by Max Hudson
The group got started reading with their class partners and Tony walked around to make sure everyone was focused. He felt odd, as if something were pulling at his stomach. He couldn’t shake the expression he’d seen on Beans’ face, the anger in the boy’s voice. He knew Beans had gained a lot from the after-school group. It would be a big blow for him to lose his new group and its creator.
As he walked around, Melanie Gonzales, one of his quieter students, raised her hand.
“What’s up, Melanie?”
“I want to ask,” she said, her big eyes blinking behind their glasses, “why did anyone let the king be in charge in the first place? Why didn’t they stop the king before he got so powerful?”
Tony thought about it. “I can’t say for sure,” he admitted, “but I think it has a lot to do with older attitudes, ancient forms of leadership, that sort of thing. It’s hard for people to stand up for themselves as a group. Everyone has doubt, insecurities…” His voice trailed off as he flashed back to Beans and the backpack thrown against the wall.
“Mr. Wilkes?”
He came back down to earth to see Melanie staring at him. “You okay?”
“Fine. Just got distracted.” He rubbed his jeans with his hands. An energy was shooting through him, something he’d never felt before. “Class, your attention, please.” Everyone turned to look at him. “There is something very important I need to attend to. A colleague of mine is being attacked by the kings of this school district. And I need to do something.”
One of his louder boys leapt up from his chair. “Are you going to cut off their heads?”
Tony gave a sharp nod. “Something like that. Just, um, behave yourselves while I’m gone.” He spun on his heel and walked out without looking back. As he stepped into the hallway, he noticed Beans and Justin in computer class. Through the door in the window, he waved to them. Beans slapped Justin on the arm and gestured to Tony.
“Come with me,” Tony mouthed. “Let’s help him.”
The door opened and Joan stood in the doorway. “Mr. Wilkes. What can I do for you?”
“Hi. May I please speak with Justin and Aaron, or you know, Beans? It’s important.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and then waved the boys over. “Boys,” she said formally, “Mr. Wilkes needs your help with something. Please stay with him until everything is under control.”
The boys grinned and nodded. Joan closed the door and went back to teaching as the kids craned their necks around their computer screens to see if anyone was in trouble.
“Guys,” Tony whispered. “I’m busting you out. We’re going to go make a stand at Mr. Taylor’s meeting.” He checked his watch. “They would have just started. We still have a little time to walk over to the district office.”
“We can’t!” Justin flung his arms out, desperate to stop everything. “We need Craig and Laura.”
Tony thought about it, then nodded and crouched down to jot down some words on a scrap of paper in his pocket. “Okay. I’m going to write a note to get them out of class. I need you,” he pointed at Beans, “to go get Craig. You know where he is?”
“Gym,” Beans answered, a huge grin on his face.
“Great. Take this. Once you have Craig, come straight back here.” He held out the note and Beans snatched it away then tore down the hallway to the gym at the end.
Tony wrote a second excuse for Laura and Justin ran even faster to get her out of math. In a few moments, he had some panting, sweaty students ready to go take over a meeting.
“All right” he said, looking over his group. “We’re all here. You guys.” He swallowed the lump in his throat, but it bobbed right back up. “I just want you to know that this is against the rules. I could get in big trouble and you might as well.”
They all snorted, rolled their eyes, and shook their heads at the history teacher scared to be in trouble.
“Come on, Mr. Wilkes,” Laura said, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. “Who cares? We’re in trouble all the time.”
“Yeah,” Craig chimed in. “Might as well get in trouble for being awesome.”
Their leader looked at each of them for confirmation and one by one they nodded and smiled.
“Yeah. You know what?” Tony punched his hand with his fist. “You’re right. Who cares? Vice Principal Taylor is in trouble for doing nothing. Let’s go get yelled at for really doing something.”
The group burst through the main doors and walked the three blocks down to the little office complex where the superintendent and his team worked. They went through the main entrance and startled the receptionist.
