by Matt Zachary
“Come on…you can tell me. What is it?” Billy pried. He thought he knew what the problem was and his surprise for Stuart would fix it.
“I d-don’t b-b-belong at the party with your friends. I-I w-w-won’t know anyone there,” Stuart complained bashfully.
Billy hadn’t even thought of it from that perspective. He was so used to be the most popular boy at school. He hadn’t thought about what it would be like if he wasn’t…if no one knew him, or worse, people made fun of him. He thought Stuart just was embarrassed because he didn’t have anything to wear to the party. “Man, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot,” Billy replied. “If you really don’t want to go or feel you will be super uncomfortable, you don’t have to go. But, for what it’s worth, I want you there.”
All it took to get Stuart to give in and agree to go was Billy flashing his patented charming smile. “Okay, I’ll go…for a little while,” Stuart smiled back, though his stomach was doing flip flops at the idea. “I’ll need to go home first so I can change,” he added as an afterthought.
That’s when Billy unleashed his surprise. “Ah-ha! But, you don’t. They might be a little big on you, but I thought you could pick out something from my closet,” he suggested with a wink.
“No,” Stuart replied, touched. “I can’t borrow your clothes.”
“Well, then how about I give them to you!” Billy suggested, but before Stuart could say anything, Billy was already pulling off his shirt and tie. “Here, try this one.”
Everything was happening so fast, Stuart didn’t know what was going on. He did as he was told though and slipped the shirt on over his head. “Well?” he asked, unsure how he looked.
“Mmmmm….I think you need an undershirt,” Billy said and ran across the room to grab a new package of wife beaters. “Here, put this on under that shirt.”
As Stuart held the wife beater in his hands, he could tell it must have been expensive. The cotton was so soft, almost like silk. It was a stupid undershirt, but quite possibly the nicest piece of clothing he had ever worn. “How a-a-bout n-n-now?” he asked Billy, though tears were filling his eyes.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Billy asked, concerned that maybe he was overwhelming Stuart or forcing him into something he didn’t want. “You don’t have to wear the shirt if you don’t like it.”
Stuart laughed and wiped the tears from his face. “The shirt’s great. You’re just being so nice to me. I-I d-don’t deserve it, is all.”
Billy couldn’t believe that Stuart felt as though he didn’t deserve someone being nice to him. The thought broke his heart and he had to try very hard to keep from tearing up himself. “Dude. You should never feel like that. Of course you deserve me being nice to you. We’re friends, right?”
Stuart shook his head ‘yes’ but until that moment he hadn’t realized they were actual friends. In that moment though, he believed it. “I’m gonna need pants t-too,” he laughed through his tears as a way to lighten the moment.
“We’ll get you some pants…but first, let’s get down to studying,” Billy answered before adding that he actually answered a question in his literature class correctly. “Mr. Simon even said he was impressed.”
Stuart wasn’t surprised. He knew Billy had way more potential than he had exhibited around school up to that point. He was proud of his new friend and a little proud of himself even for pulling it out of him.
The two new friends spent the next hour and a half going over the first third of the study questions Mr. Simon had given Billy, and then headed down to the kitchen for a snack.
“Is your dad ever home?” Stuart asked. To him, it seemed almost like Billy lived alone.
“Mostly only on the weekends,” Billy answered, but it was obvious that it wasn’t a subject he was comfortable elaborating on.
After they ate some chips and cookies, Billy looked at his phone and told Stuart they needed to start getting ready. “I’m gonna take a shower,” he told Stuart. “If you want to take one too, there’s a bathroom two doors down the hall. Fresh towels are in the linen closet to the right of the shower.”
“Okay,” Stuart answered. Billy was already in his bathroom stripping off his clothes. Stuart didn’t mean to look, but as he answered he saw a profile view of Billy’s naked body climbing into the shower.
“Oh, and dude,” Billy poked his head from the shower, scaring Stuart who assumed he was about to get chastised, “Just pick out whatever you wanna wear from my closet.”
