A New Life

Prez and I had lots of fun at the prom. I’ve always known that he liked to dance but he never wanted to rest! For most of the night, my baby kept shaking his cute bubble butt around. We started dancing right after we finished eating and danced to every fast song they played for the rest of the night. But when ballads started playing, I led him back to our table.

Since our first visualization session with Doug and Brian, I kept imagining us dancing to Always and Forever at the prom. It was something I knew he would really appreciate. I wanted to do it too so, while Prez was in the bathroom, I told my dad that I wanted to make it happen. I also told him it was important that the song was played as near to the end of the night as possible. My dad slipped me the extra cash I used to coerce the DJ. Okay, I bribed him! After we danced to our song, Prez began teasing me and became extremely affectionate! I had to get us out of there before he attacked me!

During the limo ride home, while Prez leaned against me, I softly asked, "Are you tired baby?"

He shrugged, "Kind of. My body’s tired but there’s a brain cell or two still firing. Do you want to skip Will’s party?"

Overhearing us, Mike whined, "Puh-lease! We gotta jam for a little while at least. No one’s asked us to play any other parties yet."

"This might help to make that happen," Derrick offered. "We’ll do it unplugged, like MTV used to."

Grinning evilly, Mike sarcastically asked, "What would you rather do, try to be a little social or stay home and boink yer brains out?"

Prez glanced back at me, smiling widely. We both grinned and simultaneously said, "Boink our brains out, of course!"

Shaking his head and softly giggling, Derrick leaned against Mike. "You shouldn’t have asked," Derrick chuckled.

Then Prez made excuses. "I don’t have an acoustic bass. And Derrick’s drums are a lot to lug around."

Derrick said, "I’ve got bongos. There’s the tambourine and maracas too. Those will be enough for tonight."

"You’ll have to get an acoustic bass then," Mike said.

I whispered in Prez’s ear, "You need to get yourself the things you want too."

Prez shrugged and playfully said, "I guess I could." Then he said, "But a bass is gonna be pretty expensive; way more than what I spent on you last night. You’ll have to get another present or two at least!"

I nervously laughed, "Don’t you dare!"

As much as I loved the shirt and jacket, I really didn’t want him running out and buying me lots of gifts. It wasn’t necessary and I sure didn’t want him believing that I needed rewards for every little thing I did. The best rewards are the one’s that money can’t buy, as far as I was concerned. Our birthdays were only a few months away. That would be the best time to get each other presents.

Then Derrick asked what Prez had gotten me and I happily told him. The limo pulled in front of Mike’s house. After a few moments of busting Mike’s balls, we told them we would go to Will’s party but would drive there ourselves since we would probably want to leave a little earlier. The chauffer then drove us home.

The second we walked in the house and passed the short entryway wall, we were momentarily blinded by another camera flash! Sitting on the love seat, we told the ‘rents all about the prom, including Tim Sheffield’s failed attempt to rattle us. I also told them about our invitation to Will’s party.

My dad glanced at my mom then said, "It’s already close to midnight. Are you planning on staying the night?"

"I really don’t like the idea of you driving late at night," my mom added.

Prez said, "We just want to go and play a few tunes. Then we’ll mosey back home."

"We’ll probably be back by two, if that’s okay?" I asked.

Both my parents nodded and my dad said, "Call if you decide to stay."

We agreed then went back to our room to get out of our tuxes. My dad had locked Rush in his crate before we got home. Rush sat there whining while we got changed, his tail rapping against the sides. Hanging each piece while Prez took Rush out back, I checked them over really good for food stains but found none. At the prom, we had barely eaten but had drunk about four pitchers of ice water. Needless to say, we both had to use the bathroom before we left for Will’s.

Then we went out to the garage and gathered the various percussion toys to take with us. Quickly, we said goodnight to the ‘rents and repeated our promise to call if we would be late.

Quietly, Prez sat beside me while I drove us to Will’s. His hand rested on mine, occasionally tapping or squeezing. When I glanced his way, his eyes were closed and there was a pleasant little grin on his face. I was glad he felt good and didn’t disturb him.

Will’s house was large and looked very nice from the outside. One side was really close to the hill, which was still covered with plastic tarps from El Nino. A "Party this way," sign was posted at the foot of the driveway. The next sign read, "Shhhh!" and another read, "Almost there." Quietly, we followed the signs around the walkway and went inside the open door.

The room they were in was fantastic, approximately twenty feet wide and twice as long. The two short walls were almost entirely glass. It was nicely decorated with plants, family photos and had a big projection TV. There was an exercise cycle and a workout bench in there too. This was obviously the family’s recreation room. Of course, there was plenty of seating with at least twenty people sitting and another ten mingling around. Among the guests were Jessy and Nelson, Jerry Sloan, Zach and Alex, and of course Mike and Derrick.

Greg Kovac waved and got Will’s attention as we stepped inside. Smiling as he approached, Will extended his arm to shake our hands and said, "There’s lemonade, sodas and bottled water in the fridge behind the bar. Help yourself to whatever you want." Then he turned to Prez and asked, "No guitar dude?"

Shaking his head, Prez answered, "I didn’t think your family would appreciate loud electric bass at this hour."

Pointing at the glass door leading to the main house, Will said, "They wouldn’t have minded." Beyond the door, I could see his parents sipping coffee at a small table.

Smiling, I asked, "More chaperones?"

Will grinned, "I could promise them the moon and the sun but they do what they want regardless." Then we followed Will around the room and were introduced to the guests we didn’t already know.

Mike started strumming his guitar. After a while, when it appeared as though we had met everyone there was to meet, Mike shouted, "Any time before dawn would be cool dudes."

Prez and I went to sit by them. Layla was the first song Mike played. He sang lead vocals and I backed him up. As soon as we finished, Mike started strumming another song. Derrick and Mike started singing ooo’s and ah’s then Prez told me the song was Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan. Again, Mike sang the lead vocals while the three of us continued the backup vocals. After the song was over, Mike sniffed, wiped his eyes and whined, "I’m sooo depressed." A few girls looked at Mike as if they were concerned about him. But Mike smiled, threw his head back and snickered uncontrollably!

Then Jessy wandered over and we played Helplessly Hoping then Weird and More Than Words. It was the first time we had ever performed Weird with only an acoustic guitar and percussion backing us. During rehearsals there would at least be keyboards, drums and the PA. Controlling the volume of my voice was the tricky part, singing in that breathy manner but still loud enough to be heard without a PA. A few kids applauded and complemented us. I thanked them then looked at my friends grinning insanely. Obviously they thought the tune turned out good too. Mike sang the parts that Ike sang on the record and Jessy did the higher parts normally done Zach. I felt pretty comfortable singing since everyone was scattered around, tending to their own conversations and not staring directly at us.

Mike started jamming some blues and the rest of us joked around while we provided background rhythm. Once he finished a long jam, Mike played Losing My Religion.

