and the flicking of the tip of his tongue had
me in a state of euphoria.

I was getting too hot too fast and asked him to stop. He looked at me with
a combination of lust and concern.

"What's wrong?"

"If you keep doing that, this is going to be over a lot faster than you
think,"I said.

He smiled and stood up, crossing his arms and lifting the Mavs jersey off,
then hooking his thumbs into his shorts and pulling them down in one
motion. His body was a high school jock, tightly muscled but not
excessively so, with a beautiful and very hard cock. I sat up, peeled off
my shirt and wiggled out of my shorts, with his eager help.

"Damn, you're even cuter with your clothes off," he said, climbing back on
top of me. He kissed me some more, and the kisses combined with the contact
of our naked bodies had me breathing like a fat man who'd just climbed six
flights of stairs.

He broke off my lips, looked me in the eyes, and winked. He then started
kissing down my neck, to my pecs, taking time with each nipple and then
down my abs laying soft, wet kisses at each spot. He slowly worked his way
to my hard and leaking dick which he kissed softly on the head while
keeping eye contact with me.

Then he swallowed the whole thing in one motion, working his tongue around
the bottom of my dick head while his lips created suction at the base. It
was, quite simply, heaven. It made every effort of Alan's look soul
crushingly bad in comparison. His mouth was soft, warm, and the suction was
just right. His eye contact with me told me he was enjoying this and wanted
me to feel good, and I absolutely was. His tongue though, rubbing against
my frenulum, was the key and I found myself muttering incomprehensibly
until I yelled out...

"I'm gonna cum... sooooon!"

...which just made him go faster.

And then, I came. It was like my entire body was trying join the cum
bursting out of the head of my dick. I felt as if I'd touched an electrical
socket, my body was numb and head was swimming. It was the best orgasm I'd
ever had.

I slowly opened my eyes and raised my head enough to look down at him,
still sitting on the floor between my legs, looking at me with a huge grin
on his face.

A breathless "Thank you" was all I could manage.

He replied, "You're very welcome," with a smile and climbed back up on the
bed to give me a kiss. It as the first time I'd tasted my own cum, let
alone tasting it in someone else's mouth. It was good, just a hint of salt
and kind of sweet. Alan's was pretty salty and a little bitter and I
decided he'd had it pretty damn easy with me the few times he'd actually
caught some in his mouth.

We laid there for a few minutes, kissing and discovering each others
bodies. After about five minutes I began to make my way down to his dick,
which was about the same size as mine. I took him into my mouth and did my
level best to give him an experience like he'd given me.

I may have been a little rusty from lack of use, but taking him was easier
than Alan since he wasn't as big. I was able to more easily swirl my tongue
eliciting moans and swears from him that let me know he liked someone going
all the way down on him. My work paid off with a nice thick load, most of
which shot directly into my throat. The little bit that got caught in my
mouth tasted damn good, not salty at all.

I sat back on my legs and waited for him to catch his breath. Watching his
chest rise and fall was soothing. Not put-me-to-sleep soothing, but very
relaxing. He finally raised his head and just smiled at me, motioning with
his head to come back up on the bed. We ended up making out a bit more and
then just laying there, looking up at the ceiling.

Brian was the one who finally broke the silence in which we'd been
comfortably wrapped.

"We're definitely doing this again," he said, looking over at me.

I frowned, "This was wrong. You and I both know it and now we're going to
hell. I have to tell my father. I can't be gay," which prompted only
laughter from him as I couldn't keep a straight face. He rolled over on top
of me and looking down at me, kissed me again.

As he broke the kiss I looked up at him. "Of course we're doing this
again. This is the first time I've had good head and there's nothing that's
going to make me give that up."

He smiled back at me, "What do you mean the first time? I know damn well
it's not the first time from the way you went down on me."

I just looked back into his eyes. Those eyes flecked with bits of gold set
perfectly in that handsome face.

"I said it was my first time getting GOOD head. I had a friend I fooled
around with but that ended last year."

"Oh, really? Go on..." he said, suddenly interested.

I just smiled back up at him. "Well, it was just a straight friend of mine
and we started off jerking one another, but moved on to blowjobs."

He looked at me with this questioning scowl. "So, let me make sure I have
this right... your 'straight' friend and you traded blowjobs?"

I pushed him off me, playfully. "It wasn't like that. I went down on him
first and he decided he wanted to return the favor. He told me he'd feel
weird if it was just me doing him. And yes, he's very straight. As soon as
regular pussy was available he ran to it. Honestly, no big loss because he
was really bad at sucking dick."

He laughed back at me, "Well, Rob, I have to tell you that's one of the
more interesting sexual curiosity stories I've ever heard. Especially since
the putative 'straight' guy ends up not being gay."

"Well, it's the truth. Needless to say, I've been a little without all this
time. Until, today, you came into my life. And my mouth."

"Oh my God... that's so funny," he said as he started to tickle me. We
rolled around laughing for maybe another minute or two before he kissed me
again. We did that for a bit longer until we were recharged, then decided
to drain our balls again. This time, I went first and spent more time at
it, now that the instant need was out of the way.

