CHAPTER 19

Ma was very pleased to see us back and equally pleased when I handed her our joint of lamb.  As soon as I had lugged my stuff up my bedroom and returned to the kitchen to sniff out food I was despatched to the Buchanans to invite them to Sunday lunch.  I did hear before I went that Mrs Buchanan's uncle had died up in Edinburgh and there were plans for her and the boys to go up for the funeral.  I heard more after I'd told Mrs Buchanan about the invitation and been sent up to see and inform Tom and Duncan.  I could hear them talking in Duncan's room so went along and poked my head around the door.  Duncan spotted me first.

     "Hi there, Jacko, come in," he said, "We're just having a family council.  You've heard our great-uncle has died?"

     I nodded and looked at Tom who looked particularly grief-stricken.

     "This mournful creature doesn't wish to go to Edinburgh on Thursday," Duncan continued, "And I don't blame him but Mum doesn't want to leave him behind.  I have to go as Mum's support so I've got to find someone to do my paper-rounds as we won't be back until Sunday evening and Mum's worried about leaving the house in this weather.  Not a happy life."  He sighed.  "Still no doubt it'll all work out."

     "I could stay and do your round for you," said Tom looking a bit brighter.

     "He could come and stay at ours, I expect," I chipped in, "But, wouldn't it be better if I came and stayed with him here?"

     "Bravo!" exclaimed Duncan, "All problems solved.  Let's ask Mum if that'll be OK.  Come on, Tom!"

     Tom looked much relieved.  Why on earth he didn't want to go to Edinburgh and miss school I couldn't imagine.  But, no doubt I would find out.  I waited while they went downstairs and I could hear the murmuring of voices while Duncan outlined the plan.  When they came back Tom looked much happier and Duncan said his mother thought it was a good idea and she would pop round to see my mother.  Tom and I went along to his room and as soon as the door was shut wanted to know what I had done during the week.

     "Not much, really," I said nonchalantly.

     "I bet," he responded with a grin.

     I told him we'd gone for a run each day and then I asked him if he knew why pee was yellow and spunk was white.  When I told him the answer the immediate response was a howl of laughter and then he attacked me.  I thought that might happen so I was ready with some of the things I'd learned from Mike.  They worked.  For once I was on top and Tom was helpless.  He was more surprised than me I think!  While I held him down I said that was because he indulged too much in the Scottish sport of tossing his caber and it was wearing him out.  He made a supreme effort and I was on my back having my caber squeezed while he leered down at me.  He suddenly laughed and said did I know what Billy Clarke called Duncan.  I shook my head and he said Billy always referred to Duncan as Cock o'the North.  We made peace and I got up and dusted myself down.  As I stood by him I also noticed I was catching him up in height.  He slapped me on the back and said he would ask Duncan that evening to see if he knew.  As I left I said I'd see him in the morning at eight o'clock for our run.  He grimaced and said he'd be there.

     Mrs Buchanan was still talking to Ma when I got back in and all had been settled.  Tom would have meals with us and I would sleep over in his house while Mrs B and Duncan were away.  That should be good, knowing Tom!   I have to admit I tossed my caber twice that night in bed, once thinking of Mike and once thinking of Tom.

*
     Sunday morning dawned dark and dismal and when Ma banged on the door at quarter to eight I felt like turning over and burrowing down under the bedclothes again.  But, I wasn't going to let Tom beat me.  He was just as likely to chicken out so I reluctantly got togged up and said to Ma I wouldn't be too long.  As I thought, Tom wasn't there when I got to his house.  I went round the back and knocked on the door.  Mrs Buchanan opened it and looked me up and down and grinned.  She beckoned me in and went to the hall door.

     "Tom!" she called in a very loud voice, "Are you ready yet?"

     "Coming Mum!  Is he there yet?" came back Tom's response.

     She shook her head at me as a great thump of feet was heard on the stairs.  Tom burst into the kitchen.

     "I broke my lace," he began, then spotted me. "I was going to be out there first today but I had to pinch one of Dunc's laces.  Sorry Mum, have you got any more?"

     She didn't say anything, just flipped her hand to wave him by her and tossed her head as if she had heard it all before.  No doubt she had!  Tom lumbered out and I shut the door behind us.  He did have the grace to open the front gate and wait for me to pass through.  We went a few yards side by side.  He reached out and poked me in the side.

     "Hey, Jacko, slow down a bit!" he said, "We've got plenty of time."

     We set up a slightly more leisurely pace as he wanted to tell me something.

     "I didn't have a chance to tell you yesterday but Duncan's got an early call-up.  He's got an interview after Easter then if he passes that he'll go on an officer's training course straight after his exams.  What d'you think of that?"

     This was all said with most obvious pride and it did sound good.

     "Gosh, that's terrific!" I replied, "Is he pleased?"
     "Of course!  And so am I!" Tom responded, fairly bursting with pride.  We ran on a bit and then he continued.

     "It's great about you staying with me.  Thanks a lot.  I didn't want to go to Edinburgh 'cos it's so gloomy up there."

     "But you'd miss school!"

     "Yeah, but I'd rather stay at home."

     He didn't say any more for several hundred yards and I kept quiet too.  

     "Hey, Jacko, but it will be fun having you stay.  You don't mind do you?"

     "No, as long as No. 22 isn't too gloomy!"

     Ouch!  I didn't move fast enough to get out of his way as he got me straight on the arm.  Right, Tom, I'll wait my time and get you back for that!

     I waited for a few moments then asked if he'd found out if Duncan knew the one about pee and spunk.

     He grinned sideways at me and nodded. "I asked him last night and I said you wanted to know if he knew why."

     He went a bit faster and I had to hurry to catch him up.  He flashed me a look and continued.

     "He didn't know so I told him you said it was for big hairy Scots boys like him to know if they were coming or going."  He giggled and was quiet for a few paces.  "He didn't catch me 'cos I skipped out and locked my door.  He'd gone this morning when I got up so don't worry I expect he'll forget I told him!"