After about an hour, Prez started yawning about every two minutes. Of course, that caused the remaining three of us to start yawning also but Mike continued to play. While we played, I noticed other folks already leaving. It was getting late and everyone had homes to go to, I assumed. Derrick leaned over to whisper something to Prez. Then Prez leaned over to me and whispered, "We’re wondering why no one’s asked us to play other parties."

I shrugged and whispered, "We must be missing something. I dunno."

"We’re playing every acoustic tune we know," Prez whispered.

Uncertainly, I shook my head because I had no idea what the deal was. Then I grinned and whispered, "Get an acoustic bass."

Prez chuckled, "I will, soon too!"

I glanced at my watch and noticed it was close to two in the morning. I asked Prez if he was ready to pack up and head home. He smiled and nodded.

Noticing us getting ready to leave, Mike created an ending for his jam. He put his guitar away and we went over to Will, thanked him and said goodnight. Greg was sitting nearby and said, "I gotta bail too dude." The five of us walked out together.

While we walked to our cars, Greg said, "Ya know, most straight dudes are normally cool with gays. The only exception is when they get hit on. Then all bets are off. Every body would react differently. I don’t even know how I would react, especially if he was in my space."

Mike was the closest to Greg. They turned and glanced at each other then Mike sidestepped to the other side of Derrick! We all chuckled and Mike said, "Just giving you some extra space dude, no charge."

"I was referring to Donofrio!" Greg chuckled. After a few moments of hysteria, he turned to me and continued, "That’s what happened in the hallway at school the other day."

"I figured as much," I said.

"He said you were both toe-to-toe. You put your hand out, I’m guessing to make a path for yourself," Greg explained.

Trying to recollect what I desperately wanted to forget, I said, "I guess I did."

Greg nodded, "Too close for comfort dude. He didn’t know what you were going to do. Gut reactions, ya know? It could’ve happened to anybody."

"But it doesn’t need to happen," Prez plainly said. "Just because we’re gay doesn’t mean that we’re going to drag every guy we meet into bed."

"I may look twice or even three times at a really good lookin’ dude but that’s the end of it," Mike added.

"We don’t appreciate the assumption that we’re totally cock crazy and can’t control our urges," Derrick sternly said. Then he asked, "Do straight dudes lose control every time they see big tits and a fine ass?"

Greg slowly shook his head. He had been looking at each of us as we spoke and seemed to really get the message.

Then I said, "Maybe we’re not like typical homosexuals but I don’t know for sure. Until very recently, the four of us were the only gay dudes at our school."

"You know that’s not true," Greg chuckled.

I grinned, "Yeah, now we do but last week, I wasn’t too sure."

Tapping Greg on the shoulder, Mike asked, "It’s not like we can walk up to a dude, ask if he’s gay and expect an honest answer, is it?"

"No, I guess not," Greg chuckled.

I said, "I wouldn’t even consider hitting on any dudes at school. Even if I didn’t already have Prez, I don’t think I could do it. Someone would have to hit on me. And I’d probably even ignore that! School’s never been a cool zone for me."

"Lots of folks may not give a fuck, like you proved the other day," Prez said, "but I have the scar to prove that some people do give a fuck."

"We’re no threat to anyone," Derrick emphatically stated.

Prez added, "I really believe that the only folks threatened by us are the one’s who aren’t too comfortable with their own sexuality. I could be wrong but that’s the way I perceive it." Reaching for his hand, I squeezed it tight for a second or two.

After a few moments, Greg sighed and said, "I never thought of it that way. I can scope out any babe I want to. But you dudes have to be way more careful than any straight dude."

Mike nodded, "It’s like we have to control a natural instinct. And we had to learn it quick, before anyone noticed and got suspicious."

Then Prez glanced at his watch and said, "It’s quarter past two. We have to go."

After saying goodnight, we all went to our cars and left for home.

The house looked dark as we pulled up. Walking up to the front door, we could hear Rush playing guard dog, growling softly and woofing. Prez called the dog’s name and began unlocking the door.

Pushing the door open, Prez then squatted down to say hello to Rush. Watching the dog wag his entire body, I began tripping, imagining what dogs might be saying when they greet their masters.

I imagined Rush saying, "Oh, hi, hi, hi! You’ve been away for an eternity! I’m so glad you’re back! Those other people left me alone! In the dark!" Then the dog went and hiked his leg saying, "My water bowl is empty and, of course, what goes in eventually wants to come right back out again!"

Once Rush had relieved himself, we went inside and I locked the front door. Then we went right to our room and began to undress.

Standing in his silk underwear waiting for me, Prez excitedly said, "I had such a great time tonight. And you! Tipping the DJ so we could dance to our song. I really believed we wouldn’t dance to a single ballad the whole night."

Taking him in my arms and smiling insanely, I chuckled, "You didn’t pop a rod, did you?"

"Almost!" Prez grinned. "It would lengthen a little then I’d remember where we were."

We slow danced without any music for a few moments then I turned off the light and we slipped into bed. Propped up on one arm, I leaned over to kiss him. Then I softly asked, "You knew there’d be a religious whacko there, didn’t you?"

Prez shook his head saying; "Tim and I haven’t said a civil word to each other since before the fight. I had no idea he would be at the prom. After all, dancing is a sin too!"

I smiled then asked, "Ya know what I liked most about tonight?"

"The punch?" Prez joked.

I shook my head then lay down almost completely on top of him. "It was the way you acted in public," I admitted. Prez tilted his head uncertainly and I explained. "Really, this is the first time we’ve been out on a date with so many people. Some dudes would’ve freaked. I wasn’t sure if I would freak! But we didn’t."

"Until the very end," Prez grinned.

I chuckled, "I was wondering if you’d push me into a coat closet and rip my tux off for a while there!"

"If I could’ve shown regular affection without causing us more grief, it would’ve never gotten that far."

"That’s what I liked the most. There was affection there, all night long, but it was something that only we could see."

"I liked that you led me onto the dance floor at least as much as I led you out there," Prez admitted.

"We’ll have to find some local dance club we can go to."

Prez glared up at me, smiling widely. Then he pulled me down and wrapped his arms around me. He shivered slightly and sighed.

Since my face was near his neck, I started licking and sucking. I swore that I wouldn’t fall asleep. Prez began breathing deeply and the little patterns he was tracing on my back slowed then stopped completely. The next thing I knew, sunlight was beaming against my firmly shut eyelids. In my morning fog, my right hand started searching for Prez. Finding only sheets and pillows, I forced my eyes open. I stretched and smiled, recalling everything from the previous night. Feeling like the luckiest dude in the world, I started to get out of bed.

My shorts and boxers weren’t on the floor where I left them again! I checked the dog’s crate but didn’t find them there either. So, I went to the dresser and got a clean pair of shorts. Then I checked the closet floor but found no dirty clothes. Prez must’ve gathered everything up and started doing laundry. I glanced at the clock. It was only a few minutes after ten.