Honestly, this was the first time I had any indication I was good in bed. I
don't really know how other guys think, but I feel enormous satisfaction
when I have managed to please a sexual partner. Him saying that we were
doing this again, after getting what I knew was one of my best blowjobs,
made me feel proud.

We ended up laying in bed after the second round, his arm around me and my
head up on his chest and shoulder, just enjoying the moment. I actually
felt safe with Brian. Not as a boyfriend, it just didn't feel that way, but
as a friend who was obviously much closer than just a simple handshake. I
liked him. I wasn't crushing on him, but I really did like him. In a way, I
felt like he was what I might become in a few years, confident and at ease
in my own skin. Despite my best efforts and those of Dr. Oates, whom I'd
continued seeing after our initial time was up, I was still having issues
though overall I was doing better. Being comfortable with myself, not
feeling the need to keep so much private, was one thing I was trying hard
to get past. Therapy, I'd discovered, was like an onion. Once you peel off
the top layers that are most obviously in need of attention, there's more
underneath that you have to deal with, too.

About 30 minutes before his dad was due home, Brian and I exchanged numbers
and left to ride my bike the excruciating mile back to my house which was
part of the same subdivision.

As I rode up to my house, I saw Neil's white Range Rover, which was kind of
strange since he and my mother usually didn't go out to eat until
later. Our house was a modern design, with large limestone panels and lots
of glass. My paternal grandmother (MoMo) had been critical of it when it
was built in 2006 and she still referred to it as the First National Bank
of Bethany, after my mother who had wanted something more modern.

Like most of the houses in the subdivision, the garage was off to the side
of the house, hidden from view. This was where mother insisted on us
putting our bikes. There was a courtyard at the front door, but it didn't
matter. Bikes went in the garage and that was the end of it. Cat and I
weren't thrilled about it, but we were less thrilled with the various
punishments that were meted out by mother when we failed to comply with her
Rules For Where Things Belong.

Seriously, it was a thing.

After I put my bike up, I walked into the kitchen and realized the house
was really, really quiet. Usually there was a TV going or someone was on
the phone, but right now there was nothing. I walked down the main hallway
and knocked on the door to mother's office.

"Come in," was the response I got back and as I opened the door, I saw her
and Neil seated in front of the desk.

"Hey, sugar... did you get done at the apartment?" my mother asked.

"No ma'am. Got the worst of it done, but still need another day," I told
her. "What are you guys up to? Kinda early for dinner, isn't it?"

"Well, actually, Neil is having dinner with us tonight."

That perked me up a bit. While I really LOVED Neil, I really did want my
mother home more. I was tired of frozen dinners and takeout.

"Cool. Where's Josh?"

Neil answered, "He's over at Alan's. I told him to be back around 630. You
want to go down there?"

I thought about it for a second, then remembered what I'd been doing all
afternoon before meeting Brian.

"No sir, I think I'm going to go take a shower and then have a nap," I
looked over at my mother, "What time do you want me downstairs for dinner?"

"630," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," was all I could manage as I shut the door and trudged
upstairs. It was weird, somewhere between the time I put my bike up and the
time I opened the door to my mother's office, I got really tired. Of
course, it didn't even occur to me that I'd put in a hard day of work and
then had sex for like an hour.

I got into my room, stripped off my clothes and threw them in the hamper,
and started the shower. Ten minutes later, I set my alarm before crawling
in bed, laying down face first, and falling fast asleep. I don't even
remember dreaming about anything... all I remember is the feel of Josh's
heavy ass jumping on my bed singing 'Wake up, Wake up, it's time for dinner
and I'm huuuuungry' which was pretty lame. Even for Josh.

"I'm up, I'm up. Get the hell off my bed, dick!" I guess now would be a
good time to admit that I wake up kind of mean.

He was laughing as he jumped off my bed. He stood there, looking at me, for
a minute in silence.

"You know, you look really cute when you're just waking up."

I could feel the heat on my face, "Thanks," I replied, climbing out of bed
to grab a pair of shorts and a tshirt. "What did you do today?" I asked
him.

Josh stretched out and yawned before telling me, "Hit the gym and then went
swimming with Lane this afternoon. Kind of a lazy day. What about you?"

"Well, I mowed until 11, then went to lunch with my father. He dropped me
at the gym and an hour later I was working on an apartment he needs cleaned
up."

"Why does it need to be cleaned up?" Josh asked.

"The woman who was renting it moved out and left a disaster behind. I've
been cleaning dog and I'm pretty sure cat shit out of the carpet in that
unit."

Josh died laughing, "Are you fucking kidding me? Actual poop from animals?"

"Yes, Josh. Shit. Actual shit." I held my hand up to face, "Wanna smell?"
which caused him to roughly shove away my hand.

"Dude, that's fucking sick. You still have that on your hands?"

I just gave him a dumb look. Josh was really smart but at times he asked
the stupidest questions. "Of course not, I washed that off before I left
the apartment. And before I met Brian."

With that, Josh's face turned from grossed out to suddenly inquisitive.

"Brian?" he asked.

