Pop: Chapter Ten

     "Chris!  You locked the door!" Sam yelled as he banged on the door.

    "Sorry.  Coming."

    I put down the frozen waffle box I was prepping to rush to the door.  Jim had barely been gone two minutes before Sam came down.  Sam must have taken longer with his "morning constitutional" than normal. I didn't think he ate that much yesterday.  Why can't he go at night like a normal person?  At least this meant Sam missed Jim.  I don't think Jim cleaned up that much.  While his hair looked kind of wet, but he didn't try to shave or get out a change of clothes.

    "Took you long enough.  Why did you lock the door to the living room anyway?" Sam asks as I let him in.

    "Force of habit from when I still had boarders. The party was a little weird, too.  I guess I didn't want to take any chances from meeting the neighbors."

    We walk into the kitchen, Sam looking everything over.

    "You haven't cleaned up yet.  You never work out this early if you can prevent it." Sam says, not ask.

    He has a point.  Usually, I would be wearing PJs, as neither one of us wants to catch the other naked accidentally.  Today, I was in an old T-shirt and gym shorts.  I didn't have time to freshen up any better.

    "Later.  I'm waiting to clean up because of the book signing around noon at Pulse.  It will be easier to shave and clean up for that than to have to go again just before the rehearsal dinner.  I won't have five-o'clock-shadow that way."

    "I don't see what the big deal is anyway.  You almost always look scruffy." Sam gets some milk out of the fridge while I finish up the waffles."

    "Once your beard comes in, you'll know the difference."

    I admit, I usually only shave every other day or so.  I like that 'scruffy' look.  Addie kind of does too. Most of my exes hated it, but that is how a grew up.  Until I was eighteen, I was lucky to shave two or three times a week.  My friends were shaving daily by their senior year; Pete junior year.  Then, a month or two after my birthday, my beard suddenly came in. I went from barely anything to needing to shave daily practically overnight.  At least my friends were still around to help me learn the beyond the basics of running an electric shaver over everything for a few minutes.

    Still, I preferred not shaving. Not to the point of actually growing a beard, but a mustache and a neatly cropped goatee.  It's a cliche of my generation, but I still like it.  

    "Whatever old man.  I just shaved Tuesday for Dad. I'm good to go for awhile." Sam derides me as he grabs for the waffles as soon as they pop from the toaster.

    I don't know how much DNA we share, but Sam is just a little younger than I was when my beard finally grew in, but he is nowhere near where I was. After two days, at his age, I would be needed to straighten my whiskers out a bit.  Sam is practically baby-faced with only a few spots there and about.  Also, I'm still worrying that he hasn't gotten any chest hair yet.  Sure, he might be shaving that off for swimming, but why would he leave some around his nipples?  I got my chest hair the summer after graduation.  Rick really teased my about that that summer, especially since he and our friends had theirs for over a year, or three for Pete.  To a man, each of us had stopped growing when our chests got hairy.  I'm afraid that Sam is still going to grow, and a lot, because of this. I tell you...

    The phone in the other room rings.

    "What was that?" Sam asks.

    "The phone" D'uh.

    "The landline?  I thought you had that disconnected."

    "Not yet.  Maybe later." I rush to the dinning room to get the phone.

    "Hello.  Burton residence. Who do you wish to speak to?" I answer into the phone.

    "Chris!  We have an emergency."

    "Thad? What's going on?"

Pop: Chapter 9b

    "I don't understand."

    "Chris, I was two months away from turning eighteen.  You were barely fourteen.  Morally, and legally, things would be weird.  I knew after that night I had to stay away from you.  Temptation and all that.  I still had my brother, Rick and Pete, as means to make sure you were doing alright, but I had to stay away."

    "It was practically abandonment after those first few months.  I just thought you had given up on me, or were too embarrassed after I caught you."

    "Nope.  Just the age difference.  Even after you graduated, I was already an adult at twenty-one and you were not yet eighteen.  I decided to try and forget you.  You guys were going to UK, while I didn't get accepted to their med school.  I went to Virginia and that was that."

    I kept looking at him.  He was keeping something back.

    "Yet you kept up with Rick and Pete, at least somewhat."

    "They are older than you.  Pete especially.  He had more problems than even you had, but you probably know most of that by now."

    No, I didn't

    "Anyway, I met my wife and that was that.  Will came to join me, and I found out that your little group had broken up.  I never pressed on the issue.  Then, out of nowhere, Will texted me that you needed a consult on a sinus operation.  I couldn't believe it.  You FaceTimed me, and my heart almost exploded. I couldn't give you an expert opinion, as surgery isn't my forte, but just seeing you again brightened my whole world. As soon as we were done, I went at it like I was a teenager again."

