Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2010 15:24:13 +0000 (GMT)
From: Jonas Henley <jonas_henley@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Kids of Indian Spring, Chapter 24a

Kids of Indian Spring
By Jonas Henley


Chapter 24a
The Price of Self-Reliance



Wednesday, 21 June 1995
07:45 am


Someone's there. By the bed.

Kelley's subconscious drug him up, from the depths of the stale rest to
which he had finally succumbed, and back into wakefulness. He popped his
eyes open, having to stretch them open practically and bat them to loosen
the gathered sleep. He finally focused on the blond head of Ashton, his
hair just beginning to brown some, very slightly, in the last year.

The 9 year old boy had his half smile, half other-worldly benign-being look
going as he rested his head on his arms right in front of Kelley's face.

"Ashton. What are you doing?"

"Can you smell the bacon?" He asked innocently.

Usually nothing could get the boys moving like pancakes and bacon for
breakfast. The smell would permeate the house and wake them refreshed no
matter how fitful the sleep. But somehow it wasn't working for Kelley.

Kelley furrowed his brow and looked around, taking in as deep a breath as
he dared in the possible prospect of returning to sleep.

"I don't smell any bacon, Ashton. Are you sure mom and dad are up?"  Kelley
mumbled out.

Ashton just nodded. His face was only subtle in showing that he was
happy. He kept his eyes focused on his big brother's the whole time, lips
tight together, but seemingly in a relaxed way, the whole time he gave his
silent affirmative.

"Well I don't smell any bacon."

Ashton rolled his eyes up like he was watching a fly take off toward the
ceiling. The brief look of contemplation caused a slight turning up at the
corners of the mouth, a look that Kelley had long ago learned to interpret
as Ashton being very excited and happy.

"Mom just took them out of the package," he said brightly, returning his
look into Kelley's eyes..

" Oh. . . . . all right then. . . . Uh, why don't you go and get Ethan up."

Ashton leaned in and lowered his voice, "Ethan said I could . . . "

"OK, OK. Never mind. I can figure out what Ethan said. All right, I'm up,
Ashton, we'll be right down."

"Are you naked under there?"

Kelley smiled at his brother's innocence in being able to ask anything.
"No, I'm not. Are you disappointed?"

Ashton shrugged. He was more interested in the state of things than what
the things actually were or meant. Kelley knew that Ashton didn't have the
slightest sexual interest in boys' bodies. Ashton ran out the door and
headed downstairs.

Kelley had to think for a moment, though - was he naked under the sheet? He
lifted up the blanket and looked to see, finding himself to be wearing
Batman boxers. Were those Nathan's? It would explain why they felt a little
small.

Kelley started to get up and out of bed when another thought occurred to
him - just out of curiosity at least. He turned over and looked at
Malcolm's form with his back to him. Was Malcolm naked? Nope. But he looked
good in his BVD's. That is to say, he looked better in clean and new BVD's
than the ratty briefs he came with.

The boys eventually all filtered downstairs, for by now there really was
the smell of bacon in the air. Hal and Sylvie were double teaming
breakfast, serving up pancakes with warmed Maple syrup, an egg sunny side
up, 3 strips of bacon, a small glass of orange juice and a large glass of
milk, and a surprise cinnamon bun to top it off.

"Wow! You eat like this every morning?"  Malcolm asked, once again amazed
by the Tucker household.

"Nah," Kelley answered the astounded but thoroughly happy boy, "Usually
just Sunday's is the big breakfast day. You should come sometime,"

Malcolm made a note of it and dug in, feeling safe to do so with the
encouragement from the Tucker family. Everyone enjoyed the meal, of course,
and the family time, as it was, couldn't have been better showcased for
Malcolm.

The doorbell rang and Ashton ran to get it, saying it was probably Patrick
or Katherine Cormack. They were supposed to go exploring that morning along
the North Ridge below Sweetwater, near where the Indian Spring boundary was
on that side.

"You be careful over there, and check in regularly with Mrs. Cormack!"  His
mom yelled after him"

But Ashton came moping back into the breakfast area, a bit bewildered and
put out. He rarely got anything wrong when it was a case of 'who or what
was behind door number 2'. He was slowly figuring out, though, that there
were two people who always threw him off. He could compensate for his
brother, because after all, they were brothers. But the other boy he
couldn't figure out, and Patrick and Katherine would never say anything
about it.

"It's for Tucker," Ashton said, sitting down with an almost dejected look.

"Well, why didn't you ask whoever it was to come in?"  his mom asked him.

Kelley wasn't so sure that was the best idea anymore. He had already had
more than a few surprises at the front door this past week, but just as he
was getting up to go to the door:

"I let myself in," Duncan called out as he came around the corner.  "Hey
Tuck, Ethan; hello Mr. and Mrs. Tucker, hey . . . .uh . . . wh- . . . um,
hey Malcolm. I didn't even recognize you at first."

"Duncan, have you eaten?"  Silvie asked the strapping 12 1/2 year old red
head. She was one of the few that if you asked her who she thought the most
handsome boy in Indian Spring was after Kelley, she would pick Duncan over
his brother Connor. There weren't many, but she thought Duncan had that
special allure that adds so much to handsomeness. Although she had to
admit, that Jake Finney boy, with his dark hair and gypsy looks -
whhooo. She sometimes had to stop and shake her head clear.

"There is just way too much sex in this house," she would mutter later
under her breath while getting the dishes in the sink.

"Yes, ma'am," Duncan responded to her breakfast question.  "I had some
cereal."

Silvie tsk'd and shook her head. Katherine Cormack would have done the
exact same thing had the roles been reversed, which is how Duncan found
himself seated at the table anyway, a plate of pancakes being placed before
him.

"So, uh - wow, that's a lot Mrs. T. Um, thanks! So, uh . . . . "

"What am I doing here?"  Malcolm asked pre-emptively. There was a sudden,
yet subtle, tenseness around the room, but immediately dissipated when
everyone saw the broad smile on his face.

"Uh, well, I wasn't going to say it like that. Well, I hope I wasn't."

"I'm just sort of . . . . waking up. I think." The smile dimmed, and
Malcolm stared into his food, but only for a moment as he returned to
eating and slowly built back up his gusto.

Duncan's gift of protection, however, was more than just the family belief
and legend, regardless of how some might want to believe it as true or
not. He also lived it in a way. He sensed and looked out for people in his
path who needed protection and could accept it.

"Malcolm, you ever been to one of our water wars at my house?"

"No. I've never been invited."

"Well if you tell my mom that she'll take a wooden spoon to my butt."

Kelley looked up from his pancakes and nodded non-chalantly. It was true.

"So, hopefully you won't tell her that," Duncan continued, "but we got one
coming up, maybe Monday. You can just come on out. We have plenty of
balloons and water guns. It's a lot of fun. You'll love it."

And so now Malcolm had another friend. And Duncan wasn't just saying it to
be nice in front of the Tuckers; he meant it. Mr and Mrs Tucker got ready
to leave for work and said their goodbyes.

"Well, I better get ready to go; oh I forgot, Kelley, Tamara Carlin called;
she can't get a hold of Nathan. She wants you to get a message to him."

"He's supposed to come over later, I think,"

"Perfect, the mayor wants Tamara to help review permits for several
apartment developments in the city, and she said she cant get to it until
late in the afternoon. Apparently there are some nervous apartment
management companies and a lot of money for the city on the line. Dave was
already going to be late, so she wanted to know if Nathan can stay here. I
told her of course he could, but she also said that if a boy named, oh what
was his name . . . ."

"Zeke."

"Something like that . . . . Oh, she said Ezekiel. Must be the same boy; so
if 'Zeke' wants him to stay at his house then that's fine as well. You boys
just let me know." Sylvie said

"Goodbye, dear; I'll be home late so I can get off early Friday."  Hal
said.

"Now you better not wait another 8 years before you come around again,
Malcolm, sweetie," Silvie called out, "And if you feel those drawings may
be safer here, Kelley will clear out a place in his closet for you to keep
them."

"You draw?"  Duncan asked.

This led the boys to another half-hour diversion in the front room, until
Kelley announced he had to go and see someone about a job.

"Be careful," was all Malcolm said quietly.

"Good luck with the job, Tuck!" Duncan called out as he pulled Malcolm with
him, taking the still socially fearful boy back to his house to hang out.





10:15 am

The doorbell rang and Kelley hurried to get it. He had only barely gotten
out of the shower, having felt he could really use one unaccompanied, but
he knew who it was. And so, despite himself thinking that he had learned
better by now, he answered the door with a mostly wet head and nothing more
than a towel loosely bunched around his waist and held closed at the side.

"Hey, Nate!"

Nathan Carlin's first response was merely a raise of both eyebrows, as he
took in the nearly naked boy that had been his best friend for so many
years. He could hardly tear his eyes away from where that white towel was
loosely falling over the lightly tanned unblemished skin, suggesting that
naked cascade of flesh and muscle down to the stunning boys developing
penis and balls. But that all remained hidden from view, as well as any
suggestion below of the small patch of honey brown hairs that Nathan knew
was there.

His eyes slowly traveled up the flat stomach, the innie belly button, the
small dark brown nipples, and there, as the boy's arm held open the door,
the hint of a few light hairs under his arm. Nate licked his lips, but
broke into an innocent broad smile as he looked into the face of his best
friend. Despite the lust he had for the body, it was the soul of Kelley
within that he always saw when he looked in his face. It was this, and the
friendship with this, that he loved and always wanted.

"Hey Tuck!"

"Well, you wanna gawk from there, or come in and get a better view?"

Kelley felt at ease kidding Nate. He knew that Nate liked to look. It
didn't hurt him, so he would never begrudge his friend that. But Nate still
playfully flipped him off when he walked inside.

"I'm glad you came, Nate. Sorry to ask you to come with me, but, uh
. . . . well . . . . . come on upstairs. I gotta finish getting dressed."

