“What the hell, Mom?” Cam turned and looked at her angrily.
Marcia kept staring at Brandon, her face ashen white. “Who’s he?”
“That’s Channing. A friend of mine from school.” Cam looked at his mom, who looked as if she’d seen a ghost. “What’s wrong with you?”
“It’s just. I mean. He looks like…” She sputtered, unable to complete her sentence.
“Like who, Mom?” An irritated Cam asked, glancing at the mess on the floor.
“Your father.” She said softly.
“Oh, for fuck sake, Mother.” Cam opened the refrigerator. “How many drinks did you have before you got here?”
“A couple.” She lied.
Cam grabbed a couple of sodas and closed the fridge door behind him. “More like a half-dozen.”
Marcia floated across the floor like a witch on a broom towards her son, her face beet-red as she reached her petite hand out and slapped Cameron across the cheek.
“Don’t you talk to me that way!” She hissed.
Brandon’s face contorted with rage as his hand clenched into a fist. He started towards her with the intent of pushing her away from his son, wanting nothing better than to punch that overpainted clown face of hers.
About that time, Lance stumbled in, causing Brandon to freeze. “What the hell is going on here?”
He was as high as a kite.
“Cam called me a drunk.” Marcia sniffed.
“You better learn to shut your mouth, you little shit.” Lance pointed his finger at Cam.
“Go back to your couch, Lance,” Cam replied casually as if all this was an everyday occurrence while grabbing the pizza box and walking towards Brandon.
“Get back here! I’m not done with you!” Lance turned and yelled.
Cam flipped him the bird as he walked away and continued past Brandon down the hall, signaling for him to follow.
Brandon, still fuming, turned back and glared at Lance. As soon as they entered Cam’s room and shut the door, Brandon sat down on the bed and took a deep breath.
He pointed angrily in the direction of the kitchen. “Does your mother always treat you like that?”
“Only when she’s had a bad day.” Cam flopped down on the bed a few feet away from him and laid the pizza box between them.
“Why do you allow her to do that?” Brandon tried to calm himself by taking more deep breaths.
“That’s just the way it is. Besides, she’s been having some financial problems that’s got her worried.” He said casually as he opened the pizza box and grabbed a slice of pepperoni.
Brandon thought about what Logan had told him regarding Cam thinking his mother was “the shit.”
“That doesn’t give her an excuse to hit you, Cam.” Brandon looked at his son, wanting nothing more than to grab him and take him to Tommy’s house.
“Hey. I appreciate your concern, dude, but I only have to put up with it for a few more months until I graduate. Then I’m out of here.” He bit into his slice of pizza.
Brandon wanted to say more, but he didn’t want to push his luck and make his son angry with him. He was making headway into becoming his son’s friend and didn’t want to ruin it by going all fatherly on him. Once again, he had to act like the teenager he was now.
“I hear you, man. Just, if you ever need a place to crash, you’re welcome at my house.”
“Thanks, man. Appreciate that.” He paused. “You gonna eat?” Cam pointed down towards the box with his head.
“Nah. I’m really not hungry.” He looked down at the cheap cardboard-crust pizza and wrinkled his nose. “Besides, Aunt Kathy’s making goulash.”
“Dude! Aunt Kathy’s goulash is awesome!” Cam smiled.
“I know.” The corners of Brandon’s mouth lifted in a tiny smile. “You could come over and eat with us? She always makes too much.”
“Thanks, dude, but I got homework I need to get done.” He grabbed another slice.
“That’s cool.” Brandon stood up. “I need to get home anyway.”
Cam reached for his keys that were lying on the top of the nightstand.
“It’s okay.” Brandon stopped him. “I’ll call Aunt Kathy to come get me.”
Brandon reached in his pocket for his cell phone, wishing he could just grab the keys to his Corvette from the table and tell Cam to get in the car.
“Are you sure, dude?” Cam chewed. “I don’t mind.”
“Nah, man, I’m good. Besides, I think Aunt Kathy kinda likes this parenting thing.” Brandon smiled.
“Yeah. Aunt Kathy is cool.” Cam swallowed.
