Did He Really Say That?

by Aaron

Will was one of the first people I met after my parents and I moved to Melbourne from Sydney. I had seen him riding his bike down the street a few times that first week and slowing down as he went by my house. One morning when I saw him coming down the street I went out to intercept him. I couldn’t resist trying to find out why he was riding by on a rainy day. The heavy rain had almost stopped by the time I’d made it out the door, but it was still wet out there. I’d left my bike out all night and the seat was wet, but I jumped on and took off down the long driveway.

“Hey, mate,” I yelled to the good-looking boy as I caught up to him after he’d passed and was in front of the next house.

“G’day,” he answered rather softly. “What’s up?” he asked, and braked to a quick stop, causing me to pass him up before I could grab my brakes.

I backed up towards him as he rolled forwards a bit to meet me.

“Not much… I just moved here and I’ve seen you riding by a few times this week. Did you live in that house before we moved in?” I asked, pointing back to my house.

“No,” he said, with a sad, almost-embarrassed expression on his face.

“Ah, I know that look. It was your girlfriend, wasn’t it?”

“No, my best mate for most of my life lived there. His mom was transferred out to Perth. We hoped she’d quit that company and they’d stay here, but his dad found a job out there and that settled it,” he said, seeming even sadder. “I miss the bloke. We were like brothers, but now it’s more like we’re long-distance cousins. I’ve spent a lot of time in that house,” he said, as he looked back at my new home. “I live two streets over that way.” He pointed off to the right.

I’d never had a boyfriend, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to get that much involved with anyone just yet, but I was hoping I’d at least find a playmate in my new town. If not a playmate, then maybe a new best mate. I had no ideas whether that boy would turn out to be either, but I was ready to start my quest.

“Let’s get outta this freakin’ drizzle. You look like a drowned rat. Come on in the house before the rain starts back up,” I suggested, watching water drip from his cute, slightly upturned nose. My parents weren’t a bit keen on me inviting strangers in, but the boy lived in the neighbourhood and at least he wasn’t a stranger to the house. I really wanted to learn more about him.

“Are you sure it’s okay? I don’t want to upset your schedule or change your plans for this morning,” he said, a shy smile on his face. He seemed to be both polite and in need of company.

“Hey, I don’t have anything planned. I’m bored, so it’ll be good to have someone around.” I needed company as much as he did.

We turned back towards the house and rode up to the garage, where I pushed the button to open the middle one of the three doors.

“Eric used to park his bike in this section. His parents’ cars were on either side and he planned to park his own car here when he got one. He’s seventeen, like me, so we’ll have driving licenses next year,” the boy said offhandedly. “No cars are here, so I guess your parents are both out?”

“Yeah, they’re opening up some new stores all around Melbourne. I don’t see them much. It’s gonna be the same here as in Sydney, I guess. Whatever… Let’s go up to my room and check out some new games I got yesterday and get you dried out.”

As we entered the house from the garage, I said, “My name’s Aaron. I should have already told you that. Sometimes I forget my manners. I’m seventeen, too, same as you and Eric.”

“I’m Will, and I guess I lost my manners as well,” he said while shaking my hand. He looked around and seemed to feel at home, but he paid particular attention to the furniture and stuff and frowned at some of the things he saw.

“I guess this all seems different to you now that another family has taken over the house. Well, some different people, anyway. Not too sure about that word 'family’,” I sighed.

He seemed too caught up in his thoughts to hear me, and said, “Being in here makes it really hit me that Eric’s gone for good. The house was empty for three months after they left. I guess I hoped somehow that he’d come back. I’ve been riding over here a lot since he left.”

I really felt sorry for the kid. It was so obvious that he was depressed about his best mate moving away. I had already started to feel depressed about leaving my friends, especially my best mate, so I knew how he felt.

“Hey, let’s run on up to my room and I’ll get you some towels and some dry clothes, too. You’re shivering, mate,” I observed, as I watched my new friend Will. At least I hoped we’d be friends. His dark hair looked sexy, wet and glued to his forehead above his dark eyebrows and steel-blue eyes.

Will followed me up the stairs and down the hallway. As we entered my room, I turned and saw him checking out everything and sensed straight away that it had been Eric’s room. He looked up at the ceiling, as if he was looking for something.

