By the time Bradford resumed classes for the fall semester, the structure of many lives had changed. The most obvious came about as students moved up in ranking…Jesse and Neil were now part of the senior class. The lunch table seemed empty without Barry’s dominating presence, and yet they were still ten.
Red and Alan were happy to be juniors, and Steve was just happy to be off the bottom of the pile. There was something comfortable about being a sophomore, Tyrone and Brent agreed. The relationships had survived the summer break, only Alan was without a partner…but he was looking.
The new freshman class was larger than most, boosting the total school population up to two hundred and twenty four students. All ten gay boys wore their flag pins that first week which caused some questions to be asked. But there was a poster in the student lounge that announced the presence of the GSA on campus and named Steve as the new president.
Mountain Day occurred by tradition on the first Friday of the fall semester and this year it was a warm and sunny day. Fifteen miles south of Littleton lay one of nature’s wonders, Franconia Notch State Park. The school reserved a spot on the north end of Echo Lake and the entire group of students was bused to the site at eight o’clock in the morning. It would give them a full day ahead.
The returning boys knew it was a chance to run in the woods and climb the nearby hills, while the new students were cautioned to follow the hiking trails. But after a week of school the students were beginning to sort themselves out and the new boys figured this was a time to make friends.
Neil and Jesse became the center of attention because their relationship was well known, even to the newbies. Red and Steve were also part of that attention and it gave the gay boys quite a presence on campus. As they helped unload the picnic supplies from the buses there were some fresh new faces around them.
It would be hours before lunch was served, plenty of time for to talk and share personal information. It was expected that the seniors would take the lead and so Neil and Jesse sat down in the shade and allowed the others to approach.
“I hear you guys are from New York,” A skinny boy in a bright red shirt asked.
“Not true…I’m Jesse, and this is Neil…who might you be?”
“Adam Marshall, I’m a boarder from Long Island.”
“Well, Adam, we just spent our summer in the city. Neil came here from Michigan and I’m from Pennsylvania. We live in New Bridge now, I was a boarder the last three years,” Jesse said.
“Is it true, are you guys together?” Adam asked.
“We come as a pair, yes…what makes you ask?”
“That’s cool, I dunno…just curious I guess,” Adam said.
Several other freshmen moved in, herded by Red and Steve.
“Jeez, I think gay is the flavor of the month,” Red said. “All three of these express some curiosity on the subject.”
“Well guys, Steve over there is the president of the GSA, do you all know what that means?” Neil asked.
“Yeah, the gay club,” Adam said.
“No, the Gay Straight Alliance…there are no walls in our organization. Some of you may feel that gay is cool, but you don’t know which direction you’re headed, and that’s fine. GSA is not a dating service. The freshmen are not encouraged to play around except with themselves.”
“This is Tim, Dillon and Brandon,” Steve said. “And you must be Adam. So look guys, being a freshman sucks, we all went through that. Tradition says no fresh meat sleeping with the upper classes, and that sucks too. If you guys feel good enough about yourselves come talk to us, any of us, we’ll set you straight…or gay as the case may be.” That got a laugh.
“Steve is right, although some freshmen do break the rules,” Red said with a grin. “Don’t rush into the game, make friends first…sex comes later.”
Fours heads nodded and Red smiled as Alan walked up. “And here is a completely adorable and very available Bradford junior. This is just the kind of guy you shouldn’t hang out with,” And then Red started laughing as Alan punched his arm.
“Don’t listen to Red, that color goes all the way through his head, it’s all rust on the inside,” Alan said with a grin. “You guys up for a climb?”
“Sure…we just don’t want to get lost,” Dillon said.
Alan smiled. “Then stay close to me…the only thing you’ll lose is your breath.”
Dillon smiled back and stepped up beside Alan as they started walking towards the rocks, the group followed along behind.
Steve poked Red in the ribs. “Good goin, it’s like you pimped the boy to him.”
“Aww, Alan has a thing for blonds anyway. As I recall he even made a play for Neil.”
“He didn’t have a chance once I laid eyes on Jesse,” Neil said.
The climb up the rock face was one they could all accomplish. The older boys knew about the chimney they would encounter about halfway up. It was tight fit but it brought them out at the top of the hill. They stood at the base of the opening as Alan urged Dillon to go up first. Usually a more experienced guy needed to follow and call out the hand and foot holds.
Dillon began his climb with Alan right at his heels talking him through it.
“You’ll reach a slick spot about ten feet up with no apparent handhold, but if you twist your body around you’ll find several places to grab on the back side,” Alan said.
Dillon came to the spot and slid down a bit, but Alan was there to grasp his legs. The boy had soft hair on his calves and Alan’s face was pressed into them as Dillon held on.
“Reach back and feel for that handhold…got it?” Alan asked.
“Yeah…you can let go now,” Dillon said, pulling himself up.