     You ungrateful sod Tom, I thought to myself, I bet Duncan won't forget.  If Tom had told him I had said that I'd better keep out of the way until we were safely sitting down to Sunday dinner as I remembered the previous occasion of being trussed up.  I shot Tom a withering glance but he seemed oblivious and just ploughed on.  I'll get my own back if anything happens!

     There was no sign of Duncan when we got back.  I scooted into our drive and Tom went on.  The Sunday paper was in the letter box so Duncan was at home by now.  He was too.  A flying figure flashed past our gate.  It was Tom.  For someone who had just run more than four miles he could certainly put on a good turn of speed.  I went back to the gate and looked both ways along the road.  No sign of Tom but Duncan was standing on the pavement outside their house grinning like the Cheshire Cat.  He gave me the thumbs-up sign and turned and went in.  Good, he obviously didn't believe all that Tom had told him!

     I went in, had a bath and dressed and after eating my breakfast mooched around the kitchen while Ma chatted to me in German.   In the end she shooed me off to practice so I got out of any chores.

     Lunch was good.  I was in my room when the Buchanans arrived and we sat down immediately.  Afterwards we were too full up to do anything other than sit and talk.  We heard about Duncan's call-up and then it was our turn to give news.  Pa was sent off to get his battle-dress blouse to show his War Office rank.  Duncan and Tom sat pop-eyed at this and then Pa said I'd been an honorary Officer Cadet for rations purposes and I showed them the pips Willy Roberts had given me which I kept in my trouser pocket.  Tom looked very enviously at them so I'd got my own back for the thump!  Not really, I liked Tom too much to be nasty!  In fact, that night I thought what fun it would be staying with Tom and I hoped Thursday would come quickly.  I did!

*
     Tom scuttled out as I knocked on their back door Monday morning ready for the morning run.  When we reached the pavement he turned and whispered.

     "I've got a bone to pick with you."

     "What's that?"

     "You and that bloody pee and spunk joke!  I'll tell you after school."

     He clammed up and we ran on steadily in silence.  Oh, I suppose Duncan must have got him in the end!  He said nothing more about it during the run but gave me a cheery wave as we parted at my gate.  I wonder what it's all about?

     Half-term couldn't have been very good for lots of the boys 'cause as we lined up that morning there were a good few missing.  There were only ten of us in our class as everyone else was away with colds or flu or something.  Huggy had a streaming cold and gave out work and sat behind his desk sucking mints and looking miserable.  Matt was well and wanted to know what had happened up on the range.  I said I never saw the range but spent most of the time playing Monopoly and doing First Aid with Mike.  I didn't tell him about the drawing of me but I thought I would show him it some time.

     After school I hung about until Tom appeared.  4S had been kept in because of some fracas so he wasn't too pleased.  As we got our bikes he said it was an argument between Johnny Prosser and Chris Nelson over something or other to do with the gym they both went to.  We rode home fast as I said I had a piano lesson then St. John's and if he was going to pick his bone there wouldn't be much time.  All he did was grinned so the bone couldn't be all that bad.

     When we got to my room he wanted some help with his Maths first so I polished that off for him and then all impatient asked him what he wanted to tell me.

     "You saw Duncan chase me down the street, didn't you?"

     "No, I didn't," I replied truthfully, "I saw you run down the street and Duncan standing on the pavement.  You're scared of him, aren't you?"  I thought I would get my pennyworth in first.

     He half got up as if to grab me but sat again.  "OK, I admit I ran off, so would you with that big oaf after you.  I only went down to the end of the road and then when I came back he was up in his room so I thought that was the end of it."

     "Then you all came to ours for Sunday dinner, so what!"

     He nodded.  "Yeah, but then last night, Mum was going out to a rehearsal about seven and I'd been down in the kitchen and when I got back to my room Dunc was waiting for me.  The big erk grabbed me and tied me up with a couple of belts and then tied me to my bed.  Do you know what he did next?"

     "Of course not, unless you tell me!" I responded.  How could I know if I wasn't there.  I could have a good guess, though, at least to the opening.  An opening there certainly was from Tom's narration of events!

     He snorted.  "I couldn't move and he said I shouldn't be disrespectful about boys from my nation and I shouldn't blame my delinquencies on my friends.  He meant you, you told me it first, so it was your fault."

     He glared at me and all I could do was giggle at the mental picture of the struggling tied-up Tom.  But more was to come, the mental image was to change substantially!

     "Anyway, he pulled my shirt and pullover up and undid my trousers and pulled them down my legs."

     I giggled audibly.  Tom shot me a hurt look.

     "You can laugh, I didn't know what he was going to do."

     I had another guess and it wasn't far wrong, at least the preliminary details.

     "Then he started to pull my cock," Tom continued, "Just a bit and he kept asking what would be the next colour I would see.  I got a right hardon but he didn't finish me off 'cause he just stopped and walked out of the room.  I was just left lying there so I tried to see if I could get free but he'd tied me up good and proper.  He came back after a few minutes and rubbed my cock a bit more and I thought he'd make me come but he didn't."  He paused and stared over at me with quite a different look on his face.  A very pleased look.  "The silly sod kept me tied up for two hours and he kept coming in and just getting me near and then leaving me.  I couldn't do a thing and I wanted to come ever so bad and then, of course, I wanted to pee as well!  I knew Mum would be back just after nine and then just at nine o'clock Dunc came back and teased me for ages.  He kept just pulling it a few times then stopping and then, when he heard Mum open the side gate he finished me off ever so quick, untied my hands and threw a towel over me.  That meant I couldn't get my own back on him."

     I was creased up.  "Get your own back!  What for?"  I burbled, "He only did what you would have done later.  A bit slower but you enjoyed it really, didn't you?"