Wandering out of my room, I found John and Tommy watching baseball in the living room. My mom was in the dining room, working at her laptop computer.

"You’re awake before noon?" my mom teased, "I am impressed."

I grinned and asked, "Where’s Prez?"

"He took the dog for a walk," she replied. I went to the kitchen for some juice and my mom asked, "Did you forget something this morning?"

Searching my brain for some clue what she meant, I shrugged, "Don’t think so."

"You were going to play tennis? Drew and Corey waited for you," she reminded.

Shaking my head at my own absent mindedness, I said, "I totally forgot." After pouring a glass of orange juice, I sat down at the table and asked my mom, "When did they leave?"

"About an hour ago," she answered.

Surprised, I asked, "They want to play tennis that early?"

Matter-of-factly, my mom explained, "If Corey could get your brother out of bed at seven, they’d be at the courts by eight."

"I’ll have to have a chat with Corey then. We’d be lucky to make nine, never mind eight!"

I sat at the table and watched my mom type while I finished my juice. After the juice was finished, I remained there, watching her type and wondering why Prez went to walk the dog without me.

My mom looked up and smiled, "This must be fascinating."

"Not exactly," I grinned.

"Preston started laundry before he left. You could tend to that or just sit there and watch me work."

"When did he leave?"

"Soon after Drew and Corey left."

He’s been gone about an hour, maybe a little longer, I thought. Then I asked myself, where would he go? To the park, more than likely, I answered. But why would he go without me? Then an idea hit me like a ton of bricks. I asked my mom, "Did he seem alright before he left?"

"He was a little solemn."

"Was he thinking of his mom?"

Briefly, my mom looked up from her work and nodded.

Standing up, I loudly asked, "And you let him go alone?"

"I talked to him for half an hour before he left. He’s fine Keith. This is what I warned you about last October. Since you both had such a good time last night, Preston didn’t want you to feel sad."

Heading to the kitchen to rinse out my glass, I sarcastically asked, "How should I feel, happy?" On my way back through the dining room, I said, "I’m gonna put a shirt on and go look for him."

"He’s fine Keith," my mom repeated. Then she stood and added, "He was looking forward to taking the tuxes back and implied there was somewhere else he wanted to go with you. Preston needs to deal with the memories of his mother."

"I can help or at least listen," I insisted.

My mom hugged me tight. Softly, she said, "Yes, you can. But in this case, ultimately, Preston has to do for himself."

I hate it when she’s right.

She stepped back and we looked at each other. Severely bummed because Prez was out walking around town, thinking of his mother, I frowned. My mom suggested, "If he’s not back in half an hour, then we’ll both go out and look for him, okay?"

I sighed, nodded and slumped into the dining room chair.

Empty coffee cup in hand, my dad walked in the room. Helping himself to another cup of coffee, he asked, "Jen, are you finished reading that book?"

My mom replied, "The homophobia one you bought? Yes I am."

My dad stopped beside me and said, "You and Preston can have it, we’re done with it."

Still bummed out, I didn’t look up but acknowledged what he said with a simple nod.

Sounding genuinely concerned, my dad asked, "What’s wrong?"

Before I could say a word, my mom briefly told my dad what was going on. Then she turned to me and said, "Why don’t you take a shower while you’re waiting."

"Or you could return the tuxes," my dad suggested.

With nothing better to do but sit and sulk, I decided to go soak my head under the shower. Standing at the sink alone brushing my teeth felt so strange. Standing under the shower felt even stranger. It’s not like we always do the morning shit-shower and shave routine together but I couldn’t recall too many days since the fight where we purposefully did it alone.

I finished in record time then went to my room and got dressed. After stuffing my wallet in my back pocket and grabbing my keys, I returned to the dining room with the tuxes. "Guess I’ll return these," I said.

"I’ll take a ride with you," my dad said. Then we both walked out of the house together.

After putting the tuxes in the back, I got in the car and warned, "If Prez isn’t home when we get back, you’ll need ropes or heavy steel chain to tie my ass down."

My dad grinned widely.

After I turned out of the driveway onto the street, I asked, "What’s so funny?"

"Nothing’s funny," my dad said, "but it is good to see that you’re concerned."

Uncertainly, I said, "I don’t understand. Of course I’m concerned."

My dad quickly said, "Don’t take it wrong, I didn’t mean it that way. We’re glad things have been working out so well." After a short pause, he continued, "Before allowing Preston to move in, your mother and I wondered if we were doing the right thing. We asked ourselves, would it be a good situation for you? Would it be good for Preston? How would it affect Drew and John? Would the rest of the family suffer through lover’s quarrels? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We didn’t know how a relationship such as this might work. Men and women find making relationships work daunting, to say the least." He paused again as I made a turn then continued. "Your mother and I know a quite a few gays and lesbians but the only permanent couple we’ve met is Doug and Brian. It seems to be a rare phenomenon."

"I hope it’s more common than most people know."

"We want to see you both happy," he softly reminded.

"Mostly we are. I’m just sad because there’s no way I can make this any better for him and because sometimes he does need to be alone. On top of that, I’m worried because Prez gets so thoughtful sometimes that he seems to loose awareness of what he’s doing. During our first day together, he almost ran his bike right into mine. He just kinda zones for a while."

"Before you were born, your mom would occasionally come home from the hospital with a real life horror story. Of course, it would make her moody and I’d have to drag it out of her. I thought our relationship would never survive, that I’d never be able to develop the tough skin it takes."

"Just admitting being gay takes really tough skin. Telling anyone else almost requires an invisible suit of armor. I’ll get past this easier than Prez will."

"Assuming he’s home when we get there, what will you say?"

I thought for a long few moments then answered, "It depends on his mood, I guess. If he’s in a better mood, I’ll give him no end of shit for taking off without me!"

My dad chuckled then asked, "What if he’s still in the dumps?"

"Then we’ll be locked away in our room for as long as it takes for him to tell me what he was thinking all this time."

As I pulled into the mall parking lot, my dad and I witnessed two cars backing simultaneously out of their parking spaces. Neither saw the other and they collided. My dad pulled his cell phone off his belt and called the police while I found a place to park. Then we walked over to see if anyone was hurt and to tell them the police had been notified. Thankfully, no one was hurt but everyone was upset, blaming each other for causing the accident. My dad had to yell over the combined voices to say that it didn’t appear to be anyone’s fault. Then I went to return our tuxes, which took a few minutes. By the time I returned, the police were there and statements were taken. I had to wait and give my view of what had happened even though I wanted to get the hell home! At least twenty minutes later, the officers said we could leave. My dad kept reminding me to slow down and take it easy as I pulled out and hurried home. I noticed my mom’s car was gone as I pulled in the driveway.

Once the car was parked, I couldn’t get in the house fast enough. I stepped inside and started towards our bedroom when Rush ran up behind me. Spinning on my heels, I followed the dog into the kitchen.

