by Mark Roeder
Smack! A ball nailed me right in the abs—hard! Owwww.
“Sorry,” Dave yelled. “I thought you’d try to dodge it.”
“It’s okay,” I said, walking toward the bleachers clutching my stomach. I guess I’d spent a little too much time thinking about Shawn.
“Taken out by an eleven-year-old. How humiliating,” Brandon said.
“Blow me, Brandon.”
“Yeah, you’d like that.”
“Hell, yeah. I hear you’re good.”
Brandon grinned and flipped me off. I wished Jon could have heard me. He would have been proud.
Ethan, Brendan, Nate, and Casper of our team remained. We’d made a sad showing. When our side had both balls, Ethan called a quick huddle. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but I hoped he had a good plan.
Dave used the opportunity to come close to the line and shake his butt at his opponents. Ethan whipped a ball at him and just barely missed. Dave stuck out his tongue and ran back to his teammates laughing.
The balls sailed back and forth. Ethan nailed my boyfriend. Well, you know what I mean. Casper narrowly missed getting taken out by Tristan. Brendan was tagged by Casey.
Ethan’s plan was executed, and Casey was out before she knew what hit her. I don’t know how they coordinated their attack without even seeming to look at each other, but Ethan whipped a ball at Casey, and then Casper nailed her as she dodged to the right. Things were even, and soon Tristan had been taken out by the same maneuver, only this time Casper made the initial throw while Nate nailed Tristan.
Shawn called Dave over when they possessed both balls. He put his arm over Dave’s shoulders, spoke to him for a moment, then they walked away from each other. They both turned after four paces and hurled their balls at Nate. Shawn looked as though he aimed directly for Nate’s face. Nate dived to the ground, but both balls nailed Ethan, who was just behind him. A second later, Casper had taken out Shawn with a lightning-fast throw that caught Shawn completely off-guard. Now, it was Casper and Nate against Dave.
“We’re coming for you, little boy,” Nate taunted just after Dave had thrown at him and missed.
Dave giggled, boldly turned and shook his butt at Nate and Casper, and then darted to the side, avoiding both balls. Now, Dave held one ball in each hand and eyed his opponents with glee.
Dave rapidly fired off one ball and then the next at Nate, who dodged them both. Nate tossed one ball to Casper, then fired off the other at Dave, who caught it in the air.
“Noooo!!!!” Nate yelled in anguish.
“Another one taken out by an eleven-year-old,” Brandon said. “It’s a wonder our football team ever wins.”
“I’m gonna get you, kid,” Nate said, crossing his arms and staring at Dave.
“Only if you can catch me!”
Nate walked over to the bleachers. He was a hottie. If Tristan and Nate did have something going, I could understand Tristan’s interest in him. I loved Nate’s curly blond hair and green eyes and his body…damn. If I wasn’t in love with Tim…but I was, so Nate was merely eye candy.
Casper and Dave paced each other. They threw fast and hard when they tried to nail each other, but with one-on-one there weren’t many surprises.
“Come on, Casper. Take out the little squirt!” Nate yelled.
“Yeah, come on!” Brandon yelled. “We can’t lose to a little kid!”
Dave loved it. He giggled and laughed as he dodged Casper’s attempts to take him out. My money was on Casper. Dave barely avoided getting nailed time and again. I was surprised Casper wasn’t in some sport. He was good for a little guy.
I thought Casper had Dave, but he missed him by a hair. Casper immediately fired off another shot. Dave caught it. Casper looked stunned. Both Brandon and Nate howled in despair. Dave jumped up and down with his arms over his head. Dave’s team put him up on their shoulders and carried him around the gym cheering.
When our opponents finally stopped rubbing their win in our faces, Brandon and Nate stepped up to Dave, crossed their arms and stared down at the eleven-year-old.
“We’ll be looking for you in the parking lot, kid,” Brandon said.
Dave giggled.
“I give up,” Brandon said, shaking his head. “We can’t even intimidate a kid.”