“O-okay,” Stuart hollered back. He felt strange going through someone else’s closet, but it was a little less awkward since Billy was away in his shower. Stuart found an outfit he really liked and headed to the hall bathroom to shower just as Billy was emerging from his own bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.
“Wait!” Billy yelled. “I forgot, there’s no shampoo or soap or anything in that bathroom. Use my shower,” he corrected.
As Stuart walked into Billy’s bathroom, he was welcomed by the scent of soap and shampoo. He put the clothes he had chosen on the counter and wasn’t sure if he should just strip right there in front of Billy or wait for Billy to leave.
Billy, sensing his friend’s dilemma, said, “Just let me grab my toothbrush and I’ll be out of your way.” With that, he left the bathroom and closed the door behind himself.
He found the shirt and pants he wanted to wear and was all dressed by the time Stuart got out of the shower. “Once you’re dressed, let me in,” he told Stuart through the bathroom door.
A few minutes later, Stuart opened the door, and stepped out. “Is this okay?” he asked Billy for his approval on the items he chose to wear. He was worried that maybe Billy wouldn’t want him to wear them.
“You look great, man. But, come with me…I’m gonna help you style your hair. Stuart followed Billy back into the bathroom and stood there as Billy rubbed product into his hair. Having Billy’s hands massaging his scalp were making him almost go weak in the knees. It felt so sensual, but he tried to hold it together. He didn’t want to say or do anything that would mess up their new friendship.
Once Billy was through, and had gotten every strand of Stuart’s almost jet black hair in its perfect place, he turned Stuart around so he could check out his reflection in the mirror. “Wow. I don’t even look like the same guy.”
“Well, if you didn’t have the glasses on, maybe,” Billy agreed.
“I have contacts in my book bag,” Stuart spoke up. “I don’t wear them much, but always keep them on me in case my glasses break.”
Stuart put in the contact lenses and the transformation was complete. “You’re one hot motherfucka!” Billy laughed causing Stuart’s face to turn beet red. “One last thing, though,” Billy added as he grabbed a bottle of cologne and sprayed both himself and Stuart. “Now, we’re ready to par-tay!”
Chapter 8
Immediately upon arriving at the party, girls swarmed around Billy and Stuart. “Who’s your friend, Billy?” they asked.
“Ladies, this is my new friend, Stuart,” Billy answered as he turned to Stuart and winked. The girls never would have guessed that the Stuart he was introducing them to was the same Stuart that sat meekly in a corner in some of their classes. He was no longer the geeky boy with his face buried in a book. To them he was a handsome, confident and somewhat mysterious stranger…one they wanted to get to know.
“Hey Stuart, do you want to dance,” one of the girls asked.
Billy could tell Stuart was getting uncomfortable with all of the attention so he came to the rescue. “Girls, girls, you will all have plenty of time to show Stuart the dance floor later. First, I’m gonna get a drink with my friend!” Billy announced.
The crowd cheered at the mention of drinking and Billy and his group made their way through the party to the kitchen.
“What’ll ya have?” the guy manning the alcohol asked Stuart.
“D-do you h-h-have a s-s-soda?” Stuart asked, his stutter returning.
&nbs
p; “He’ll have a beer…make it two,” Billy broke in and answered for him. “You don’t have to drink it, you can just fake it,” he whispered into Stuart’s ear as he handed over the foaming red solo cup.
For once, Stuart wanted to just feel normal, so he put the cup up to his lips and guzzled the disgusting tasting ale until the cup was empty.
“Whoo-hoo,” yelled the group of guys and girls surrounding Stuart and Billy.
“That a’boy!” Belliy yelled through the hooting and hollering and showed his approval by guzzling his drink as well. “Want another?” he asked once his cup was empty as well.
After getting their cups refilled, Billy introduced Stuart to more of the people at the party. Once Stuart seemed less nervous, likely due in part because of the copious amounts of alcohol he was consuming, Billy asked if it was okay to leave him along for a few minutes.
“Sure, I’ll be fine,” Stuart answered. He wasn’t feeling well anyways, and just wanted to find a quiet place to sit down.