“Excuse me,” she said, standing, “you have no business being here. And students are not allowed in this office! Sir! Sir, do not go through that door. The Superintendent is in a meeting.”
Tony didn’t pause. With his young cronies behind him, he went around her desk to the little wooden door tried the knob. It wouldn’t turn.
“We need in that room right away,” Tony insisted, his jaw set. The receptionist walked around to face him. She was shorter and more diminutive than Tony, but she squared her shoulders and took him on all the same.
“You can’t go in there,” she said in a clear voice. “I already told you - Superintendent Mathers is in a very important meeting. You are not a part of it.”
Behind Tony, the kids started whispering. The receptionist glanced at them and Tony quickly stepped into her field of vision, blocking her view.
“I know. And I happen to know the man who is being accused of all kinds of nonsense right now. Myself and his after-school anti-bullying program are here to stop it.”
“I won’t allow it.”
“No one’s asking for your permission.”
Behind him there was a click and then Laura’s voice. “We’re in.”
He turned to find her with an unbent paper clip in her hand and a smug little lip curl on her face. She looked over at the receptionist. “Sorry. Locked doors are kind of my specialty.”
The group stepped in and found a massive wooden table surrounded by several parents, Samuel, the superintendent, and Principal Sloan. All of them blanched at the sight of an angry teacher and several known troublemakers bursting in the door. A flustered receptionist was right behind them.
“I’m so sorry, Superintendent Mathers,” she said, pushing her way through the door. “I told them to leave you alone but this criminal,” she nodded at Laura who gave a peace sign to the group, “managed to pick the lock.”
Superintendent Mathers blinked at the group and shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re hoping to accomplish by doing this,” he said, his cheeks shaking with rage, “but I do not respond to a disregard of protocol or thuggery with kindness. To the contrary.” He stood up and addressed his helper. “Mrs. Keen, call security.”
“Fine,” Tony said, stepping a little closer. “Have us dragged away. Let me just tell you that Vice Principal Taylor shouldn’t be here either. He’s done nothing except…except…” Tony looked around at all the angry faces. The only one smiling a little was Samuel’s. The sight of it helped Tony rally his thoughts.
“He’s done nothing except bring new, helpful ideas to our school. He’s stood by our teachers, worked with our kids, and been a kind and loving presence. He wanted a dance with the theme of diversity because, well, because he knows what it’s like to be the quiet, sensitive boy in school. To be picked on for being different. He wanted to show our student body that at Howard Taft Middle, everyone is welcome. No matter what.”
“Yeah,” Beans chimed in. He shouldered his way to the front of the group. “And he listens to me when I have a problem. He never tells me to shut up or finds something else to do. I have, um.” Beans went bright red and little beads of sweat formed on his forehead. “I have a hard time controlling my anger, so for a long time I didn’t speak to anyone. But Mr. Taylor showed me how to manage it, how to deal with people who piss me off.”
“And he helped me find better ways to tell the
girls I hate that I don’t want to be around them,” Laura added. “I haven’t plotted against anyone all month.”
“I’m not beating up Justin anymore,” Craig said, putting his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “We’re friends now.”
Tony beamed at his little group of hooligans and then turned back to his unwitting audience. “And that’s all thanks to Samuel Taylor. I insist you drop this matter.”
“I’ll do no such thing!” Superintendent Mathers stood up and flecks of spittle flew from his mouth as he continued. “Where is security? I want all of you out of my conference room this instant. And I will deal with Vice Principal Taylor myself. Don’t presume to tell me how to do my job.”
A hand clapped down on Tony’s shoulder and pulled him back. “All right, you’ve had your fun,” a tired, adult male voice said to him. The kids started to attack him, but Tony told them to stand down.
“It’s okay. I’ll go. I just couldn’t let this lie. I needed you to hear the other side of the story.”
Superintendent closed his eyes and shook his head. “Just get out. And next time, make an appointment.”