“Eric had this room,” he said, almost possessively.

“I thought a boy must’ve used this room, ’cause of all of those hooks screwed into the ceiling. Must’ve used them to hang models and stuff.”

“Yeah, Eric had tons of airplane models that he built. He had some fishnet hanging around, too, and some boomerangs. I always teased him about rigging the net to fall and trap a girl on his bed,” Will said, showing delight in his eyes for the first time since I’d rushed outside to catch up to him. He seemed to be reliving some fun times he’d had with his friend.

“So, Eric had to leave a girl behind when he moved, huh?” I asked.

“One main one, but several others, too. He’s a real ladies’ man. I’m not, though,” he added.

“Why not? Man, you look fine, even when you’re wet. I’d think you’d be up with the girls big time,” I said too quickly. I felt like kicking my own arse for the 'fine’ comment, but he didn’t show any reaction to it.

“I’ve only dated a couple of times. Maybe the right one hasn’t come along, yet,” he said, and seemed uncomfortable with the topic. That perked up my interest.

I grabbed some boardies and a tee from a drawer and handed them to him as I showed him into my bathroom and gave him a towel. “Hang on. I’ll get you some dry underwear. You wear boxers or jocks? I have both.” When he told me he wore briefs, I thought, Good boy! Keep those jewels under control. I rushed back for the underwear and pitched it at him just before he closed the bathroom door. Damn! Shy bloke. I can’t even get a peek.

We spent the rest of the morning, after Will was dry and looking even hotter with those boardies showing off his cute arse, trying out the two new Xbox games I’d gotten the day before. I had to keep myself from looking at him too much. I didn’t want him to think I was perving on him. We decided we’d have to find some cheats on the Internet, and then went downstairs and made ourselves some lunch. While we ate at the snack bar in the kitchen, we started to get to know each other. Will began to relax and talk about himself, and I did the same.

“Since we’re both going to be in year 12 and in the same school, we might have some classes together, so we can study together. That is, unless you’ve already found some mates you can study with,” Will said.

“Hey, I’ve been busy this week getting the house and my room sorted out, so I’ve only met two boys and one girl in the neighbourhood, besides you. I haven’t had a chance to spend any time with the others, but I’m up for having you as a study mate.” Man, am I ever!

“Cool enough, mate,” Will said, his smile giving me major tingles all over.

We talked about how he had studied with Eric and I had studied with Todd, and about how much we missed our best mates. I missed Todd for one special reason that I didn’t mention to Will. Todd was the only person in Sydney, besides my parents, who knew that I’m gay. Todd isn’t gay, but when we were about twelve or thirteen we messed around together at times, just being curious, mostly. Todd’s curiosity faded away by the time we were fourteen, when he started chasing girls, but we stayed best mates.

Will told me about his older brother and sister, Scott and Ivy, and a little about his parents, but I got the impression that he and his dad weren’t very close. When I mentioned that, he told me they had drifted apart over the past couple of months, but he didn’t say why.

*******

The summer went well for us, even though the warm period was a bit shorter than I’d been used to in Sydney. We went swimming together a lot, did some surfing, and became really close friends. Our surfing skills proved to be about equal; both of us were pretty good at wiping out.

Will introduced me to his friends and we hung with some of them at the beach. I noticed that Will paid at least as much attention to the guys at the beach as to the girls, same as I did. I knew full well why I was doing that, but I wasn’t sure about Will. I thought maybe he was just checking out the competition. Sometimes he would point out certain older girls and say that his brother Scott would go for them, but he never showed real interest in any of the girls our age.

I always thought Will was the hottest dude on the beach, and I was building a major crush on him, but not just because of his body and his handsome face; his personality was first rate. I was happy that I’d met him so soon after I’d moved to Melbourne. My parents had always ignored me in favor of their business, so I never expected much from them. Will kept me from going through a really lonely period like he had experienced after his mate Eric moved away.

*******

When school started, Will and I were able to work out having three classes together, so we did become study mates and usually did our school work at my house, since my parents were almost never home. They kept the house in Sydney and used it when they went to check on the stores up there. Sometimes I was left alone for a few days at a time, save for a few schoolmates dropping in, the housekeeping lady coming in twice a week, and Will coming over. We went to Will’s house some days after school, but I didn’t meet his parents, since they were still at work those afternoons. It just never happened that I was at Will’s house when any of his family was there.