That just made Dave laugh more.
“Okay, let’s play again,” Brandon said. “We get Dave this time.”
“Forget it,” Tristan said. “You are not getting our best player.”
“Come on. We’ll trade you Ethan and Dane for Dave and your worst player. That would be Jon.”
“Hey!” Ethan, Jon, and I yelled simultaneously.
Brandon grinned.
“We’ll keep the same teams,” Nate said. “They just got lucky.”
“Luck, my ass,” Jon said.
“What about your ass?” Brandon asked. “Did you say huge or easy?”
“Oh, no. Don’t you two get started,” Casey said. “Let’s play.”
“If you tag me out, I’m coming for you, kid,” Nate said, pointing at Dave, who just giggled again.
“Let’s use four balls this time,” I said.
With four balls in play, I couldn’t begin to keep track of the action. I was too busy trying to survive. Nathan, Ethan, Tim, and Casey were all eliminated in the first two minutes, followed quickly by Tristan, Nate, Brendan, and myself. Casper took out Shawn first, then Jon. That left Dave facing Brandon and Casper.
“Well, well, well. We meet again,” Brandon said.
“Do you want to just surrender now, or do you want to humiliate yourself again?” Dave said.
“You’re going down, kid,” Brandon said.
Brandon whipped a ball at Dave, who dodged it effortlessly. With four balls and only three players, someone was constantly taking a shot at someone else. Those of us who’d already been tagged out sat on the bleachers and urged the combatants on.
Dave fired off a shot at Brandon and nailed him.
“No!” yelled Brandon. “Noooooo!”
That made Dave laugh.
“Come on, Casper!” Ethan yelled. “It’s up to you now!”
“Yeah! Take out that little punk!” Brandon said.
Dave thought it was great fun. I had the feeling he was having one of the best days of his life. Casper and Dave fired off balls at each other fast and hard, but none hit their mark. I thought Dave had Casper with a particularly fast shot, but Casper dived out of the way. He would probably have made a good goalie. Casper came up holding two balls. He whipped one at Dave with his right hand and then nailed him with the second ball thrown from his left. Now it was our turn to cheer and carry Casper around the gym.
We just hung out after that. Some of us played basketball, some just talked, and some explored the gym. I took everyone on a tour of the old school, and then we headed for the cafeteria. Mom had made chocolate-chip and oatmeal cookies! We all had a blast.
Shawn had a good time, but he avoided both Nate and Tristan. He looked at Nate now and then, and I could read jealousy in his eyes. He gazed at Tristan some, too, but then his eyes revealed only sadness. I hoped Shawn could get over Tristan quickly. Shawn could surely find himself a boyfriend. He was sexy, funny, kind, and a hottie! I wasn’t quite sure what he saw in Tristan, anyway. Tristan was extremely good looking, but he wasn’t athletic, he wasn’t built, and…well, he just didn’t seem right for Shawn at all. I guess Shawn couldn’t help it if he was attracted to him, though. Things like that don’t have to make sense. Nate would have been a much better match for Shawn.
Tim and I held hands and kissed now and then. A couple of our kisses were lingering, and we had to break it off before either of us got too excited. Momentary thoughts of slipping off somewhere private entered my mind, but there was no way we’d get away with that. We were surrounded by too many people.
“Damn, you homos are worse than us straight guys,” Brandon said when he noticed Tim and me kissing again.
“You’re just je
alous because you don’t get to kiss Tim,” I said.
Tim blushed slightly, but he smiled.
“Oh, like I couldn’t do a whole lot better than Tim if I was a homo.”
“If?” Jon said.
“Yes, if, jock-sniffer.”
“There is no one better,” I said.
“Oh, please, not another one!” Brandon said. “What is with you gay guys? You all just latch onto each other. Haven’t you ever heard of playing the field?”
“Maybe they’re just not sluts like you, Brandon,” Casey said.
“God help me,” Brandon said. “I’m beginning to like you, Casey.”