 "Hey, Tucker, you know," Nate started as they climbed the stairs and
imagining the perfection of ass that the loose towel hid, though the start
of the bulge of Kelley's left cheek was clearly in view, and Nate's dick
responded of its own accord, "You still owe me from that time last week in
Coolspring . . . . "

Kelley paused near the top of the stairs and turned to Nathan, forcing his
blond young friend to shift his gaze up to his eyes.  "Nate, considering
what happened to us after we were caught, I don't really think I should owe
you anything."

A shiver went through Nathan as he gave a half-smile back and shrugged. He
had a point.

Once in Kelley's room, Nathan sat on the bed as Kelley pulled out some
underwear and a T-shirt and put them on top of the dresser.

"So, how are things going with your Sweetwater friend?"

Nathan watched as Kelley pulled off the towel and started to dry his
hair. The sudden exposure of the delectable dick and nuts always put a gasp
in Nathan, though he was better at controlling these days. He thought.

He watched the jiggle of the genitals as Kelley quickly dried his hair.
"It's going great. I like Zeke. He's really good to me. He treats me really
nice and doesn't get embarrassed about me any when his other friends come
around, or when we're swimming over at Ivan's or Chase's."

"Oh I forgot, your mom couldn't get you on the phone; she said you should
stay here or at Zeke's tonight."

"Oh cool! Zeke asked me last night if I wanted to come over tonight. I
forgot to ask mom and dad. This works out great. No offense, though, Tuck."

"None taken."

Kelley pulled the towel away and tossed it over his shoulder. He didn't
deliberately put on a show for Nathan; that wasn't it at all, but he also
didn't feel he should ever have to treat Nathan any different than any
other guy he was good friends with. If Nathan liked looking, that wouldn't
changing his friendship a bit; but at the same time, he was drawing a line
against sexual relations with either Nate or Duncan.

(Of course inside it was bothering him that he was subconsciously allowing
for the fact that he was willing to have some sexual activities with other
boys. That just wasn't who he thought that he should be. He still was
having trouble reconciling his imagined future and his real life.)

"Nate, what happens when the sex stuff becomes too much, or he decides he
doesn't really want it? I don't know about him, he seems kinda straight to
me."

'Really straight,' Nate thought to himself, wondering if that's why he was
so hopelessly attracted to him. But at that point Kelley turned around to
get his underwear off the dresser and presented the most perfect ass on
creation to the blond hair boy who never ceased to be amazed by his visual
access to the likes of Kelley and Duncan, even Connor at times, and now
Zeke.

But as he watched Kelley pickup his underwear, he couldn't quite seem to
answer the question, "He uuuhh . . . . . [his flushed and he shook his head
to clear it] . . . jeuuhh . . . .uh .. . . yes . . .thas-uhhumm ...whh-ooh
. . .uh ..  "

Kelley turned sideways and frowned at his friend making no sense. But as
the side-on view was presented with Kelley pulling the briefs up, Nate had
to look away and close his eyes and collect the relevant thoughts at hand.

"Yeah, I know it, uh, can . . . . all come to end. Maybe even before school
starts. But at least I'd have that, you know. I would always have that, or
have had that, or whatever. And I think he would still be nice to me, even
if . . . .when . . . he starts hanging out with his other friends more and
dating girls . . . . and . . . . . "

"Ahhh, Nate." Kelley looked at his best friend, part of his heart breaking
that his friend was different enough to be tossed into a sea of visual and
short-term options with little chance of finding something more worthy of
him. It would be different with Ethan, Kelley understood that
intuitively. Ethan would be perfectly happy to flit, tease, and take fun
where it came until he escaped into the bigger world to find something for
himself. But Nate, poor sweet Nate, was needing someone, more than
something.

"It's not that bad, Tuck," he lied a little and turned back to see his hero
and friend dressed in brand new, white cotton BVD's that fit like a
Lamborghini bucket seat would a driver, accentuating the full luscious
curves of the ass and doing more than just giving subtle hints at the
independence and worth of each mound.  "Wow! You know how incredibly good
you look in those?"

"Thanks."  Kelley said as he picked out a T-shirt and ran his hands through
the sleeves, readying it to be pulled on. He was neither embarrassed nor
distracted by his friend's comment.  "You know, Nate . . . if, um
. . . . if Zeke ever hurt you . . . . . . "

Kelley stared at the shirt, unsure if he wanted to walk that whole thought
out. He already accepted the consequences of it, but not the verbalization
of it. He pulled the T-shirt on while Nathan contemplated his friend, a
pacifist with the agility, reflexes, and responsiveness of a predator. He
knew what Kelley would do.

"You would tell me?" Kelley asked, walking over to Nathan to get his pants
off the bed and put them on.

"Yeah, of course, I would."  Nathan said with all sincerity. He lied. It
came out easily, because of what he felt for both Kelley and Zeke. But it
was the first time in forever he remembered lying to his friend, and not
just because it was futile.

"Good," Kelley smiled broadly and reassuringly, happy to have his friend
trust in him. Kelley slipped on his pants and zipped them up. He thought
about the lie Nate just told. He knew. He saw it clearer than most people
see the turn off onto their own streets. It couldn't have been a more
sincere lie; but there was still trust underneath, and that's all he
needed. He was so attuned to Nate, he wouldn't need the boy's words to tell
him anything.

"Let's go."

"Oh, hey, Tuck," Nathan started as he followed the natural leader down the
steps, "Um, speaking of things that we don't want to repeat in Coolspring,
uh . . . .do we really have to go find those Mexicans?"

"Carlos and Ruben. They have names, Nate."

"Yeah, well, they don't really have a lot else. They don't deserve those
names. I can think of a few others."

"They made an offer. A price to working there. I need the job."

"I thought you said that other guy was gonna teach you how to clean pools."

"Cole? He is. Turned out to be a nice guy; but it still won't be enough
this summer. I gotta do this. It sucks, I know . . ."  Kelley cringed at
his word choice in describing the whole situation as he got his bike out, "
. . .but I can do it once. Well, twice. Twice more at least, since that was
the deal."

"That was the deal last week. We didn't show up last week, remember?"

"I don't think he'll change it."

"That's cause you're not thinking," Nathan mumbled, kicking up his
kickstand and starting off behind Kelley.

"Look, I could see inside him. Sounds weird . . ."

"For you? Not really."

"Anyway. He honors his deals. I can see it. So all I have to do is just get
through what he said, and then it's done. I can work all rest of the
summer."

"Stupidest . . ."  The first word of a long mumble on the biking up the
hill to Coolspring was the only word Kelley caught in Nathan's tirade to
himself. He was very aware that Nathan neither approved nor even wanted to
be there. But Kelley didn't want to be alone, and he knew Nathan wouldn't
abandon him. On the converse, Kelley wouldn't dare suggest that Nathan
didn't need to be there and could go; as much as it would please Nathan on
one account, it would seriously hurt his feelings on another level.

So the two boys continued onward to the Gladecrest Apartments at the front
of Coolspring where they knew they would find 14 1/2 year old Carlos
Salvador, son of the owner of Dos Amigos Ancianos Lawn Care Company, and
his 13 1/2 year old friend Ruben Garcia doing lawn and hedge maintenance.

Enroute they continued some small talk about how Nathan had been doing over
the last week, most of it concerning Zeke, and a lot of things that Kelley
would have rather not known about Nate, but which the effervescent blond
boy couldn't help but excitedly describe.

Kelley cut a lot of the descriptions short, but he gathered quite well that
Nate very much enjoyed Zeke's dick; seemed to be almost as much in love
with that dick as he was the boy himself. There were aborted descriptions
of the multiple blowjobs that had taken place, largely within the bedrooms
of the two boys - to which Kelley was very pleased that Zeke played it cool
outside the privacy of their houses. He was also glad to hear, not so much
hear it as know it, that Zeke was not above returning the favor, even if he
didn't need to know that boy had gotten a kick out of giving Nate three
orgasms in a row earlier in the week without letting go of his dick once
from his mouth.

He also gave Nate the chance to experience life as a top (even though it
wasn't actually Nate's first), though Nate still loved the feeling of Zeke
entering him from behind, especially as they lay naked in the bed, the cool
sheet over them, Zeke's stronger arms enveloping him, that dick he loved so
much broaching the anal gateway and sliding deep within, all the while Zeke
pulled him into his warm body and embraced him. It was the dominant Zeke
again, that too-cool tough kid from school that was now rhythmically
fucking his ass, but at the same time placing the most tender of kisses on
the back of his neck.

Just for the very few experiences they had had, despite how many they
seemed to be able to cram into a week, Nathan could forgive the boy of
anything that could ever happen in the future.

"I'm glad you're happy, Nate."  And he was, but he felt a gnawing concern
at the pit of his belly for this summer fling, despite how nice and caring
this Zeke kid seemed. At some point, school would restart, and there would
truly be no room for Nate in the clique Zeke ran with.  He sighed. He
wanted to move the topic off of Zeke.

"Do you ever get down to the Cormacks to see Duncan anymore?"  He asked as
they coasted to a stop sign and waited on a few cars. As soon as he said
it, though, he was wondering if he was going to regret it. They still
probably weren't going to move off the topic of sex. He was right. The
chatterbox went on, oblivious of the fact they were out in public and at a
stop sign where any other bike or jogger or dog walker could pull up to.

"Yeah, Zeke knows I still like to do stuff with Duncan. He walked in on
Duncan once screwing Joey - that was sooo hot, too. And not just seeing
Duncan do it when I know what it feels like, but seeing Zeke see it and
later find out that . . . . um, well never mind. Anyways, I think Zeke
kinda wants to try it. I keep telling him that he should try giving Duncan
a blow job, but I don't think he likes that so much, even though I told him
how great Duncan tastes, except right after I told him that I think I kinda
hurt his feelings so I had to tell him why it was so much more fun and
nicer giving him blowjobs, which in one sense its true . . . . . "

He kept chattering some more, not noticing that Kelley had sat back on his
bike and waited for a few more cars to go through. He was delaying his
return to Carlos and Ruben, knowing what was waiting there for him. He
couldn't do this. He couldn't do it. He wasn't Nate - this sex stuff didn't
fill him with bubbly joy, just consternation, questions, and occasionally a
burning pain in his belly. And even Nate wouldn't do THIS. What the HELL
was wrong with him?