"Yeah, Brian," I said with a smile.

"Well, don't leave me in suspense! Who is Brian?"

I sighed, "Just this totally hot guy I met and hooked up with as I was
leaving the unit I was cleaning up." With that, I slid my tshirt on and
turned to walk toward my door only to feel Josh's hand on my shoulder
pulling me back.

"No, you're not getting away like that. Details?" He demanded.

So, I gave him a quick version of my fun from the afternoon. Josh had a big
smile on this face, obviously enjoying the fact that I had hooked up and
got laid. Josh was like that, happy for me when something good happened,
not nasty and jealous.

I wrapped up the story with my ride home. He just smiled at me.

"Well, damn. Good for you, hermano! Now, you know Alan, Lane, and I have to
meet this guy and make sure he's up to our standards."

"Standards? What the hell are you talking about?"

He glanced down at the floor, then back up at me and in an overserious tone
said, "Well, you're basically my brother. So, I have to approve of any guy
you date. It's big brother code."

"Well, A, you're not my big brother..."

"...yet...", he quickly interjected.

"... and B, we're not dating. He's here until early August then back to
Frisco. This isn't gonna be a long term thing."

"You say that now,"Josh said, grabbing my shoulders, "But you don't
know. You're really hot and it wouldn't surprise me if this guy got wrapped
up in you."

I knew, KNEW, Josh was wrong. But, I have to admit, the narcissist in me
definitely liked the words. He had said I was cute and while I knew I
wasn't awful looking, a little third party validation went a long way. It
was a character flaw, one I've since worked hard to correct. That little
flaw would be opened wide and abused by my first real boyfriend, just a few
months after this conversation.

"Thanks, Josh. But seriously, he's not like that and I'm not into him that
way. He seems pretty cool."

Josh pulled me in for a hug. "Ok, but I still want to meet him. And
remember, no matter what, I got you."

I broke the hug and looked him dead in the eye. "I know and thank you. Now,
we can get something to eat? I'm hungry."

We made our way downstairs to the kitchen and found my mom and Neil getting
dinner ready. Cat was in the family room watching TV so I vaulted over the
sofa and landed right next to her. Josh took a seat on the arm opposite me,
next to her.

Cat was watching something dumb on Animal Planet, I think it was about
whales. I didn't do much, just nudge her.

"Stop Rob! Can't I watch TV in peace?"

Which prompted Josh to pipe up with, "Yeah, Rob, let your sister watch this
shit in peace," which distracted her long enough for me to grab the remote
and change it to something else. Which prompted punches.

"OK, OK, I'll give you the remote. Just gotta give me a hug,"which she did,
begrudgingly. We sat and watched the whale thing for about 10 minutes
before the call came to come to the table. Fun fact, whales are fucking
boring. Yes, they're majestic animals and their singing can be beautiful,
but they're dull as dishwater.

We sat down around the table in the kitchen. It was round so I had my
mother to my left, Josh to my right, then Neil to his right, and my sister
to Neil's right. We'd done this a handful of times and it was always
nice. It felt like family. Mother insisted we say grace and the
responsibility for it migrated nightly from me to Cat and back. I had my
head bowed so I never knew what Neil and Josh did. Neil wasn't much for
church and it had definitely rubbed off on Josh.

At any rate, when either Cat or I were done, everyone said AMEN and then we
got down the serious business of eating which was always fun since Cat,
though picky, could eat and I wasn't picky at all but needed to eat
massively to gain any weight. It was funny, but two years before I'd
desperately wanted to lose my baby fat. At that point in July, 2010, I just
as desperately wanted it back.

One thing I LOVED about dinner with my mother was that we talked. Daddy
often looked at food as a means to an end and was often silent during
meals, offering up only the occasional monosyllabic response. Josh and Neil
were much different, both talked and laughed with us, even though Josh
usually did it around a mouthful of food.

As we finished, I asked if we could be excused to go play games and my
mother just smiled and said, "Not yet. We have an announcement. Neil?"

Neil smiled back at my mother which made me happy. I liked the way he
looked at her, with eyes that screamed how much he loved her. At this
point, after 7 months of dating, I was absolutely certain they were headed
to marriage.

"Well, your mom and I have been talking and we thought it would be a good
idea for you guys to do something with us, rather than go to Breckenridge
at the end of the summer. So, we thought it would be fun to go to our house
in Laguna."

Josh was, predictably, very excited. "This is going to be awesome. I can
introduce you to my friends and I can teach you to surf!"

"What about me?" Cat asked.

"I was talking about both of you. If you want to get up early with us,"
Josh replied.

Mother looked over at me and smiled, "Honey, sound good?"

I honestly didn't know what to think. We'd been to California a handful of
times and it was cool, but we'd always been in hotels, not someone's
house. That was the rub, we wouldn't be in our house in Breckenridge, we'd
be at Neil's house where Josh spent most of his life until his father
decided to move to Texas. I'd heard Josh's stories about Laguna and I'd
even skyped with some of his friends when I was over at his house. I was
honestly nervous about being the country bumpkin.