“Okay, but I’ll check back on you real soon,” Billy promised before leaving. He felt a little guilty leaving Stuart alone at a party where he really knew no one, but he had promised Jessica Leigh that they could have some alone time.
“Well, it’s about time,” Jessica Leigh said when she saw Billy approach her. He could tell from her voice and demeanor that he was going to have to work hard for her forgiveness.
“Come on, baby, let’s not waste time fighting,” he told her with a wink and a flash of his pearly whites. “I’m sure we can both think of a much better way to pass the time.”
Jessica Leigh returned his smile. “You better be glad you’re so irresistible. If it weren’t for those stunning good looks and that crooked smile, you’d never be able to keep a girlfriend.”
“But I do have a girlfriend,” Billy said as he backed Jessica Leigh up towards the wall. “And, there are so many things I’d like to do with her.” He moved in and kissed her lips. Then her neck. With each kiss he moved further down her neck towards her breasts.
“Whoa boy!” Jessica said as she pushed Billy back. “I may have forgiven you, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to just let you have your way.”
By now, Billy was feeling the effects of the half dozen beers he had already consumed. He was horny and frisky and just wanted to get Jessica Leigh alone someplace where he could enjoy her body. “I know you want it as much as I do,” he smiled and attempted to kiss her again, this time moving his hands up her sides so he could grope her breasts.
Jessica slapped his hands away. “You’re drunk,” she told him. Her voice was no longer filled with playful flirting. She was annoyed and wanted nothing more to do with Billy until he sobered up. “Find me when you’re not pissed off your ass!” she said before pushing him aside and re-joining her friends.
When Billy returned to where he left Stuart, there was no sight of his friend. He turned when he heard a commotion. A crowd was forming and people were yelling, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Billy cut through the crowd just in time to stop Jeff from swinging a fist straight for Stuart’s jaw. “Get out of here!” he yelled at Jeff before grabbing Stuart and leading him out to the car.
“I’m s-sorry,” Stuart began, but as soon as the words came out he began vomiting uncontrollably on the front lawn.
“You alright, buddy?” Billy asked. He didn’t know what was wrong, but he knew that it was likely entirely his fault. He pushed Stuart into going to a party he wasn’t interested in.
“I’m s-s-sorry,” Stuart kept mumbling as Billy helped him to the jeep.
“I should be apologizing to you, Stuart. I shouldn’t have forced you to come, and I shouldn’t have let you drink if you weren’t used to it,” Billy said once they were seated in the vehicle. “I wasn’t a very good friend to you.”
“What are you t-t-talking about?!” Stuart cried. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had!”
Billy didn’t agree but he planned to do better. And his first act of true friendship was to not drive drunk. Instead he suggested he and Stuart just stay in the jeep talking, or napping until they felt better.
Chapter 9
Stuart and Billy sat in the jeep and talked almost until the sun came up the next morning. In one night, they knew almost everything about one another. Billy asked if Stuart wanted to spend the night at his house, but Stuart declined, saying his step-dad expected him home. Still, they got together two more times over the weekend for study sessions. By the end of the weekend, Billy’s literary knowledge was leaps and bounds ahead of what it was at the beginning of the week. He was sure he would pass Mr. Simon’s final. Even so, he was planning to study every day until the test.
At school, Monday, everyone was talking about the party Friday night. “Hey,” Billy told Jessica Leigh just before homeroom, “I wanted to apologize if I came on too strong the other night. I drank a little too much.”
She didn’t bother replying, and instead just acted as if she hadn’t even heard Billy. With a flip of her hair she turned to her friends and started giggling about whatever they had been talking about.
Billy didn’t like getting the cold shoulder, but if he was being honest with himself, he deserved it. He didn’t know why, but his relationship with Jessica Leigh had just been going further and further downhill. It seemed like every encounter they had ended up with some sort of an argument.