Nate was still prattling on, but it was only the last part that caught
Kelley's attention.  " . . . so I tried to describe what it was like to
feel Duncan start shooting in my mouth, and the taste, you know, Duncan's
cum actually tastes really nice. It's sweet with this sort of roasted
aftertaste."

It was at this point that Kelley looked sharply over.

Nathan caught that.  "What? Have you given Duncan a blow job before?"

"Nate . . . . no."  Kelley sounded exasperated and went back to watching
the few cars that came up, trying to decide what to really do next.

"Soo . . . . do you know somewhat else with great tasting cum that has a
kind of roasted flavor."  Nathan wasn't serious. He was just filling the
time and wondering what was going through Kelley's head at the moment, why
they seemed to be stuck at this stop sign. But then he noticed Kelley blush
furiously at the suggestion and start minutely examining his fingers.

"Dude, you have! Who?"

"Nate . . . "  he started, but couldn't help blushing anew.

"No seriously, maybe I'll want to try," Nathan joked.  "Come on Tuck, tell
me."

"Nathan," Kelley said, looking away and using his friends full first name,
cursing his inability to control something as innocuous, yet revealing, as
a blush.

"Kelley."  Nate simply said, thinking two could play at that game.

Kelley had to weigh his response. On the one hand, Nate was his best
friend, and he trusted him with everything - didn't he? But this
. . . . 'activity' . . . . . wasn't something he wanted to admit to
himself, even. Not out loud. But he had with Malcolm. Or was it because it
was Malcolm? He didn't think so. Maybe it was just the turmoil of finally
having to make the decision of whether to see Carlos and Ruben or
not. Maybe it was everything. Maybe it was just being stuck at the stop
sign. Maybe that was a sign. I mean, he thought, more than a street sign.

"Tucker?"

Kelley had his head turned askance and was staring up at the street
sign. The stop sign. It was a beautiful day - blue skies, light breezes,
scent of gardenias in the air, all of that. Against that blue sky, against
that day, a big red STOP sign.

"Yoo hoo, Earth to Tucker . . . "

"Malcolm," Kelley said abruptly, without turning his attention away from
the STOP sign. "It was Malcolm."

"Wh- uhhh, wh- . . . . . ahh, wh- hunh?"

Malcolm? Did he hear that right? Malcolm? As in Malcolm McEwen? As in . . .

"Do you believe in signs?"  Kelley asked his friend, still staring up at
the brilliant red octagon.

"If I don't want to get run over, yeah, they help."

Kelley looked at Nate and said, "Maybe it's a different kind of sign. Maybe
it's not really saying STOP, but more just saying, you know, realize the
power that you have to choose, and just don't go into it blindly."

"Nooo, it's really saying STOP, or the creepy policeman will pull you over,
and that didn't go so well for us the last time."

"I wish I could read signs like I can people," he said, "though maybe I can
- but I just am not choosing to pay attention."

Nathan looked puzzled at Kelley, then up to the stop sign and then back to
Kelley.  "I think it's fairly obvious that you can read the sign, Tuck, but
if you're waiting for someone to come along and put a 'GO' sign in front of
you . . . . "

"I don't know if there are any 'GO' signs, Nate."  Kelley said sincerely,
looking thoughtfully into the blond boy's eyes.

"Uhh," Okay, Kelley had lost it, or at least Nathan didn't know where he
was. Nathan, of course, was still thinking about traffic signs.  "No, Tuck,
I don't believe there are any 'GO' signs."

"I'll just have to take responsibility if it was just a case of my not
listening, but I think I'm going to look at it as saying, don't let it just
happen to you, take charge. Own it, you know? Maybe that's why I had to
stop,"

Nathan just raised his eyebrows and nodded his head. He had no idea what
Kelley was talking about.

"All right, Nate. Let's go."

"Home? Great, you can tell me about Malcolm on the way."

"Yeah," Kelley said, not listening, really, and not paying attention to the
boy who was already turning his bike around.  "I'll tell you about him on
the way back home."

"Thank you, finally you're making sense.

But Kelley was already off, through the intersection and STILL headed
toward the apartment complex with the lawn care boys. Nathan sighed. He may
not have understood Kelley's dialogue with . . . . . himself? . . . . but
he had hoped the final, positive sounding, 'Let's Go' meant that he had
abandoned this really crazy idea. It wasn't the direction that he wanted
his friend to go. But he was that; his friend. So Nathan turned back again
once more and took off after Kelley, to lend support where he may.







"Eh! Ruben, mira!"

"Es el gringito loco y su amigo rubio, maybe he want your dick really bad,
Carlos."

"No, I think he just wants a job bad."

"You gonna give him one?"

"Buen, no es un puto, entonces . . . . If he goes as far as we said, then
he must want to work hard. I'll hire him."

"Y Ernesto?"

"Papa trusts me. The white kid'll work harder than those other two down
there."

Both Carlos and Ruben looked down toward the utility outbuilding where two
slightly younger boys, each with the same short dark straight hair, tanned
skin and dark brown eyes were goofing off. Carlos just shook his head.

Kelley and Nathan got off their bikes and parked them in the bike rack on
the side of the Apartment Office. They saw the truck with Dos Amigos
Ancianos Lawn Care Company on the door. An older Mexican man was getting
into the large 4-door truck. He nodded to the two boys and pulled away, but
leaving the lawn care trailer parked behind.

"Means they're still here. Maybe just got here."

Kelley went walking along the sidewalk in the direction they had just
ridden, with Nathan following along. There, down the side of the complex's
office they saw the two boys. Carlos held up a hand in greeting, and they
could see Ruben grinning and shaking his head, grabbing his dick in
response.

Kelley took a deep breath and headed down to meet them.

"You must really want a job, chico."

"I do."  Kelley said. Straightforward, no begging, no blushes, although he
was hiding his nervousness well. Still, the boys couldn't feel the
somersaults his stomach was doing.

"OK, well, do you remember our deal?"

Kelley nodded and pulled out a tube of Vaseline and showed it to a
surprised Carlos. "Yeah, I remember. You both get to fuck me, and
. . . . you said if I waited too long . . . . um . . . . I give you blow
jobs again, too."

"Oh yeah, that's right," Ruben said smiling, "And we didn't see you come
around last Wednesday."

"I was going to," Kelley started defensively, "but . . . . something came
up."

"Well, I think he waited too long. What you think, Carlos?  And didn't you
say it was doubled next time?"

"That's not fair," Kelley started, but then checked himself. He was
supposed to own this decision right?  Carlos was still thinking, his
interest in the sex conflicting with a more moral decision. But Kelley
pre-empted him. He saw the waver in the boy, and he knew he could probably
swing it his way, but he wanted control for once. On top of that,
negotiating his ass and mouth seemed a lot more embarrassing than just
picking a debt and getting on with it.  "All right. Two fucks, two blow
jobs, and I get a job."

Ruben raised his eyebrows. This boy was serious.  "Shit. . . . Carlos."

"Definitely fair," Carlos echoed, even though, in truth, it wasn't sitting
very well with him. He'd just as soon call it off and just give the kid a
job. But . . . . there was that ass. Carlos closed his eyes and remembered
that tight, virgin, gringo white ass of the 12 year old he had started to
penetrate two weeks ago. He couldn't just turn that away. He'd find a way
to live with himself. . . . . Could he?

"Like I say . . . . . Kelley, right?"

"You can call me, Tucker."  Kelley wanted to start this off friendly, no
matter what he was agreeing to do to get it.

"Well, Kelley Tucker, it's fair, you're right. But there's a problem."
Carlos pointed to the other two boys looking in through the pool fence,
talking in low voices about a lady in a bikini. She saw them, but the
thought of two young Mexican-American boys just into puberty getting hard
because of her actually turned her on, and she let them stare.

In fact she did more than that. She very slowly sat up and undid the straps
to her bikini, barely and ineffectually holding it on, exposing the full
roundness of her ample breasts before turning slowly to lay on her
stomach. As she turned, she let one nipple show, and then arranged herself
with arms out in front, so that the full side on view of her naked breast
barely pressed into the chair below could be seen. Both boys were
speechless and grabbing their crotches without thinking.

"Diego! Mateo! Quitenlos de la piscina!," Carlos frowned and muttered a few
more Spanish words under his breath as the two boys walked away from the
pool giggling. They headed back over to the utility shed.  "My little
brother, Diego, he is in the blue T-shirt. He looks like your age. You are
12?"

"Yeah."

"So is Diego, but I bet he's not like you when you work. Diego, he doesn't
work very hard. The other is Mateo, Mateo Martinez, sorta mi primo, you
know, kind of a cousin, He's like 13 or so. His dad is Uncle Carlos, my
dad's best friend. They own Dos Amigos. Tu comprendes?"

Kelley wasn't sure he knew what that meant, but it seemed to be a question
looking for affirmation, so he nodded his head yes.

"Mateo, he will work hard, but not if he's around Diego, or his friend
Alex. He works hardest when he's with one of our dads. And he doesn't
really like taking orders from me. My dad thinks maybe me and Mateo can
work together like him and Uncle Carlos, but Mateo . . . . . Mateo was
never hungry like our dads. He needs somebody telling him what to do and
not do. I work better with Ruben."

"So . . . . "  Kelley was only partially catching on what this had to do
with him.

"So me and Ruben, we need somebody else helping with the apartments. Or we
take too long."

"Like me," Kelley offered, and then looked down at the other two boys.
"Oh, they're already here."

"I can get rid of them," Carlos said.