Will had been on the soccer team for two years, so he wanted me to try out for it. I had no problems making the team, because I’d played at my old school. Being in the showers with Will and the other guys was a favourite time for me, and Will came up with some sort of practical joke to play on someone almost every day. One day after soccer practice, Will and David, the boy whose locker was next to Will’s, were talking quietly while everyone was stripping down for the showers.

Will yelled at David, “Suck your WHAT? Man, I don’t do that shit! And besides, if I did, I’d want a main course, not just a little cocktail weenie appetizer.”

Everyone in the change room howled, knowing Will had found a new victim for one of his pranks. David looked like he was gonna die right there, but then he popped Will’s arse with a towel, starting the day’s round of the usual change room fun.

I began to notice that Will was paying a lot of attention to David, almost like he had a crush on him. After a few weeks, that seemed to change, and Will slipped back into a less happy state, almost like the day I had met him.

I really wanted to cheer Will up and see him smiling again, so I decided to take a big gamble. We’d talked some about how we both liked science fiction, so a few days after Will’s mood change, while we were taking a break from studying I mentioned that I’d read an Internet story about a fourteen-year-old boy named Louis, who let an alien share his brain in order to save the alien’s life. I told him the story had made me like myself more and believe in myself. I thought that if I could get him to read the story I might find out for sure if he was interested in guys and if he really did have a crush on David, but had gotten shot down somehow.

“Aaron, are you talking about 'Through Different Eyes’? I read it just before I came out to….” He looked totally gob smacked, and his face went pale but then started turning red real quick.

“Came out to Eric? Was he your boyfriend?”

“You tricked me!” he yelled.

“Hey… no, man, I never dreamt you would’ve already read that story. I wanted you to read it. Sure, Louis realises some things about himself near the end, but that story is so good and so funny that anyone would like it, not just gay guys. Louis is the only gay guy in the story, you know.”

“Damn, this is just great! You’re straight and now I’m out to you. I was about to say that I read the story before I came out to my parents. That was about a month after Eric moved away. And no, Eric was not my boyfriend. He’s mega straight. I told you awhile back that he’s a ladies’ man,” Will said angrily. He jumped out of his chair at my desk and started pacing.

“Will, I need to lighten this up, so let me do some explaining,” I said. “I’m gay, and now, besides my parents and Todd, only you know that. I didn’t trick you. Well, not exactly. Maybe if you hadn’t already read the story and I got you to read it, that would have been a bit shady of me. I guess I didn’t think of it that way.

“Please don’t be mad at me. I was just hoping to find out if you’re gay and if you have a crush on David. I want to help, if I can… I mean, if that’s what’s been bothering you for a few days now.”

He stopped pacing and then sat on the end of my bed with me, our shoulders almost touching. I was so excited to find out about him that I wanted to grab him and not let go, but then, I started to wonder why he hadn’t shown any signs of having a crush on me. My mind was in a whirl. I realised I’d been hiding my feelings from him, afraid of revealing my secret. He just sat there looking at me, as if he was working out what to say.

“It’s okay, Aaron… I’m not angry, because I’m happy that we know about each other now. I’m glad you mentioned that story, too. I let something that happened make me forget some of the good things I learnt from it. I’ll be back in top shape straight away. Thank you for caring about why I’ve had a shitty mood.

“I’ll be honest with you about what happened. You’re spot on about David. I did have a crush on him, and I thought I was getting vibes from him that showed he liked me that way, too, until he told me has a huge crush on Sonja Kranvik. You’ve heard of gaydar, right? Well, I know I don’t have it. I feel like an arse for getting my hopes up about David.

“The night after I found out I didn’t have a chance with David, I cried a lot just from frustration, and I actually told my dad why I was crying. He came up with some shit about lots of fish in the sea and how I would find the right one for me. How can I do that? I don’t even know how to look. There must be some gay guys at our school besides Andy and Wade, but you know how Andy and Wade are so obviously a gay couple. Everyone else acts straight. I sure was wrong about David, and I’m lucky I didn’t hit on him.”

All of that stuff just exploded out of Will, like he had to say it quick or lose his nerve. I thought he was gonna hyperventilate.