Prez was sitting at the counter drinking apple juice. He looked fine and even smiled widely for me but I knew he was hurting inside. As I walked over, he asked, "Am I in the doghouse again?"

Shaking my head no, I asked, "Are you feeling okay?"

"A little better."

"I would’ve gone with you, ya know. Where’d you go?"

Looking down, Prez answered, "To the apartment for a while. There’s another family living there now." Looking at me again, he continued, "Then I took the hound to the park. Then I thought I’d talk to Mike. Mrs. Gibbons and I talked while I waited for Mike to finish his shower." Prez then stood up, came to me and hugged me tight. Resting his head on my shoulder, he whispered, "Even though I know I’m not alone, sometimes I do feel really lonely without her around. I want to tell her about us, about the prom, about the frolics, about every thing. Even after talking with you and everyone else about it, there’s still a gap. Its like I need to find a way to fill the void."

I whispered, "You can always tell me, Prez."

"I have. And we’ve told your folks. This morning, I told Drew and Corey a little about the prom and the party. Then I sat on the curb across from the apartment and told the parking lot pavement. I went to the park and talked to the trees. Now I’ve told Derrick and Mrs. Gibbons and Mike. It’s the best I can do. I’m sorry if I worried you."

"You’ve talked to my mom?"

He nodded, "Before I left. She was heading out to get Drew and Corey as I was walking in."

I started to lead him back towards our room so we could lie down and relax.

Smiling widely, his red eyebrows bouncing playfully, Prez asked, "Where are we going?"

Grinning at my horny boyfriend, I said, "Chill time?"

He held me back and said, "I’ve been really calm all morning, almost like being in a trance. There was something I felt I needed to do alone. Now that it’s done, I want to do something with you." I waited a moment then he said, "Lets take a ride to North Hollywood."

"Omigod!" I laughed. Then I said, "Are you sure? We could put that off for another day."

"I’ve already stopped at the ATM," Prez said. Then he whispered, "We didn’t play last night or this morning. After work tonight, we’re gonna play until sunrise!" and dragged me out of the house.

I got in the 4-Runner and he chuckled at the odd way I was looking at him. How should I have looked? After all, he was feeling the grief of loosing his mom again.

Prez started the engine and we began the journey to Hollyweird. "I haven’t lost my mind," Prez reassured.

"Since you’re driving, I’m way happy to hear that!"

"I woke up thinking of her and I couldn’t just ignore it. But after talking to your mom and Mike’s mom, I’m ready to try and make something of this day."

I recited his mom’s words for him. "Can’t stay glum all day."

"I refuse to. She wouldn’t want me to either." Prez emphatically stated. A few moments later he giggled, "Do you know what you did last night?"

Uncertain, I frowned and asked, "When last night?"

Prez laughed and said, "I fell asleep with you on top of me."

"Yeah, so? You fall asleep on me, I fall asleep on you, it happens often enough."

"But not like last night!" Prez roared. Grinning insanely, I looked his way. Prez giggled, "You fell asleep with your mouth open and you drooled all over my shoulder! It tickled and woke me up! Then it took a while to get you to roll off me too!"

I chuckled, "Sorry baby. I have no recollection of any of that."

Steve Miller’s Jungle Love started playing on the radio. As usual, he reached for my hand and began tapping out the beat while we both sang along. The next song just had to be Elton John’s Your Song. Quickly, Prez flipped to a different station.

Prez sighed, "You know, it was last May that my mom told me about the divorce and moving. I don’t remember exactly which day we arrived. It was more than a week before I met you, that much I remember."

"I’d like us to celebrate that day," I casually said.

Prez glanced my way briefly, smiled and excitedly said, "You got it!"

"Without really intending to, she brought you to me. That’s worthy of a really big party. And then we can have a much smaller, intimate party of our own."

"We’ll have one of those smaller parties tonight too. I hope we can find what we want. Its not like there’s gonna be dildos that perfectly match our dicks."

I laughed hysterically! Then, through my chuckles, I said, "We only need lots of Vaseline and some plaster. We could make molds of our cocks! Then we’d be sure to have as close to our real things as possible."

Prez roared laughing for the next minute or so. Then he said, "You’re a sick man, Keith Hundser. I love you anyway."

"I love you too baby," I replied. Then I instructed him to start moving towards the right hand lane and which exit to take. Oddly enough, we never had to stop for a traffic light all the way up Lankersheim. Prez parked in the same general area as I had the week prior then we walked to the same adult bookstore. Opening the door for him, I watched as he stepped inside and his eyes widened.

As I stepped beside him, Prez whispered, "This is too much!" Then he pointed over towards the wall with all the leather suits and accessories and started chuckling.

I led him to the racks of videos and commented, "There wasn’t anything good here last week; just leather, S&M and hairy bear flicks."

Prez frowned, "There’s no Bel Ami flicks?" and I shook my head. But Prez looked through the racks anyway. Then he went over to the bookshelves and I followed. Last week I hadn’t looked at the books very closely. Prez turned his head slightly and browsed through the titles. I found the Gay Kama Sutra and showed it to him. Opening the book, Prez scanned the table of contents then turned to the first page and began reading. He reads fast! He flipped the pages once, then twice and then a third time before he began leafing through the pages. "There’s not very much new in here," he commented. "This section on personal cleanliness, for example. Imagine if we constantly had to remind each other to bathe every day?"

I chuckled and shook my head.

"If we had known of this book last year, it might’ve been helpful." Then he returned the book and began scanning the shelves again.

We then went over and looked through a wide assortment of lubricants. There were assorted brands and bottles, some which looked like dildos, some that had flavoring, everything but KY! "Are you interested in anything here?" Prez asked.

Shaking my head, I said, "If I want you to taste like chocolate or peppermint, I’ll find something in the kitchen. Don’t spend the bucks on this stuff."

Nodding, Prez then wandered over to the display cases where the dildos and other assorted anal toys were. His eyebrows furled as if he were confused. Pointing through the glass, he then turned to me and whispered, "That one kind of looks like you limp. What good is a limp dildo?"

I fought to contain my giggles, leaned closer and whispered, "Maybe for women?"

With a quick shake of his head, Prez dismissed that idea and any further comments. Then he began pointing out dildos and looking at me for approval. After a few minutes, we had found one that was about six inches long but it was very thin, much thinner than Prez’s cock. I found one that was slightly similar to my cock. With a nod, Prez headed for the door and I followed.

Out on the sidewalk, Prez said, "Well, there’s the six inch one that’s too skinny or the seven inch one that appears a little bit more like me."

"Let’s get the seven incher. Width matters more, don’t you think?"

Prez nodded, "Definitely, it’s the veins and ridges that feel good. Which is exactly what’s wrong with that other one you found."

"Yeah, its completely smooth but it’s about the right shape and thickness."

Prez grinned, "I hate to tell you but you’re fatter than that."

"I am not!" I laughed loudly.