"But . . . "

"But . . . I kinda told them about you a couple weeks ago. So they know
about you and that could be trouble for me."

About that time both boys started walking up toward Carlos. Mateo had a
quizzical expression on his face looking at the two white boys that seemed
to know Carlos and Ruben. In general they weren't supposed to talk to the
kids that live around here. Just keep there heads down and do the job. Ear
plugs when they were working helped diplomatically ignore a few people. But
Carlos knew these two boys.

It didn't take 12 1/2 year old Diego as long as his 'cousin' to figure out
who these boys were and what they were doing here, and he was smiling big
as he walked up, checking both Kelley's and Nathan's whole bodies
out. Diego fired off something in rapid Spanish to his brother, and just
got a nod of affirmation in return that only served to make the boy's smile
even bigger and more lurid.

If he didn't look so arrogant and full of himself, treating the two of them
like common property, Nathan thought to himself that the boy could even be
considered cute. As it was, he wanted nothing to do with the young Hispanic
kid. The fact that he was getting an erection didn't mean anything at all.

Mateo also broke out into a smile, it could have even been considered
somewhat shy, except that he looked a bit too excited behind the brightness
in his eyes that came with realization.

"Cual es?"  Mateo asked Carlos with quietness that seemed more his nature.

"Esto."  Carlos indicated Kelley with a nod of his head.

"Not bad, nice ass, you know you got to give me and Mateo whatever you give
Carlos and Ruben," Diego said with streetboy smugness as he walked around
Kelley like he was merchandise.

SMACK.

"Ow, what the fuck you do that for, Carlo. That hurt, dammit!"  Diego
complained while rubbing the back of his head as the other boys laughed at
him.

"Keep acting like an ass, putito," Carlos said. Ruben and Mateo laughed,
and Diego made some hand motions that Kelley and Nathan didn't understand,
but he still backed off from acting the way he did toward Kelley, which was
a lucky thing for him. Kelley was thinking of something more than smack up
the back of the head.

But Diego was subdued enough after chastisement from his brother that most
of the attitude dropped. Kelley still felt awkward with an audience, and it
didn't help that Mateo now asked him, "So, uh, you're, um, here to get that
job?"

The smirk that Mateo unsuccessfully tried to hide caused Kelley to flush,
knowing that this humiliating 'transaction' was seemingly out for public
knowledge. But he remembered his earlier resolve regarding this issue; he
was going to own his own destiny and choices.

"Yeah, I'm here for what you think. I gotta do some stuff for Carlos and
Ruben, and if I do, he'll give me a job. I don't know if he thought I never
would, but I need the job. So that's that. When and where do I do this,
Carlos?"  Kelley asked the stunned teen.

Carlos had a lot more respect for the scrappy 12 year old who looked
straight and tough as shit, but was still willing to degrade himself for a
job. Carlos was now feeling even guiltier, wishing in part that he had
never made the pre-requisite, although he had to admit it felt mighty good
releasing all his sperm into the gorgeous boy's mouth and watching the
All-Boy pin-up poster swallow it down.

Diego was whimpering off to the side, practically begging Carlos in a low,
barely heard stream of Spanish to allow him to have some fun with the other
kid as well. Carlos then saw a way out of his guilt, at least a way for
himself. It would shut up his brother as well and not prolong any
uncomfortable introspection.

"Hey, chacho . . ."

"Tucker."

"Tucker, I'll make a deal with you. You take these two putos down to the
utility shed and let them have what fun they want, and you and me will be
even. Completemente. And you can start work when you come back up."

Mateo had flipped his cousin off when he was called a name, but he at least
expected Kelley to have to think about that offer.

"What about Ruben?"

"That's between you and Ruben."

"OK, then, uh . . . "  Kelley looked at Diego whose eyes were lit up and
making facial expressions as if to silently encourage Kelley to take the
offer. Kelley then turned and look at Mateo who just looked shocked.  "I
figure Diego's in, are you interested?"

"Uhh . . . .yeah . . . .sure."

"Let's go."  And with that Kelley walked off toward the utility shed,
ignoring Nathan's attempts to dissuade him, and with a very eager and happy
Diego in tow, followed by a slower and still somewhat dazed Mateo.

Nathan didn't like this development and followed the boys down to the
utility shed. He didn't know exactly what he could or would do, but just
that he should go . . . . and . . . .well . . . . just go. At least.

When Kelley got down to the shed, he opened it up and peeked inside before
holding the door open and motioning Diego and Mateo inside. Diego passed
him with a broad, cocky smile on his face and looked into the shed with
bemused anticipation, before strutting right in. A slight roll of nausea
went through Kelley as he watching the arrogance-in-waiting, knowing he was
about to give his body over shamefully to the boy to use at his disposal.

Mateo passed a little bit more uncertainly, but with a burgeoning smile
that threatened to very shortly take over his whole face, as he also
stepped into the shed. Kelley sighed deeply inside himself when the 13 yo
boy walked in. This was going to happen; what 'this' was going to be had
yet to play out, and he had no firm idea what it was all going to involve,
except two obviously firm things. And that he was not in control of any of
it.

A part of Kelley was sick with shame as he made to follow, but the greater
part was the same steely Tucker resolve that had earned him so much
unsought respect over the years. He knew why he had to do this, and he had
committed himself, so that was that. Before he shut the door, he turned and
placed a hand on Nathan's chest to stop the boy from following.

"Hey, Nate, just, uh, keep an eye out and bang on the door if someone tries
to come in, OK? And, um, don't listen. Please."

And he shut the door.

On the inside Kelley was faced with a daunting prospect, but he again
steeled his resolved and walked up surely to the two boys. Not surprising,
though Mateo had again fallen back behind a more shy countenance, Diego
grinned impishly and pulled down his zipper as Kelley approached.

Not missing a beat, Kelley dropped to his knees before the smaller Hispanic
boy and pushed the hands out of the way, unbuttoning the khaki workpants
and opening the boy's fly on his boxers, exposing the smaller penis that
was unsurprisingly stiff as a board, but surprisingly had a smattering of
straight hairs at the base. Without waiting for instruction, Kelley leaned
in, hoping the boy kept his dick clean enough, and sucked in all 3 inches
in one swoop, causing an instantaneous yelp of surprise and conquer in the
boy.

It wasn't as clean as he had hoped, but passable, and fortunately neither
as thick or as long as others he had gone down on.

Kelley began an up and down pleasure of the boy while Diego fought the
impulse to moan and give way to pleasure versus the machismo needed to
relate his dominance verbally. In the end his vocalization of "Suck it,
white boy" and other mutterings became more mumbled and distant to simple
incoherency, as Kelley brought him closer and closer to the boy's first
oral orgasm.

And when he reached it, he grabbed a hold of Kelley's head and thrust as
deep as he could - which would never be deep enough to equal the need that
Diego needed to cum - but fortunately wasn't so deep that Kelley needed to
back off; and he let the young Mexican-American boy face fuck him into an
orgasmic oblivion, understanding that despite his appearances, Diego's lust
filled needs had overcome his emotional desire to overlord his fortune and
that the boy was purely operating on primal animal drives at the moment.

Finally after a mind-wrenching cum that produced only a smattering of slick
watery drops, which Kelley more absorbed into the general flow of saliva
than just swallowed outright, Diego pulled back, his little dick still as
hard as it had been going in, but giving a small 'plop' sound coming out.

During the last throes of his cousin, Mateo had lost all shyness and had
pulled out his 4 1/2 inches of brown Mexican boyhood with it's compact
black pubic bush at the base and jacked it to readiness, peeling back the
uncircumcised foreskin in the process to reveal a good sized head on the
dick. Before Diego was finished, Mateo was rock hard with his thickness and
leaking precum from the tip.

Diego had barely pulled out, in fact, when Mateo stepped up and smeared his
collected precum across the lips of the white boy on his knees before him
and then pushed the big head into the lips, parting them and forcing them
wide around the spongy helmet to try and meet on the other side, only to
hold them open with the main shaft. He then pushed inward to reach for the
back of the throat of the boy servicing his cock.

Kelley used his tongue even more on Mateo as he felt the shaft of dick
begin to bury itself deeper into his mouth. He felt that bulbous head just
start to close off the back of his throat and threaten to plunge him like a
commode, when he felt, then smelled, the boy's small bush of black hairs
against his upper lip and nose.

"Ahh, chupa mi verga," Mateo moaned quietly as he pulled out slowly, but
even more eagerly worked to slide it back in. Kelley was providing more
resistance with his tongue and could sense it wouldn't be long before he
brought the older boy off; and, unlike Diego, Mateo was going to have a
fair amount of semen for Kelley to taste and swallow. This was something,
Kelley realized and lamented, that he was becoming used to.

He worked Mateo's dick like a pro, practically, just eager to get the boy
off and done with, and not long after beginning a screwing motion with his
mouth, attempting but failing to get a complete swirl of that head, he felt
the motion of the older boy change. Taking a hint that the boy's cousin
Carlos had given during Kelley's first ever blow job (first one to give),
Kelley reached up and grabbed the base of the dick to prevent the boy from
trying to gag him with his large dickhead, and increased the suction and
pressure of his tongue, instantly beginning to swallow as he heard the boy
cry out and in the space of a breath felt warm semen spurt out over his
tongue, only to be immediately swallowed down in a coordinated maneuver.

It was three full squirts and a few jerks later, whereupon Mateo did indeed
try to implant his boyhood to the hilt within the wet, inviting orifice at
his disposal, before the head became too sensitive for Kelley's onslaught
and the older boy had to forcefully push him off - Kelley had been so far
in the zone of just getting the boy off as quickly as possible.

"Fuck!! . . . oh . . . .  .FucK! . . . . ."  Mateo uttered, shocked and
drained, before he launched into a litany of Spanish so fast and muttered
that had Kelley even been fluent he wouldn't have caught half of it. Kelley
stayed on his knees and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He
hadn't noticed Nathan peeking in at the door, but he certainly hoped that
that was the end of the show for everyone.

