Flag on the Play

by Sherrie Henry

  “Hang in there. You’re not lying per se. Just not telling the entire truth.”

  “I wish….”

  “I know. I wish you could be yourself too. But change is coming. Big changes have already come.”

  “And there are still those who fight change.”

  “Change is scary.”

  “Thanks for listening.”

  “Anytime. Let your mom know she can call whenever she wants. My mom is never far from her phone.”

  “I hope this goes well.”

  “I’m sure it will.”

  “Okay, I’d better get to my homework. Gotta keep the grades up.”

  “Yeah, me too. See you tomorrow. Bye.”

  “Bye.” Liam hit the End Call button, and a few seconds later a text popped up with Cody’s mom’s phone number. He forwarded the text to his mother and hoped for the best.

  Chapter Six

  “I’M HOME!” Liam dropped his books off on the kitchen table.

  “In here, Liam.”

  Liam grabbed an apple and headed toward the living room where he found his mother sitting next to a woman who greatly resembled Cody.

  “Liam, this is Mrs. Williams.” Sarah rose out of her chair.

  Mrs. Williams stood up and extended her hand. “Call me Marissa, please.”

  Liam’s mom clasped her hands in front of her, something she only did when she was a little miffed.

  Liam grasped Mrs. William’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, um, Marissa.” Liam wasn’t sure if he should respect Mrs. William’s wishes to be called by her first name or his mother’s, which dictated you didn’t call an elder by their first name. He decided on the former as it might be considered rude to go against what someone wanted to be called.

  “Mrs. Williams and I have been chatting. She said Cody has spoken highly of you and our family.”

  Liam looked down at his shoes. “He’s a good friend.”

  Marissa spoke up. “I’m so glad he’s been able to find such good people to hang out with. I was concerned about this move. It’s not easy changing high schools so late in the game.”

  “So, we’ve been talking, and I think you can spend the night over at Cody’s for a movie marathon. Mrs. Williams has agreed to only appropriate viewing.”

  Liam’s eyes lit up. “Really? Thanks, Mom!” He gave his mother a big hug.

  Marissa looked down at her watch. “I’d better be getting home. I’ve got a teenaged son who’ll eat me out of house and home if I don’t start dinner.”

  Sarah smiled. “I can relate.”

  Marissa picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Liam could see her shirt rise up slightly to show off part of a tattoo. He quickly looked over at his mother and was relieved to notice she had sat back down to retrieve a magazine that had fallen. She was definitely out of the line of sight.

  “I will see you on Friday, Liam. It was great to meet you both.”

  Liam grinned. “See you on Friday.”

  FRIDAY COULD not arrive fast enough. While Liam and Cody saw each other every day, the few minutes between classes and their lunch period was never enough. They did walk home together after practice, but it seemed they were never alone. A car passing by, another group of friends tagging along, an elderly neighbor who just happened to be out in their yard, never time to be just the two of them.

  The final bell rang and Liam raced out to the gym. He quickly changed into his gear and jogged out to the field to join the others. He saw Cody over by the bench and gave him a nod. He had been very careful to keep his actions clearly on the “buddy” side of the equation. The opposing team was just pulling up as the team captain, Marty, ran them through stretches.

  Liam had always loved football, loved watching and playing. But today, yeah today he just wanted the game over so he could be with Cody. He bobbled a practice kick and held in an expletive. Shape up, Hartley. Stop acting like a love-struck fool. He shook his head and kicked straight on, the next practice kick going high and long. Perfect.

  The game was close, tied twenty-one to twenty-one in the fourth quarter with only two minutes to go. Liam sat on the bench, clenching and unclenching his hands as his teammates were on the defensive. They successfully blocked a field goal and the offense was on. Three plays later and Cody was in the end zone, a perfect spiral caught right between the double eights on his jersey. One point-after kick later and they were up by seven with less than a minute to go. Liam was up. He needed to make this kick count, get it somewhere between the end zone and the ten-yard line. He flexed the ball, looked left and right, and then nodded. The special teams line took off running as he punted the ball high, higher, and down, the opposing team catching it at the twelve-yard line. Not exactly where he wanted it, but damn close. He was about to jog off the field when he noticed the play hadn’t been called down. The opposing player still had the ball and had broken two tackles. He was heading straight for Liam.