A short while later, they were all walking back to the school. The kids didn’t say anything for most of the journey, but as they approached the door, they each wanted to give Tony a hug.
“Hey,” Laura said to him, “that was pretty cool back there.”
“You rock, Mr. Wilkes,” Craig said in a soft voice.
“Thanks,” Beans whispered to him. “Thanks for doing something.”
Craig didn’t say anything, just hugged him for a long time. Tony patted the boy’s back and sent him inside. He watched them all walk down the hall and smiled at them, though it was a pained expression.
Principal Sloan’s car pulled into the parking lot and stopped at her spot right in the front, only a few feet from Tony. She got out and shook her head at the rebellious teacher. Her mouth twisted to one side as she approached him, hands on her hips.
“What were you thinking?” she asked. “Now you’re the one on probation.”
Tony’s eyes lit up. “Wait, what?”
“You heard me,” she said, eyebrows pinched together. “I have to spend the next week following you around and taking notes on everything you do. I hope you’re happy.”
“So, what’s happening with Samuel?”
She shook her head. “I’m not your spy. If you want to know, talk to him. Now,” she said, rubbing her forehead, “leave me alone. I’ve had an awful morning and I need a moment to myself. If any kids are giving you trouble, you’re on your own.” Principal Sloan moved past him and he waited a moment before returning to the inside of the school.
As he entered, his lungs filled with air and his heart jumped around in his chest. So, this was rebellion. This was what it was to make the powerful uncomfortable.
Tony opened his door and, unsurprisingly, found an empty classroom. His next class must have left campus once they saw that their teacher was absent. He went in and sat at his desk and just stared at the empty seats in front of him. All around him were history books, posters about great moments in the past, and inspirational words to inspire students to make history themselves. The sight of it made him smile.
He didn’t know what would happen with Samuel and he didn’t care. If his new boss was aware he was loved, that he had a community here, it was all that mattered.
The bell rang and his final class walked in. He taught with a huge amount of energy throughout the period. Even his sleepiest, most disinterested students took notice. By the end of the two-hour session, the class applauded his lecture. He’d done all the voices and his worst French accent to discuss the revolution.
“Merci! Merci!” he said, bowing. He got a lot of high fives as the kids left and barely noticed the exhaustion settling deep in his bones.
Principal Sloan stopped by to hand him an observation agreement, which he signed and returned after a quick scan.
“Stop being so happy,” she grumbled at him. He promised to do his best and then went home.
Exhausted after an intense day, Tony went to lie down on the couch. He fell into a deep, dreamless sleep with his phone on the cushion next to his face.
A soft buzzing woke him up. He blinked his eyes open and saw that the sun was setting. He’d been asleep far longer than he’d meant to be, but he felt good. He sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes and checked his phone.
It was Samuel. He answered.
“Hi.”
“Hi. Can I come over? I need to see you.”
“I’m here.”
Samuel assured him he was on his way and Tony clicked the phone off. In the dark, he smiled to himself—a rebel awaiting his lover. Nothing could have been better.
Chapter Twelve
Samuel arrived and fell into Tony’s arms as soon as he stepped across the threshold. Tony helped him inside and laid Samuel down on the bed.
“You hungry?”
“I’m too tired to chew.”
“Okay. Just rest then.”
Tony walked to the end of the bed and untied Samuel’s hard, black shoes, then pulled them off. His argyle socks were soft and felt expensive. He removed them and put them in his lover’s shoes. He pulled a chair over and took Samuel’s tired feet into his hands and massaged them. A long, relaxed sigh came out of the man.
“Wow,” he said from the other side of the bed, “that feels amazing.”
“You need it,” Tony said matter-of-factly. “Everyone should get a little massage after an extra-long day.”
“You are so right,” Samuel moaned. He fell silent as Tony continued working the arches, toes, and heels of his feet. After a short time, Tony heard a sniffle, then a little hiccup. It took him a second to realize that Samuel was crying.