However, Kelley knew that he wasn't calling the shots for when or how the
end came, and, unfortunately for him, the only end Diego was interested in
at the moment was Kelley's back end. Though the outer Diego was putting on
the show for complete dominance, the inner Diego was simply dying to know
what it would feel like to have his small dick totally encased and running
through a tight asshole. He had heard all about how tight it was to fuck a
girl from behind, and he didn't have any problems getting to experiment
with a boy's back end first.

In fact, having a white boy bend over and offer it up was actually
something of a turn on, and could even be considered a bigger score for his
nursed machismo.

"Hey, chico," Diego said in his best gang-like suave "we aint done
yet. Drop your pants and bend over that tool box."

It was one of the large toolboxes on casters that had a top that served as
additional workspace, at just the right height for Kelley's ass to be
slightly upturned and perfect for fucking. Mateo had self-consciously
zipped back up - Diego, however, still leaving it all out for balls and
glory - and went over and locked the casters.

Kelley meanwhile walked up to the red tool center and unzipped and
unsnapped. He took a moment in hesitation, taking stock of what he was
about to do, what he was submitting himself to, and the irrevocable fact of
a permanent memory and shame, but also knowing he had no choice anymore,
before he pushed his thumbs into the waistband of his new, white BVD's and
shoved both underwear and pants down together before bending over the red
metal top and exposing his ass fully to very appreciative young Mexican
eyes.

Kelley then parted his legs as much as he could, given the bunching of his
pants just above his knees, to provide the Mexican boy with even more
enticement, as now Diego wasn't just looking at the best white ass to ever
come to light in any area North of the city, but also a small part in the
squeezable mounds of joy that showed a deeper and slightly darker small
crevasse that itself suggested even deeper delvings within.

Mateo got his fill of the view as well; and just the thought of plunging
into the tight, warm unknown was bringing his dick back to full, obviously
and awkwardly straining the confines of his work pants.

"Ai, me jodas !!"  Mateo muttered, almost like he was whistling it out, as
he admired the incredible ass before him, even taking one hand to push up
Kelley's shirt and then swipe his palm appreciatively back down and across
the whole of the top of the ass, right where it rounded out before the two
melons curved out and downward.  "Que culo!!!"

Diego simply nodded in agreement, having never been actually presented with
an ass like this, to do with what he will. He was equally stunned with not
only what a beautiful site it was, but also how much he truly liked it. He
ran his own hands over the soft and supple mounds and then squatted down
behind the proffered butt and grasped both cheeks, squeezing
appreciatively. He pressed his thumbs into the crack and the pushed out and
open to reveal the treasure deeper within.

"Que culero !!!!"  Mateo practically shouted in surprise as he viewed for
the first time what an amazing and surprisingly magnificent vision a young
boy's clean, tight asshole could be. It was into this anal well and hole
that he would soon drive the impossibly hard dick that he was now clutching
through the crotch of his work pants. Despite just releasing a full load of
sperm into this same boy's wet mouth moments ago, he realized that he was
about to cream his pants if they didn't moved things along soon enough.

As for Kelley, it was simply embarrassing to be bent over like this and
feel the hands of both boys handle his private and, prior to this summer,
inaccessible bottom, but as soon as he felt Diego's thumb move across the
cheeks and delve into his crack, he felt a surge of panic as though this
were his first time to feel the presence of another person that close to
his most personal space. And as he felt the thumbs go even deeper within
and then pry his cheeks open for view and to feel the sudden air upon his
anal folds, he had to quickly control his breathing and slow down the urge
to bolt.

Nothing, however, slowed down the beating of that young heart of his. For
some reason, it was as if he were a virgin all over again, and he could
barely contain his sudden fear of deflowering long enough to tell them he
had some Vaseline in his pants pocket.

Kelley's sudden trepidations notwithstanding, the two Mexican boys were on
a trajectory from which no natural force could dissuade them any further,
and no one had noticed that Nathan had quietly slipped inside. It didn't
take Diego long to find the Vaseline and already have his small dick
coated. And it was just as well that he was going first, as Kelley's anal
muscles had clamped down, and only the sheer utter rock-hardness of the
smaller boy had allowed him to penetrate that barely yielding hole.

Diego let out a string of cuss words and a litany of unknown Spanish that
roughly translated into one thing, as the head of his small dick penetrated
Kelley's tight hole and the shaft followed as it was gripped tight all the
way down the small amount of cock that Diego could feed him. It was the
most miraculous and amazing feeling that the young boy could have ever
hoped to even dream of feeling, not just down the length of eager dick that
he was now slowly pumping in and out of Kelley's butt, but for the entire
feeling as it spread up to his brain and back down through the whole of his
body.

He could fuck this hole forever.

As it was, he wasn't going to last long before he came, and when he came,
he came hard, gripping Kelley's sides so hard it almost left bruises; but
even then Diego did not pull out. Despite two cums already, the feeling was
way too intense for his dick to go down. He stayed hard and readjusted
himself behind Kelley so that the curve of his body was molded in behind
the white boy giving it up and he pounded him hard, barely coming out more
than half an inch before slamming into him, maximizing the amount of dick
squeezed by that nether region and looking for all the world like there was
no separation at all between the two boys as he gave Kelley's two muscular
cushions the workout of their life.

The focused fuck of the boy molded to Kelley's back end and causing an
unceasing joggle of the boy's rumps under the compression seemed to last
without foreseeable end. Eventually the thrusts became harder, so much so
that even Kelley was grunting with the impact, surprised by both the
ferocity and pure force of the smaller, yet slightly older, boy. The
thrusts also became a bit more spaced out and punctuated by gasps and
aborted shouts by Diego until he hit a peak like a dagger going through his
very existence and claimed that white boys ass for all Hispanics. Though he
couldn't flood that rectum with actual semen, he more than manifested his
presence within my sheer will of practically climbing up inside and forcing
himself deep into the boy's body.

By the time the young boy pulled out and practically climbed back down off
the worse for wear butt, Kelley was out of breath, battered, and
bewildered. It was then he noticed Nathan staring in disbelief at what he
had witnessed.

"Nate! I told you not to come in!"  Kelley said, angry at his best friend.

Nathan looked up, still somewhat in shock - and sexually aroused, as well -
and while he searched for what he should say, Mateo had unzipped again and
stepped up to Kelley's face and pulled out an unbelievably hard dick to
slide in past the boy's agile lips and deep into the throat, once, twice,
and three times deep within.

"Shit," he muttered, "I sure wish I could down your throat again, but I got
somewhere else I want put all my cum right now."

As he said this last part, he pulled his dick free from the wet and
lubricating mouth and ran just the head along the lips, back and forth
across the lower lip and then up and over across the top before swiping it
down between the two closed lips, leaving smears of precum everywhere for
Kelley to lick up and reluctantly swallow later. Mateo pulled back and
walked away toward Kelley's exposed and still proffered rear, saying,
"Damn, muchacho, I am gonna love doing this to your ass."

With only Kelley's saliva for lubricant, and hoping that Diego had gotten
enough Vaseline inside him with his smaller dick, Kelley felt the larger
dick head now at the top of his crack, forcing it's way down and parting
the cheeks along the way, its larger size making it's presence definitely
known, bulging against the rumos on either side of the crvasse, all the way
down until it almost exited the crack at the bottom, and traveling back up
to the top and then down again, precum copiously flowing and making the way
slippery.

On the second trip back down, the dick paused at the level of the
unprotected hole and drove forward parting the cheeks and not stopping
until the head filled the whole of his anal well and pressed roughly
against his anal sphincter, maintaining pressure until a yelp form Kelley
signaled that the muscle had given way and allowed entry of the bulbous
intruder swallowing it whole and giving entrance to the saliva slickened
shaft that followed without pause all the way in.

Kelley forgot all about Nathan standing there watching dumbstruck as the 13
year old's dick opened up his best friend and sank all the way to the base
until the boy was balls deep and holding Kelley's body hard against his now
naked pelvis. All Kelley could think about was this almost virginal opening
and intrusion of another boy's dick as he felt his anal opening being
tugged inward all the way as the dickshaft just kept entering his butt
without governance.

Finally when he felt himself in the most embarrassing position of being
forcefully held against another boys privates, his butt smashed flat by the
force of being pulled back, all the while fully embedded on a boy's hard
dick, he naturally squirmed, unconsciously seeking refuge somewhere away
and off the intruder.

But the squirming only served to elicit the most wonderful feelings across
the length of ass-sheathed dick, which only served to cause Mateo to grip
and pull the boy tighter against him, which in turn made Kelley want to
squirm more from the acute need to lessen his humiliation. Unfortunately it
was just a vicious circle that turned Mateo on more and more and got his
dick even harder.

The last fact would have been impossible to believe if Kelley hadn't felt
it himself. It from feeling like he was being fucked on a boy's dick to
being fucked on a steel pipe, and he couldn't keep the moans and whimpers
from escaping his used and mortified mouth. What had ever come across him
to subject himself to this abject debasement just for a job???

But there was absolutely no way he could get out of this, for Mateo's
drives and needs were too strong now, and even he had no control. Despite
the intense feelings he was deriving just holding the squirming boy there
hard against his steely dick, he was over come by the urge to fuck, and he
pulled out and slammed back in, gripping Kelley tight as he began to truly
well and good fuck that white, tight, unblemished, perfect ass, ramming,
like a piston, the barely lubed entrance to paradise.

The velvet sheath of muscle massaging the whole of his dick every time it
disappeared deep within the bowels inside the white ass he was compressing
with every thrust forward was driving poor Mateo to insanity as he
desparately tried to hold on, to prolong the rush of the sexual slam
against his whole body, but nothing could stop or even slow the need to
constantly rebury his dick in the warm rectum of another boy; and so he
fucked that ass like it was the first and last piece of meat he would ever
go through until it was inevitable, and with a shout buried himself to the
hilt and flooded Kelley's rectum with more sperm and semen than he had even
sent down the poor boy's throat.