Football practice the next day was rough. Not only was coach pushing them to exhaustion, but the oppressively hot autumn day also made it hard to breathe. Brandon had just finished his shower and sat down on the locker room bench to put on his socks. Logan stood facing the lockers, pulling up his jeans as Brandon stole occasional glances at his exposed backside. He’s got such a fine ass, Brandon sighed, noting he didn’t wear underwear.
Logan zipped his pants, turned around, and smiled at Brandon. “Hey, freshman, you need a ride home?”
Brandon felt a little awkward accepting after his big display in the shower the day before.
“Sure, I guess.”
“Cool.” Logan smiled as he finished dressing.
Brandon climbed it Logan’s black Toyota Tacoma, the new car smell assaulting his nose.
“When did you get this?” Brandon buckled up.
“My dad bought it for me a couple of weeks ago for my birthday.” Logan closed his door and pulled the seatbelt across his torso.
“Nice.” Brandon ran his hand across the shiny new dashboard. “I’ve wanted one of these ever since I watched—"
“Back to the Future.” Logan completed, turned, and smiled.
“How…"
“Why do you think I wanted one?” Logan laughed as he started the engine.
“I didn’t picture you as a sci-fi fan.” Brandon studied the deluxe display console with built-in satellite radio and GPS.
“I like sci-fi. Back to the Future is my favorite movie of all-time, but I’m more into fantasy. You know, like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.” Logan looked both directions before pulling his truck out of the school parking lot.
“Wow,” Brandon said, not picturing Logan as a fanboy.
“You thought I was just another dumb jock, didn’t you?” He cut his eyes to his right.
“Well…I—" Brandon trailed off.
“It’s okay, dude. I get it a lot. I’m sure you get it, too.” He smiled.
“Me? Mistaken for a jock?” Brandon laughed at the ridiculousness of it.
“I’m telling you, dude. You’re one of us now. Joining the football team sealed your fate. Not to mention the fact that you’ve got the bod.” Logan reached over and patted Brandon’s chest. “You’re going to get the reputation.”
Damn, he sure likes to put his hands on me, Brandon thought.
“Well, thanks, but I’m not your size.” Brandon’s eyes fell on Logan’s muscular thighs.
“Give it a few years. You’re going to be a fucking beast. I can tell.” Logan patted his chest again, sending Brandon’s thoughts directly to his crotch.
Damnit! Now he had to go and do it. Brandon felt his dick rising.
“So, you meet any girls since you moved here?” Logan changed the subject.
“No. Not yet.” Brandon felt guilty for doing exactly what he said he wouldn’t do, but given his powerful attraction to his son’s best friend, he felt justified in his decision to remain silent. Besides, technically, Logan hadn’t asked him if he was gay. “You got a girlfriend?”
“Did.” Logan gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I broke up with Kristen a couple of weeks ago, about the same time Cam broke up with Gina.”
“Wait. Cam and Gina broke up?” Brandon’s turned to Logan, his mouth falling open.
“Yeah. How did you know they were a couple? This was before you moved here?”
Logan turned and looked at him suspiciously.
“Umm…Trevor Watson in English told me. He didn’t tell me they broke up.” Brandon thought fast.
“Yeah. Like I told you. Cam’s been through a lot of shit lately. Gina wasn’t there when he needed her. She’s a stuck-up bitch. I told him that from the beginning.” Logan pulled up to a stop sign.
Like mother, like girlfriend, thought Brandon.
“Well, I guess it’s good he found out now instead of later when they became more serious,” Brandon said.
“Yeah.”
“So why did you and your girlfriend break up?” Brandon couldn’t resist prying to see if it might be possible that Logan broke up with his girlfriend for some of the same reasons he broke up with Marcia.
“I don’t know if it was never right from the beginning. She just wasn’t my type. I dated her mainly because she was popular, and everyone expected me to, including my parents.” Logan admitted.
Could it be that she’s the wrong gender? Brandon wondered.
“You shouldn’t let your parents tell who to date if you don’t feel it. Believe me, I’ve been there, and it makes you fucking miserable.” Brandon thought of his father pressuring him to date a ‘nice’ girl like Marcia.