    "Jim, don't say things like that."

    He sat up, the sheet still covering him.

    "It is the truth.  I didn't realize how much I missed you.  These last few years, even with the barest detail from you, have brought me so much pleasure.  In so many ways.  Don't get me wrong.  I still love my wife and kids, but I just feel so connected to you.  When the chance came to see you, I took it.  And I wouldn't change that for anything.  Even if you never want to see me, just getting this chance, means everything to me."

    I sigh.  I hate Jim right now for what he has done.  What we did.

    "It's almost six thirty. Sam will be up soon.  It will take him about ten minutes in the bathroom before he comes down.  You'll have just enough time to take a shower and leave.  I have the bathroom set up for you.  Get dressed then call Will.  Rick will be out jogging before work.  If you leave by the back door, no one will see you and then you can join themas if nothing happened.  Try and hurry."

    "Alright," Jim says as he springs out of the back, dropping the sheet.  He's buck naked and fully at attention.  

    I turn away and shield my eyes.

    "You still had your boxers on last night."

    Jim pulls the sheet back down.  

    "I guess I took them off.  Sorry.  If I hadn't been sure before about you, I am now."

    "Look, the dinner is going to be moved up an hour or so.  There is a line of storms forecast for this evening, so we want to speed things along to keep people safe."

    "You still want me there?"

    I wait a second before answering.

    "Yeah.  If wasn't for you, I wouldn't have met Will or made friends with Rick and Pete.  They are the reason I became the man I am today.  So, you deserve to be there."  And it would look funny if you weren't.

    "Just be quick.  I don't want Sam to see you."

    "Bye Chris." 

    I can almost hear him mouth 'love you.'

    I get up, still shielding my eyes, and walk through the door to the hall, shutting the door behind me.

Pop: Chapter 9a

    "What?" Jim asks sluggishly.

    "The alcohol.  I smelled it on you last night.  Where did you get it?"

    "Oh.  When we, Will and I, stopped by Rick's.  Will talked over to his wife, while I kind of snooped around.  I found a few bottles of beer and decided to take them to the party.  I didn't know about the booze ban because of you brother.  Not really.  I drank two of them in the back after Sam left.  I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have brought them, and I definitely shouldn't have drunk them."

    "Well, that explains part of it.  Rick is into these 'artisanal' craft beers.  They have a higher alcohol content than the usual brands.  Rick usually takes an hour or more to sip just one bottle.  Taking two in a short period of time would have gotten you tipsy fast, especially if you aren't used to it."

    "Chris, just because I was drunk, doesn't mean I don't love you." Jim sighs.

    "What do you mean?" I'm afraid of what Jim's answer will be.

    "Ever since that first day I saw you in the boys room, something just clicked with me. It wasn't just because you were excited.  I had seen other boys like that for years.  Over half the boys at the school went to that particular restroom to do the exact same thing.  Even me.  That day.  I just had to pleasure myself as soon as you went into the stall."  

    "Jim.  You can't be serious."

    "I am.  I mean.  I had seen lots of other boys, sometimes while like that for both of us, but I never felt the same connection I felt with you.  When you told me about all of your problems, no father, lousy mother, losing your best friend, I saw a way to help both of us.  I could pair you up with my brother and his friend, thereby helping you while also allowing me to be close to you.  I had already helped out Pete, so getting you into the group was easy."

    "I still can't tell you how much being with your brother and Rick and Pete helped me, as well as having you as a surrogate 'big brother.'  However, after those first few months, you started to keep your distance.  You barely talked to me after a few months.  Even after that first year, you talked more to Pete than me, during summers and you breaks from college.  If you loved me so much, why did you stop wanting to be around me?  It doesn't make any sense."

    "Do you remember that convention my Dad took you and your friends just after Thanksgiving your freshmen year?" Jim asks.

    I nod.  The four of us were sleeping over at Will's so that his Dad could take us to a gaming convention a few counties over, our first.  I woke up about five to go to the bathroom.  I guess I was still a little sleepy and confused, and I wound up opening the door to Jim's room by mistake.  He was lying there naked on his bed, going at it like there was no tomorrow.  I didn't say and word and quickly left.  It was the first time I ever saw a naked male that much older than me.  It would be years before I saw my first adult film, but that first time shocked me.  Later that morning, Jim made a brief comment about how he should take his own advice and "lock the door."  After that incident, his kept a certain distance from me.  I had thought that it was from embarrassment.