Prez smirked, "Yeah, ya are. Honestly the one that most closely resembles you is nine inches long."

"I’m no where near nine inches though."

"But it’s not perfectly round and it is real close to your width."

Since he was paying, I said, "Whatever you want Prez."

"Just because there’s nine inches doesn’t mean we have to insert all of it. Not all at once anyway," Prez snickered.

"And you say I’m sick!" I laughed.

Having made our choices, we went back in the store. Prez walked directly to the checkout line and we waited. The lady behind the counter recognized me and seemed a little confused since I wasn’t with Derrick. That started me giggling and I reminded Prez how Derrick got the cock rings last week. This is probably how gay dudes get reputations, I mused. Finally it was our turn in line.

"Hi!" the lady said. Then she asked, "Where’s your boyfriend?"

Wrapping my arm around Prez, I said, "This is my boyfriend. I was here with another friend last week, only for moral support."

Prez smiled at me, knowing full well that the idea was mine to begin with and I brought Derrick along.

"I thought something was strange. You stayed a safe distance away from that blond boy," she commented. Then she asked, "How can I help you?"

"We’d like some dildos," Prez said too easily. Then he followed the lady down the counter and pointed out the two we discussed.

Just like last week, the lady asked for ID.

I softly instructed Prez, "Show the lady your license."

Turning redder by the second, Prez took out his wallet, removed the driver’s license and showed it to the lady. She nodded and began ringing up our bill, making the same speech as she had for Derrick, instructing us to clean the rubber dildos with hot water and soap after each use. Then Prez paid the lady cash and we left.

Heading towards the car, Prez said, "You know these are just for a change of pace now and then."

"Of course baby. I want the real thing too but these will be way better than candles."

"Just like any other toy, I expect the novelty will wear off quick enough."

"Whether we use them once a week or once a month, I’ll be having sex with you, not the rubber toy."

Prez glanced at his watch and said, "It’s half past one and you have to work at three. Do you want to stop someplace for lunch or head home?"

"Head home. Maybe I’ll have you for lunch!"

"Oh God!" Prez groaned. "If we start that this afternoon, we’ll both miss work!"

I grinned, "We may want to skip work but we won’t. I could wait till tonight, if I absolutely had to."

Prez watched me for a long few moments while we walked. I couldn’t help but grin! After one of the greatest nights of our lives, he woke feeling down because of old, unshakable memories. There’s no doubt that Prez was looking forward to giving me a reward for the prom. At that moment however, I thought Prez needed it much more. He unlocked the truck, we got in and he started driving us home. Then I considered, since I had to be at work before him, it would be better for Prez to have a little joy. That would wipe away any remaining bad feelings from his morning romp around town. He would have time for a shower after I left. All I would have to do is wash my hands and change my shirt. The more I thought about it, the better the ideas sounded.

As we turned back onto the 101 freeway, Prez asked, "What are you thinking of?"

I had to make up something fast! "Umm… well, I hope its not the wrong time to mention it but, I was just wondering about the four way. Since we got dildos and so did they, I wonder if they’d want to try any butt play?"

Prez hummed thoughtfully and maneuvered into highway traffic. "I’m pretty sure I couldn’t do that with either of them. As much as I care about them, somehow it wouldn’t be the same as it is with you. Actually, I wonder if I could even stay hard enough or get relaxed enough for penetration," Prez said.

He fell for it! YES!

I said, "The thing is, if they wanted to try that, we could use the dildos. There’d be no penetration trouble then."

"True. Do you think they’d be cool with the idea?"

"I don’t see why not. If they care as much as they say, then they’ll have to cope with dildos simulating."

"Simulating stimulation!" Prez cackled.

I chuckled, "By tomorrow morning we’ll know if they’re stimulating enough."

"I started getting a boner just talking about which ones to get!" Prez admitted.

Hearing that, I reached over and started fondling my baby’s dick through his clothes. He got hard quick and started breathing fast. Just before we exited the freeway at Topanga Canyon, Prez pushed my hand away.

"Getting too close," he heaved.

As soon as we got home, we said quick hellos to my folks then headed to our room. Closing the door behind him, Prez swung around and kissed me hard! I held onto his ass and started grinding against him. Finally Prez broke our kiss and rested his head on my shoulder. I could feel his heart pounding against his chest.

I whispered, "I’ll go wash these and be right back," then took the bag from him and went to the bathroom.

Using scalding hot water and the Ivory soap, I washed the dildos. The smaller one felt a lot like stroking Prez’s cock but the bigger one felt nothing like my cock. There was definitely much more of it than there was of me. The smooth one Prez decided against was more tapered, like my cock is. This one wasn’t tapered at all; it had a big fat head and stayed fat all the way to the base! After drying them, I went back to our room.

Prez was lying naked on the bed with full wood. I said, "We’ll have to get the measuring tape out," and put the dildos on the night table. Quickly, Prez got up and retrieved the cloth measuring tape from the desk drawer while I began undressing. Prez walked near me when I was down to my boxers and I pushed him back down on the bed then pushed my boxers down and joined him.

Reaching for the measuring tape, I said, "You first," and began measuring my lover’s tool. "Hmm… six and a quarter inches long," I commented.

Prez frowned, "Wasn’t it six and three eighths last time? It shrunk!" then he bellowed with laughter. He knew perfectly well that the size of any given erection fluctuates. He acted so surprised and even forced a frown because of an eighth of an inch! I cracked up.

"Maybe you’re not completely hard?" I grinned, and then slurped his cock.

Before I went down on him, Prez pushed me back and giggled, "It’s plenty hard! Just measure!"

I laughed then wrapped the tape around his cock. "Five and a half around," I commented, then checked the width and announced, "Two and a quarter wide." Then I picked up the dildo and measured. "Seven inches long, two inches wide and five inches around. Its too bad it doesn’t have the slight curve to the left, like you do."

"But its got ridges and vein bumps. It should feel okay, just a little colder than the real thing," Prez said. Then he sat up and pushed me down.

Since I was only half-hard, Prez started sucking my dick like it was going out of style! Opening his mouth wide, he took my cock to the base then backed off slowly and repeated the process. Then he pointed my hard cock down toward my toes and let go, watching it slap against my tummy! "That’s hard enough," he gleefully commented, and began measuring me. "Six and a three quarters by… two and three quarters and… six inches around." Then he reached over me for the other dildo. "Nine inches long by two and a half and six inches around! See! It’s just longer and more round than you are," he grinned.

As I rolled to get the lube, I said, "It sure looks lots bigger." Then I quickly turned over and pushed him down.

Giggling, "Wait a minute!" Prez resisted at first.

But then I explained, "I don’t have time to shower before work but you do. Besides, your day started a little rough. You can get me back later tonight."

Smiling warmly, Prez lay still and watched as I lubed the bigger dildo. Then he rolled over onto his stomach and spread his legs. I drenched his hole inside and out, fearing that a rubber dildo might be a little unforgiving. Then I pointed that big fake bone at my lover’s hole and pressed. Prez pushed his ass up and a little bit slid inside.