At lunch, he planned on catching up with Stuart. At least that was one relationship that seemed to be growing instead of crumbling. But, as he entered the cafeteria where Stuart usually hung out, his table was empty. “Hey,” he asked a girl at the next table, “Have you seen Stuart?”
“Yeah, I think some of your friends wanted to talk to him,” the girl, who clearly knew who Billy was, answered.
Billy was hoping he was jumping to conclusions, but a pit formed in his stomach. He didn’t have a good feeling. As fast as he could, he raced from the cafeteria in search of Stuart. He checked the normal places he knew his Lacrosse buddies hung out, but there was no sign of them or Stuart.
His next thought was that maybe they were in the bathrooms, so he checked the one on senior hall first. It was empty. He made his way to the adjacent hallway and checked the freshman bathroom. As soon as he neared the door, he could hear the sounds of a fight, or at least of someone being punched. “What the fuck are you doing?!?!” he yelled as he saw Jeff kicking a bloodied Stuart as he lay on the bathroom floor.
“You remember what I said, homo!” Jeff yelled at Stuart and spat at his face before laughing as he exited the bathroom with his goon friends.
“I’m gonna get you help,” Billy told Stuart, not sure if it was wise to leave him. He felt so bad for his friend. Stuart was curled up in a ball on the floor under the sinks. His eye was already blackening, and his nose was bloody.
“I-I’m f-f-fine,” Stuart insisted, but he could barely move. Billy quickly wrapped his arms around Stuart and helped him to his feet. Against Stuart’s protests, Billy took him to the office where he reluctantly told the principal all about the encounter.
Apparently, Jeff didn’t like the attention Stuart was getting from his best friend Billy. And, to top it all off, all of the cheerleaders, including his girlfriend, were going on and on about how hot Stuart was. Jeff decided that it was his job to put Stuart back in his place.
Since the school had a zero tolerance policy on violence and Billy had witnessed the encounter, Jeff was suspended. He wouldn’t be allowed to go on the senior trip or walk with his class at graduation.
“H-h-he’s g-gonna k-k-kill me,” Stuart told Billy as they left the principal’s office.
“Maybe, but I’ll be right there with you,” Billy told Stuart, partly to get him to laugh and partly because he was serious about staying by his friend’s side as much as possible.
“You won’t be around when you’re on the cruise,” Stuart commented, but wished he hadn’t.
“What?” Billy spun around. “You’re not g
oing on the cruise? I was hoping you could share a room with me now that my asshole ex-friend, Jeff, isn’t an option.” Stuart didn’t want to say it, but Billy could tell from his reaction that the only reason Stuart wasn’t going on the Senior Trip was because his step dad couldn’t afford such an extravagance.
“Believe me, I’d love that,” Stuart started. Before he could finish, though, Billy chimed back in.
“Great, then it’s settled. I’ll take care of everything.”
“I can’t afford….,” Stuart tried to explain.
“I said I’ll take care of everything!” Billy answered more firmly so that Stuart would get the point that he was offering to pay Stuart’s way. He didn’t want to just come out and say it. He knew Stuart had pride and probably didn’t like taking a handout.
“Thank you,” Stuart offered through an almost hoarse, wavering voice that signaled he was getting emotional.
Fortunately for Stuart, the rest of the week went by without incident. He half expected a visit at school from Jeff, or at least one of Jeff’s friends, but everything was peaceful. There were rumors that Jeff’s parents were furious over his suspension and threatened to cut him off if he didn’t clean up his act.
By the end of the week, Billy had his Literature final and passed it with flying colors. He didn’t make an ‘A’, but did manage a ‘B’ which was the third highest grade in the class. Stuart congratulated him but a small part of him was a little sad that the test was over. He had come to look forward to his study sessions with Billy. Still, he reminded himself that they did still have the upcoming cruise together.
Chapter 10
The next few days went by in the blink of an eye. Billy had to go shopping for some new clothes for the cruise. He offered to buy Stuart a new outfit or two, but Stuart wouldn’t let him. He did manage to talk Stuart into raiding his closet for some clothes, most of which had only been worn once or twice, if even that.