     He grinned and nodded.  "Yeah, it was OK," he agreed, "Great really, but I didn't know what he was going to do and I did need a pee as well!  How can I get my own back?  What should I do to him?"

     A difficult question!  How did one have a go at an older, much stronger brother?  We mulled over the problem a bit but couldn't think of a solution.  Tom did say that he wasn't too bothered because it was smashing really being kept on the edge for so long.  Something to try on Matt if I ever get the chance!  We did decide to ask our Form-mates if they knew about pee and spunk!

     That night at St John's I surprised our group because I  knew all the bones and pressure points and did very well at the bandaging.  Mike had been a useful body to practice on but Mrs Tring wasn't too pleased I hadn't done any piano practice!  I practised otherwise in bed and Mike was a good model again.

*
     Tuesday at break I asked Matt if he knew about pee and spunk and when he said he didn't I said it was for hairy sailors like him.  He thought it was very funny and by the end of break it had spread round our Form and Tom must have told them in 4S 'cause they were spreading it as well.  Benno said his cousin had asked him and told him it was for Irish boys because they were always considered to be thick as two planks.  I thought I would tell Mike that!  I rushed home after school as he was coming for his lesson with Pa.  I was really pleased to see him and he said his sisters wanted to know how we had spent our time while they were at home making dresses for Kathleen's wedding as they were all going to be bridesmaids.  He'd told them we worked very hard improving our knowledge and keeping fit by much exercise.  I laughed at that and told him that one of the boys had said his joke was for Irish lads 'cause they were thick and he grinned and agreed but said it was better for my friends to think it was for them.  Then he produced our wedding invitations, one for Pa and Ma and one for me!  I hadn't been to a wedding before and this one was to be in the Catholic church with a reception afterwards in the parish hall.  He said there would be lots of his mother's and father's families there so there would be loads of people.  By the time he'd told me all about the plans we didn't have time to talk about the previous week as Pa and Ma appeared and he was whisked off and I had to go and practice.  I put my invitation on the mantelpiece in my bedroom and had a good wank that night thinking of Mike.

*
     Rabbity had a streaming cold on Wednesday so stood in the corner of the gym and pointed at various bits of apparatus which we had to navigate around and heave ourselves about on, up and over.  Cleggy managed to cause minor chaos when he stood up just as Roo was going to leapfrog him but Rabbity was too busy sneezing and spluttering to take any notice and just ignored it.  Rabbity did remind us that the run was exactly four weeks off, on the 29th!  I felt smug as I didn't think any of the others were training.  This was a topic of conversation before our French Circle because Matt wanted to know if I was still going for a run each day.  I think he may start but Roo and Tony said they were much too busy.  Busy sleeping, I suppose!

*
     On Thursday we didn't think we were going to have Games as Van was away and Rabbity sneezed more than once during assembly.  There was some activity during the morning as one of the Prefects came in when Campion was taking us and we were counted, all ten of us.   He came back later to say we should get ready for Games at two o'clock as usual.

     Two o'clock came and there were exactly twenty-six of the combined 4K and 4S.  We'd all got changed and were standing about waiting in our changing-room when Billy Clarke and another Sixth-Former, Rob Collins, already kitted up, came in.  I saw Nobbo open his mouth to make some remark but Billy shouted out that he and some of the other Sixth-Formers would be taking us.  All agog, we ran out onto the pitch and there were Andy Symes, Tom Rankin and Henry Gale.  I knew Andy Symes from Matt's encounters with him and had had some dealings with Rob Collins and Tom Rankin as they were in my School House but Henry Gale was an unknown quantity.  I did know he was the Cadet Force Junior Sergeant or something and his strutting figure was to be seen at every parade admonishing the tardy, unwashed or untidy.

     Billy was in charge and he divided us quickly into two teams, Tom Buchanan Captain of ours and Phil Crowe Captain of the other, with two each of the Sixth-Formers in the scrums as they were all much bigger than us.  As Games afternoons go it wasn't bad, we raced around and I think we had a good time.  It was a chilly afternoon but they kept us all moving and by the end of the afternoon we were certainly warmed up.  There was a lot of chatter as we went back into the changing-room and stripped off ready for the showers.  I had just got down to my pants and saw that Matt was already removing his treasured jockstrap when there was a great clatter and four of the Sixth-Formers came stamping in still in their rugby kit and boots.

     "Right, you lot," came a bellow from Billy Clarke, "We're having a full kit inspection.  Get stripped ready and stand in two rows."

     We were a bit startled.  Rumours of full kit inspections were hinted at on the grape-vine but I'd never experienced one.

     "What's that, Bill, what do you mean?" came Nobbo's voice.

     "You know full well," responded Billy, "We're checking to see if your balls have dropped and which boys have hairy palms."

     "We know that one," came an anonymous voice.

     "You may know it, but we are checking!" was Billy's response.  He pointed to a couple of slow disrobers. "Get those shorts off before Symes here removes them for you!"

     One of the slower ones was the horrid Foster twin who fairly tore his shorts off as Andy Symes approached him.  When unclad we were directed into the two lines and Billy stood at one end with the others ranged down the middle with Henry Gale more or less in front of me at the other end.

     Billy surveyed the two rows of boys of all shapes and sizes and pointed along at our lower abdomens.
     "Christ, Henry, what would you get for a pound of those dangling in your shop?"

     Henry Gale's father owned at least two of the biggest butcher's shops in Kerslake and Ma, in fact, got our meat ration from one of them.  Henry looked along the rows and said in his rather ponderous way. "Nobbit more than ten pence a pound, I reckon.  There's no call these days for them small fancy sausages, our customers like 'em big and meaty."

     "My Mum says your Dad's are mostly bread!" came another anonymous voice followed by a nervous giggle from most of the rest of us.

     Henry looked up and scanned our faces but the interrupter remained unidentified.  He looked down and scanned our kit again.

     "I think we'd get a shilling a pound for them sweetbreads, though," he said, winking at Billy.