The boy was strong, his body was well defined and to Alan just about perfect. They went up to the next level where the rocks pushed inwards and the chimney narrowed. Alan looked up at Dillon’s legs and could see muscle all the way up into the boy’s shorts.
“Here you have to turn a bit and place one foot on each wall. If you push off enough you can reach up and pull yourself past where it narrows,” Alan directed.
Dillon gave a short barking laugh. “How the hell did you figure this thing out the first time?” he asked.
“A senior showed me, but this is probably my fiftieth trip up through here. I live in Littleton and we come down here all the time.”
“Yeah, it’s beautiful,” Dillon said. “You’re lucky.” He spread his legs on opposite walls and Alan looked right up the leg of the boy’s shorts. The kid had no underwear on.
“Yeah…lucky,” Alan replied.
They both squeezed through the crush and into the tube above where Alan managed a smile.
“Here you have to be careful, there’s some loose gravel and you might slip,” He warned.
Sure enough Dillon slipped and Alan braced his legs to take the boy’s weight, they ended up hugging face to face. “Warned you,” Alan said.
“Thanks for catching me,” Dillon said, his voice almost a whisper.
Alan smiled. “I loved catching you.”
Alan’s hands were filled with Dillon’s butt cheeks and he gave them a squeeze. A blush flashed across Dillon’s face in an instant.
“Um…” Dillon said.
“I suppose you want your butt back now,” Alan said.
“Yeah…kinda.”
“I didn’t know there was anyone this cute in the freshman class…but maybe we ought to talk about that later,” Alan said.
Dillon nodded. “Yeah…we can talk.”
They reached the top and crawled out onto a flat ledge. Here the view across the lake was clear over the tree tops.
“Wow, great view,” Dillon said.
“Come on, I’ll show you the real view,” Alan said.
He led Dillon up through the trees and into a jumble of boulders where they climbed higher. Alan managed the easier path as Dillon struggled to follow, and then they were at the top. Alan reached out a hand and pulled Dillon up onto the final boulder, and then they pushed through the pine brush.
“Here…slow down,” Alan cautioned. And they stepped out onto a small plateau.
“Oh…wow,” Dillon said.
The mountain range extended out into the distance with Mt. Washington and the other Presidents in full detail. They were alone with a magnificent view before them and yet Alan had eyes only for the boy. He laid a hand on Dillon’s shoulder and the boy turned to look him in the eye.
“You get to see this all the time, it’s so awesome,” Dillon said.
Alan smiled. “Yeah…it’s pretty special.” But his eyes never left Dillon’s face.
“What?” Dillon asked.
“Would it be okay if we became friends?” Alan asked.
Dillon smiled. “Red thinks we shouldn’t…is it really against the rules?”
“It isn’t encouraged, but if you get permission from your parents you can come home with me on the weekends.”
“You take a lot of guy’s home with you?”
“No. I had a boyfriend last year, he was a senior…it couldn’t work out,” Alan said.
“I’m sorry…do you think I’m gay?” Dillon asked.
“I…I don’t know. Right now I’d settle for your friendship,” Alan said.
Dillon shook his head. “I don’t know what I am, Alan…I’m not a very good choice for you.”
“Can we just wait and see what happens?”
“Sure, why not,” Dillon said.
“Do you know how attractive you are?” Alan asked. “I can’t stop there, just being physically attracted is total crap. I want to know who you are, what you think…everything.”
“I like you too, but maybe we shouldn’t. I’m sure it won’t take long to get around, but I just turned fifteen last month. I’m the youngest kid at school. Thorne didn’t want to let me in but my Dad talked him into it, he’s a Congressman. We’ve lived in DC for six years and I couldn’t wait to get away. That means I’m not in a hurry to blow it by breaking the rules.”
Alan reached out a hand and stroked it through Dillon’s hair. “I understand, I won’t tell anyone anything. Just promise me something…be my friend and let me help you. We’ll play it like that for as long as you want…but when you decide, when you’re ready…I’ll be there.”
Dillon leaned into him and Alan’s arms surrounded the boy. “Thank you,” Dillon said, “I think you’re special.”
Alan smiled and kissed the top of Dillon’s head causing the boy to giggle. They could hear the voices of the others down below and quickly sat down to stay hidden. Dillon leaned towards Alan. “Will they find us?” He whispered.
“Nope, this is my little hideout…we’re alone.”
“I…I never kissed a guy before…” Dillon said, turning his face to Alan’s. Their lips slowly came together and Alan pressed gently, feeling the softness of the boy’s lips. He felt Dillon tremble and knew the chemistry between them was arousing the boy. He pulled back and Dillon gasped.
“Wow…that was sweet,” Dillon said.
