Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:58:14 +1000 (EST)
From: Gay Stories <gaystories2000@yahoo.com.au>
Subject: Melbourne Commonwealth Games

This is my second story - haven't gotten around to finishing Luke's ski
trip yet, but will do so real soon now. Please write me: I'd love to know
what you think and also am keen to know how far it gets around the world,
so please put your location in. This was going to be a single chapter, now
looks like two. Please stay with it. It won't be long

BTW: Did anyone notice how the male Indian dancers at the Melb closing
ceremony showed no chest or underarm hair? Looked v-e-ry sexy but unusual
for such a race. Comments welcome on that too.


"Go Gra!!"
"Go Sam!!"
Tom and I were yelling at the top of our lungs for our respective
brothers nearing the finish line of the under 18yrs men's 200 metres
sprint. It was the regional finals, right at the start of the Melbourne
Commonwealth Games and their fever had even hit Sydney where we are.
Tom and I are both 14, actually only a couple of weeks from each other,
with Tom being the older one. Our brothers the runners are 16 but there's
months in there. Graham and Sam are pretty good friends, almost best
friends, except it seems when it comes to their racing. Sam had just
pipped my brother at the finishing line and when I said to Tom that I
wouldn't have a happy rest of Saturday I didn't realise how true that
would be.

"Bad luck, Graham, but that was near your personal best, just ...."
"Shut up! What you doing hanging around that cocksucker Tom for? Get
lost!"

I was left standing in amazement as Graham went into the locker room and
the showers. Normally I would go in and help him with his gear and stuff,
but I obviously wasn't wanted. He's sometimes been upset when he's lost a
race, but never given me a hard time about it - just himself. He'd snap
out of it in about 5-10 minutes and try to do better the next time. We're
also typical brothers. We have our fights but usually get along these
days and certainly if anyone else, including parents, was to bother one
of us, the other would stick up like nothing. So this outburst really
worried me and hurt too.

I decided to give Graham a wide berth the rest of the week which isn't
easy when it's just the two kids in the family and you share a room.
Still, there was school and schoolwork. He had his training and weights.
I just pretty well gave him the silent treatment. I also decided to stay
a little away from Tom. We're in many of the same classes but not nearly
as close to each other as our brothers - when they're not racing. Sam's
even stayed at our place a few times and I've had to give up my bed and
sleep in the study so he and Graham could share together. I just didn't
want to annoy my brother any further by him seeing me hang out with Tom
at school.

I also told mum I was too busy with school work to go to training with
Graham at the moment. Usually I would mark distances, watch the times
etc. Mum seemed to sense something wasn't right but as usual, she let us
have time to sort it out for ourselves and didn't push or ask questions.

The next Saturday was the usual Little Athletics training/comp that the
guys always attended. When I told mum I wouldn't be going 'cause I had
too much work, Graham said, "What d'mean, you're not going? You always
come! Who's going to look after my gear? Who's going to watch my times?
Come on - you haven't helped out all week - it's not fair on Mum!"

I was surprised he was so keen on me coming but I held firm and off they
went. I actually did some work and was quite surprised how soon it seemed
they came back. As soon as I heard the back door slam, I knew there would
be trouble. When Mum shouted "Hi" and Graham walked in with a dark look
on his face, I knew I was right. Mum's "Hi" was a warning, she used to
use that when Dad would come home after a bad day at the office. When
things were normal she'd say something else. Not sure what now, but never
just "Hi!"

"Room!" Graham said, pointing at me then upstairs in the general
direction of our bedroom. That was always the way when we had to work
something out - just like the 'rents, we never wanted to fight in the
open. I could say it too, and he would always respect my wish and we'd
sort or try to sort out our problem in the privacy of our room.

"Now listen, Jon (how long did you wonder what my name is) - from Monday
you come training with us and Saturday you come to comp! No ifs, buts or
schoolwork! right?!"

"No way!" I said. "Why should I? I've got my own stuff to do!"

"I'll tell you why! I stink without you there! You're my good luck charm!
Mum can't keep records, she can't even find the stop on the stopwatch,
after all these years and it being the same as the start button! You're
helping me and that's that!"

Again I said, "No way! I don't ask you to do things for me, you don't
boss me around!"

Graham snapped, grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. "You will come,
you will help. Starting Monday!"

I was a little frightened by this outburst but just flung his hands off
my shoulders by raising mine that were at my side. "No! No! No! I'm not
going ANY more!" I yelled.

Graham looked a little stunned. I suppose I had never stood up to him
quite like this before, probably there had not been the need. As I said,
we got along pretty well usually. He quietened down quite a bit, probably
not wanting mum to hear but probably also trying to calm me down. I was a
bit teary by then I guess. "Why won't you come anymore, Jon?"

"Why won't I come? I yelled but in a whisper, if you understand what I
mean. The harshness was there but not the volume. "You don't like my
friend, you call him a 'cocksucker' , it's almost as if you think I tell
him your training secrets so he'd tell his brother. I don't know your
training secrets, if you have any. And I certainly wouldn't tell them to
anyone! You've ruined my friendship with Tom, I don't talk to him anymore
and he doesn't know why! Should I tell him I can't get too close to a
'cocksucker, 'cause my bro might get mad?"

"Oh shit", Graham said, almost in a whisper. "Oh, shit, shit, shit!"
Then, looking at me again, he said, "OK. We'll talk again later and
walked out the room. I just sat on my bed and tried to recover. I think
he told mum he was going for a walk.