But, looking at my mother's face, I knew she needed me to be OK with
this. And, deep down, I was. So, I put on my biggest smile and said,
"Yep. Sounds pretty awesome!"

"Well, then I guess it's settled. Take your plates to the sink and you can
do whatever you want," she said.

Josh and I made our way up to my room and played some bullshit game for a
while. About an hour later, Josh's dad came up and said it was time to go.

I walked them out of the house with my mother and then we talked for a
little while, mostly about the job and what I'd been doing. I could tell
something else was on her mind when she kept looking me directly in the
eye.

I finally let out a big sigh, after describing the state of the carpet in
the unit, and told her my biggest concern was my father. She just smiled
and said she'd already talked to him and it was fine. At that point, I told
my mother I was going to bed early and went up stairs. I got my computer
and Skyped with Richard for a while and asked him if I came across as
country when I was in the City. He just laughed and said, "Rob, you're
accent is always going to be a give away but you don't come off as some
kind of hick. Trust me you'll be fine in OC."

The next day wasn't nearly as hurried. We had a game that night, so I went
back to the apartment to finish it. Around 1030, I got a text from Alan
saying to come over about 1 with my 'new boy toy'. I laughed thinking about
what Brian would say about being called a boy toy. I replied back I'd try
and went back to work.

When I got done, I stopped at Brian's to ask if he wanted to go swimming,
giving him the details.

"Sure, I think it'd fun to meet some people while I'm here. Are these the
friends that know about you?" he asked.

"Yep and they know about you as well."

He looked worried for a second, "You know this isn't a relationship,
right?"

I just looked back at him and with a nod said, "Yeah, I don't want that
either. We're friends and some of my other friends would like to meet
you. I promise, that's it."

"Ok," he said, still looking a little wary, "I'll meet you there at one."

"Cool,"was all I said as I turned to walk to my bike.

I went home at lunch and watched some TV. About 5 till 1, I walked down to
Alan's and found Brian's car sitting there. He got out as soon as he saw me
and gave me a smile. It was nice not feeling anything really substantial
from it. I liked being in a friends with benefits situation. At this point,
it was pretty much all I could deal with not being out.

We walked to the house and I rang the bell. Alan's mom let us in and after
the introductions, (Hey Mrs. Saunders, this is my friend Brian, blah blah
blah) she led us out to the pool.

And then, it went to hell in a handbasket as Josh, Alan, AND Lane all
mobbed Brian. He was pretty good about the thousand questions but I could
tell he was annoyed. I think anyone would be when you consider that we
weren't dating and had no intention to date. Josh was the worst, at one
point pulling him aside for a one on one chat.

Luckily, Brian was cool with it and we all got along well. We swam and ate
and just soaked up the sun until about 4 when I needed to get home to get
ready for my game. Brian started to get up and leave with me when Alan
spoke up.

"Dude, he's got to get ready for a game. You can hang out with us if you
don't feel like going yet."

He looked over at me, eyebrows raised, "Do you mind?"

I just laughed, "Nope. Have fun and I'll text you later."

After saying goodbye to Alan's mother, I walked back to my house and
decided to take a nap. I had about an hour to kill before I really needed
to be ready. I felt at peace with everything. Brian blended in well with my
friends and I thought the next two weeks might actually be fun.

The game was really good. We just flat out played the other team and had a
great time doing it. When it was over, I went to talk to everyone in the
stands. My parents were both there, so was Neil, Lane, Josh, Brian, and
Alan who had apparently hitched a ride with Brian.

Honestly, I liked winning because I won. The congratulations from friends
and family were awesome, but I liked winning for me.

As everyone broke up, Brian told me to text him when I got home. About 9 I
texted him and asked if we could get together. Since I still had the key to
the apartment next door, I told him I'd meet him out front in 30. I cleaned
up and told my mother I was heading over there for a while. She just told
me to be home by 11... always good when your mother trusts you.

Needless to say, we packed a lot into the hour we had. Then we laid there
on the floor of that apartment talking.

"Hey, thanks for coming to my game." I told him.

"I had a good time. Alan's funny as hell... I'm guessing he's your mystery
straight guy?" he asked, to which I nodded back yes. He continued, "Well,
then I get it. He seems like a really nice guy. Actually, they all do and
they all seem to be really protective of you."

I sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's pretty irritating at times..." and I know
it's only going to get worse if my mother marries Neil, I left unsaid.

"Don't let it bother you, dude. It's actually really awesome. It's an
awesome thing to know there are people looking out for you. I know it can
seem intrusive, it always did with my older brother, but now I realize he
was just looking out for me."

"Where's he now?"

"Afghanistan. He wanted to serve, so when he graduated last year, that's
where he went."

I looked at him and saw a little water in his eyes. Not actual tears, just
I could tell he missed him. "Do you get to speak to him much?"

He coughed a bit, clearly choking back some emotion. "Yeah, on
facetime. It's nice, but I'd rather he was here instead of there." He stood
up and offered me a hand. As I rose, he said, "Don't get mad at the people
who love you for loving you. They can't help it. And I can tell you those
guys think the world of you. God help anyone who ever hurts you because
those three guys will bury the fucker."