"Wait," Prez gasped.

I released the pressure and it popped out. "Does it hurt?" I asked.

"Not bad, like a pinch," Prez explained. Then he asked me to move over and he turned around, face up. "Let me try," Prez said, and I handed him the dildo. "Come lay down here next to me," Prez asked.

I did as he asked and he said, "Candles are naturally slippery and flesh is much more pliable than rubber." Then Prez wrapped an arm around me and lifted his butt in the air, moving the dildo into position with his other hand. Slowly he lowered his butt. Then he sighed and smiled.

Unable to see, I asked, "Is it all in?"

Pausing between words, he replied, "Almost… but… not… quite." Then he lifted his hips and ass again then lowered himself down with a low moan. He was smiling widely though.

"I think… I found… the trick… to this," he gasped. Lifting his butt up and down again twice in rapid succession, Prez hissed, "Fuck yes!"

Getting the hint, I leaned over and scattered soft kisses around his face and neck, like I always do when we make love. Then I starting stroking his cock while Prez lifted and lowered his ass, riding that fake bone like he would ride me. Laying close beside him, watching and hearing his muffled cries of pleasure about pushed me to a very premature orgasm!

After only about two minutes, Prez suddenly stopped and held my hand still.

"It feels good?" I whispered.

"Lots better than a candle. Its amazing!"

"I bet I can make it better," I teased, and then shuffled down so I could suck his cock. With just the head of his cock in my mouth, Prez began lifting and lowering himself, forcing his meat in and out of my mouth. He was gasping and moaning and giggling like crazy! Once again, he rested. But I didn’t. I wanted my baby to shoot in my mouth. He begged me to stop so we could make it last. With my mouth full, I hummed no on his dick. Prez must’ve really liked the humming because he gasped immediately afterwards! Then he started riding that dildo again. It didn’t take much after that. I was rewarded with three powerful volleys of his jizz. And he kept on riding! Keeping my face still, I let him fuck my mouth while he slowly stopped riding the dildo.

"Omigod!" he gasped repeatedly. It cracked me up because the only way Prez could get the LA tone right was after an orgasm! "I love you so much Keith! This is something I could only do with you," he said. Then he started giggling hysterically, probably because I still had his sensitive organ in my mouth! Finally he pulled me off his meat and snuggled up close to me, satisfied and completely drained.

After a minute or so of post orgasmic bliss, Prez lifted his ass and removed the dildo, putting it on top of the dog’s crate. "Now to take care of you," he warned.

For a second there, I thought he would get the other dildo and make me need a shower before work! But Prez lowered his face to my crotch and hungrily fed on my throbbing stiffie! Having gotten so worked up watching him, I didn’t last but a few minutes before I let myself cum. Prez dutifully stayed on me, making sure I had finished and was clean before he snuggled up next to me again.

"I think we’ll be able to get through work now," I joked.

"This is only the beginning," Prez reminded. "Later tonight, it’s your turn."

"What if I want the real thing?"

Prez hummed thoughtfully then said, "You can have whatever you want, however you want it. If my dick gets tuckered out, I can replace it with a reasonable facsimile!"

I giggled, "Like your dick ever gets tired! Look at yourself!"

Prez looked down at his still hard cock and playfully complained, "That’s from doing you! Now we’ll have to start all over again!"

Chuckling, I glanced at the clock radio then sorrowfully said, "I wish we could. But I have to get my buns in gear for work."

As I got out of bed and started dressing again, Prez picked up the other dildo and said, "These will come in really handy for times like this when we’re in too much of a hurry."

"Once this week is over, I hope we won’t be in a hurry again till September," I said, and then took my Blockbuster shirt out of the closet. When I looked again, Prez had the smaller dildo lined up next to his hard cock, as if he were inspecting it for similarities! I cracked up and so did he. Then I leaned down and kissed my baby goodbye.

After a quick stop in the bathroom to wash my hands and brush my hair, I put my shirt on and said goodbye to the ‘rents then left for Blockbuster. While I drove, I thought about how I had acted earlier in the day. Being left to wake up and start my day without Prez, I had turned into the same person that I was before meeting him. I was lonely. I was bored. I shot sarcastic remarks at my mom. My dad started one of those deep explorations of what it's like to be homosexual, probably more for my benefit than for his. Now I only had to figure out what his point was, if there was one. For the first few hours of the day, it was just like last year. I could barely stand myself! Thank goodness Prez was home when I returned! Otherwise, I would have turned into a major bitchy queen!

With that thought still ricocheting around my skull, I walked into Blockbuster with a wide, shit-eating grin on my face. I’d have to tell Prez how I thought of myself as a bitchy queen! He’d get a good chuckle out of it, for sure! I clocked in and said hello to everyone then started to work. A few minutes later, one of my co-workers shouted that I had a phone call. It’s rare for me to get a call at work and I wondered if there was some problem at home as I went to take the call.

Picking up the receiver, I pressed the blinking button and said, "Hello?"

"Hi babe, it’s me," Prez said.

Catching myself blushing for no reason at all, I smiled and whispered, "You miss me already?"

"Of course! Sometimes I wish we had no responsibilities at all. Then we could’ve stayed home tonight!"

I chuckled, "I’ll be home soon enough."

"Which is why I called," Prez began. "While I was at Mike’s this morning, I found out that his mom and sister are going out tonight and won’t be back till tomorrow."

"So after work, Mike wants us to all meet there?"

"Yeah, but…"

"But?"

Prez sighed and softly said, "We have to finish what we started before we go over there. I took a shower and put on a pair of your boxers. They feel really tight, for some strange reason!"

Standing behind the main checkout counter with my boss and two coworkers standing very nearby, now I had good reason to blush! All I could think was omigod he’s getting so bad! Sure, the reason he called was to let me know about Mike’s little get-together. But he couldn’t resist the chance to make me light headed and horny!

Prez snickered on the other end of the phone while I laughed hysterically. Then he suggested, "I’ll call Mike and tell him we’ll be a little late?"

I figured I’d take a chance and try to get him back and softly giggled, "Sounds good. You’d better hurry home later. If I get too restless, I might have to start without you."

"You’d better not!" Prez laughed.

Turning around and noticing my coworkers watching me, I quickly said, "I’ll see ya later."

"Love ya babe. Later."

I hung up the phone and attempted to casually walk back to the task of restocking shelves. There was no chance in hell that I would be able to squat down and stock the lower shelves! So I concentrated on the upper shelves and began daydreaming.

I couldn’t believe how good I felt! School was almost over and summer vacation was only a few days away. Everything Prez and I did all winter and spring had built some new bonds between us.

There is something that happens when two people start living together. It’s like; you learn by observation how someone acts under given circumstances. And you become accustomed to those actions.