  Liam braced himself and lowered his shoulder as he ran toward the player with the ball. He made contact square in the opponent’s chest, knocking them both to the ground. The ball slipped out and Liam jumped on it, capturing the fumble. The crowd roared.

  With only forty-five seconds remaining and Liam’s team with the ball, it was just a formality to wait until the game was over to celebrate.

  “GREAT JOB, son!” Liam’s dad patted him on the back.

  “You didn’t get hurt, did you?” His mom brushed his hair off his face and removed some dirt from his cheek.

  “I’m okay, Mom, I swear. Man, that was a rush!”

  Cody came running over. “You won us the game, bro!” He gave Liam a high five.

  “I guess all that practice Coach forced me to do paid off. Never thought I’d actually have to tackle someone.”

  “Mom’s got pizza and ice cream waiting on us at home.” He turned to Liam’s parents. “Is it okay for him to leave now?”

  “Yes, have fun, you guys. We’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”

  Liam turned to his father. “Afternoon? You don’t need me first thing to mow the lawn?”

  “No, not tomorrow. You deserve time with your friends. I’ve got the lawn.”

  “Thanks, Dad!” Liam forced himself away from Cody for fear he’d hug him or something even worse. This was so not the place. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” He gave his mom and dad a hug, then headed off after Cody toward Cody’s car.

  He slung his gear and bag of clothes in Cody’s trunk. “I’m going to need a shower before we eat. Great game, but damn, I’m sweaty.”

  “No worries. We’ve got two full baths and plenty of hot water.” Cody plopped his gear on top of Liam’s.

  Liam slid into the passenger’s seat, Cody following suit in the driver’s seat. Cody eased the car out into traffic and headed toward Cody’s home. Liam surveyed the people and cars around him before placing his hand over Cody’s.

  Cody turned his hand over and intertwined their fingers. “Breathe. No one can see in here.”

  Liam hadn’t realized he’d held his breath. He let it out slowly. “Sorry.”

  “Stop saying you’re sorry. Nothing to be sorry for. This is new shit for you to deal with. Believe me, you’re safe in here.”

  “I know. I’ll try.”

  “To paraphrase a wise old gent, do or do not, there is no try.”

  Liam rolled his eyes. “I don’t think Yoda ever had to deal with crap like this.”

  “Probably not. His biggest concern was probably indoor plumbing.”

  Liam let out a laugh. “Never thought about that.”

  “Well, I don’t think Dagobah had a sewer system. And Yoda had been there for quite some time. Think about that.”

  “Ewww.”

  “Exactly.” Cody brought Liam’s hand up to his lips.

  Liam jumped.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, you just surprised me.”

  “You didn’t like it?”

  “What, being kissed on my hand? I just
never thought much about it. Kissing on the lips, sure, but nowhere else.”

  “You sure about nowhere else?”

  Liam ducked his head, hoping the heat he felt was the residual effects of a good game. “What if I did, you know, think about kissing other places?”

  “Means you’re human. You do know sex isn’t dirty.”

  “Tell that to the Baptists.”

  Cody sighed. He pulled into his home’s driveway and cut the engine. “I need to know something.”

  “What?”

  “How do you feel?” Cody turned to face Liam.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Where do you see us going? How do you feel about us?”

  “I don’t know. Aren’t feelings for girls?”

  Cody leaned his head against the steering wheel. “Guys have feelings. We just hide them better.” He turned his head to look at Liam. “I like you, a lot. I like kissing you. But I’d like to know how you feel. What is your idea of dating? Holding hands and sipping malteds out of the same glass?”