“I know, man. I’m a jock. We’re expected to date the cheerleaders.” He looked both directions at a 4-way before proceeding through the intersection.
“Bullshit. I’m not dating an airhead cheerleader.” Brandon huffed.
“Not your type aye?” Logan laughed.
“Fucking-A!” Brandon nodded.
“So, Channing Burkhart. What is your type?” Logan pulled into Tommy’s driveway and killed the engine.
Brandon was just about to tell Logan the truth about his sexuality when he was shaken from his thoughts by a knock on his window. He quickly turned his head to see a smiling Corbin standing there. Brandon fumbled for the button to roll down the window. Standing on the running board, a shirtless Corbin placed his hands on the roof and lazily leaned forward in an all too familiar fashion.
“Nice truck.” He took a deep breath. “I love that new truck smell. What are you guys doing?” He smiled, glancing between the two of them.
“Nothing.” Brandon gave him a dirty look. “Logan just gave me a ride home.”
“Ooh. Nice stereo. Bose?” Corbin looked at the control screen and then at Logan.
“Yep.” Logan smiled.
“Crank it up,” Corbin demanded. “Let’s hear it.”
Logan reached down and blasted Crazy Train by Ozzy Osborn.
“Nice!” Corbin moved his head to the beat.
Corbin looked at Brandon, who clearly was not amused. A few seconds later, Logan turned the volume back down.
“Oh. I’m Corbin, by the way.” Corbin reached across Brandon for a fist bump from Logan, forcing Brandon to press his back against the seat.
Brandon turned his head towards Logan. “Corbin is my business partner.”
“Business partner?” Logan asked.
“Dude. We do lawns. Mitchell and Burkhart’s Mowing.” Corbin boasted. “Need your lawn cut, we’re your guys.” He pointed to Brandon then himself.
Brandon glared at Corbin to shut up.
“So, I hear there’s a party Friday night at Nate Collin’s place?” Corbin fished for an invite.
“Yep,” Logan said.
“Mostly seniors, I hear?” Corbin asked causally.
“Yeah, mostly. Some juniors.” Logan replied.
“Man, I bet that’s going to be some party.” Corbin sighed and shook his head, then stared at Logan, obviously expecting an invitation.
“You guys want to come?” Logan took the bait.
“Yeah!” Corbin’s face lit up. You picking us up?”
“Um…well…yeah…sure,” Logan replied, obviously not having expected the question.
“Cool, man. I’ll meet you guys here.” Corbin looked to Brandon, who looked as if he had just swallowed a mouth full of grass clippings. “Well, partner, we need to get to work.”
Brandon turned to Logan and smiled. “I got to go. I’ll see ya’ tomorrow.”
He reached for the door handle and popped the door open just as Corbin finally stepped down.
“Sure, man.” Logan laughed.
Brandon waited for Logan to drive off before he turned to Corbin, who stood smiling as if he had just won the lottery.
“What the fuck was that?” Brandon asked angrily.
“What? I was just subtly asking for an invite.” He shrugged.
“Subtly?” Brandon’s voice cracked. “You practically invited yourself, and then coerced Logan into giving you a ride!”
“It’s the party of the year.” Corbin lowered his eyes. “Sorry”
“Ugh!” Brandon threw his hands up. “I was just about to…fuck…never mind.” He screamed.
Corbin gave him a sad look. “We’re both invited.”
Brandon sighed. He had to admit, Corbin certainly knew how to play his cards, and admittedly, he always wanted to go to a teenage keg party. Something he missed out on his first time in high school.
“It’s fine, Corbin.”
“Can I sleep over? My parents would kill me if they found out I went to a party where there was alcohol.” Corbin asked, his enthusiasm only comparable to that of a puppy.
“You want to have a sleepover?” Brandon chuckled, unable to believe it.
“Duh. You’re a teenager now. Teenagers have sleepovers, especially if it means hiding the fact that you’re going to a kegger from your parents. Besides, it's not like you'll get in trouble.”