By sheer repetition, I learned how Prez gets when he’s nervous, when he’s sad, when he’s happy or playful and when he’s simply content. In my mind, I began running through the entire list of emotions and how Prez acts under their influence. Like when he’s nervous, he has to move around a lot. If it’s a test and he has to read, he still shifts position constantly. I’m exactly the opposite when I’m nervous. My muscles start twitching but all I want is to try to remain still and chill. Those observations made me wonder what Prez saw of my reactions and I took stock of myself.

My daydreaming was briefly interrupted by a flurry of activity at the check out counter and I went to work there for a while before returning to stocking shelves. I noticed it was almost eight. Soon, I could clock out and get back home.

For some strange reason, I thought back to when my mom and I had our first heart-to-heart discussion about Prez. It was right after our weekend at Big Bear. I remember her saying, "No match is made in heaven."

My ardent reply was, "Ours is, he’s perfect."

"It may seem that way now but believe me, it takes work; years of blood, sweat and tears," she said.

In barely a year’s time, we’ve been through lots of blood, sweat and tears. Last summer was so awesome though. Although we were together a lot, we weren’t living together so there were moments of caution and uncertainty. Even after Prez moved in, when he was his saddest for the longest period ever, there was still apprehension, at least on my part. Sometimes, when Prez needed time alone to think, it really hurt me. Twice, Prez questioned whether his mom hated him because he was homosexual. Then I’d go back to bitchy queen mode until he came out of the bedroom and sat down next to me. All that I needed to know was that he still wanted to be near me.

Naturally, since then we’ve both found ways to have a little solitude when we need it. Right after my confrontation with Donofrio, I needed some chill time too. Some how Prez guessed, probably by watching my body language alone, that I need to be held as much as I needed to unwind. So my baby did both; he held me and lay quietly beside me. Thankfully, those times have been relatively few and far between. But almost every night we sit, quietly watching TV before sacking out.

Another idea hit me suddenly. The main difference in gay relationships is the individuality and independence of the two men. That’s what my dad was trying to say in the car this morning! Sure, I guess those things have bearing in straight relationships but with two dudes, its got to be way different. Learning how to be together and find occasional solitude while living in the same house takes some adjustment.

Pride is another factor, I suppose, but it takes much lower priority compared with individuality and independence. After all, we’ve seen each other naked hundreds of times, even up at Big Bear where the cold performed its magic shrinking act! How much pride can a dude have after that? And we shower together almost daily. He’s washed my ass and played with it and I’ve done the same for him. I’m sure that I know Prez’s body at least as well as he does.

Briefly I considered if pride was a factor when I got jealous of Derrick. Judging solely by the tightening of my stomach that day, I think pride was major factor. I am proud of Prez, of what he’s able to do for himself and what he does for me. Mike and me have repeatedly said we would never get along as a couple. Derrick said he liked Prez a lot but that he wasn’t attracted to him. And Prez said that he couldn’t see himself living with any one but me. It was pride mixed with fear that caused my jealousy, I’m sure of it.

Finished with the never-ending task of restocking shelves of videos, I glanced at the clock. It was after nine; time to jet home.

During the drive, I tried to guess how the rest of the night might be. Prez would be home from work soon and he would most likely bounce into the house, in a playful mood. I was looking forward to having sex and playing with our new toys. But I was also thinking of what might transpire at Mike’s. We would probably spend most of the night out by the pool. Strangely, I looked forward to that at least as much as having sex. I wanted to spend time with Prez, to play in the pool and chat quietly under the stars, to tell him about some of what I’d been thinking while at work. All I had to worry about was Mike getting into that "lets go skinny dippin’" mood! I was sure it wasn’t coincidence that Mike’s mom and sister decided to visit family the weekend before his birthday.

Rush greeted me at the doorway then trotted happily back into the living room and lay down at my mom’s feet. Drew, Corey and John were there too. That was slightly out of the ordinary. Usually they would watch my old TV in their room. But I figured that there was something good on TV that everyone wanted to watch. After a few moments, I realized that the movie Volcano was on HBO, the one where the Brea Tar Pits turn into this huge volcanic mountain that destroys most of downtown LA.

As I sat down on the love seat, my mom asked, "How was work?"

"Busy, like every Saturday night," I replied.

Moments later, I saw Corey nudge Drew.

"Ow!" Drew half laughed. Then he loudly said, "Go ahead and ask!"

Corey turned, looked up at me and asked, "How was the prom?"

I grinned, "Very cool. The food was good but the punch was horrible!"

Corey looked at Drew and John. Then he sighed. My dad grinned and held in a laugh.

"Next he’ll tell you about the decorations," John giggled.

I frowned at John’s weak remark. Then Corey turned back to me and asked, "Did you dudes dance?"

I nodded, "After we finished eating, yeah, we danced pretty much non-stop for the rest of the night." Then, I looked at John and said, "We even danced with the girls during one song."

Drew grunted and covered his face with his hands! Then he looked up and asked, "Was it cool though? Nobody gave you any shit?"

"It was very cool," I answered. "There was only one trouble maker and he wasn’t too bad."

After glancing accusingly at Corey, Drew asked, "What happened?"

I explained, "There’s this dude Prez knows. His name is Tim Sheffield. Since the fight, Tim’s been preaching his own version of the gospel to Prez. At first, Prez would be cool and discuss it with him but eventually; Prez got tired of hearing the same old crap. Having gone to a Catholic grade school, Prez blasted the dude with both barrels. Last night, Tim wanted to know if we had any self-respect. I think we all proved to him that we do. When Tim’s date called Prez a queer bastard," I stopped and giggled then continued, "Prez ripped her a new one!"

The ‘rents had heard the story already but they carefully watched Drew, Corey and John for reactions.

Drew thought for a few moments then asked, "Did that happen early?"

I replied, "About half way through, I guess."

Sounding surprised, John asked, "Didn’t that piss you off?"

My mom hates the phrase, "pissed off". I could see she was holding back a reprimand of some sort.

Carefully watching my words, I replied, "Sure it made me angry. It made all of us angry. Then the class president came over and he got angry too. He told Tim to leave us alone or just leave."

Corey giggled, "That’s very cool!"

"Nobody called you any names?" John asked.

The phone started ringing as I answered, "Nope," and I got up to answer it.

Picking up the handset, I wandered back to the dining room so I could hear if anything else was being said in the living room. I pressed the button and said, "Hello?"

"HI! IS KEITH THERE?" Mike yelled. In the background, I could here music playing loudly.

I giggled, "This is me bro!"

"DUDE! Get your ass over here!"

"Did you start alone? Where’s Derrick?"

"D’s at work still. But he invited Jerry and some of his homies. They showed up early so get your fucking ass in gear!"

I laughed hysterically and heard various commentaries about ‘fucking ass’ in the background. "Didn’t Prez call you?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah! He called."

He’s brain dead, I mused. Too much loud electric guitar has melted his brain. I reminded him, "We’ll be over in a little while, after Prez gets home."