     "What's sweetbreads?" the unknown voice persisted.

     Henry looked along the line of faces.  "Lamb's bollocks," he said crisply, "Very tasty fried lightly."  He licked his lips and I mentally crossed my legs thinking of the assistant in his father's shop who was usually wielding a long sharp knife.

     "You can have this one's any time," said Billy, putting his hand on Nobbo's head, "And you'd better hurry or they'll be old and wrinkled through over use 'cause he's no little lamb."  He patted Nobbo on top of the head.  I might have guessed what would happen next because of Nobbo's outburst once before when Billy had patted him on the head.  Nobbo was losing his temper.

     "Don't pat me on the head like that, Billy," he said in very measured tones, "I've asked you before not to do it!"

     Billy patted him again.  It was the wrong thing for him to do.  Nobbo lost his temper completely and exploded.  He jumped at Billy who was so startled he stepped back, his boots slipped on the floor and next thing he walloped down on his back.  Even if he wasn't stunned, we were!  Nobbo leapt on to him.

     "Come on, lads, let's get them!" he called out.

     Our stunned reaction turned to immediate action.  We needed no second bidding as the two rows converged on the other three Sixth-Formers.  I was instantly reminded of a picture I'd seen of ants attacking an intruder in their nest.  The human ants toppled the three much larger adversaries to the ground while about four at the other end of the row fell on Billy to help Nobbo.  I found myself sitting on Henry Gale's legs with Roo, Cleggy and three others holding down other flailing bits.

     "Pull their jerseys over their heads!" Nobbo cried out, "Do it quick."

     Remembering the way I had got the better of Mike I yanked Henry's shirt out of his shorts and, as he squirmed, pulled it upwards.  Roo got the message and he and Cleggy grabbed it, pulled it up further to cover his face and catch his arms in it, then imprisoned him by kneeling on it above his head.  I looked over the other three and each were soon securely trussed in the same way.

     A sepulchral voice issued from within Henry's shirt.  "I'll have your guts for garters when I get you lot on the parade ground!"  A hollow threat as the six holding him down were not Cadets.

     "Don't let them go!" commanded Nobbo, "Just hold them down!"

     "What shall we do?" called out Tom who was kneeling on Andy Symes' shirt.

     "Give them a full kit inspection," came the previously anonymous voice which turned out to be Phil Crowe who was sitting on Tom Rankin's legs beside me.

     No sooner said than done.  Four pairs of shorts were swiftly lowered accompanied by two jockstraps and two pairs of pants.  Four sets of kit were ready for inspection.  As I'd been instrumental in lowering Henry's defences I was in a good position to view his possessions.  Henry, as befitted a butcher's son, was well-nourished and sturdy.  His bollocks were large and his prick was stubby but fat and was much darker in hue compared with the very white skin of his lower body and legs.  The darkness was even more pronounced on the heavy foreskin covering his knob end.  All was surmounted by a thick bush of very black curly hair which matched his head hair.  Looking up his torso I saw his nipples were also ringed by black hair.

     "You little bastards," Henry's muffled shout rose above the general laughter of the new kit inspectors who then laughed even louder.

     I looked at Tom Rankin's display.  His cock was thinner than Henry's but again was darker than his body.  His hair was not so dense as Henry's and was much lighter as he had quite a fair head of hair.  He was wriggling and was getting nowhere with Tom sitting across his thighs.

     "I'll skin you little fuckers alive," he bellowed through the fabric of his shirt.  The general laughter subsided a bit.

     "Och, Tom," said the other Tom, "We might skin you first." In saying that he lifted up Rankin's dick and pulled down sharply slipping his foreskin back over his knob.  The laughter welled up again. "There you are, lads, what am I offered for this fine wee sausage and a nice pair of sweetbreads."

     A muffled set of imprecations came through the shirt but these were ignored as Johnny France called out, "Twopence ha'penny, for his and Gale's.  My Gran likes sweetbreads!"

     We all burst out with howls of laughter at this and then Dave Morgan pointed at Andy Symes's cock which was both thicker and longer than the two I had looked at.

     "Am I offered thruppence for this one, eh?  And I'll throw in the other for another tuppence!" he called out pointing down at Billy's as well.

     "Billy's better when he's skinned as well," called out Nobbo reaching out and exposing Billy's knob, "And you can have his bollocks for nowt, 'cause they're clapped out by now."  He was clearly enjoying himself tormenting Billy after he'd been tormented so often.

     Cleggy was guffawing at all this but then I saw him look up at the other end of the changing room.  I followed his gaze and saw the horrid Foster twin just standing, not joining in, and looking as if he was ready to depart and find allies for the Sixth-Formers.  Cleggy pointed at him.

     "Get him!" he commanded.

     Saying this he leapt up and ran up the room and grabbed  Bernie Foster and was quickly joined by Phil Crowe and Brian Fraser from Bernie's form.  Bernie struggled in their grasp.

     "Let me go, you lot, I'll call out!"

     "No you don't," said Cleggy decisively, "You two hold him up and I'll squeeze his nuts if he makes a row."

     Bernie opened his mouth to make a row but shut it tight as Cleggy's hand closed on his vulnerable balls.

     "What shall we do with the little sod?" asked Phil Crowe.

     "Put him under a cold shower," was one suggestion.

     "He's a proper little arse-licker," came a throaty growl from Brendan Fisher who was holding down Billy's legs.

     "Make him lick their arses," was another suggestion which set off the laughter again.

     "No, better not try to turn them over," said Brian Fraser.

     "Make him kiss their cocks, then!" was the bright suggestion of Dave Morgan, "Next best thing!"

     We were all thoroughly enjoying this even if our prisoners weren't so far.  Perhaps they'd be pleased to have their cocks kissed?

     "Let's stretch him out straight and then we can put his head down," directed Cleggy.  He beckoned Jim Masters who was almost supernumerary in holding down Billy and the four of them manoeuvred Bernie until his head was just about Billy's dick.