“Will, slow down, mate. We got all day. I know what you mean about not having gaydar. I thought you were mostly straight until I noticed you jonesing over David. At least I thought you were. Guess I was right, huh?”

“Aaron, I’d have been after you if I’d thought I had a chance. There’s just something about David that I read wrong. He’s just a touchy-feely kinda guy, really physically comfortable and confident. I thought he was coming on to me a couple of times, so I thought I had a chance there. I want so bad to have someone to talk to about all of these feelings and urges I have. I always talked with Eric about this kind of stuff, but he couldn’t really understand, being straight, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. I used to talk to Todd like that, but, same deal. Straight blokes have no worries about hitting on any girl. If they get shot down, so what? They just go on to another one. Another fish,” I added, making Will laugh.

“Well, I don’t want a fish, I want a prince. I might have to kiss a few frogs before I find my prince, but I haven’t even gotten started. I’m seventeen already and everything about me is virgin. Well, except, you know, my hands and my…. No, they’re technically virgin, too, I guess. I’ve never even touched anyone but myself in any private place, and no one has touched me like that. Have you done anything with a guy, Aaron?”

My mouth dropped open and I must have looked shocked by his question, because I was. Todd had always kept up with my lack of progress, but no one else had ever asked me anything like that.

“Man, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you something so personal.”

“No worries, Will. It just popped right out, didn’t it?” I started laughing so hard I could hardly talk, and he was looking at me like I was a total spaz. “It was funny listening to you talk about fish and princes and frogs and virgin jewels,” I managed to choke out through my laughter. I settled myself down a bit so I could answer his question.

“Todd and I messed around together some when we were a lot younger, like a lot of boys do at that age, but he lost interest in that. We didn’t do anything serious. We never even kissed. It was just body curiosity; learning together how everything works. So, I’m really a virgin, Will, except my hands have had more experience that yours,” I said, with as wicked a grin as I could muster.

I started laughing again, and he grinned and stuck out his tongue at me. That made me laugh even harder. I said, “You must be a prince, ’cause your tongue ain’t long enough for you to be a frog. I hope that’s the only thing short about you.”

“Hey, I hold my own in that department,” he said, trying to look indignant.

“Yeah, and I hold my own, too. Don’t have anybody else to hold it. You interested?”

“Dude, I think you’ve been reading more than 'Through Different Eyes’ on the ’net,” Will said, and then he turned pink.

“Yeah, I used to read some of that crap, but I got bored with it real quick. I know two young guys really don’t just meet or just come out to each other and then in about an hour or less fall madly in love and lose every bit of their virginity to each other and feel like they’ve died and gone to heaven. I guess stories like that give old guys something to stroke over. We don’t need that stuff to get us excited, you know? If you’re like me, you get excited too often, anyway. I’ve never done anything that made me feel like I’d died and gone to heaven, and I don’t think I ever will. That’s total bullshit.”

“Damn, I’m glad you said that about those sex stories, and you’re right about getting excited often. It’s hard sometimes… I mean…” he said, turning from pink to red as he realised what he’d said.

“I know what you mean. And I wasn’t really coming on to you. Maybe we should kiss before we hold anything,” I said, still in a giddy mood.

“Aaron, I like you a lot, but I don’t think I’m ready for anything like that. I think you’re just kidding, but we should do some serious thinking about this stuff. I’m so excited…”

“You ARE? Did I cause that?” I was on a roll and I couldn’t seem to get serious.

“Aaron, are you going to be one of those gay guys who fits the stereotype? You know, jumping in bed with anyone who’ll have you?”

“Hey, no, not me! I’m just kidding around ’cause I’m so happy that you’re gay, too. Nah, man, I saw some of those goings-on along the paths to the gay nude part of Obelisk Beach up in Sydney. We lived in Mosman and that’s close to that beach. I saw guys doing stuff with other guys who must have been strangers to them. I wouldn’t do that. I saw regular-looking blokes, but I saw some girly-acting ones, too, and one of them even told me he wanted to have my baby. I thought I was gonna puke. I don’t wanna be like that. I mean, I know that’s all part of the gay world for some people, but it ain’t gonna be my part. I could accept and be friends with guys who are like that, though, I reckon. Whatever yanks your crank, you know?” I said, and eased back onto my elbows, my feet still on the floor.