"Yeah, I know. I really hope they didn't scare you too much."

"Nah, Josh is the most intense about it, but I know when you get close to
someone he's not going to get in the way."

I gave him a hug at that moment. It was hard and it was supposed to be as
comforting as I could manage. After a few seconds he finally hugged me
back. I as I let go, I looked up at him and he looked as though he felt
better.

"That's for being cool as hell and for having brother who is defending
us. Tell him I said thanks next time you talk to him." That prompted the
same smile from him that I'd seen the day before when we first met.

Over the next two weeks, before we left for Laguna, we got to know each
other a lot better. His dad was out late a lot of nights which gave us time
to relieve some stress and have some fun. Alan, thankfully, really liked
him and agreed to take care of him the week or so I'd be gone and he'd
still be there. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that Brian had
a car.

We left for California after my last summer game. That game was really
bittersweet for me since it was the last time I would be playing outside of
school. We won which was great since it had been a tough game. For me
though, it was the end of my childhood. I felt really melancholy about it
and it was something I'd not anticipated. I could tell that night, before
we left, mother knew something was off with me and she finally asked about
it. I told her how I felt and she teared up a bit and hugged me tight. At
the time, I didn't really get it, but now I know it was something she'd not
really thought about until that very moment. Her son, her baby, was growing
up. Fast.

That next morning we drove into Dallas and up to the airport in Addison,
where Neil kept his plane. To this day, I don't know anything other than
that it seated nine and it was a jet. It was also my first time flying
private and the memory is still burned in. The plane was so cool when we
got on board, not like a commercial flight where you had to beg them to
turn on the AC. The seats were more like recliners and there were these
screens on the wall that kept you updated on speed, altitude, temp and
where we were. It was totally badass, which I of course shared with Neil
who leaned down to me and said, "Yeah, I think so too every time I get on
the damn thing."

We landed in OC and a car service picked us up at the airport to drive us
to Neil's house in Laguna Beach. Josh was beside himself with all the shit
he wanted to show me. It was really kind of cute, even Lane got a kick out
of it.

We got to the house after about an hour in the car, mostly because of
traffic, and it was absolutely amazing. Living here, on the beach, must
have been wonderful. Josh showed Cat and me to our rooms, while Lane put
their stuff up. He left me and then came running back with a box from
someplace called Thalia's surf shop. Lane followed behind him with the
board.

"Here," he said impatiently while handing me the box, "Try this on."

I opened it up to find a wet suit inside. I looked up at Josh who was
smiling like he'd just given me the keys to a beautiful home and brand NEW
CAR and all he did was nod.

"A wetsuit?" I asked.

Completely enthusiastic, "Yeah, I'm gonna teach you guys to surf!"

"Oh my God, I thought you were kidding!" I said.

I looked cooly at Lane, who was smirking. "You knew about this?"

To which he responded, "Oh yeah. I think it's a good idea!"

I just laughed, "No you don't. You think it's a terrible idea, I know that
look."

Josh quickly turned to Lane and looked at him for just a second, "Oh my
God, he's right. You do think this is a terrible idea!" and then he sat
down on my bed, crushed.

Lane walked over to him and stood in front of him. "I do think it's a
terrible idea but I saw how excited you got about it and knew if I told you
that, you wouldn't go through with it. I may think it's a craptastic idea,
but I never said I wouldn't do it."

Josh looked up with this evil grin on his face, "I'm going to make you pay
for this," he said grabbing him around the waist. Me? Oh, thanks for asking
about what I was doing in my own room. I started shucking clothes to pull
on the wet suit. I mean, I needed to try it on and I wasn't going to
distract them. I could have slapped them both with my dick and it wouldn't
have distracted them.

When I was done, I loudly said, "Ta DA!"

Josh looked over at me and sat up, "Damn, man. You look GOOD in that!"

Lane followed quickly with a head nod. I looked at myself in the mirror and
realized that all the work I'd done had actually given me a pretty good
body. I'd known I was cute for a while, but the way I looked in that wet
suit made me feel really good.

I looked back over at them and said, "Thanks!"

We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out, going down to the beach,
just goofing off in general. Neil took us to a decent Mexican place and
then we came home. Josh demanded we be up at 6 to start instruction.

Honestly, it wasn't that bad. The really tricky part was getting up on the
board, but after that if you could skateboard, it was pretty easy to get
it. Honestly, it was a lot of fun. We broke off after 8 and sat on the
beach for while, relaxing. About 15 minutes later, we heard this voice
coming from further up the beach. It was a big guy walking toward
us. Bigger than Josh. I figured it would take both of us to kick his ass,
and even then I wasn't sure.

"Hey, they don't let homos on this beach until at least 11!" the voice
boomed.

Josh immediately turned and squinted, then got up and ran as fast as he
could toward the voice. I jumped up, thinking Josh was going on the attack
and I needed to be there to back him up. Meanwhile, Lane just sat there. No
movement, nothing. I thought it was odd, but figured if we survived I could
give him shit later.