     "Right, Bernie, give it a nice big kiss or I'll squash your knackers," Cleggy commanded.

     Bernie's head was dipped down further but Bernie didn't do anything.  I saw Cleggy's hand begin to move and Bernie's mouth opened to squawk but he obviously thought better of it.  He pursed his lips and made a faint squeak.

     "Come on, Bernie, better than that," Cleggy demanded.  This time he did squeeze and Bernie responded with a real smacker dead on the centre of Billy's rod.  A squeal of delight rose from the assembled kit inspectors.  A muffled roar came from Billy.  The cock kissing procession moved on and Bernie was suspended above Andy Symes's dick.  The head dipped and the kiss was set off by a slight movement of Cleggy's hand.  The positioning wasn't too good as the kiss landed where Andy's prick met his hairy balls.  His muffled voice was a stream of dreadful oaths but no one took any notice.  The procession moved on and it was Tom Rankin's turn.  No pressure was needed this time and Tom got his right on his exposed knob.  There was a sudden twitch along his rod and I wondered if that was the beginning of a hardon.  But my attention was drawn immediately to the figure I was helping to hold down.  The four lads lowered Bernie until his mouth was directly above Henry's dong.

     "A big kiss for Henry on behalf of all his brave soldiers!" said Cleggy, much to the amusement of Henry's Cadets.  I wondered if Cleggy was going a bit too far as Henry might exact horrible retribution on him for taking the mickey.  "Come on Bernie, open wide and give him a big plonker!"

     "On his big plonker," echoed Roo, again to general merriment.

     Cleggy must have squeezed Bernie's balls quite hard as his mouth opened wide as they put his head right down.  Part of Henry's cock disappeared into the open mouth which closed and opened again depositing a great gob of spit dead in the centre of the knob end of Henry's reposing dong.  The four lowered Bernie to the floor where he lay still with his eyes closed.

     "OK, lads, all's over now," said Cleggy, "All in the showers quick!"

     The five recumbent bodies were quickly deserted.  As I was one of the last to leave the changing-room I glanced back to see the four Sixth-Formers sitting up and trying to pull down their shirts from their heads.  Bernie had recovered from his unwilling participation in the fun and was up first, scuttling past me as I joined Matt under his shower at the end of the row.  Matt was still giggling.

     "Gosh, that was good, we did that well, eh, Jacko?" he chortled.  "Did you see what Andy Symes's got?"

     "Yeah, and the others," I responded soaping off a large muddy patch on my knees.  "I bet they'll be in here soon."

     A lone furtive figure came towards us.  It was Bernie Foster.  He hadn't found a place in the showers.  I took pity on him.

     "Hey, Bernie, come in here with Matt and me!"

     He looked most grateful and Matt moved over a bit to let him have a bit of the downpour.  I handed him my soap.  Matt looked him up and down as he applied it to his front.
     "You haven't got a blue cock any more," he growled, "And now you're a champion cock-kisser!"

     "Give over, Matt," I said, then addressed Bernie.  "It was ever so funny, though, wasn't it.

     He managed a wan smile and nodded and let the hot water cascade over him.  He stepped out of the shower.

     "Ta, Jacko," he said, "You're a pal!  See you!"

     I left Matt still idling under the water and went off and dried and began to get dressed.  There was no sign of the humbled Sixth-Formers.  Tom came up full of beans.

     "That taught them a lesson, didn't it?" he sniggered, "Wish old knob-rot Duncan had been there.  That would have been something!"

     I wondered if Duncan would have been there.  It seemed much more Billy and Andy's style and the fifth of the group hadn't joined in either.

     We set off home and Tom was full of the happenings of the afternoon.  First of all it was the game, with an almost total résumé of most of his exploits, then the conquering of the Sixth-Formers was uppermost in his thoughts.  We checked that his house was still there and the back-boiler was banked up and then moved onto ours where I made some tea and we carried mugs up to my bedroom.  He started off again.

     "Crumbs, Jacko, it was good of old Nobbo to start it off wasn't it?"

     I nodded and took a swig of tea.  He continued ruminating on the events.

     "Gosh, those Sixth-Formers are much bigger than us.  Did you see the size of Billy's cock?"

     I said I'd seen it before.  He was not abashed.

     "And old Henry!  Dunc says he's shagging some woman regular!"

     I pricked up my ears.  "What do you mean?"

     He looked at me slyly.  "Dunc says he delivers this woman's meat ration and gets his rations in return."  I must have looked blank.  "Dunc says Henry told them being a butcher's son is very handy 'cause if he slips a bit of extra meat in the parcel he gets to slip his meat in when he wants to."

     Revelations.  I sat waiting for more.  It was forthcoming, Tom had a very receptive audience.

     "Yep, apparently there's this particular woman who likes her delivery on a Friday evening and Henry says its regular as clockwork.  Back door at half-past six, upstairs straight away and home by half-past seven.  Hardly missed a week in two years!"
     "Crumbs, when did he start, then?"

     "Dunc says he use to boast about it in the Fifth Form but no one believed him until Alec Fry followed him one night last year and he said it was true.  Henry was in the house for ages."

     "Doesn't mean he was doing anything."

     Tom had a triumphant look. "You don't come out with your flies still undone and a smile on your face and that's what Alec Fry saw!"

     I cogitated on this for a moment.  It sounded plausible.

     "Who is she?" I enquired.

     Tom smirked.  "No chance for you there, you randy sod!  She lives in one of those posh roads down the hill past the cathedral and her husband's in the Air Force.  Alec hid in the bushes and told Dunc and the others she was all over him as soon as she opened the back door.  What do you think of that?"

     I would have to think a lot about that.

     "Isn't Gale leaving this year?"

     "Yeah, he's got his call-up papers like Duncan.  Why?"

     My turn to smirk.  "I might get a job as butcher's boy instead of him, that's why!"

