Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001 17:24:58 -0500
From: insanevisionary@hotmail.com
Subject: Barton Hardwick 11

 I leaned into him and kissed him quick, and then went for all the extra
frosting I could get.
  He just sat there and let me.
  That was the best chocolate frosting I ever had, right down into my
undies.

                            Part Eleven

  How can you let a perfectly good piece of cake go to waste?
  We sat there talking, holding hands, goofing around and eating.  As soon
as our plates were empty, I looked at one of the other pieces just sitting
there, and then at Barton.  He read my mind.  We each grabbed a plate and
dug in.
  We were about to split the last one when we were invaded by all three
parents.
  "Hey!" my Dad yelled.  Barton let go of my hand.
  "Who ate my piece of cake??" Dad asked.
  "He did," I pointed at Barton with my fork.
  Barton put on an innocent look.  "No, he did," he pointed back.
  "Did not."
  "Did too."
  Dad put his hands on his hips.  "Well then, I guess we're just going to
have to have the both of you arrested until we can find out the truth."
  "You can't," I said folding my arms across my chest.
  "Why not?"
  "Cuz.  We're just little kids.  Right?"  I put on my best angel smile,
blinked my eyes, and looked at Barton.
  He folded his arms the same and put on the same look.
  In the kitchen, Barton's Dad started to laugh.
  "Yeah," Barton said.  "Besides, there isn't any evidence because we ate
it."
  I frowned and looked at him.
  "Ooops.  I mean he did." Barton said and pointed at me again.
  "Barton..." I started.
  Then Mom came into the room holding a plate.  She handed it to my Dad and
said, "Here you go, you big baby."  She winked at me, then went back toward
the kitchen, shaking her head.  "Honestly.  Threatening your own son over a
silly piece of cake..."
  Dad sat down and picked up a fork.  "Dessert is not silly," he said.
  Mom and Joe came back with another plate.  Mom took the last piece on the
table.
  Joe took a big bite and said, "Now this, is worth getting arrested for."
  "I told you it wasn't silly," Dad said.
  Then Mom looked at me and said, "You two seem to be feeling okay about
things now, Hmm?"
  I nodded my head.
  "That's good," she said.  "I hope that wasn't too hard for you.  We
really didn't want to embarrass you, but we wanted you to know how we feel.
You don't have to go around hiding anything.  Okay?"
  "K, Mom."  Oh, man.  Enough torture already!!!
  "Good.  And we won't bring it up again either unless we have to, but also
remember that you always can."
  "That's right," Barton's father joined in now.  Geez...  "That means that
if something is bothering you, or anything - we want you to ask us about
it, OK?"
  We both nodded this time.
  A moment passed, then Barton said, "Da-ad..?"
  Oh No!  What's he doing?
  He glanced at me, then away.  "Does this mean..?" He stopped and
swallowed.  Oh NO! Barton!  NO! Don't!  Please!!
  I reached over and pinched his leg to try to get him to stop.  He grabbed
my fingers and squeezed real hard and started again.
  "Does this - mean we're gay?"
  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!  Holy Crapcake with Turd Ice Cream!!!
  "Barton!" I yelled right in his ear.
  He jumped.  "What?!"  Then he made a bad face at me. "They said we could
ask an'... and I wanna know.  Don't you?"
  I was really angry now.  "NO!" I yelled.
  "JOHN..." my father started, but Mom put her hand over his on the table
and he stopped.
  Barton looked stunned and hurt.
  Wrong answer again, John.  Way wrong.  You do want to know, you just
didn't have the guts to ask.  Damn it!  He is so much braver than me.
  Barton started to get up.
  I reached for his arm and held it in both hands.  "No. Please."
  He sat back down.  Our faces were about six inches apart and I had that
kissing feeling.  "I... I'm sorry I yelled at you Barton," I said.  "Please
don't leave, OK?"  I felt something run down my cheek.  Oh, no!  Am I
crying?  Oh, man, what a baby.
  Barton's face went soft.  I let one hand fall down next to his.
  I looked up and said "I'm sorry," again to no one in particular.
  "It's okay, honey," Mom said.  "You're probably a little scared right
now, and that's..."
  "I'm not scared, Mom," my voice rose a bit.
  Barton slipped his fingers between mine.
  "John?"  That was Barton's Dad. "It's okay that you yelled," he said
quietly. He was smiling at me.  "That's just what happens sometimes.  When
you - start to have strong feelings for someone, things get more difficult
and sometimes you want to yell.  We all do.  Dealing with strong feelings
is one of the less fun things about growing up.
  I don't know if this means you're gay," he was looking at Barton now.
  "That's something you'll have to find out together.  I don't think you
need to label things, anyway.  Let's just say that you and John really like
each other and that is how you are, at least for now, and leave it at that,
OK?  And for what it's worth to you John, I really like you a lot too and I
think that Barton is a very lucky boy to have you."
  I wiped my face.  "Thanks, Mr. Hardwick," I said in a half-whisper.
  Barton squeezed my hand.  "Thanks Dad."
  "Why don't you two go and brush you teeth and watch some TV if you want,"
Mom said.
  I picked up my plate and headed for the kitchen to rinse it off.
  "That was real nice, what you said to them, Joe," Dad's low voice came
from the other room.
  "Thanks.  I'm not even sure what I said now, but..."  He shook his head
and looked away across the room, and sighed.
  "What is it, Joe?" Mom asked.
  A broad smile lit his face, then his chin went to his chest.  He shook
his head again and came up blinking.  Then he wiped his mouth with his
hand, his smile returned and he said, "I've always thought...  I mean, I
think I know my son really well, you know?" he paused again and looked out
the window and then back.  "I've spent whole nights just watching him
sleep.  I know a day ahead when he's not feeling well.  I know when he has
to go to the bathroom, when he's getting hungry, or if he's thinking about
a Math problem.
  But I've - never seen such a look of Love in his eyes, as I did just a
minute ago."
  Dan nodded, his face serious.  "Yeah, I can't believe I just heard John
raise his voice like that, apologize twice, and cry all in the same five
minutes."
  "Did you hear the two of them in here, giggling together like that when
we were out on the deck..." I heard my Mom say as I headed for the
bathroom.