As Josh got close to the guy, with me about 10 feet behind him he slowed to
a fast walk and went right up and ... hugged the guy. I stopped dead in my
tracks, not knowing what the hell was happening.

"Damn it's good to see you, Bruce!" Josh said.

"You too, bro!"the dude said. "Hey, I think one of your boys thought you
were in trouble." And Josh turned to look at me, standing there, with a
very confused look on my face.

"Oh, man... I'm sorry, Rob. This is Bruce, my first real boyfriend." Bruce,
mercifully, broke the hug and walked over to me with his hand out. When he
reached me, we fist bumped then he pulled me into a hug.

"Damn, you are so much cuter in person than the pictures Josh showed
me. Josh, can I have him?"

"Hell no. He's about to be my brother and I damn well don't want him
anywhere near the likes of you." he said, laughing.

About that time Lane yelled over, "Y'all come back!" and we walked back
down the beach. Bruce went over to give Lane a hug and said, "I can't
believe you're still with this loser."

Lane just smiled back, "Yeah, well, I felt sorry for him. Plus, he's really
good in bed."

Bruce just laughed, sitting down next to me on the beach, "Well, some
things never change."

"Yep, I'm always going to be good in bed."

Bruce just sighed and as he drew in breath, I was fixated on his massive
shoulders and traps. What the hell is in the water here, I thought. "I was
talking about getting someone to feel sorry for you."

We all chatted back and forth about the trip and what Bruce had been up to
(lifting, obviously) and what we were doing for the rest of our stay. It
was getting close to 11 so Josh and Lane went to ask if it was OK if Bruce
stayed for lunch. Leaving us together on the beach.

We both started to speak at the same time, which caused me to blush and
look down. When I looked back up, he was staring at me, smiling. "You
first."

"OK,"I said, leaning back, "Josh told me his side of your relationship,
what about yours?"

"He has a side? That's funny. Seriously, I doubt if the stories differ
much. Josh was in seventh and I was in eighth. I wasn't ready to come out
all the way, but I was definitely into him. We got together and he
inadvertently outed me. We continued for another another few months until
he moved to Texas two years ago. That's really about it."

I looked at him, confused. "The way he told it, you wanted him to out him."

Bruce laughed, "Yeah, but he did it inadvertently. It was actually pretty
good, telling those chicks, because it got it out far and wide and there
was no turning back."

I asked, "How'd your parents deal with it?"

"They were pretty cool. They were just wondering if I was sure. I didn't
tell them about everything but I told them I'd been with both men and women
and I knew. Of course, my experience paled next to Josh's, but whose
doesn't."

At that, I burst out laughing, "I always feel like a little kid around him
when he's talking about sex and relationships."

He leaned back on his hands, "Don't let him fool you. He has his issues
just like the rest of us. But he's such a good guy. I'm really glad he's
got so many good people around him in Texas. It's funny... "and he trailed
off.

"What's funny?"I asked.

Bruce looked at me, "When you guys tried to get together two years ago and
it failed he was really upset about it. Meeting you, I get why. You're
something special."

I just smiled back, my face bright red, "Thanks, but I know I'm just
another scrawny gay kid."

He looked over at me, "Don't ever sell yourself short. I've known you maybe
thirty minutes and I can tell you're intelligent, funny,
uncharacteristically self conscious about being attractive, loyal, and
brave."

"Brave? Where the hell did that come from?"

"You. When you saw Josh take off running toward someone saying nasty shit,
you didn't hesitate, you just followed. Why?"

I thought for a second, "I wanted to have his back. But I was anything but
brave when I saw what I was running toward. At that point, I figured the
best I could do was even the odds."

"But you still kept running..."

"Well, yeah. Josh is one of my closest friends. I'd do anything I could not
to see him beat down by some beast."

"Hey, watch it!"

I just laughed, "Well, have you seen yourself?"

"Good point. But, back to what I was saying, you get that was brave. Most
guys wouldn't have done that let alone kept running when they saw it was
someone like me. Josh picked his friends well."

I smiled inwardly a bit, "I hadn't thought of it that way, but I guess he
did."

Lane came out about that point and yelled for us to come in and eat. To be
honest, I hadn't thought about how hungry I was until that point.

We ended up hanging out with Bruce a bunch since he lived just down the
beach and had a car. I even got some special instruction from him when Josh
was teaching Cat how to surf in the early morning.

Neil had planned a party for the Thursday before we left to see everyone
he'd not had a chance to connect with. That Wednesday night, while we were
at a party at the house of one of Josh's old friends, I told Josh I wanted
Bruce to be my first and asked if he had a problem with it. He looked at me
for a second and smiled.

"Honestly, are you sure that's where you want to go with this? Once it's
done, it's done. You're not developing feelings for him, are you?"

In truth, it wasn't a terrible question. I was, they just weren't of the
more relationship oriented variety. Bruce was Bruce and I was me and in a
few days we'd be 1400 miles away from each other. But, I knew he was a good
guy and I knew I could trust him with my virgin ass. I was certain I wanted
this to be as delinked as possible to a relationship. I didn't want to
force myself into a relationship in order to experience this and I didn't
want to be pressured to do it from within one. Plus, Bruce was experienced
and my gut said to go with the guy who knows his way around a virgin hole.