Kelley could feel the gushes of warm liquid shooting into him, timed with
the last hard slams into his butt and the grunts and cries of both
boys. Mateo shot several loads into the boy and held himself implanted
until he came down fully from his long orgasm, and then held himself there
longer as both boys reflected on what had happened, one with an exultant
acceptance of the way of all alpha males, and the other with an awkward
moment of silence that this had been what he had literally asked for. His
butt and boy pride accusing him of some betrayal, snidely whispering up to
his brain that they hope the job was worth it.

Kelley had stayed soft throughout the whole encounter and felt as though it
was this time that he had really lost his innocence. He quietly pulled up
his pants and underwear, not looking anyone in the eye. The two Mexican
boys also redressed and shared that awkward sense of what to say, if
anything. They both said thanks before they started to leave out, but
Kelley could only acknowledge with a nod, but did not even look in their
direction. The only person who got a glance was Nathan, and it wasn't a
very good one.

Nathan saw Kelley was pissed at him and wisely skipped out ahead so as not
to be the last one left in the shed with the angry boy. That was when he
left he saw the Diego boy lingering. He had that arrogant chip back on his
shoulder. Nathan had to admit to himself that it made the boy look
. . . .cute . . . .in a way.

"You liked watching your friend get it up the ass, amigo?"

Nathan wondered what the boy wanted. He couldn't answer with the truth that
it had turned him on, though anyone giving him a downward glance would see
that it had. Maybe Diego had already done that. But something in the way
the boy had fucked Kelley, the way he had curved his body around the naked
butt and rabbit-pounded the freebie mad, it made Nathan wonder what it
would feel like, having that small dick rubbing so close and incessantly in
his own hole. He wondered if it was a risk worth taking?

Then Diego crossed that stream of thought for him.  "You think maybe you
wanna try it sometime, amigo? Bend over and let me have your butt?"

Nathan smiled - he couldn't help it - and gave himself away. He shrugged
his shoulders and said, "Maybe," and then walked up toward Kelley, who was
slowly and painfully headed back to Carlos, walking like he had just ridden
a horse for the first time in his life, which is what it felt like
emotionally as well - if riding a horse could be an exceedingly shameful
thing for a boy to do.

Carlos was impressed with Kelley, and thankfully willing to keep his
word. He also thankfully silenced his little brother when Diego wanted to
give a re-hash of what had gone down, but he smiled when his exhausted
cousin whispered to him how absolutely incredible the gringo boy's body
was, and thanks very much for sharing him.

"Carlos," Diego finally said when Kelley gingerly lumbered over to where
Ruben was to begin working, "You aren't really going to let him have our
work? He was a good fuck, but he's a gringo. And me and Mateo are family."

"Yes, I am," Carlos said.  "He wants it more than you. And this is my work
site that dad is trusting me with, and you and Mateo put that in danger
when you go and do stupid stuff like look at the ladies around the swimming
pool. It makes us all look like perverts, and they could take away our bid
and give it to somebody else. You know what papa says about how they will
find fault with us before they will a white person! We have to be better!
And you treat that trust like shit when you do this stuff."

"But . . . . you wont tell papa?"

"No, unless you argue at all when I send you and Mateo somewhere else. If
for any reason papa wont let Kelley stay, then I tell him about both of you
looking at the women in the pool and making dirty faces. You understand!?"

It took Diego a bit longer to catch on, but Mateo looked appropriately
worried. Diego still wanted to argue it.

"Diego, I give you what Tucker owed me as a gift, but I will not give you
my job to throw away. If you cannot convince papa to let you work somewhere
else, I will tell him. And he will make your butt more sore than Tucker's!"

Ruben smiled after Carlos said this, but it was the only indication he gave
of listening in while he showed Kelley the basics of what to do that
day. Similarly, Kelley blushed at the same time, but he also did not want
to show he had been listening in.

By the time Ernesto Salvador arrived back on site, Nathan had gotten
Diego's phone number, Diego and Mateo were sitting on the curb looking
bummed, and Kelley was hard at work in the flower beds around the pool, but
still wincing with many movements.

"Que hacen aqui ustedes en la calle? Porque no trabajan?"  Ernesto asked
the boys.

Diego looked worried and glanced sideways at Mateo, but the older boy had
convinced him it was the only way.  "We were goofing off, Tio
Ernesto. Carlos fired us. He's hired another boy."

"Ay yai yai. . . . . Get in the truck."

Ernesto walked behind the admin building and surveyed the work being done
at the complex for almost 5 minutes before Carlos realized he was there. He
watched Carlos and Ruben work at their usual good pace, but he was more
interested in the white boy working in the garden by the pool. This boy
kept his head down and paid attention to his work. He worked fast, but it
wasn't sloppy. And he wasn't looking up at the nearly naked woman in the
pool area.

(As much as Kelley wanted to, he knew better than that. He hadn't gone
through all of this to throw it away for a peep show - even though the
woman was even more willing to give one to Kelley. Maybe even give him more
than a show. That was about the hottest 12 year old boy she had ever
seen. As she thought more about him, she could feel her bikini bottoms
getting soaked.)

"Hola, papa," Carlos said as he came up, turning off the weedeater.

"Quien es?"  Ernesto asked his oldest son, pointing at Kelley.

"Es mi new worker, papa. Se llama Tucker."

"Your new worker?"  Ernesto asked, not entirely happy.  "You have family
out in the truck. Que paso con esos?"

"Diego doesn't want to work, papa. He just wants to get paid. Kelley wants
the job more. Trust me - a lot more."

"And Mateo? Your Uncle Carlos will not be happy."

"Then he should be mad at Mateo. He's useless when Diego is here."

"Hmmm. I do not like this, Carlos."

"Papa, you gave me this bid to teach me how to run the business, si? How
can I if I cannot hire and fire workers? It's not just your name at stake
here, but mine too."

Ernesto smiled. He was glad to see Carlos taking his responsibilities
seriously. And he was right; Ernesto could afford to indulge the boy to see
where this goes and what he learns from it.

"Buen, claro. What are you paying him?"

"Five dollars for the workday, plus five dollars an hour."

Ernesto nodded and watched the boy a bit longer.  "You think he is worth
it?"

"I don't think he'll be missing any Wednesdays. He really wants the
work. And he works hard. He lives down in Indian Spring."

Ernesto frowned. It wasn't because the Springers were troublesome kids -
quite the opposite, in fact. But they were definitely outsiders here in the
Village of Coolspring, and that could bring bad feedback from their
Coolspring clients. As if on cue, there appeared Matilda Watkins, who
worked for Burkholdt Properties, the management company that ran this
complex, as well as several others in the city and around the state. She
came out of the front office, flagging Ernesto down.

"Yoohoo, Senor Salvador . . . .oh Senor Salvador . . .yes . . . hello."

"Hello Mrs. Watkins, how are you today?"  He took off his hat when he
greeted her, but for some reason it grated his nerves when she called him
Senor instead of Mister. Not that he preferred English to his native
tongue, but the way she said made it sound degrading instead of respectful.

"Well, I'm just fine, Senor Salvador, thank you very much, but I do need to
talk with you about your workers."

"Is there a problem, ma'am?"

"Well I should say so. I am familiar with your culture and how you like use
family . . . "

"Si Senora, of course."  She didn't catch the tone of his voice, which was
probably just as well. He didn't figure she would anyway,

"So I understand your hiring of your sons, and we are all fine with
that. Carlos is a good boy and very respectful, but I simply must protest
at this new boy he has working. He is clearly too young, and I cannot
entrust the work or the peace of this selective establishment to young
boys. I'm afraid I must put my foot down."

Ernesto nodded his head. He didn't like the woman, but he couldn't say he
disagreed with her. He nodded at Carlos who called Kelley over.

"Papa, please, can you give him work somewhere else? He is a good worker,
and I promised him a job."

Ernesto looked slightly displeased with Carlos, but more so at the
awkwardness of the whole situation.

"I'm glad you understand, Senor Salvador."

"Si, Senora. I understand."

When Kelley came up he knew as soon as he saw the lady's masked contempt,
Carlos' avoidance, and Mr. Salvador's distaste for the general unease of
the whole thing that he no longer had a job. All of that disgusting stuff
he did - after all of that, and now he still couldn't have a job. It would
have made a weaker boy cry, but Kelley just bent under the disappointment
and bore it with a strength few boys could call up.

"What is your name, hijo?"  Ernesto asked him.

"Kelley Tucker, sir."

"You aren't from around here, are you?"  Matilda Watkins asked with a
masked disdain that didn't take Kelley's gifts to see through.

"No, ma'am, I'm- "

"I thought so," she said with mild contempt. She hadn't meant to say it out
loud, but the thoughts betrayed the very first notion she had when she had
looked out the window and seen him working in the garden down the gentle
slope from the office.  "Where are you from?"

"Indian Spring, ma'am."

"Humph."  Indian Spring trash. They really should close off the road that
led from that white trash rural pool of inbreeding into the more refined
Village of Coolspring. Then she noticed another kid who didn't belong
there, a blond haired boy who looked just a touch younger.  "And who are
you?"

"Nathan Carlin."

"I suppose you're from . . . .Indian Spring . . . .as well?"

"Of course, I'm Tucker's friend."

"Of course you are."  But even as she relaxed back into her comfort of
superiority a light seemed to flash inside her brain, and she cut off
Ernesto's beginning attempts to explain to Kelley that he just couldn't
hire him at this time, "Wait! I'm sorry . . . . . Carlin? You said your
last name was Carlin?"

"Yep. Nathan Carlin."

"From Indian Spring?"

Nathan just raised his eyebrows and nodded his head. He figured the lady
was crazy in some way. Ernesto was confused, as well, now. He could see
that Mrs. Watkins looked rattled, and actually somewhat suddenly fearful.