“Yeah…but we shouldn’t do that too often if you haven’t decided what you want,” Alan said. “I don’t want you to feel like it needs to be anything else. Kissing you turns me on, but I’ll get over that…what about you?”
Dillon blushed. “Yeah…me too.”
“You’re sweet…innocent and sweet, I don’t want to change that,” Alan said.
“I’m a virgin…I never kissed anyone but my mother before…I’m just afraid.”
“No…it’s good to be afraid. Getting close to someone is scary because you have to share so much of yourself in the process. I will never hurt you…I couldn’t.”
Dillon leaned up and kissed him again and Alan’s heart pounded in his chest…yes, this was going to work. They sat for a while and looked out at the mountains, sharing a kiss every now and then.
“I…I want to know so much…” Dillon began.
“Hush…let’s not rush this…it’s gonna be wonderful,” Alan said.
They climbed back down and ran across Neil and Jesse wandering back towards the path to make the descent. Dillon was holding Alan’s hand…it was all they needed to see.
“You guys getting hungry?” Neil called out.
“Yeah…have they started cooking?” Alan asked.
“Probably,” Jesse said, moving up beside Dillon and giving him a squeeze. “You guys need anything just let us know.”
Dillon smiled. “It’s all good…wonderful in fact.”
“Alan knows what he’s doing, just keep it cool for a while…a few months at least,” Jesse said.
“Yeah, he told me,” Dillon said.
They followed the path and climbed down the hillside where Alan and Dillon stopped holding hands, it would cause too many issues. But Neil thought they would make a good couple, providing they played it cool for a while. After all, Red had begun his relationship with Steve under similar circumstances.
It was a given that after spending a summer with Jesse in New York that the boy would not be a boarder in their final year, what was the sense behind that? Nora had already spoken to George and Diana about the move, it was not only practical, it made all their lives easier…and then there was Renny to consider.
It wasn’t long after the Washington Park show that Nora understood what Neil had started. She had always been amazed at the things he wrote, he had a future in writing, or in this case teaching others how to write. But the feelings he shared with her about Renny and the harsh life the boy had led made her wonder if he wasn’t also cut out to be a social worker.
Nora had begun by contacting old friends in the city, one of them being Jason Abernathy, a councilman and sometimes lawyer. She had put the question to him, what could be done in Renny’s case? Jason was appalled that here was another kid who had fallen through the cracks of the social welfare system, but he knew they had jurisdiction over the boy.
It took considerable effort for Renny to understand that Nora was working on his behalf when the man from Child Services showed up at the hostel looking for him. But Mr. Trenton was accompanied by Nora and Jason, who seemed to hold all the cards. It was a somber boy who sat down in the office with Tim, Nora and the two gentlemen.
“Your name is Renaldo Cruz, is that right?” Mr. Trenton asked.
“Yes sir,” Renny said in a small voice. “Am I in trouble?”
“No son, this meeting is all about you and your welfare,” Trenton said. “Can you tell me where your parents live?”
“No, they aren’t there any more…I think they went back to Puerto Rico, that’s what the neighbors said.”
“When’s the last time you saw them?” Trenton asked.
“Three, yeah, three years ago.” Renny said.
“So you’ve been on the street since you were nine, how did you manage that?” Trenton asked.
“Irrelevant to the matter at hand,” Jason said. “The boy was abandoned, that’s all we’re here to determine.”
“Renaldo, this is Mrs. Dennison, do you know her?” Trenton asked.
Renny smiled. “Yeah, she’s the Mom of my friend Neil.”
“And this is Jason Abernathy, I suppose in this case he’s your lawyer,” Trenton said.
“Why do I need a lawyer?” Renny asked.
“Well you need him because now that we know you exist we’ll have to do something about your circumstances,” Trenton said.
“What’s that mean?” Renny asked.
“May I?” Jason asked. He got up and squatted down before Renny so he could look up into the boy’s eyes. “We all want your life to change Renny and Neil wants you to be his brother…would you like that?”
“Oh…” was all Renny managed before tears appeared in his eyes. “He wants to be my family?”
“Yes, Renny…he wants his Mom to adopt you so you can be in his family,” Jason said.
Renny looked up with tears on his face and Nora nodded. This woman had been so kind to him these past weeks, and Neil…Neil was his soul brother. He smiled through the tears and Nora reached over and handed him a tissue.
“What will happen?” Renny asked.
Jason knew the hardest part was still ahead, but he had to give the boy confidence. “Mr. Trenton will do a search for your parents and if we can’t find them then a judge will declare you to be abandoned. Then we can begin the adoption process and you can join Neil’s family.”
“Do I…do I stay here until then?”
“No Renny, the city won’t allow that, you’re too young to be at a shelter without adult supervision,” Jason said. “But we have a foster family that wants to take you in until Mr. Trenton is done with his investigation, he’ll be working real hard on this, won’t you Mr. Trenton?”