And Bruce definitely did that. That Thursday, we played and he got me
begging for him to stick it in. At 10x6, his dick was Josh-like and I was
just hoping it wouldn't hurt too much. It helped that I wanted it and
thankfully he was patient as hell.

He started me off on my back, with my legs on his massive shoulders. For a
kid who was about to be a junior, his body was impressive. He started
stretching me slowly, reaching in deep and rubbing around my prostate to
make me feel good. By the time the third finger was in, I was begging for
it.

I won't lie, it hurt. Like a motherfucker and sweat was pouring off
me. Bruce was patient, but after what seemed like 10 minutes I asked him
how far he was in and he looked down and replied, "a little over halfway."

It took forever to get him in, but it was worth it. I felt full, stuffed to
the gills, but there was constant pressure on my prostate and it felt so
good, especially as he started to stroke. My dick was leaking pretty
continuously and I knew it wouldn't be long until I blew, just from the
pressure in my ass. I could feel it build and then suddenly, as he was
pulling out, I came hard. Bruce held still inside me, enjoying the massage
my orgasm was giving his cock. As it subsided he leaned down to kiss me and
slowly went all the way in. It was much easier this time and he wasted no
time, steadily picking up speed until his own orgasm which came with noises
from deep within him that made my hair stand on end.

Honestly, I've heard about other's first times. How awkward and painful it
was, even with a smaller dick. This was anything but. Sure, there was pain
but Bruce prepped me well and I wanted it. I was really happy about my
decision.

We spent about 30 minutes lying in his bed, before we were energized enough
for round two. This time I had to jerk myself and we ended up cumming
together, which was pretty awesome.

After that, we took a nap and didn't wake up until 130. The thought crossed
my mind to go for another round but my grumbling stomach put that to
rest. I tried to get up from the bed, only to have his arm pull me back
which made me giggle.

"Trying to get away?" he asked with a sleepy grin.

"Yeah, I'm hungry and I need a shower. We smell,"which made him laugh.

"Welcome to sex," he said, raising up to give me a kiss.

We ended up hosing down together, too tired and hungry to do much but grope
and tug, then dressed and made our way down to his kitchen. We ate like
half starved pigs and, when sated, crashed in front of the TV with him
holding me. Occasionally he'd kiss my neck or show some other kind of
affection and it was nice, welcome even. He wasn't being possessive, just
loving. He was a lot like Brian in some ways, but very different in one big
one. Brian didn't want a relationship, but I got the sense that if things
were different, Bruce would. And it didn't bother me. Bruce could have made
today a horrible experience but instead made it one that was absolutely
wonderful. Everyone should be so lucky to have that as their first time.

About 4, I headed back to the house to get ready for the party, which
started at 6. I ran straight into my mother who, of course, wondered where
the hell I'd been.

"Hanging with Bruce. He showed me some GTA cheats and we watched TV for a
bit," I explained to her.

She looked at me and from her expression I knew she knew I was
lying. Thankfully, she didn't press the subject.

"Well, go get ready for the party. I want you ready and downstairs at
6. This is something Neil and Josh really enjoy doing so don't be late."

I sighed, "Yes ma'am" and ran up to my room only to find Josh and Lane
there, fooling around on my bed.

They didn't even bother trying to stop when I came through the door.

"Damn, y'all... do that in your own room. I don't want y'all getting
dogwater and cum all over the place!"I said, laughing.

Lane broke off a kiss from Josh and, as Josh went for his neck, shakily
said, "We were waiting for you to get back and got bored. Ouch! Don't bite
me like that!" he said, hitting the back of Josh's head. "I take it things
went well?"

I sat down on the bed. "Yeah, it went really well,"and they both payed
attention as I told the story of my morning and early afternoon. Lane
seemed genuinely happy, Josh as little less so and I didn't know why.

After the story, Lane went to take a shower and get ready and I asked Josh
to stay behind.

"Are you mad at me?"

Josh rubbed his eyes and said, "No. I'm just disappointed that I wasn't
your first. That it didn't work for us, but it did for Bruce. I'm happy and
I know it's what you wanted, but it's a nag in the back of my mind. I
wanted it to be me."

I stood up and jumped into him, hugging him as tightly as I could.

"I know man and I'm grateful. I'm even more grateful you didn't stand in
the way of this."

He wiped away some tears, "Like you would have listened to me?"

"You know I would have. I'd have been pissed but I would have listened and
followed your advice. But I needed this. I needed to know and I wanted it
to be with someone I knew I could trust."

He hugged me back, "Well, if it had to be anyone I'm glad it was Bruce. You
know, I never took that thing so congratulations on that!" he finished,
smiling.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna have to be extra careful for the next few days,
but damn was it worth it!"

Josh left and I got ready for the party. I had a linen suit with me that I
paired with a light blue shirt. I thought I looked pretty good in it, it
was a custom suit that mother had made for me and it hugged me
nicely. About 545 I was ready and went downstairs.