"Your mother," Matilda Watkins began with a nervous laugh. "Your mother
. . . .she's not . . . . Tamara Carlin? No . . . no . . . of course not."

"Yes, she is. That's my parents - Dave and Tamara Carlin."

Ernesto meanwhile also had a thought and looked quizzically at Kelley.
"What are your parents names?"

"Hal and Sylvie Tucker."

"Your father is Halford Tucker?"

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, who cares who his father is, Ernesto, I need to speak with you in
private."  Matilda said, suddenly forgetting her carefully manicured Manor
House façade. She pulled Ernesto off to the side and hurriedly whispered to
him.  "Why do care about the parents of that one?"

"Because he is a child and if he is going to work, somewhere else, of
course, I need to know. Besides his father is a very good man, a lawyer
that helps people. I am surprised you do not know him."

"Why would I know some lawyer from Indian Spring? Obviously not very good
if he's stuck living there."

"He specializes in property. And he is very good."

Shit.  "A property lawyer? Of course, he would be."

"I learned about the history of this Village before I started working here,
Mrs. Watkins. I believe you should know the history of every place where
you live and work."

"Well so did I, Ernesto. It is, after all, a model community."  She was a
bit put out. She didn't need a history lesson from a . . . . . . glorified
gardener, for goodness sake.

"Then you know that that boy's grandfather made the arrangement that
created Coolspring?"

Shit shit shit shit. This cannot be happening. Not today; there was too
much at stake today.  "Calvin Tucker is that curly brown haired boy's
grandfather?"

Even as she stated her disbelief she could see the resemblance to the
picture that hung in Jamison Burkholdt's office. She had only been in
Burkholdt's office twice, though she hoped to one day see it more often. On
one of the walls was a picture of two older gentleman, one of whom was
unforgettably handsome. She was actually admiring the handsome man when she
inadvertently asked who the gentlemen were.

"That's my father and Calvin Tucker, a lawyer and close friend," Jamison
told his employee.  "Calvin was as much a reason for our success today as
anybody, that and the fact that my father listened to him. The best free
advice that anyone could hope to have. Son followed in his footsteps, just
as I did my dad's. He's a good lawyer, too. I don't think I could afford
what it would take to get his son to work for me, but I know I would never
cross him. I value my company too much for that."

Matilda looked over at the devastatingly handsome 12 year old boy and saw
the older man inside those features. She suddenly realized just how close
she had come to losing her job, a decent paying job, but one with a
significant potential for advancement. And to make it worse, the boy was
apparently friends with Tamara Carlin's son. What had she done recently to
alter her Karma this significantly?

"Listen to me, Ernesto, you cannot fire this boy. I don't care if he is the
sloppiest worker you have ever had, you cannot and will not fire him, that
is . . . . . if you value your current contract with Burkholdt, as well as
the insider consideration for the bid for lawn services at the complex that
we hope to develop in the new East Village."

Ernesto was stunned. Like any self employed owner, he didn't like a client
telling him who he could and could not hire, but there was clearly more to
the story here.

"Senor Salvador," Matilda said, now recollecting herself, tugging at the
ends of her business suit and remembering her place as management and
raising the level of self-importance in her voice.  "Have I been clear on
this?"

"Claro, si senora."  The threat was understood. It was maybe something that
could be fought, but the boy was a hard worker, and Carlos wanted him
hired. So Ernesto took a deep breath and accepted it.  "I have no problem
with this boy working for me. But I will leave the decision to fire him to
Carlos."

"Well, I'm sure you'll see that it doesn't come to that, and if the blond
boy wants a job, you hire him, too," she said as she turned back to go into
the office. She paused on the walkway going past Kelley, believing she had
her composure back in place. "Your parents have obviously done a very good
job raising you, Kevin. I can see that you are a very hard worker, and I
just couldn't ask Senor Salvador to fire a young man who is so polite. I do
hope you enjoy working at Gladecrest, a Burkholdt Properties living
environment."

"Yes, ma'am. I'm sure I will."

She then again noticed the blond-haired boy.  "And Norbert."

"Nathan!"

"Yes, I was going to say Nathan. You, of course, are welcome here, as
well."

If Ashton had been there, he would have smelled the fear in the woman, but
what Kelley saw was deceit and insecurity, and a frantic reliance to use
corporate speech to cover a deeper seated emptiness. The woman wouldn't
bother him again, though he didn't know what Nathan's mother's name had to
do with it. It didn't really surprise him, however; his dad had told him
that Nathan's mother was very well connected.

She turned and left the boys, a relieved Kelley, an unconcerned Nathan, and
a confused Carlos, and went back inside.

"Norbert? Who the hell is named Norbert," Nathan mumbled.

"So, uh, I think you still have a job," Carlos said.

"I have to talk with your parents first, Kelley, but for today at least,
si, you can work for me."

"Thank you, Mr. Salvador. I'll work really hard."

"Yes, I believe you will. But you should thank Carlos, and you should both
go back to work. Ruben, que haces? None of this has anything to do with
you."

"I was just going to show Kelley how to trim the bushes in front of the
office."  It was a lie; he just wanted to know what was going on up front.

"All right," Ernesto said, putting his hat back on as a signal he was
leaving.  "Then I leave it to you boys. I will take care of your
brother. Carlos, you call me if you have any more problems."

"Si, papa, gracias."

"And you and Ruben, no Spanish around Kelley. Do not be rude."

"Si, si, papa."

"Maybe we teach him some, eh Senor Sal?"

"Ruben," he looked back shaking a finger, "You teach him those words, and I
will teach you the many uses of weedeater line."

Carlos laughed at his friend, who looked a bit more uncertain. Perhaps
Senor Ernesto wasn't joking. The Mexican boys headed back around the office
to get back to work, but Kelley went up to Nathan and suggested that maybe
he shouldn't hang around.

"Fine," though he sounded a bit put off, "I'll just go see what Duncan or
Ethan are up to."

"Well, I do have another idea you can try."










"Hey, Tucker, where is Rubio?"  Ruben asked.

"Uhh . . .what?"

"Your blond friend," Carlos explained, smiling.  "He wants to know where
your blond friend went."

"Oh, Nate. I sent him to a friend's house. A guy I know here in Coolspring
who has a pool. Told him to tell him he knows me and maybe he'll let him go
swimming."

"But he wasn't wearing swim trunks."

"Oh, I don't think that'll be an issue."








3:30 pm

Ding-DONG-ding-ding-dong-DONG-ding-DING-dong

"Hold on," A voice came from inside, "I'm coming!!"

13 year old Cole Haley opened the door and looked at the boy on his porch.

"Holy crap, Kelley. What have you been doing? You're filthy, and you smell
like . . . [sniff, sniff] . . .  well . . . crap. I mean actual crap."

"It's manure, and I smell like work, something that wouldn't hurt you any,"
Kelley said with a smile, and then looked over the older boy who was just a
few months shy of 14. Cole was naked except for a towel held loosely about
his waist, his tan muscled body wet and on full display for the boy who was
already intimately familiar with all parts Cole.  "I'm here for, Nate, if
he ever made it over here - unless I'm . . . . . . interrupting?"

"Not anymore you aren't," the devilish boy smiled back.  "Come on in, he's
out back."

"So, uh, you two . . . . . had fun?"

Cole nodded. "Twice. Just blow jobs, though.  He's not as good as somebody
else I know, but he was pretty good. He's a lot of fun beside that too."

Kelley then realized he heard the sounds of other boys as well and
stopped. His face clouded, but Cole was quick to diffuse it.

"Don't worry, it was just him and me. Even my little brother didn't
see. The other guys just came over a short while ago. And I told him no
playing around with the other guys - you know how - or I'd ban him from the
pool."

Kelley relaxed and thanked Cole.

"Hey, I know how protective you are. You know . . . . . . thanks, Kelley,
for trusting me with him."  Cole smiled.

"You know I trust you, Cole."

The boys exited the back of the house onto a patio with a view of a large
pool and about 15 boys, most of whom were naked.

"Some of Davis' friends came over, too. A few of them even got naked. Most
of the guys are my friends or neighbors. When they saw me and Nate naked, I
just told them that's how Springers swam. They figured they could do
anything you guys had the balls to do, and . . . . . there you have it. The
first skinny dip party I've ever had at my house. It's kinda fun."

"Looks like it."  The water looked so cool and refreshing after working
hard for four hours.

"You should get in, Kelley. Why hurry to go home? It's only like 3:30 or
something."

"I'm filthy. As you have already pointed out."

"So use the pool house shower. It has a commercial drain in it, and it's
private."

"Thanks, I think I will."  Kelley started toward the outbuilding off to the
side of the porch with Cole in tow. He turned and placed a hand on the
boy's naked, muscled stomach.  "I think I'll take this one alone, Cole."

Cole smiled his devilish grin again and pulled his towel away, tossing it
onto a nearby chair and stretched, "Suit yourself."

Kelley couldn't help but let his eyes wander down the smooth skin and into
the dark brown patch of hairs, out from which spouted a growing boy's
flaccid but slightly plump dick, and larger balls that had fed him several
times already. Kelley pulled his eyes away just as the older boy turned and
walked off to the other side of the pool, intent on the diving
board. Kelley just headed for the shower, shucked off all his clothes, and
gave his body a good and needed cleansing, both physical and metaphorical.

When he came out, he spotted exactly what he wanted and needed, and he
practically moaned as he slipped his taut, naked, and sore 12 year old body
into the warm, soothing water of the hot tub. He felt so much of the cares,
worries, and physical poundings he had taken on in the last week just slip
away.

"Ohhh, fffuuccck."  He moaned. Very uncharacteristic, but it just felt like
such a relief to let it out.

"I thought you didn't cuss," Cole said as he slipped in next to Kelley,
though careful to keep the required public distance with this many boys
running about.