Corbin was right in that aspect. He wouldn’t get in trouble. He was an adult, or at least he used to be an adult. He’d made his own decisions for over thirty years, and it wasn’t like Tommy or Kathy could tell him he couldn’t go.
“I suppose.” Brandon shrugged.
“Cool, dude!” Corbin held his hand out for a fist bump, which Brandon reluctantly returned. He then turned and looked towards the direction in which Logan drove off. “I heard a rumor about him, you know?”
“Rumor?” Brandon raised his eyebrows.
“It’s not really a rumor, it’s more fact.” Corbin shrugged and contemplated a moment. “Na. I shouldn’t tell it. It was told to me in confidence.” Corbin stared off towards the road.
“What?”
“I can’t tell it. My cousin Lindsey would kill me if she found out I told anyone.” Corbin turned towards his mower.
“Screw that. You can’t say you heard something about Logan and not tell me what it is. Besides, who am I going to tell?” Brandon threw his hands in the air.
Corbin shrugged. “True. Well, he dated my cousin Lindsey when they were in tenth grade, and the reason they broke up is that she walked in on him getting freaky on his laptop webcam. With a dude.”
“Get out!” Brandon's jaw dropped. “No way!”
“Dude. She couldn’t believe it. He begged her not to tell anyone. He said if his father found out, he’d kill him.”
“Holy shit.” Brandon shook his head. “What happened?”
“She didn’t tell anyone. Well, she told me, but Lindsey and I are like this.” He crossed his fingers.
“Why did you tell me then?” Brandon asked.
“I don’t know. I get this vibe that you have the hots for him.”
“Who are you? The Amazing Kreskin?” Brandon was beginning to think Corbin might be psychic, the way he figured out his identity, and now that he had a thing for Logan.
“Who the hell is Kreskin?” Corbin laughed.
“You know. The psychic. Had that TV show in the seventies?”
Corbin shook his head.
“Okay. Miss Cleo then?”
“Nope. You’re showing your age, old man.” Corbin teased.
“Screw you.” Brandon yanked off his shirt off and turned towards the house.
“Anyway, just thought you’d like to know he may be batting for your team.” Corbin s
miled.
“For the record, I don’t have the hots for him, and it makes absolutely no difference to me which team he bats for.” Brandon marched towards the front door.
After changing into his shorts, Brandon met Corbin on the street in front of Tommy’s house. As they walked down, Corbin kept turning towards him and grinning.
“What?” Brandon looked at him.
“Logan and Channing sittin’ in a tree…” He started singing.
“You’re so childish.” Brandon lifted his nose in the air and tried to ignore him.
“K.I.S.S.I.N.G.”
“Shut up!” Brandon stared at the road, pretending to be angry.
“First comes love…” Corbin smiled mischievously.
Brandon stopped and grabbed Corbin in a headlock.
“Hey!” Corbin yelled.
“Now, say it.” Brandon squeezed Corbin’s neck tightly and grabbed his nose with his other hand and began twisting it
“Then…comes…” Corbin sputtered with laughter. “Ow!”
A few moments later, they were both rolling around in the grass, each of them trying to get the other one to give.
“Give!” Brandon laughed, pinning his friend to the ground
“No. You give!” Corbin laughed as he struggled to break free.
“Smell my pits!” Brandon placed his underarm over Corbin’s nose.
“Ugh.” Corbin made a disgusted face and rolled over, getting the upper hand.
“A-ha! Purple nurple time!” Corbin yelled as he sat on Brandon’s stomach and reached towards his chest.
“Nooo!” Brandon laughed hysterically, trying to push him off.
Laughter filled the hot Arizona air as the two friends played like a couple of children.
Chapter Six
Friday evening, the doorbell rang at the Burkhart house.
“I’ll get it!” Brandon yelled as he flew down the hall to the front door and opened it.
“Hey, man.” Corbin stood there with a backpack over his shoulder, wearing a ratty old t-shirt and shorts.
“Hey!” Corbin turned around and waved to the SUV parked on the street as Brandon greeted him.
Brandon glanced over Corbin’s shoulder at the blonde woman behind the wheel of the maroon Enclave, who was giving him the thumbs up.
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