“Yes, Councilman…we’ll give it full on attention,” Trenton said.
“So who is this foster family?”
“You know them, it’s Miles Dubois and his wife,” Jason said.
“Really! Wow…that’s cool,” Renny said.
“Yeah, we thought you’d like that,” Jason said.
Renny smiled down at the man and then slid forward in his chair to give Jason a hug, he received a hug back as Jason rubbed his back with strong hands. Then he pushed the boy back and smiled.
“Thank you, that was nice. Now you have to be good and obey Miles, okay? I want to be able to take you in front of that judge and say you’re a good kid, no trouble…so from what I hear you better confine your painting to the studio…no tagging,” Jason said.
Renny nodded and looked over at Nora. “You wanna be my Mom…I’d like that.”
Nora nodded, the emotions of the moment kept her from speaking, and then Renny was off the chair and in her arms whispering “Thank you” in her ear. Neil and Jesse were out in the hall, and they came in as Trenton left. Renny jumped on them both the minute he saw them, the excitement was contagious.
And then Renny looked up into Neil’s eyes. “You did all this…you want to be my brother…”
“Yes, Renny…I need a brother like you,” Neil said.
And six weeks after Bradford opened its doors for the semester, Nora and Neil had to take a Friday off and fly to New York for the hearing before a judge. The speed with which things had happened were astounding considering how slowly the city responded to most things, but Jason had clout. And after a long discourse from Trenton about a fruitless search for Renaldo’s parents they came to the crux of the matter.
“Renaldo Cruz,” the judge intoned. “Is it your wish to become a member of the Dennison family of your own free will?”
“Yes, your honor,” Renny replied, coached by Jason in the proper way to address a judge.
The judge signed a paper on his desk and looked up at Renny’s expectant face. “Then I grant the petition in favor of Mr. Renaldo Dennison, congratulations young man.”
There was joy and a whole lot of tears…everything in Renny’s life would now change. Tim and Mickey gave the boy a hug and said their good-byes. Renny would be going home with his new family.
In Renny’s life it was a time filled with many firsts. His first plane ride, a bit scary but still exciting. The drive from Boston into the New Hampshire countryside and his first view of mountains. Jesse met them at the door and there were more hugs before Renny was shown to his room, the first time he had been given a place that was his alone.
“This used to be my room,” Neil said, and then he laughed. “No tagging the walls, mister.”
Renny laughed as well. “No way, I do paintings now.”
It was a weekend of fun as Neil and Jesse showed the boy around. But it wasn’t until they stopped by to see Pat and Mike for lunch that Renny began to understand that gay people could live comfortably together.
Jesse had called Pat and told him of the adoption, and that left both Pat and Mike looking forward to meeting the boy. They were astounded that Nora would take on the responsibility of a young gay boy and they figured he had to be an exceptional child.
Pat had laid out a picnic lunch in the orchard on what would probably be the last warm weekend of the year. Renny was in awe of the outdoors here for there was not a tall building in sight.
“It’s just so…so different,” Renny said. “Yeah, and Neil says you came here from the city a couple years ago…why did you do that?”
“I needed to get away, my doctor said the city was hurting me…allergies I think,” Pat said. “But look at this place, Renny. It’s the furthest thing from Forty-Second Street I could find…I’m never going back.”
“It’s wonderful…but so quiet. Don’t you miss all the people?”
“I like the people here, they’re just spread out,” Pat said. “You’ll find new friends when you get to school.”
“Mom says she’s gonna home school me for a while…I have some catchin up to do,” Renny said. “Wow…it’s so cool, she’s my mom now.”
“Nora is a wonderful person, no matter how Neil turned out,” Pat said. Neil stuck out his tongue at the comment. “Well at least Jesse has civilized him somewhat.”
“I resemble that remark,” Neil said.
“I’m sure, so did you tell Renny about our winters?” Pat asked.
“Nope, thought it would be a nice surprise,” Neil laughed.
“Okay, what’s the joke?” Renny asked.
“I just hope you like snow,” Mike said. “We get lots.”
“Snow is good, as long as I don’t have to get too cold from it,” Renny said. “It’s no fun when the heat is off.”
Neil put his arm around Renny’s shoulder. “Not gonna happen to you anymore, my brother, I’ll keep you warm.”
Renny looked up and smiled. “Yeah, you can…if Jesse doesn’t get jealous.”
Neil laughed. “Not like that, you brat. Gawd, we need to find you some friends.”
“Just don’t expect them to be gay,” Mike said. “Not gonna happen around here.”
“Or so you thought, Littleton is overrun with gay boys at the moment,” Jesse said.
“Oh yeah?” Renny said.
“A little old for you I’m afraid, you still have a lot to learn,” Neil said.
“I did puberty last summer, I better find something soon,” Renny laughed.