The caterers were buzzing about and the food looked at amazing. We had our
first round of guests right at 6 and then the rest after. Bruce and his
family came in around 630 and Bruce pulled me aside.

"Just curious, but do you think you might want to top me tomorrow morning
before you leave?" he asked.

I was a little bewildered, but more than happy to accommodate him. "Of
course, when we get out of the water."

With that, he looked to make sure we were unobserved, then leaned in for a
quick kiss. It was really sweet and yet another reason why I was sure he
wanted more even if he wasn't going to say it.

About 815 Neil got everyone's attention and introduced Cat and me to the
crowd. I know I was a little embarrassed and I saw Lane looking at me with
a huge grin. Last, he introduced my mother.

"When we first moved to Texas, Josh was lucky enough to make some great
friends, one of whom is Rob. It was through him I got to know Bethany." he
turned to look directly at my mother. "After Susan died, I was pretty
certain I'd never find anyone who touched my heart the way she did. Or made
me laugh. Or even feel. But from the first time I saw you, I understood
that wasn't the case. We started as friends, two parents both concerned
about our children, and through that I saw you as more than just a fellow
parent, I knew you that you cared as much about my son as I did. As we
started to date, I realized you cared about me just as Susan did. I
realized months ago that I can't imagine my life without you, Cat, and Rob
in it and so I'm asking you," and he dropped down on one knee in front of
my mother, smoothly pulling a black box out of his pocket, "Will you marry
me?"

My mother stood there, one hand holding a champagne flute and the other on
her mouth. What was only a second or two seemed like minutes before she
removed her hand from her mouth and with tears in her eyes said, "Yes".

Cat and I both simultaneously said, "Louder" which drew some laughter from
the crowd and my mother looked at us both with a smile on her face which
could have made anyone in the world happy, and said, much louder, "Yes".

The crowd erupted in cheers of congratulations and Cat and I hugged one
another as Josh came up and tried wrapping us both in his arms. We then
walked up to our parents and hugged them. It was only a moment but it felt
so good to see and feel my mother so happy.

The party went on for another two hours, with the two them making the
rounds. The kids mostly settled out on the deck and drank champagne we'd
snuck out. Bruce sat next to me. When his parents were ready to go, he
asked to stay a little longer and they said yes. About an hour later, my
mother came out and made sure everyone who was drinking wasn't driving then
went back in with Neil and they disappeared into the bedroom. I told Bruce
I needed his help with something and we ended up going back to my room
where I topped him. THAT was an interesting experience given the difference
in size and how heavy his legs were. At that point I wasn't quite seven
inches and wasn't really thick so it was pretty easy for him to take me. We
came together, very quickly, and then collapsed on each other for about 30
minutes before we dressed and went back out.

Lane and Josh were still out there talking with some of Josh's
friends. When they left, Bruce said his good byes and walked back down to
his house. Lane went to bed a little while later, leaving just Josh and I
to split a bottle of champagne.

"You're ok with all this, aren't you?" he asked.

"Of course," I replied. "You know how I feel about you and your
dad. Honestly, I thought this was coming anyway so I was pretty prepared
for it. I'm not blind... I know my mother isn't going to stay single
forever and I love your dad, man. Honest."

He looked at me with tears in his eyes. "I can't tell you how happy I am,
Rob. I've thought about you guys and as my second family for more than year
and I'm just happy it'll be official. I love you, man."

I put my head back against his shoulder and said "I know, and I love you
too."

We sat there like that for maybe another thirty minutes, just staring out
into the ocean. The closeness felt good, as did the wind coming off the
ocean. It was a time I'll remember for the rest of my life, the first time
I really had a brother.

Friday was pretty uneventful. My mother spent most of the day on the phone
with family and friends. I asked at one point if she'd talked to daddy and
she said he was OK with everything, not that he really had a choice.

I spent the afternoon with Bruce who was kind enough to help me scratch and
itch deep inside my ass. I was sore from the day before, and I bled again,
but it felt really good. That afternoon we said our good byes and as I
left, he suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me into a kiss. This one was
fireworks, explosions, weak knees, stars... all of it. When he pulled away,
it was a second or two before I opened my eyes to see him smiling at me.

"That was for being you and to let you know how I feel. Remember that
kiss. The guy who kisses you like that, he's the one you date. Don't ever
settle, you're too special." He hugged me tightly to him. "And, if nothing
works out, maybe one day we can reconnect when we have more control over
our lives."

I've stayed in contact with Bruce ever since. When I was in the hospital,
he was one of the many people who flew in to visit.

That evening we had dinner at home, packed and watched a movie together. I
can't even remember what it was, I fell asleep about five minutes into
it. Josh had sat down in the middle of the sofa and Cat and were on either
side, basically laying on him. Mother has a picture of it, with the two of
them all smiles and me sleeping. It's one of my favorites shots of the
three of us, a picture I wake up to every morning.

The next day we piled onto the plane for the return trip to Texas and the
start of what would be a very tumultuous year.

Thanks for reading! Any comments can be sent to doncornelius69 at yahoo dot
com.

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