"Oh, I guess . . . .well, it's just been a long day. And a . . . . . hard
week."

"It's cool. I get it. Oh and I got you some windshorts and t-shirt of mine,
and an old pair of boxers that may fit you. And a plastic bag to put those
nasty clothes back into."

"Thanks, Cole. I think I may just stay in here for a few hour, though."

Cole just relaxed quietly beside his new friend, amazed that he could feel
so close to someone a year and a half younger than him. But Kelley was
certainly no ordinary boy.

"Hey, Kelley," Cole said, eventually breaking the relaxing silence of the
last half hour, the sounds of the other playing boys just background to the
moment.

"Hmmm?"  Kelley had his eyes closed, having felt the last of his worries
completely dissipate.

"You know, you can come up here and use the hot tub, anytime you want."

"I think I will. Maybe next week, even."

"Cool."  Cole said and thought carefully about what he wanted to say
next. He very quietly and carefully said, "Um, maybe . . . . . maybe we
can, uh . . . . . enjoy it . . . . together . . . . . sometime."

Kelley knew how hard it was for Cole to say this. He understood, having
seen how deeply Cole just wanted a normal friendship with Kelley, but the
physical desires were hard for the older boy to completely put down. Kelley
looked at him and deliberately smiled. Was it his lot in life to give of
himself - literally?? But it really wasn't so bad the last time with Cole,
was it? Just for fun's sake.

"Yeah, Cole, we can do that, one more time, I guess."

"Cool."  Cole smiled back, and felt his troubled inner conflict rest, at
least somewhat. What had he ever done to deserve Kelley? Like Malcolm, he
found it hard to call him by the name most knew him by.

"Shit Cole! This was fun."  Another boy Cole's age or a little older said,
as he slipped into the hot tub uninvited with the two boys. He had a few
more hairs than Cole, both over his dick and under his arms. They were jet
black and even starting to show some on his balls, which Kelley noticed
were drawn up tight under a slightly plumped, engorging penis.  "I think
that blond little dude may be gay for my dick, though."

Kelley's hand made a fist out of automatic response and tightened sharply
as he looked into this new boy. But he saw no malice and loosened up
slightly. But just slightly.

"Careful, Chandler, that's Tucker's best friend. Tucker, this is Chandler
Clary, that's his little brother Reese, the black haired kid going off the
diving board."

Kelley looked over at the carefree 13 year old who yelled out to one of his
friends in the pool before taking a running dive in next to him.

"Yeah, I remember him. He ran into the Mackey's last week down at the
creek."

"Oh shit, you're from Indian Spring? Yeah, little fucker got kicked out of
there or something. He tried to go back down there a couple days ago with
Joel and the two Birch brothers. Something happened, but he won't tell me
what. That's Joel Destry talking to him now."

"Chandler's family is rich as shit, but he's dad's too cheap to buy them a
pool, so they're always over here or at the Destry's."

Chandler just laughed and flipped Cole off and then gave an appraising look
at Kelley, but he was short-sighted by the same sense of superiority that
most Coolspring boys took on when dealing with a Springer. It sometimes
ended badly, and virtually always for the Coolspring boy.

"So the little blond kid," Chandler started, smiling and just meaning to
mess with the Spirnger some.

"Chandler, dude, seriously . . . "  Cole started to warn him, but Kelley
quickly excused himself from the hot tub and walked over to Nathan, pulling
the boy aside. It looked as though he was giving the boy a stern talking
to, and the blond kid just nodded and took it.

Cole took the opportunity to lean in and tell Chandler, "Look, Chandler,
I'm serious. You have NO idea how strong that kid is. And he's lightening
fast. Remember seeing those fucking mongoose last week on TV when you came
over? That's like old people compared to him. And if you messed up a friend
of his, I swear he wouldn't hesitate ripping your fucking balls out. Just
trust me Chandler, you couldn't take this kid."

Chandler looked amazed at Cole, He was dead serious and this didn't seem
like exaggeration. Chandler wasn't as stupid as Reese, and he nodded his
head, "Yeah, dude, I get it. Mess with the kid, lose the balls."

Kelley came back and slipped into the hot tub again. He immediately sensed
a change in the older friend of Cole, with Chandler now inspecting him in a
new light and without the regular Coolspring prejudice.

"Hey, um, Tucker, right? Sorry about messing around about your friend. You
know I don't really care if he's . . . . . I mean if he likes . . . . . uh,
I mean, if he wants to . . . . . . you know you really should tell him to
be more careful about who he stares at in the pool. Some of these guys
might say something, and some might just try to use him for something and
toss him out afterward. You might be able to beat the guy up, but your
friend would still get hurt."

Kelley relaxed when he saw the older boy was being genuine, and he was
right.

"Yeah, I already told him that. He said he'd cool it," Kelley said,
reluctantly admitting that Nathan was indeed staring at other boys. The
boys chatted a bit longer about other things, Kelley finding out that
Chandler and Reese both played hockey in the winter, and Chandler finding
out a little more about Indian Spring - though none of its deeper secrets,
of course.

"So is Cole like an honorary Springer, then?"  Chandler asked, ribbing his
friend.

"I think I'm tolerated."

"Well, I'd give anything to know what happened with Reese and them when
they went back in the second time."

"Nothing good, I'm sure," Cole said, but Kelley didn't say anything.

"Hey guys, can I get in?"  They looked up into the happy face of a boy with
a long, fun afternoon behind him.

"Yeah sure, Nate," Cole smiled big when the blond boy slipped in. It was
clear that Nathan had made a hit with the older boy. Kelley couldn't
suppress a smile either realizing just how much he had made both Cole and
Nate's day sending him here. And Nathan said as much.

"Thanks so much, Tuck, for telling me about this place and sending me to
Cole's house. You aren't still mad about me earlier when I didn't stay
outside . . . . you know."

"A little," Kelley said as he shifted uncomfortably.  "But I'll get over
it, OK. Just . . . . don't mention it."

"What?"  Chandler asked, joking around, "Did he walk in on you jacking
off?"

"I wish."  Nathan said, without even thinking, but then just as suddenly
threw his hand up over his mouth when he realized he had just gotten way
too comfortable in the hot tub. But the two older boys burst out laughing
and the only thing he got from Kelley was a resigned shake of his head.

"So that answers that question," Chandler said smiling.

"You aren't going to tell anyone?"  Nathan asked, a little worried. He
wanted to be able to come back to Cole's again. There was lots of very nice
eye candy here, just like at Chase's and Ivan's houses in Sweetwater when
he went swimming there with Zeke. Plus it was a great pool and a lot of
fun!

"No. Why should I? It's nobody's business. Don't worry, I'll never tell."
Chandler assured him, and Kelley could see the boy was telling the truth.
"Besides, it's not like you wanna do anything with me."

"I would."  Nathan said, almost causing Chandler to lose his breath. The
older boy's mouth dropped open and he shifted uncomfortably, as if he was
suddenly becoming aware of the smooth naked 12 year old blond body next to
him.

"But your, um, you're . . . . uh . . . . . two years or so younger than
me."

"And I'm a boy, you forgot that part."

"Oh . . . right . . . . yeah . . . . . and you're a boy."  But this part
came out much quieter, and Kelley and Cole both were wondering what wheels
were turning in the 14 year old Hockey players head.

Kelley wasn't giving him any more time to spin, though.  "All right Cole,
thanks for everything. We gotta go. Come on, Nate."

"I can find my own way back home, thank you."

"Nate."








"I could've found my own way back home."

"You could've found your way on to some other guy's dick."

Wasn't like Kelley to be that blunt with his language, but Nathan was
thinking more along the lines of how hypocritical he was being.

"You should talk."

"I can take care of myself, Nate."

"Can you? You're doing a real shitty job of it, you know."

They rode in silence the rest of the way. Kelley couldn't stop wondering
how right Nathan was, and Nathan was too angry about what Kelley was
letting happen to himself, and watching his friend escalate his own
problems while treating him like an inept kid, like . . . like
. . . . . like a little brother, or something.

They stopped at the juncture of the offshoot to Kelley's house and the
connector to the main Indian Spring road.

"Nate . . . . . look, I'll call you later. Maybe Chandler would have been
OK, maybe he would have been. His brother's bad news though, at least for
you, and you couldn't keep your eyes off him either."

"The black haired guy that was diving a lot?"

"Yeah, his name is Reese."

"Reese."  Nathan said the name like he was tasting a flavor.

"Nate."

"He was hot, Tucker. Why wouldn't I look at him? Before you say anything,
maybe you should take a break from trying to help other people, or run
their lives, and just help yourself."

"Me? I'm not trying to run your life, and Nate, there's nothing wrong with
me."

"So you're saying there's something wrong with me?"

"No, Nate, I didn't say that."

"Yeah, you did. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe it, but you can add it
to all the other lies you're telling yourself."

"What? Lies? Nate, you're not making any sense."

"You sure? Nobody can ever seem to tell you a lie, am I?"

Kelley was stumped for a moment. Yes, Nate was being sincere, but that
wasn't the same as making sense or understanding a bigger picture
. . . . . . right?

Right?

"So what about yourself, Tucker, can you lie to yourself? Does it only work
if you cant' see yourself, like in a mirror? I never understood how you did
it, you know, see through crap, but it doesn't seem to stop you from lying
to yourself and about yourself."

Nathan pedaled off, leaving Kelley on his bike, alone, at a crossroads.


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

Author's Note:

This was perhaps the hardest chapter to write, though I do not know why. I
will continue the series toward the end as I feel obligated to complete the
story as it was entrusted to me, and the words of appreciation and
encouragement I have received from several readers encourages me the same,
as well.

But I may have to take a break at some point and write on another story, as
this one has become consuming. I hope the quality of the tale did not fall
with this chapter, as that was one worry which had me rewriting major
sections, including a total rewrite of the job encounter no less than four
times. It wasnt an issue of what had to be told, but how it got told. I do
hope it is up to par.