    "I had just gotten back to me room from hitting the head, when I saw you walking to the bathroom yourself.  You were in those tight PJs.  While they didn't really show anything, just looking at you turned me on.  I was so aroused, I wasn't thinking.  I just had to go for it.  I barely noticed when you accidentally walked in, but that just threw me over the top.  I actually managed to get my first "twofer" that morning."

    "That still doesn't explain why you stopped talking to me after that.  If you really cared for me that much, why did yo ignore me after that day?"

    Jim chuckled a bit before continuing.

    "Chris, when is my birthday?"

    "Your birthday?  February eighth?"

    "Close.  The fifth."

    "What does your birthday have to do with you ignoring me?'

    "Everything," Jim replies.

Pop: Chapter Nine

     It's just a little past six in the morning.  I've been awake over fifteen minutes.  I'm watching Jim as he sleeps, just waiting for him to wake up.  I'll have to do it myself if he doesn't get up soon.  Sam will be waking up soon, himself, and I want Jim out of here before that happens.

    I never suspected Jim of what he did last night.  That was so unlike the Jim I looked up to all those years ago.  

    I first met Jim at my freshmen orientation where he was one of the senior representatives helping us out.  Our group was composed mostly of kids from the other feeder schools.  I didn't know anyone else there.  We were touring the old gymnasium building, and I was feeling so lost and out of place.  I peeled away from the group to go use the bathroom, without anyone noticing.  

    I was in for a shock.  The restroom had one of those old-style troughs instead of individual urinals that I was used to.  I stood there and tried to go, but I was so scared and nervous that I got excited instead, which only made me more scared.

    "Hey, there you are.  Whoa.  Having problems?"  Jim had popped in to look for me.

    There I was, standing all excited in front of a total stranger.  Very embarrassing.

    "Hey.  Don't worry.  All guys get like that at our age.  No way to control it.  Do you, uh, need to do something about it?"  Jim made a circle with his fingers and held them just below his hips. "Can you?"

    I guessed what his meaning was immediately and shook my head, too scared to talk.

    "Okay.  You might want to go into one of the stalls for more privacy.  Don't forget to lock the door.  Remember, even if you think you're all alone and there's no way anyone will come in on you, lock the door.  I'll try and make sure no one else comes in on you."

    I hobbled over to the nearest stall and locked the door behind me.  Even with my nerves, it didn't take me long to finish up.  Maybe three minutes or so.

    "Don't forget to clear things out," Jim yelled over the door.  "It will make things easier later on throughout the day."

    That took another minute.  I flushed and finally made my way back to the sinks, where Jim was standing there washing his hands.  He must have been standing there the entire time to make sure no one would notice me if they came in.  I washed my own hands, before the two of us started talking.

    "I'm guessing that's not the reason you came in here, huh?"  Jim asked.  "Do you need to talk about anything?"

    I blurted everything out then.  About how my best friend since we were four moved away just after school let out so he could transfer to one with a better basketball program.  Six three at thirteen, and I was always taller than him by an inch or two though sixth grade.  Our schools would later play once.  He had to be six five or so by then, but that happened later.

    I mentioned the new family with the much older boy who moved in.  How I didn't have any friends.  How I didn't have a father.  How my mother and grandmother never seemed to get along.  How they just didn't care.  I didn't cry that day, but I think I could have.

    Jim didn't mind a bit, just the two of us there in the boys' room.  After a few seconds, Jim finally spoke.

    "You know.  I think I know of some people you should meet.  Let's ditch the tour and follow me."

    We left the boys' room and the gym, dodging the rest of the group.

    "You don't need to pay much attention about this place.  They're getting ready to build a new gym in the football field as soon as the season is over.  They might even get rid of the trough, but I doubt it.  Too much of a need to get as many guys in and over as possible."

    I followed him to some trees just off the parking lot where a few boys were sitting.

    "Chris, I would like you to meet my brother Will and his best friend Rick.  They're freshmen this year too."

    The two boys stood up to shake my hand.  Both were about six or seven inches taller than me already, but still shorter than Jim.

    "And here's another new student, Pete.  I think he just moved here as well."

    The other boy stood up.  It was the new guy who moved down the road from me.  He was over six feet tall.  There was no way he was only thirteen or fourteen.  I took a quick glance at Will and Rick.   They just smiled in that way boys do to each saying "Don't ask, just go along."

    If it hadn't been for Jim that day, the four of us probably would never become the lifelong friends we are today.

    "Oh.  Hi Chris."  Jim had just woke up.

    "Good morning, Jim.  Where did you get the booze?"