Pat shook his head. “Slow down, sweetie…you have plenty of time.”
“Renny, would you like to show Pat your art work,” Neil asked.
“Yeah, I almost forgot,” Renny said. He got up and ran over to the Jeep, returning with a large photo album. Pat took the book and opened it as Mike looked over his shoulder.
“Oh Wow…when did you do this?” Pat asked.
Renny went on to explain the concert and the art that was made as the music played. It was obvious the boy had talent, the photos showed as much.
“So you played while they painted?” Mike asked Jesse.
“Yes, and we had about a quarter of the Philharmonic Orchestra there as well,” Jesse said.
“Jeez, I miss all the good stuff,” Pat said. The photos showed Renny at work and standing before the final product. “So where is this huge painting now?”
“Marcel rolled it up and took it to his warehouse,” Renny said. “He says that someday it might be valuable.”
“He’s right, I think it will once you become famous,” Neil said.
“So what made you paint that picture, can you explain it?” Mike asked.
“The Pigeon Man…he was a friend, but he died,” Renny said. “The police said he had a heart attack and couldn’t take his pills…and that’s really sad. But they told me his name was William Lincoln, I never knew that when he was alive. Now all I have to remember him by is that painting.”
“It’s a fine tribute, Renny…I’m sure he would be very proud of your talents,” Pat said. The final photo showed all three artists standing before the canvas wall and a great crowd of people surrounding them. “You don’t think you’ll be famous, but all these people already know you are, and that’s really special.”
Renny smiled. “Yeah, it is.”
After they left Pat’s, Neil drove them through New Bridge and on up into Littleton. Renny looked at the campus and all the boarders walking around.
“Yeah…cute guys, now I know why you guys go to school here.”
“Maybe you’ll get here someday,” Jesse said.
“No way…I have too much catchin up to do,” Renny said.
They ran across Dillon and Adam walking back from the gym, so they pulled over to talk.
“Who is this?” Dillon asked, smiling at Renny.
“This is my little brother,” Neil said. “Renny, meet Dillon and Adam.”
“Hey,” Renny said. “What do you guys do on the weekends?”
“Basketball mostly, sometimes we go into town,” Dillon said. “You guys seen Alan this weekend?”
“I haven’t,” Neil said. “We just got back from New York, did you call him?”
“Naw, he said he might stop in. I want my mom to call the school and give him permission to take me on weekends, and then we can go see a movie.”
“The school wants something in writing, an e-mail would do it,” Jesse said.
“E-mail, I should have thought of that,” Dillon said. “Okay, I’m off to call home…see ya.”
They drove on and Jesse turned to Neil. “He’s got it bad for Alan, don’t you think?”
“I don’t think, they have to do their own thing, Alan won’t be stupid about it,” Neil replied.
“Wow, those guys are way cute…maybe I ought to go home and study,” Renny said, and that got a laugh.
Neil knew damn well if Dillon managed to get a weekend or two alone with Alan that things would happen between them. His time with Alan had been warm and affectionate, Dillon would think no different. He had seen how well things had worked between Red and Steve, but there were others on campus that would frown on a freshman/junior pairing. Neil didn’t want to be around when Tom found out…and he would.
As they rounded the corner and headed back to town, Neil saw Tyrone and Brent walking back from the stores. It was good seeing them back together, knowing it had been a difficult summer for them both. Brent’s mother had objected to her son having a black friend and so he had moved to Texas and was living with his father.
Brent had told them it left him further away from Ty but made the relationship a lot easier. At least they could talk on the phone, and then in July his father had driven him five hundred miles to visit Ty in Mobile. They were roomies once again and Brent was going home with Ty for Christmas, things were looking up.
The whole race issue had never affected Neil, and now his little brother was Puerto Rican. But all he saw under that light brown skin were the features of a genuinely attractive boy. Renny was going to be a heartbreaker for some deserving guy. God, just not now, Neil thought…give it a few years.
Red and Steve were out in the driveway washing the Honda, or at least soaping down what little paint was left on the darn thing. They greeted Neil’s new brother with love and affection, and once again Renny saw what a wonderful thing it was to have a partner.
Having Steve live with him had calmed Red down and that was a relief. They were sixteen months apart in age but closer than ever now that they shared their lives under one roof. If anything it had brought his mother closer, and she treated Steve like a son.
All these changes and the growing relationships that seemed to focus the lives of these boys could only please Tom. Each of them was important to him and it was more than a teaching responsibility. It was his desire as a gay man to see them succeed. But he was still unaware that Dillon had committed himself to Alan.
Adam, Brandon and Tim, the other freshman who had arrived this semester, were joyfully involved in the silliness of their dorm. Adam seemed to be the prankster in the bunch and the number of tricks he played soon brought him a reputation. Vaseline covered doorknobs, dirt filled backpacks and gym shoes full of Jell-o were his first ventures. But all it did was make the others want to get him back.