  Liam let out a cackle. “Okay, I’ll admit I’ve compared this town to the ’50s, but I don’t see myself like that.”

  “Then how do you see yourself? What is your opinion on sex?”

  Liam shrugged. “I’ve thought about it but don’t really know much other than what’s taught in sex ed. And you know, they don’t really hit the gay stuff too hard.”

  Cody sat back up and shook his head. “So answer me this. Are you sure you’re gay?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “This isn’t coming out right.”

  Liam furrowed his brow. “What is it you want to know? Would I have sex with you?”

  Cody’s eyes grew wide. “No, hell no. That’s not—” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I wanted to know how you felt about dating, making out, making each other feel good, but not sex, not now. You’ve got a strict religious upbringing and damn—I screwed this up, didn’t I?”

  The lightbulb went on in Liam’s brain. “You know, for such an enlightened dude from the big city, you are dim. And please don’t channel Meatloaf and his baseball metaphors. I’m good with kissing, and I’d like to see what goes on from there. Yes, I’ve been taught that sex is for marriage, but I don’t buy into it. That said, I don’t want to even think about sex, any kind of sex, right this minute. And yes, I do know about, you know, making myself feel good.”

  Cody grinned. “Thanks. Sometimes I think my mouth and brain don’t connect very well. You’re not mad at me?”

  Liam smirked. “No. Can I ask you something?”

  “Only fair.”

  “Have you had sex?”

  “Once, with a girl.”

  “Do you know anything about, um, gay sex?”

  “I know the mechanics. Do you think you’ll want to explore that aspect one day?”

  “Maybe. Just want to take it slow.”

  “Slow I can do. Come on, it’s shower time. Then I’ve got a treat for you. All the Marvel movies in order. Well, as many as we can fit in before we pass out.”

  “Awesome!”

  IT WAS past midnight, and they were halfway through Thor: The Dark World. Cody’s parents had gone to bed, as had his sister. Liam liked Kelly; she was cute without being super-cute or precocious. And she didn’t interrupt the movie every ten seconds asking what was going on.

  Cody and Liam sat on the couch, holding hands. Liam felt relaxed, like this was a natural, everyday thing. Cody’s parents had been supercool, and Cody had even given Liam a peck on the cheek right in front of them. He wished for the day he could do the same in front of his own parents.

  “You’ve seen this movie before, right?” Cody ran his thumb over the back of Liam’s hand.

  “Yeah, twice. Once in the theater, once at Matt’s birthday party last year.”

  “So, you know what happens?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good.” Cody got up on his knees and cupped Liam’s face. His lips met Liam’s, the soft hint of pepperoni and mint chocolate ice cream invading Liam’s mouth.

  Liam felt Cody’s hands go underneath his t-shirt, his light touches exciting Liam. Liam wanted to reciprocate but couldn’t extricate himself from Cody’s arms. Cody leaned back.

  “Hold on.” Cody stripped his t-shirt off. He cocked his head at Liam. “What?”

  “I-I’ve never allowed myself to look at guys.”

  Cody flexed his biceps. “Look all you want. I’ll strike poses.”

  Liam snorted. “You’re a dork.”

  “But I’m your dork.” Cody waggled his eyebrows. “You comfortable with taking your shirt off?”

  Liam nodded and grasped the hem of his t-shirt. Cody put his hands over Liam’s.

  “Hang on. Can I?”

  Liam let go of his shirt and nodded again. Cody slowly inched the shirt up and over his torso and head.

  “You’re not bad yourself. And I have checked you out in the locker room.”

  Liam’s eyes grew wide.

  “Don’t panic, no one was watching, I swear.” Cody loomed over him, their chests almost touching.

  Liam reached up to touch Cody’s bare torso chest. “Not much chest hair.”

  “Dad’s quite sparse too. Runs in the family.” Cody ran his fingers through the smattering of chest hairs on Liam. “Looks like you’re going to have a full pelt.”

  “Probably. My dad’s pretty hairy. I hope I don’t develop the gorilla arms he has.”