Will flopped down on his back and looked up at me. He said, “You’ve been to a nude beach? A gay one? Wow! You’re way ahead of me.”

“Yeah, I went there a few times, but I never had the balls to get nekkid. I had fun lookin’ around, though. You wanna go to a nude beach with me sometime? We see each other in the showers and change rooms all the time. Maybe I’d work up the nerve to parade around starkers on a beach if I had a buddy with me. Oughta be fun, don’t ya think?”

I kicked off my trainers and scooted up flat out on the bed, on my back. Will kicked his off and moved up beside me.

“Aaron, this is all too much for one day, mate. We’ve only just come out to each other and you’ve already got us naked out in public. It’s different at school. It’s required there,” Will said as he rolled over towards me.

I rolled to face him and put my left hand on his waist. He inched up closer and put his right arm around me, leaving us eye-to-eye. Before you could say “gay boys” we were lips-to-lips. No tongues, just lips. It was my first-ever lip kiss.

Whenever my aunts tried that when I was a little kid I always turned my head and took their spit on the cheek.

We kissed lips, cheeks, eyes, noses and necks until we were both obviously aroused almost to the point of exploding.

Will pushed back from me and said, “We’re going too far too fast.”

“Will, I want you to be my boyfriend. What about that? Think you can handle it?” I asked, just as seriously as I could.

“Handle it? There you go again!” he said, pushing farther away.

Oh, shit! I’ve joked around so much he can’t see I’m being serious now.

“I didn’t mean it. We’ve got lots of time to work out things like that… taking our time, ya know? I just think that since we’re already like best mates we should be boyfriends.”

“I think so, too, but I think I’m not as much of a horndog as you. Can you handle that?” he asked, smiling ever so sweetly.

“I can handle anything, boyfriend, but I’m no more a horndog than you. I guess I’m just not very shy. I let it all hang out.”

“Are you ever going to stop? What’s turned you so naughty? I think I can get used to your naughtiness, though, ’cause it makes you even cuter. So, we’re officially boyfriends?” he asked.

“Boyfriends now, lovers later,” I said, pulling him into a hug and rolling around on the bed with him. I felt something moving against the top of my left thigh. He jumped off of me and said, “Oh, shit! My phone.”

While he was talking to his mom I was laughing my arse off. I had forgotten about him keeping his phone on vibrate. He had to rush home, because he’d stayed later than usual.

That night I did a lot of thinking about Will and me. I realised that I liked him too much to try using him as a playmate, and that I had too much respect for him to push him into anything just for my satisfaction. I felt lucky that Will was such a prankster himself that the goofy and suggestive remarks I’d made that day hadn’t made him blow my ship out of the water. I decided to at least try to watch what I said, though.

The next morning when we met at the end of my street to walk to school, the first thing he said was, “Guess what I did last evening after I got home.”

“Hey, I know, man. I had to do it three times to get things sorted out and get myself settled down. How many times did you do it?”

“Well… four, but that’s not what I’m talking about, butthead,” he said through a huge grin.

“Four? Now who’s the horndog?”

“I guess you’re right. I’ve as much testosterone as you, and I’m gonna enjoy it. But, what I was talking about is that I called Eric last evening and told him I have a boyfriend. He’s really happy for me. He guessed I meant you, ’cause I’ve been talking about you for a long time.”

“I told my parents as soon as they came home. They didn’t say much. They still think that since I don’t act the way they picture gay guys, I’ll eventually stop thinking I’m gay. The few times you’ve been around them have been enough to convince them you’re straight, not gay. They think we’ll play around some and decide we’d rather be straight. I guess they’ll never understand that we can’t change who we are,” I said, wanting to grab Will’s hand and hold it all the way to school.

Every day after that was special to me. Seeing Will at school and knowing he was my boyfriend made me feel complete in one way, but incomplete in that at school we couldn’t act like a couple, like our straight buddies did with their girlfriends.

We soon got comfortable enough with each other to play around in my bed and in my shower, but still not comfortable enough to “go all the way”, front or back.

I wanted to meet Will’s parents, so we decided he’d invite me to dinner at his house. On the night of the meeting he came to my house to walk over with me. Along the way he stopped us under a streetlight and said he had to warn me about some things. I’d been feeling pretty relaxed and confident about the night until he said that.