“Oh, you know you already like me.”
“I’ll never tell. Seriously, though, haven’t you noticed all the homos are like…connected for life. It’s like they’re married!”
Nathan leaned his head against Ethan’s shoulder.
“Just like that!” Brandon said, pointing at Ethan and Nathan. “I don’t think we could pry those two apart. At least, Shawn has the good sense not to tie himself down.”
Shawn didn’t say anything, but he couldn’t keep from glancing quickly at Tristan.
“I bet Shawn gets more sex than any of you,” Brandon said.
The expression on Shawn’s face made me wonder if he had been getting some lately. He looked like someone with a secret. Tim and I looked at each other, and Tim raised his eyebrows.
“Not everything is about sex,” Casey said.
“You’re only saying that because you aren’t a guy. Guys need sex constantly.”
“Yeah, and don’t ever sleep over at Brandon’s or you’ll understand that only too well,” Jon said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Brandon asked.
That began another round of insults and innuendo between Brandon and Jon. They really went at each other.
“Oh, look, dinner theatre,” Brendan said, biting into a cookie.
The rest of us laughed, but Brandon and Jon kept going at each other. I could almost picture them arguing and hurling insults at each other for all eternity.
I was wiped out when everyone left. I went straight up to my room and crawled into bed. I think I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.
Shawn
“That was a blast!” Tim said as we entered the loft. “We’ve got to play dodge ball again sometime.”
“Yeah.”
Tim paused and gazed at me.
“What’s the matter, big bro?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit.”
“Did you see Nate and Tristan together?”
“Together? No. Nate was hanging more with Brendan and me. He would’ve talked to you, too, if you didn’t keep giving him the cold shoulder.”
“So I was kind of obvious?”
“Duh! You’ve got to get over Tristan. Get yourself laid already.”
I didn’t respond. Tim peered at me.
“You did it with Blake again, didn’t you?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“So, I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’ ”
“You can take it as a ‘none of your business.’ ”
“Shawn, this is so stupid. Let’s just make a deal. Just pretend you don’t notice whatever Dane and I do while he’s here, and you and Blake can fuck like rabbits.”
“We’ve been through this, Tim!”
“Yeah, and it’s stupid. You’re horny. I’m horny. We’ve got our own place. I’ve got a boyfriend, and you should have no trouble getting guys. I saw the way you and Blake were looking at each other in Ofarim’s. You were practically having sex right there on the counter.”
If my little brother only knew.
“No, Tim.”
“You were a lot more fun when we lived with Dad.”
“Maybe you’d like to go back!”
Tim’s eyes grew watery.
“Tim, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. You know I want you here. Just lay off, though, will you?”
“Okay. I’m sorry, too. I just…”
“You’re just a horny little bastard.”
“Yeah, and you’re not helping the situation.”
I started to open my mouth, but Tim threw up his hands.
“I know! I know! I’m just saying, and seriously, Shawn, you need to get laid or at least whack off. Go visit Blake…again.”
I shot Tim a look.
“Just some helpful advice, big bro. I do, um, kind of like you, you know.”
“I kind of like you, too. Now, go away.”
Tim grinned and departed for his room. I made myself a cup of tea and sat down at the table. I gazed out the window, thinking. Tim was right about one thing: I needed to get laid. I’d recently had a three-way with Blake and Marc, but I still needed it bad. The pressure was relentless. I thought I might actually go insane.
“Screw this,” I said out loud.
I grabbed the phone and dialed Blake.
“Hey, what are you doing tonight?” I asked as soon as he answered.
“Being bored out of my mind. My aunt is visiting.”
“Can you get away?”
“I wish, but I’ve been threatened with death if I try to escape.”
“Damn.”
“Do I detect a little desperation there, Shawn, or maybe a lot?”
“Not desperation, just intense need.”
“I hear ya. I wish I could get away.”
I paused for a moment.
“Do you have Marc’s number?”
“Of course.”