     He laughed.  "I must tell Dunc that.  He'll like it.  He thinks you're a randy sod any way but I don't think your cock's big enough for shagging yet!"  He paused.  "I should think Dunc's is...  and I bet Matt's is!" he added as an afterthought.

     "Mine's growing fast," I stoutly maintained knowing full well that Matt beat me by a couple of inches.  "It'll be plenty big enough next year!  And so will yours," I added to give him a bit of comfort.

     "I hope so but we'll have to see about that.  Anyway we'll check on how big later tonight."

     I could have checked on how big at the present moment because all this talk of shagging and so on had given me a raging hardon.  It was getting too near six o'clock to suggest mutual relief although Tom was visibly also in the same state.  I stood up awkwardly and said we'd better get our homework done before Ma had our food ready.

     We settled down and both were working steadily when I heard Ma and Pa come in the back way.  A murmured 'Good-oh' came from Tom and the call to food came just before seven.  Pa checked the blackout at No. 22 for us and left us there about eight o'clock.

     Tom's Mum had made up Duncan's bed for me but I was determined to share with Tom.  Tom was also determined I should as well and said we could both sleep in Duncan's room that night and his the second night and then decide what to do on Saturday night.  Suited me!  It seemed a bit like the decisions at Ulvescott!  First though we had a quick look through all Duncan's collected treasures.  Nothing much of great interest.  I told Tom about Gareth's and Rhys's treasures but he said he didn't think Dunc had anything like that.  I had to explain in great detail about the French letter and he was a bit miffed I hadn't shown him.  I said his cock wasn't as big as Matt's so that set us off measuring each other as promised.  I beat him!  He checked three times but mine was half an inch longer than his at five and a quarter inches!  Hooray!!  That's grown a whole inch since September!!!  His balls are bigger than mine but I did beat him again on amount when we tossed each other off before going to bed.  In bed we went through the afternoon's excitements again and I said I felt a bit sorry for Bernie Foster, he always seemed to be picked on.

     "He's a slimy toad," was Tom's response, "His brother's OK, though.  I like Alan."

     Yeah, I liked Alan but I expect one could get to like Bernie as well.  My cogitations were suddenly interrupted as Tom was horny again and if I thought Matt was octopus-like when roused Tom had sixteen tentacles as well as two big testicles!  I was hugged, licked, kissed, mauled and had all parts of me thoroughly explored and handled.  During one body grinding onslaught with my cock being beaten at a fiendish rate I came without Tom realising I was ready and sprayed both of us and Duncan's bed liberally.  I had to grab his hand really hard to stop him and as he sat up over me I used the other hand to grab his rampant cock and beat him off.  Another very full load went all over the place!  He flopped down on me and we just giggled together for ages until we dropped off to sleep still spunk-spattered.

*
     The shrill bell on the alarm clock woke me with a start.  I wondered where I was for a moment as a body, still clinging tightly to me, jerked awake too.

     "Oh, Christ!" Tom murmured, "I've got to do that sodding paper-round!"

     It was only half-past six and I thought if I kicked him out I could at least have the luxury of a lie-in for another half an hour in the narrow bed by myself.  I gave him a shove.

     "Up you get, lazy-bones!  I'll just stay here and then go for my run later!"

     "Oh, come on Jacko.  If you help me do the round we'll get it done ever so fast."

     "We?  You told Duncan you would do the round."

     He rolled over on top of me.

     "Come, on Jacko, if we both do it it'll take half the time."

     He rubbed his body up and down mine.  My cock responded as always.

     "If you keep doing that we'll both do something else!" I replied as I put my arms round him and hugged him down on me tight.

     "Come on, Jacko," he giggled, "We'll both do that tonight.  But you come and help me first."

     I relented.  I shoved him again and we both got up and went and washed in the bathroom.  Tom spent most of the time, when his face wasn't being washed, going over the previous afternoon's events in the changing-room.  We both wondered what happened when Nobbo and Billy got home.  No doubt we would find out in good time.  Anyway, we set off and did the paper-round in record time according to Tom.  Ma said, as we sat over breakfast, that we had better do our run after school.  Tom nodded and I grunted.


     We arrived at school just as the bell went and were chivvied into our form lines by Prefects.  However, there was no sign of the four recipients of yesterday's favours.  When I got up to the Form Room after assembly there were only nine of us as another had succumbed to 'flu.  We crowded round Nobbo to see if he'd been on the receiving end of Billy's wrath.  He said Billy had been in a very good mood when he came home and had laughed about it all especially as Henry Gale was so annoyed and was breathing fire and brimstone.  Lucky us!  None of us present were Cadets.  Ours were all away with 'flu but there had been some of those in 4S involved.  Monday's parade would be something to watch.  Pity I had to be home in good time for Mrs Tring.  Still, we were all in a very happy mood and the day flew by.


     Ma was home when we arrived from school.  We were told to get changed and have our run before it got too dark and before we would be given any food.  Tom grimaced but we obeyed and soon set off in the gathering gloom.  I set up a good pace and Tom just had to keep up.  When we arrived back he said he was knackered and was unkind enough to wrestle me down as I was stripping off in the bedroom and tickled me while he held a sweaty hand over my mouth.  I resolved to get my own back!

     We set off back to his house about eight o'clock with a mountain of homework to be done.  I had extra German from Van so I needed some peace and quiet.  I didn't get it.  At least not to start with.  I put my stuff down on Duncan's bed although we had arranged to sleep in Tom's room.  As I let my books spill out of my satchel Tom charged me like a young bull and I was up-ended again.

     "Gosh, Tom," I gasped as I wriggled under his weight, "Must you do that every time you enter a gentleman's bedroom?"

     "It's only Dunc's bedroom," replied Tom, not quite catching the irony, I thought, "Anyway, I want to ask you something."

     "Well, let me up and you can ask me, if it's something reasonable."

     He rolled off me and I sat up.  He looked sideways at me.