“Hey, hey,” he said, leaving the feet and crawling up to Samuel’s head. There, he found tears staining the pillow as they fell away from the man’s eyes and rolled down his tired face. Tony kissed his forehead.
“You were so amazing today,” Samuel told him, his voice a little hoarse, “and I just want to hold you. If I can.”
“Of course,” Tony assured him. The two of them took off their work clothes and Tony did his best not to notice Samuel’s beautiful frame. If Samuel was struggling to not look at Tony’s naked body, he didn’t show it.
They got under the covers and turned to one another, encircling their arms around each other and then inched their way toward one another. They kissed, but it was clearly a goodnight kiss and nothing more. Samuel tipped his forehead down onto Tony’s and breathed out a little, “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. This is all I wanted to do today.” He stroked Samuel’s mussed hair and kissed the tip of his nose. Tony closed his eyes but found he wasn’t tired. A sound startled him and he realized that Samuel was already snoring.
The next morning seemed to arrive without warning. Tony couldn’t even remember falling asleep. He recalled staring at Samuel as he slept, watching his muscles twitch and move under his skin, but not actually capitulating to sleep.
“Morning.” A sleepy Samuel turned to him and grabbed his face for a morning kiss. They both had horrible morning breath and their hair was atrocious, but neither cared.
Tony rolled on top of Samuel and kissed him. Under his leg, he could feel a stiff cock rising, ready for the day.
“Someone else is up,” he whispered, giving Samuel a kiss on the cheek.
“Yeah.” Samuel laughed. “It’s hard to get him to calm down when I have such a handsome man next to me.”
They kissed again and rolled around on the mattress. Samuel took the position on top and Tony pulled him down with his strong arms. He wanted to meld their bodies together. He felt an intense thirst for Samuel and was desperate to slake it.
Tony reached down to put his hand on the rock-hard erection in Samuel’s boxers and moaned as he touched it. Samuel kissed his neck and their faces grazed one another, making the moment even more intense.
“Come here,” Tony whispered. “Come sit on the edge of the bed.”
Samuel let him go and complied, moving to one side of the mattress and waited a moment. Tony got out of bed and walked around until he was standing in front of him. He reached a finger down and slid it into the waistband of Samuel’s shorts.
“You have to take these off.”
“I do?”
Tony nodded as Samuel lay back and lifted his hips into the air so that his cock could emerge from the folds of material, but sat up again to look up at Tony. He tossed them across the room and waited.
The history teacher kneeled down in front of his administrator, putting his hands on Samuel’s strong, lean thighs. He lowered his head down and looked at the dick standing up out of Samuel’s lap.
It had a thick, solid base, which Tony loved, and the shaft curved just a little as it rose into the air. The head was a little pinker than the rest and had a softer tone in the morning light. Tony leaned down to tease it a little with his tongue and got a little gasp out of Samuel. He didn’t stop; his mouth opened and lowered down, taking in all the head and shaft which was possible to take in.
Tony enveloped Samuel’s cock in his tongue and pressed his lips against it, then slid all the way to the head. He didn’t rush, he took his time and enjoyed every inch of the dick in his possession. He lowered down again and then drew up, sucking just a little so the pressure augmented the hold he had on Samuel’s hard, throbbing member.
Tony got into a rhythm and bobbed his head up and down, gulping Samuel down as Samuel fell into the bizarre mental state which only occurs during superb oral sex. He placed a hand on the back of Tony’s head, not to push, just to say a silent yes.
Understanding him, Tony continued moving up and down, his enthusiasm building with each passing moment. He made it up to the top again and then drew his tongue down the length of Samuel’s pink and warm shaft down to the balls below. He grabbed the dick right at the base and licked the line that ran between the two soft sacks below it. Tony moved to the right side and put the entire ball in his mouth, felt the odd texture in against his tongue. Then he moved to the left side while he worked Samuel’s cock in his hand up and down.