  Cody ran his index finger up Liam’s arm. “If you haven’t by now, I doubt you will.”

  “Let’s hope so.” Liam pulled Cody’s head down for another kiss, emboldened by their shared intimacy. Their chests touched, causing a gasp to come out of Liam. His world shrank down to just the two of them, on that couch, the flickering of the TV their only light. He felt his body quickly respond to Cody’s touch, his jeans becoming way too restrictive. He jolted upward as Cody cupped his groin.

  Cody pulled back. “Too much?”

  “No.” He ground his hips upward. “Just a little surprised.” He closed the distance again, urging Cody on. If feeling this way really was a sin, he’d welcome hell right now. Cody settled his entire body on top of Liam without breaking their kiss. Liam welcomed the downward pressure Cody gave him, losing himself in the sensations. He felt his balls draw up, the pressure on his cock becoming unbearable. He pushed Cody back. “Stop.”

  Cody pushed off him and onto his side. “Something wrong?”

  “It’s too much, I’m going to cum.”

  “So?”

  “Here? On the couch? With my jeans on?”

  “How about on the floor?”

  Liam squirmed to sit up. “I don’t know—”

  Cody whispered in Liam’s ear. “I want to. I want to see you.” Cody eased himself onto the floor and unzipped his jeans, kicking them off. His erection tented out from his boxers. He lay down on his back and gestured to Liam.

  Liam swallowed hard. His heart pounded as if it were going to burst out of his chest; his lips still tingled. And boy, did his cock throb, wanting that sweet release. He threw his guilt out of his mind and shucked his own jeans off as well. He lay on top of Cody. “What about your parents?”

  “Sound sleepers. They also use a white noise generator. And Kelly is just as sound a sleeper. No one’s going to hear.” Cody wrapped his arms around Liam. “You good like this or want more?”

  What was the saying? In for a penny, in for a pound? “I want more.”

  Cody pulled his boxers down slightly, then did the same for Liam. As soon as their cocks touched, they both gasped. Then Cody began to thrust up and down. Within a minute of the intimate contact, Liam felt his orgasm overtake him. He shut his eyes tight, tight enough to see stars. He fell limp onto Cody. He felt light kisses being pressed onto his temple and forehead and the arms around him squeezing him tighter. He came to his senses and pushed his torso up. “Damn.”

  “Damn is right.”


  Liam dipped down to capture Cody’s lips. “I want more.”

  “You said that earlier.”

  “Again.” Liam felt his body responding once more.

  “Again.”

  While the credits rolled, Liam and Cody explored each other three more times. After a careful cleanup, they headed to Cody’s room to continue their exploration.

  A BLAST of sunshine hit Liam square in the face. It took him a few moments to realize where he was and who he was with. He found himself draped over Cody, his arm around Cody’s waist. They were both still naked and just a little crusty. He turned his head to see Cody looking at him.

  “Morning.”

  For the life of him, Liam couldn’t stop the blush creeping over his face. “Morning.”

  “That’s cute.”

  “What?”

  “You’re blushing.”

  “And you should be too.”

  “Why?”

  Liam pushed himself up off of Cody. “What we did last night, multiple times….”

  “We enjoyed ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

  “I guess I’m just channeling all those years of hell and damnation.”

  “Do you think you’re going to hell or going to be damned for what we did?”

  “I’d like to say no, but it’s hard to unravel sixteen years of it being beaten into you.”

  “Would it help to know that I believe it’s natural, that it’s good for the soul to connect with someone like this?”

  “Yes, it does.” Liam heard someone downstairs. “How am I going to face your parents?”

  “Um, go down and have breakfast?”

  “They’ll be able to tell?”

  “Tell what? That you had a good night’s sleep with someone you like and that likes you back?”

  “No, the sex.”

  “Liam, what we did wasn’t sex.”

  Liam ducked his head. “I know, it’s just, it’s the closest to sex I’ve ever been.”