     "Jacko, can I ask you something?"

     Oh no, not another one like Matt.  What little problem had the wee brain got?  I nodded.

     "If I ask you, you won't laugh, will you?"

     "Come on, ask me and find out!"

     He grinned, rather sheepishly, then continued.  "You know the other night what Duncan did to me.  You know, tied me up and...."

     I cottoned on but thought I would spin it out.  I had resolved to get my own back.

     "What's that, Tom?" I asked innocently.

     "You know, he tied me up..." he started again hesitantly.

     "Yeah, and what?"

     "Then he..., you know, ...tossed me off ever so slowly..."

     "OK, let's do our homework first and I promise later I'll be ever so slow..."

     "No, Jacko, I mean, I want you to tie me up and do the same as him..."  He finished the sentence in a rush.  "...Look!  You can do it with these!"

     He flourished a couple of belts and some thickish rope at me.  He'd obviously been planning this!  I suppressed a giggle and kept a straight face.

     "OK, then, in here or in your room?"

     "My room, please," he said, sounding as delighted as a dog with two tails.

     I followed him along the landing to his room.  He was already stripping off as I went in and was soon lying flat out on his back on his bed.  He stretched out his arms and legs and I secured him firmly to the headboard posts and to the foot rail.  I told him that this was what Tony and the others had done to me at Ulvescott but they'd threatened to toss me off every hour but the dog howled and they had to let me go.  I said why didn't I toss him off every hour and test his stamina that way now I had him in my power.  He looked a bit crestfallen and said he really wanted it done very slowly.  I took pity on him and agreed looking down at him and, experimentally, starting to massage his right nipple.  He couldn't squirm much and as I tickled it more his cock went rigid and he began to swear mightily.  I put out my other hand and began on his left nipple as well.

     I didn't know Tom knew so many swear words.  I was sure the Boys' Brigade Captain would have been shocked to hear his outburst.  After he had gone quite red in the face I gently tweaked his foreskin while continuing to roll his now hard little nipple between finger and thumb.  I stretched his foreskin back as far as it would go and very slowly began to toss him off.  He fell silent, opened his mouth and stared up with a glazed look in his eyes.  I gave him about twenty rubs and then stopped.  He grunted out something like 'More, more' but I walked out of the room and started on Van's German homework.  I looked at my watch, it was twenty past eight.  Van had given me a book of stories and I had to choose one to translate.  I suppose I'd been reading for about five minutes when Tom began to call out softly.  I took the book with me and went back and stood by him.  I didn't say anything but gave his still erect dick another twenty or so pulls and sauntered back to Duncan's room.  This time when he called out I ignored him and didn't go back for another five minutes.  I kept this up until about half-past nine when Tom started to beg me to finish it off.  I had a good look at him this next time and saw that his prick was ever so hard and seemed much larger than usual.  It had also gone dark red, I suppose with having an erection for over an hour.  I noticed as well that his balls were drawn up tight against the base of his cock and he was sweatily damp in his armpits.  A thin trail of colourless liquid had dripped from the end of his knob onto his belly.

     "Do it quick now, please, Jacko," he pleaded.

     I shook my head and gave him another dozen slow rubs, stopped and looked down at him.  He didn't seem pleased because I'd stopped.  I didn't like being called a fucking, cunting bugger so I left the room for a while.  By a quarter past ten Tom had had several more visits and had exhausted his vocabulary store.  I had to go for a pee and thought I would try one or two experiments on my return.   His prick was still iron hard and twitched violently when I touched his nipple with a moistened finger.  His face contorted and he swore heartily again when I pulled down on his balls while just touching his now shiny knob end.  I gently stroked the skin under his balls towards his arsehole.  His hips jerked about when I did this and he pleaded again for me to make him come.  I tickled both his tits and gave him seven rubs and went back to Duncan's room.

     However, walking back and forth every few minutes was not doing much for my concentration on the book so in the end I drew up a chair by the side of his bed and every minute or so stroked his cock, just a little.  Tom was sweating, panting feverishly and twitching his thighs with ever-increasing frequency.

     "Oh, come, come, you bastard, come!  For Christ's sake, come!" he reiterated as his midriff jerked up and down as I lazily ran a finger up and down his super-engorged prick.  I prodded his balls which made him gasp and begin to swear again.  I moved my hand up and pulled down six times.

     "Oh, do it, do it, do it," he murmured through clenched teeth.

     I didn't.  I finished reading through the fourth story just before eleven o'clock and announced I would be going to bed.  The swearing turned to snarling and major threats as I closed the book, turned and walked out of the room.  Silence reigned for a minute or so as I, too, stripped off.  I tiptoed back to his room and stood by the bed looking down on him.

     "Look Tom, this is all you have to do," I said as I started to wank myself off.

     "Please, Jacko," he pleaded, "I need it so bad!"

     I let go of my cock and put my finger and thumb on either side of his length and drew back his skin very slowly and very firmly until the whole of his now purple knob came free.  His skin was very shiny and as I pulled back even harder he came.  I thought I shot lots but Tom flooded his stomach and chest.  A series of strangled noises came from his throat as massive jerks pushed his hips up and down accompanying the throbs and surges I felt as I held his rampant prick.  Thin come, thick come, spurted and, finally, stringy drops dribbled from his knob end.  All this seemed to go on for ages and at last he stopped panting and quivering and lay still.  I unloosened his bonds and he slowly sat up, tiny rivulets of spunk sluggishly running down to his prick hair.  A broad smile lit up his face.

     "Oh, thanks, Jacko, that was brilliant," he enthused, "Even better than Duncan."

     So much for all the threats and the dreadful oaths, he was pleased mightily.  He flexed his arms and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

     "That was absolutely great," he continued, "How long was that?"

     I consulted my watch.  "It's two minutes past eleven.  About two hours and forty minutes, including all the swearing and threats!" I said.

     He grinned, "Never mind, I didn't mean it.  Gosh, it felt good, though!"