So it was no surprise when Adam woke up one morning to find he was unable to move. The curse of sleeping so soundly, someone had bound his sheets to the bed and left him trapped.
“Fuckers,” Adam yelled but Tim had already left the room.
Besides the urge to pee, Adam sensed something else was different and slid a hand down to his crotch. Not a single hair remained, just the stubble of a bad shaving job. It was unfortunate timing for Tim to walk back in their shared room at that moment.
“And where the fuck have you been?” Adam yelled. “Do you see what those bastards did to me?”
Tim looked surprised. “Oh…what happened?”
“Like you don’t know…untie me. Where were you?” Adam demanded.
“Uh…Evan invited me up on the roof to watch the sunrise,” Tim said, loosening the corners of the sheet which had been tied to the bedframe.
Adam’s jaw dropped open. “Evan Brady?”
Tim nodded. “We didn’t do anything…just talked.”
Adam threw aside the sheets and sat down at his desk. “He’s a senior, Tim…are you nuts?”
“It isn’t anything…he isn’t gay, we’re just friends.”
“You weren’t gay yesterday…what’s goin on?” Adam asked.
“I…well, I don’t know. I just enjoy being with him, he’s so smart and kind…”
“Tim…he’s gonna get you in trouble,” Adam said.
“No he’s not…”
“We’ll see…just be careful. If he was gay I’d know what he’s after, the straight boys worry me,” Adam said.
Tim looked down at the redness between Adam’s legs. “What happened?”
“I guess I played my last trick on the wrong guys.”
To Tom Boswell the new boys in school were always a challenge, so many differing personalities. The chorus was a good place to discover their needs while they had a little fun and this year would be no different. He still had Jesse to accompany the music, only now the boy exuded greater confidence after just one summer in the Julliard workshop.
His own experience with Bill DeMarco had been wonderful, both in bed and on stage. They had been grad school students and life was so different back then. But even now Bill gushed about Jesse’s accomplishments, and when the boy finally applied for admission to Julliard he would find Bill behind him. These were not things Tom could tell the boy, he needed the challenge; he needed to feel like he had done it on his own.
But Jesse was a changed man. The summer had increased his self determination, as had his friendship with Martin. As a fifteen year old Martin was one of the exceptional brains in his high school, and was on the fast track to graduate at sixteen. The excitement had built between the two because that meant they would be at Julliard together…conditionally.
Jesse had no doubt that Martin would get accepted, but his own audition loomed in the distance and it was there like a monster in the closet. Wolfgang had assured him that the fear was unfounded, there would be time for further preparation…and so Jesse waited and worried.
Renny was a great comfort, still hanging on Jesse whenever possible. The boy would sit and sketch as Jesse practiced on the baby grand Nora had picked up to replace the Bosendorfer which now lived in New York. But despite the home schooling Nora provided she knew it didn’t meet the artistic needs of her newest child, and so she began to look for help.
By the middle of October Neil approached his mother with the idea of holding a Halloween party. The last night of the month fell on a Saturday this year and that in itself was a good reason to celebrate. But Neil had ambitious ideas…he was planning to invite a handful of boarders from the school to spend the weekend.
That was an unusual request and Nora found herself writing the request out and sending it off to Dr. Thorne via her son. If Neil could get the school to agree then the parents involved ought to fall in line. But Thorne showed no reluctance once he realized that Neil was inviting only the gay boys. So far the GSA had been an experiment that far exceeded his expectations.
Tyrone and Brent received their parental permissions, as did Adam who had asked Neil to include Tim. Only Dillon’s mother was reluctant, and as the weekend approached Nora decided to step up the pressure by calling her directly. Her appeal to Mrs. McCreary about allowing her son to participate in an outing with several other school friends was met with doubt and concern, something she could understand from a woman whose husband had such a high profile job.
“I understand your concern,” Nora said. “My father had the same doubts about letting me attend school functions. But life in a private school is anything but private, it’s probably worse for the boys. I assure you they will come to no harm here in my home.”
Janice McCreary sighed. “I’m sure he feels confined, it’s been like that for him these past six years since my husband took office. The streets here are just so dangerous.”
“But we’re talking rural New Hampshire, there’s nothing dangerous around here,” Nora said. “I’d much rather have them eating cake and ice cream here at home on Halloween than running around in the city. I think your son’s friendship with my boys is very important to him and if he misses this event there will be a great deal of resentment that doesn’t need to happen.”
“If you’re sure…they will stay in your home?” Janice asked.
“Yes, well except I may take them all out to breakfast on Sunday, they are teenagers after all and I can’t be expected to feed a pack of hungry wolves,” Nora laughed.