Suddenly it got much quieter on the other end of the phone. "There," Mike said, "I might be able to hear now. What did you say?" Chuckling, I repeated myself. Then Mike said, "Come on bro! Yeah, that’s important but there’s ten gay dudes here!"

"TEN!" I shouted.

"That’s right, ten! All from our school!"

Pacing back and forth, I wondered how they found ten gay dudes in our city, never mind from our school. Turning back towards the living room, I could see Drew and Corey watching me pace. I told Mike, "Prez is expecting me here."

"But…"

"I’ll check with him and if he wants to, then we’ll be right over."

Mike growled, "You’re so married! Get over here as quick as you can."

"We’ll be there!" I giggled. Then I heard the loud music clearly again. Suddenly there was laughter and Mike hung up without saying another word!

Smiling as I went back to the living room, I wondered what would become of us now that Mike had gathered the entire gay teen population of Woodland Hills to celebrate his birthday!

My mom watched me with curious eyes as I sat down again. "That was Mike," I grinned.

"I gathered as much," my mom said. Then she asked; "There are ten boys there already?" and I nodded.

My dad warned, "I hope he party proofed the house."

Looking at Drew and Corey still watching me, I said, "If he didn’t, I’ll make sure it gets done as soon as we get there." With very little thought, I looked at my dad and asked, "Maybe Drew and Corey would like to come with?"

Drew snapped his neck to look at me with wide eyes. My mom looked at me then dad and finally up at the ceiling.

"If they’d like to go, I guess it would be alright," my dad said. Then my mom glared across the room at him!

Drew and Corey were looking around the room, at my dad, behind them at my mom and back to me.

"There’s one condition," my dad quickly said, "I’ll be there right after I wake up to pick up Drew and Corey. And to survey any damage."

"There had better not be any!" my mom loudly warned.

Looking at my mom, dad grinned and said, "Think of it this way Jen. Now that we know, they’ll have to exercise a little self-control. Or we’ll have six capable young men to help paint the house this summer!"

Slowly, a smile crept across my mom’s face. "The carpets need steam cleaning this year too. I’m sure we could find sufficient work for idle minds and bodies."

John had heard enough. He stood and happily said, "I’m not part of any of this!" then quickly headed towards his room.

I looked down at Drew and Corey. Rush suddenly got up, jumped over them and raced to the front door.

"Ya wanna?" Drew asked, and Corey nodded enthusiastically. Then Drew looked at me and said, "Nothing’s gonna happen, right? I really don’t want to paint or clean carpets this summer."

Before I could answer, the front door opened and Prez walked in. "Hi!" he said pleasantly. Bending over to greet Rush, Prez happily said, "Hey there hound dog buddy!" Then he looked around the room, taking note of everyone’s positions and expressions. Sitting beside me, he smiled widely and silently transmitted, "What did I miss?"

"Drew and Corey are coming to Mike’s," I grinned.

"Cool!" Prez said.

"When are we leaving?" Corey excitedly asked.

Then Prez turned my way and our eyes met. He grinned devilishly and I started laughing but shook my head and whispered, "Tomorrow."

"You’re sure?" he softly asked, and I nodded. Then Prez said, "Okay. Let me get out of these grimy clothes and get washed up." He got up and I followed him to our room.

I noticed that my mom had folded our laundry and left it on the desk chair. As Prez started undressing, I put away the cleaned clothes. I took my Blockbuster shirt off, tossed it on the closet floor and Prez wrapped his arms around me from behind. "You really want to wait till tomorrow?" he softly asked.

His shirt was off. I could feel the warmth of his chest against my back. Momentarily my heart leapt, my skin crawled and I basked in the glow from my baby’s embrace. Gathering a little composure, I snickered, "We both already got some today. I can wait."

"Waiting is fun too," Prez seductively whispered.

He was really bending my resolve to the breaking point! Quickly, I changed the subject and asked, "How was work?"

"Good, I made another sixty bucks. I handed in your application too."

Turning in his arms, I said, "I’m really looking forward to working with you," then kissed him. Out of habit, my hands slid down into his boxers to squeeze his buns and my stupid dick started to get hard! Breaking our kiss, I pushed away before it got really hard and Prez noticed. "Mike called a little while ago," I nonchalantly mentioned.

Appearing confused, Prez said, "I called him and said we’d be there around midnight. He didn’t have a problem with it then. As a matter of fact, he actually appreciated it."

"Well, Derrick invited Jerry over and, the last I heard, there’s ten dudes there already."

"Really?"

"Ten gay dudes, Prez. All from our school!"

Prez laughed loudly, "HOLY SHIT!"

"I’m really curious who’s there," I admitted.

Digging around the dresser, Prez said, "So am I."

"Then I thought I’d invite Drew and Corey."

Pulling on a pair of shorts, Prez said, "This is gonna be a fun night."

Grabbing a shirt from the closet, I grinned, "At least I won’t have to worry about Mike getting all of us skinny dipping, like he did last year."

Prez laughed, "I’d doubt the number makes any difference to him at all!"

I thought for a moment and said, "You’re right, it might encourage him."

There was a knock at the door while Prez scanned the closet for a shirt. He said, "Come in."

Drew peaked in and asked, "Should we bring bathing suits?"

I nodded, "And spare blankets and pillows." Drew nodded then closed the door.

Prez asked, "Does Drew know that everyone there is gay?"

"No, why would he care?"

"He might feel a little weird. I feel anxious, don’t you?"

I nodded, "It’s gonna be interesting to see who’s there."

"We’ll see if my gay-dar is properly tuned," Prez teased. Then he grabbed our Speedos from the dresser drawer. I grinned and his eyebrows bounced playfully. "Red-eye?" he drawled.

I snickered and nodded then led him out of the room. We said goodnight to the ‘rents and my dad repeated his warning that he would be knocking on the door by eight in the morning. The four of us went out to Prez’s 4-Runner and got in. After starting the engine, Prez turned on the radio, louder than usual and switched to the local dance music station. He was tapping out a beat on my hand and jiggling around in his seat while he drove.

At the first traffic light, I leaned over and asked, "You’re really psyched about this party, aren’t you?"

Bouncing his eyebrows, Prez leaned really close and said, "Definitely. But I still owe you from last night." Looking forward again, he noticed the light was green and began driving away.

Still chuckling at my baby’s verbal seduction attempt, I glanced towards the backseat, just to see if Drew or Corey had overheard. Corey was whispering in Drew’s ear. But Drew caught me looking. He grinned. Then I noticed them holding hands. I smiled and looked forward again before Drew got self-conscious.

For the remainder of the short trip to Mike’s, I debated whether I should tell Drew that all the dudes at the party were gay. Although it might appear to be the right thing to do, Drew still seemed to get embarrassed about his sexuality. He seemed slightly better than last summer but I didn’t want to press it since he was way better off than I was at the same age. Drew would figure it out on his own, one way or another.

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