“Can I have it?”
“What’s it worth to you?”
I could almost hear Blake’s smirk. It made me want him even more.
“A lot.”
“Mmm. I like that. I’ll remember it, too.”
Blake gave me Marc’s number.
“You owe me,” he said and then hung up.
I dialed Marc’s number. Not only was he home and up for meeting, but he agreed to meet me in the parking lot of VHS in just a few minutes. At last, something was going right! I told Tim I was heading out, put on my jacket, and stepped out the door.
It was a short drive to school, but it seemed to take forever. Finally, I pulled into the parking lot. There were only three cars there and only one with its lights on. I pulled up beside Marc, and he hopped from his car into mine.
“I know a dark side street,” he said.
I followed his directions. I parked the car, and seconds later we were all over each other. There were no street lights nearby, and in the darkness no one could see in the car. I shot my tongue into Marc’s mouth and tried to devour him alive.
Getting naked was a little too risky, but we unfastened each other’s belts, and soon our pants were open. Marc’s hand drove me insane with need. Before I lost control, I leaned over and engulfed him.
Car head is beyond hot. I went at it like a wild boy. I would have kept right on, but Marc pushed me away and then went down on me. I can’t even begin to describe the feeling of pure pleasure that engulfed me. I could feel myself coming closer and closer to the edge. I knew I should have pushed Marc off, but I just couldn’t. Instead, I moaned and lost control. I swear my eyes rolled back in my head.
I didn’t leave Marc hanging. I went right back to work on him the second he leaned back in the seat. In minutes, his moans filled the car, too. I didn’t pull off until he was completely finished.
“We’ve got to do this more often,” Marc said as we both zipped up.
“Definitely.” I leaned over and gave him a lingering kiss.
I drove Marc back to his car and then drove home. Tim was studying at the kitchen table when I walked in.
“You look way more relaxed.”
“I am.”
“You got laid, didn’t you?”
“Let’s just say I took your advice.”
“Who was it? Blake?”
“None of your business.”
“Come on. I want a name. I want details!�
��
“You have a boyfriend. You don’t need to live vicariously through me.”
“Come on. I’ll just keep pestering you until you tell me.”
“Okay. His name is Marc. We made out and gave each other car head. That’s all the detail you’re getting.”
“Does he go to VHS?”
“You’ll never know.”
“Yeah, right! I guess that’s good enough for now,” Tim said. “Feel better?”
“Yes.”
Tim laughed.
“I told you so! You know, I’ve been feeling a little stressed out recently. If I could have Dane over and…”
“Nice try, Tim. Have a good night.”
“You’re going to bed already?”
“Yes. I’m tired, and I have to get up early tomorrow, as usual.”
“Sex can really wear you out. Pace yourself.”
I didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, I walked over to Tim and kissed him on the forehead. He smiled at me.
“Good night, Shawn.”
I closed my bedroom door so I wouldn’t hear Tim moving around, then I undressed and climbed into bed. I yawned. I put my arms behind my head and stared at the ceiling as I waited to drift off to sleep. Getting it on with Marc in the car was exciting. I was getting a little stiff just thinking about it, if you know what I mean. Maybe I’d been wrong to obsess over Tristan. Maybe I should have just been having fun with guys like Marc and Blake all along. I had my whole life to settle down with just one guy. Is that really what I wanted, anyway? I was gay. I didn’t have to play by the rules. Nothing said I had to attach myself to one guy for life. I’d thought that was what I wanted with Tristan, but now I wasn’t so sure. Being with Blake and Marc made me feel soooo good. Sex felt…natural. Sure, there were a lot of people with religious objections to it, but wasn’t that really no more than their personal opinion? Even if the Bible stated flat out that “Sex is bad!” that didn’t make it true. I didn’t really know what the Bible said. I wasn’t all that religious. I did know that God, whoever or whatever he or she was, didn’t write the Bible. Men wrote it. Ordinary men. Why should their opinion be any more valuable than mine?