“Fine, I’ll call Doctor Thorne and give my permission. Thank you, Nora…thank you for taking the time to look after my son.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting him, Janice. My son says he’s doing well at the school, and coming from Neil that means a lot, Dillon must be exceptional.”
“He’s the youngest of my three, I guess I’m being overly protective,” Janice said.
“I’ll remember that,” Nora said. “I look forward to meeting you this fall.”
“Yes, I would like to meet you as well.”
And so Dillon had his pass for the weekend, Alan would be pleased. Their relationship had begun quietly, and so far there were few who knew about the pairing. But their school days were filled with passing moments, smiles and the occasional kiss in private. But Nora was right when she said there was little privacy for anything else to happen.
For the past five weeks Dillon had signed out and walked into town, sometimes in the company of Tyrone and Brent. There he would meet up with Alan at the drugstore or the pancake house where they would have breakfast together. Moments like this were precious and yet in a town crawling with their schoolmates they had to be careful.
Alan could not give Dillon a ride in his car, not until the boy received permission to spend a weekend at Alan’s home. But that request had not been made, it was too soon, and now Neil’s party was going to break new ground for them, at least Dillon was sure it would.
Nora knew that many of the boys were in relationships and that they would be paired off on the coming weekend. She knew how curious Renny would be and only wished he had a friend to invite over, but having ten boys was probably enough, she was beginning to feel like a den mother.
The sleeping arrangements were of some concern, not that Nora wanted to know what the boys might be doing alone in the dark, but she had to depend upon Neil for some answers.
“Honey, how are we going to arrange the boys?” She asked.
Neil nodded. “Red and Steve, they’re a couple so they can sleep in my room. Tyrone and Brent are a couple as well so I thought we could give them the guest room. I was thinking we could give Dillon and Alan some privacy if we let them have Renny’s room. He could lay out a sleeping bag with Adam and Tim in the music room, they are the three singles.”
“And why would we have Renny give up his room?” Nora asked.
“Because Renny will enjoy spending time with Adam and Tim. They might be older but they’re pretty young between the ears, and they won’t be doing anything…um, that Renny might learn or be interested in.”
Nora smiled. “I see you’ve thought this out, Renny is entirely too curious. I understand that your friends might kiss and hug in front of him, I don’t think we want him to see anything else.”
“Exactly, not that anything else will go on…but you never know,” Neil said.
“Yes, you never know,” Nora said. “I don’t want this house to turn into a bordello over the weekend. I will leave that up to you.”
“Thanks, Mom…I’ll make sure everyone knows that.”
But the only couple Neil worried about was Dillon and Alan. They had grown closer without arousing too much attention outside of the group, but this weekend would allow them some quality time.
“I think it’s just so sweet,” Jesse said as they waited for the boys to gather after school that Friday. “I think Alan made a good choice and they’ll have next year to enjoy one another.”
“Red seems to think Alan’s in love, I’m just not sure what Dillon feels,” Neil said.
“Oh it’s love for him too, can’t you see it in his eyes?”
Neil smiled. “Every time I look at Dillon I see myself at that age, I didn’t know what I wanted.”
Jesse grinned. “You were looking for someone like me, sweetie. I’m just sorry I was such a mess after Stephen left, I thought you were so patient putting up with my emotional state.”
“Jesse, I would have waited forever…all it took was one look and I was hooked.”
“You’re so good to me,” Jesse said.
“I love you, too,” Neil said.
Tyrone and Brent, Adam, Dillon and Tim all piled in the Jeep and then they were away from the campus and on the way home.
“You guys bring everything you need for the weekend?” Jesse asked.
“I don’t know, did we Tim?” Adam asked.
“Yeah…let’s see. Bras and panties…check, condoms…check, outrageous gay porn films…oops, we forgot those,” Tim laughed.
“Guys,” Neil said over his shoulder as they drove through Littleton. “I want you to be under control. My little brother is entirely too curious about what we all have going on, let’s not give him any ideas.”
Tim looked at Adam. “We have something going on…and you didn’t tell me? I’m always the last one to find out.” They all laughed.
“We get it, Neil…we won’t freak your family out,” Adam said. “So who sleeps with whom?”
And Neil explained his thoughts on the sleeping arrangements which caused Dillon to blush so Adam poked him in the ribs. “Someone gonna lose his virginity this weekend?” He asked.
“No,” Dillon yelped.
“Alan might have other ideas,” Adam said.
“Shut up,” Dillon said.
“Adam,” Neil said. “Back off…I just think you’re jealous.”
“I just hate being a newbie, we get left out of everything,” Adam said. “Dillon is lucky…so I get stuck with your brother, maybe he’ll rape me and end the suspense.”
“He’s twelve, Adam…you would be embarrassed to death,” Jesse said.
“Yeah…true. Guess Tim and I can just crank out a few like we always do.”
“Adam! You talk too much, boy.” Tim said.