“I don’t want to give you any worries, but just don’t be surprised about anything my dad says. He was almost in shock last night when I told everyone I’d be bringing you around tonight. Scott and his girlfriend and Ivy and her boyfriend were there, and they acted cool enough about it. My mom did, too. I just don’t know how Dad will react tonight. He’s always been super picky about Ivy’s boyfriends, and he always seems to think Scott’s just looking for sex. Prolly he’s right about Scott. I don’t have any ideas how he’ll handle meeting my first boyfriend.”

“First? Aww, I was hoping you’d introduce me as Prince Aaron, the one and only.” I acted like I was joking, but I really wasn’t. “But then, that would make you Prince William, and that’s too bloody British.”

It looked like a cloud suddenly came over his face. “I never tell anyone my full name. It’s not William. I don’t like my name, so I’m even registered at school as Will,” he said firmly.

“Willie Boy, you’ve made me awful curious. Why won’t you tell me your name? I’m your boyfriend,” I almost yelled, as a loud truck went by.

“I’m saving that embarrassing information for the real one and only. When I know I’ve found the prince of my dreams, I’ll tell him, and only him,” he said. “Until then, I’m keeping my ugly secret.”

I did some serious thinking as we moved on towards Will’s house. I’ve gone from liking Will and wanting to have him as a playmate, to having him as a boyfriend, to loving him as a best mate and boyfriend, to… what? Am I “in love” with him? I think he just now made it clear he’s not in love with me. Well, I can’t worry about that right now. I’m gonna meet my boyfriend’s parents in just about two minutes.

We didn’t say much more until we got almost to Will’s front door.

“Don’t let whatever my dad says upset you. I really don’t know what to expect, but I think it might be something pretty cold.”

I stepped in front of Will just as his dad opened the door. I was ready for whatever he said.

“Hello, Mr. Stephenson. I’m Aaron,” I said boldly, as I stuck out my hand to shake his.

“Welcome, Aaron. I’m happy to finally meet the boy who’s stolen my son’s heart.”

Whoa! Did he really say that? Will must’ve had him figured all wrong.

I spun around and looked at Will. His eyes were popped open frog-like and his mouth was wide open. I reached out and pushed up on his chin, grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the house, grinning all the way. Yes! Mr. Stephenson’s in my corner!

Only Will’s parents were there, and his mom hugged me and welcomed me like I was a new son, which felt great. Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson really must have thought I was the one and only. They made me feel right at home, telling me all sorts of things about Will, embarrassing him at times. I could tell, though, that Will was happy they were accepting me so instantly. They almost made me feel like I was part of their family. I wasn’t in any way accustomed to the feeling of family, but I took to it like a frog to a lily pad. It was obvious that Will’s parents loved him so much more than I felt my parents loved me. I thought mine just put up with me, waiting for me to go off to university and start moving out into the world.

After that night, because Will’s parents insisted on it, Will and I did more of our studying at his house. We felt more comfortable messing around at my house, though, because it was less likely that anyone would interrupt us. We’d long before that gotten past the lips-only kiss.

“Your tongue is longer than I thought it was that day you stuck it out at me. Remember that? It’s still not long enough to make you a frog, though,” I said to Will one afternoon after we’d been playing around on my bed.

“So, you think I’m a prince instead of a frog? I think you’re a prince, and not just because you’re the only fish I’ve found in the sea. I know I don’t feel like Scott does about girls. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about that. I don’t want to be switching around like he does, even if I knew a way to do that. I know things might change in the future, and some things just don’t last forever, but I know that not all of your naughtiness is just joking. And I know you’re way more than just a horndog. I know I feel the same way about you that I hope you feel about me,” Will said, almost making my heart stop.

Did he really say that? I was almost speechless.

“Uh… are you sure? I mean… yeah, I do feel like you think I do. I mean, I think I know what you think I think, and I…. Dammit, what I’m trying to say is, I’m in love with you, Will.”

Will’s eyes got all watery. Oh, shit! Maybe I’ve said the wrong thing.

“Prince Aaron, I have something very important to tell you. My name is Willoughby.”

About an hour later I just knew I’d died and gone to heaven.