“I remember freshman dorm used to have some great circle jerks, still doin that?” Jesse asked.
“Hell yeah…ask Adam, he’s our resident champ,” Tim laughed.
“Okay, roomie…enough from you too,” Adam said. “I think Tyrone wins every time.”
“Hey, leave me out of the discussion,” Ty said.
Neil grinned and looked up in the rear view mirror. “You and Brent are in the guest room, that’s across the hall from my mother…do I have to say more?”
Brent smiled. “Don’t worry…Ty moans quietly.”
“And enough from you,” Tyrone said.
The driveway already looked like a parking lot when they got back to the house, Red and Alan had arrived. Renny greeted them all at the door and gave Adam and Tim a silly little smile.
“I hear we’re roomies for the weekend,” Renny said, giving Adam a hug.
“Yeah, Tim brought a gallon of lube and two hundred condoms…we’ll have fun,” Adam whispered in return. Renny’s eyes almost popped out of his head, but then Adam laughed to show it was all a joke.
By five-thirty Neil had started up the grill in the back yard and even though the evening was chilly they cooked a dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs. There was little for Nora to do as the boys cleaned up after themselves and retired to Neil’s room to watch a film. Renny wanted to hang out with the older boys and Nora knew it would be better to allow it if they didn’t mind.
All month long she had done her best to keep the boy amused and involved, but he needed to have friends his own age. His educational background precluded placing him in public school. Most boys his age were in sixth or seventh grade, but Renny couldn’t compete on that level. School was where boys made friends and that made her newest son’s life difficult.
There was little in the way of art education in the Littleton area. The nearest grouping of artists was in Conway and that was all the way over on the other side of the mountain range, at least a two hour drive. Nora’s only hope was to find a local teacher willing to take Renny on for some private lessons.
Renny spent the evening hanging close to Adam, mainly because the boy paid him attention and they shared a certain level of humor. All the boys enjoyed looking at his photo album and sketch books, it was something he could share. So when they settled down on the couch, the chairs and the floor in Neil’s room to watch a film he sat between Adam and Tim.
Neil had rented a dozen films, unsure what the group might like to watch. He put in the first Spiderman film and they all sat back. Alan sat with Dillon on his lap while Tyrone and Brent cuddled on the floor. Renny ended up in Adam’s lap after several maneuvers to gain just such a position and Neil decided to let him stay there. The boy was only leaning back with Adam’s arms around his chest, nothing else was happening.
An attempt at the second Spiderman movie was met with groans and since it was getting on ten o’clock several pairs decided to hit the sack. Neil got Ty and Brent settled in the guest room and Alan led Dillon into Renny’s room.
“Good night guys…be careful,” Neil said.
“Always,” Alan replied, and then he shut the door.
They took turns in the bathroom and then stood before the bed. “Which side you want to sleep on?” Dillon asked.
“Whichever side you’re on,” Alan replied.
Their total exposure to date had been in the showers at the gym, so at least the equipment had been checked out and approved…this was different. Dillon pulled his shirt off over his head and unsnapped his jeans, allowing them to slide down to the floor. Alan stifled a laugh when he saw Dillon was wearing SpongeBob boxers.
Alan quickly undressed and they were left standing two feet apart, both flush with the excitement of the moment.
“You’re so beautiful,” Alan said, his eyes gazing straight into Dillon’s.
Dillon grinned. “You just like blonds.”
“No, I just like one blond,” Alan said, and he leaned down for a kiss.
Adam, Tim and Renny managed to stay through the second Spiderman film, and only then did they retire to the music room. Plush carpet, sleeping bags and pillows, it was all perfectly comfortable. The room was warm enough to sleep on top of the bags, at least for the moment.
Renny had his own ideas about sleeping between the two older boys, and figured he was going to have his way with at least one of them. He knew what his Mom would say if she found out, but no one was going to do any talking about it.
He wasn’t surprised by Renny’s advances, but Adam knew Neil would kill him if something happened. “Renny…what are you doing?” Adam hissed as he felt hands travel up his back.
“I’ll give you ten bucks if you rape him, Renny,” Tim said.
“I don’t think you can rape a willing person,” Renny giggled.
“I’ll give you twenty if you fuck Tim,” Adam said.
“How’s about you give me fifty and I’ll boink you both,” Renny said.
“No way, little man,” Adam said.
“Virgins…you guys don’t know what you’re missing,” Renny laughed.
“Like you know anything,” Tim said.
“Been there done that, man…I had three years alone on the streets of New York, what do you think?”
“Oh My God…really?” Tim asked.
“Yeah….you don’t wanna know,” Renny said.
“I guess we don’t,” Adam said. “Good night, guys.”
He rolled over and settled down. A few minutes later he felt Renny move up behind him and an arm slid around his waist. That was all that happened and Adam smiled, he could deal with that.