     He held out a hand and stroked my own rampant cock.

     "Your turn now.  Come on, it's way past your bedtime, let's go to your room."

     He got off the bed and went through the door.  I switched the light out and followed him.  He picked up Dunc's First Fifteen shirt off the back of a chair and wiped his spunk spattered torso with it.  I wondered what Duncan would say if he knew.  We lay down side by side and he started on me like the previous night.  I had been ready to come two hours previously but he somehow kept his hands off my prick.  He was grinding himself against me when he suddenly turned completely over and I found myself presented with his muscly backside.  I started to massage the mound of flesh and then, as I felt in his crack, he started bucking his buttocks as I drew my finger back and forth.  He turned slightly and reached out to the shelf just above the bed and pulled down a jar.

     "Hey, Jacko, use this!"

     "What is it?"

     "Vaseline.  Look, put some on the end of your cock."

     Saying that he quickly unscrewed the lid and unceremoniously pushed the open jar over the end of my prick.  I looked down and saw I had a liberal dollop of the sticky stuff covering my knob.  Tom dropped the jar and lid and turned over on his stomach again.  He lifted himself slightly and spread his legs.  I pointed my dick straight at his pucker and pushed.  I slid in easily, further and further until my thighs were rammed tight against his buttocks.  He started to buck again, this time very rhythmically, and I responded with thrusts and slight withdrawals.  I was soon over the top and began to shoot my load.  Like Tom, this continued for some time until I flopped, exhausted, onto his back.  The slight twitchings of his arse continued until I pulled my cock from his restraining muscle.  I had truly shafted the second of my friends.

     Tom rolled from under me and faced me.  "That's for doing what I wanted."  He bent forward and licked the tip of my nose.  "And I wanted to find out what it was like.  Good, eh?"

     I nodded and licked the tip of his nose.  He grinned as I slipped out of bed to go and wash my prick in the bathroom.

     "Early morning tomorrow," he whispered as I slid back into bed and we hugged each other tight.

*
     Shafting one's pal or lasting out for three hours with a raging hardon didn't seem to have any deleterious effect on our stamina in the morning.  We both woke as soon as the alarm went and we did the paper-round in record time again.  We then did a slightly shorter run and were in my house for breakfast by eight thirty.  When we'd finished Ma had things arranged for both of us.  Tom was asked if he had finished his homework.  He didn't say he hadn't even started it because he'd been too tied up the night before, ha, ha, but just shook his head and was instructed to get on with it as soon as he had stoked the back boiler.  I was directed to practice as the exam was just before Easter so went off and did as I was told.  After that I spent the rest of the morning copying up my translation of the story for Van.  I still had History and Geography to do.  After lunch we spent the afternoon in my room going over our work with Tom interrupting every now and again with a whispered comment about the engorged state of his prick.  My prick was similarly erect most of the afternoon and as soon as attention was drawn to it I lost concentration on my work.  After supper we both wanted to get back to No. 22 as early as possible and finally got away about half past eight.

     I was ready for bed first and as Tom returned from the bathroom just wearing his underpants I pounced.  I wrestled him down over his bed and had my legs locked round him with his head under my arm so he couldn't struggle.  I shoved my free hand down the front of his pants and grabbed his dick and balls.  He stopped struggling as I clenched my fist ever so slightly.

     "No, Jacko," he said in a mock pleading voice, "I'll do anything if you don't damage me."

     I gave his balls another slight squeeze. "Anything?"

     "Anything," he giggled, "Like last night?"

     I let go and let his head free from my restraining arm.

     "I'm not going to sit round another evening with you trussed up like a chicken waiting for my turn," I said in mock annoyance.

     He grinned at me.  "I wasn't trussed like a chicken, I was all stretched out.  Not to worry, Jacko, we'll do that another night."  He winked at me. "Did you like what you did?"
     My turn to grin.  "Yeah, did you like it?"

     "I suppose so, it felt funny though."  He grinned again.  "I'm glad I let you do it 'cause I wanted to know what it was like."

     "Do you want to do it to me?" I asked.

     "No, I don't think so..."  He paused.  "Sometime perhaps, eh?"

     He slipped his pants off and we lay still for a few moments.  Then I turned and licked him under the chin.  It had the usual effect I'd noticed on Matt as well.  I uncurled my legs and we lay fully back on the bed as I licked steadily down his torso until my tongue touched his balls.  He groaned as I swiftly ran my tongue up his shaft and popped his knob end into my mouth.   I sucked him for a few moments but then he began to turn his body and move me until we were both head to cock.  We seemed to sense when each other was somewhere near coming and licked and sucked for what seemed like ages until I knew I couldn't contain myself much longer.  I must say this for Tom, he was a brave lad.  He realised I was about to come and took my cock full in his mouth and sucked harder and harder until, without being able to help it, I thrust my pelvis forward suddenly.  My prick must have been well down his throat as I shot my load.  He choked a bit and swallowed noisily as I quickly pulled my still hard cock from his mouth.  I couldn't do much more as he was ready to come as well and I caught his full load on the roof of my mouth.  I held his prick in my mouth and coated it with his salty sweet come before letting it go.  We were both panting hard.  He slid round until we faced each other again.

     "Gosh, Jacko, that was good wasn't it?" he said delightedly, "I've never done it like that before!  Have you?"

     I pulled up the bed clothes around us and told him of several of my adventures with Matt, Tony and Roo.  He listened very attentively and just murmured 'Gosh' several times.  We lay still after I'd finished my tales and I went to sleep.

     I woke up a bit later and found Tom had got out of bed.  I thought he'd gone to the lav but when he returned he saw I was awake and enlightened me about his mission.

     "Went to get this," he whispered and touched my arm with the cold jar of Vaseline.

     I was lying on my side facing away from him as he slid back under the bedclothes.  He crept up close beside me and as he reached me I felt his horny shaft press against my back.  Randy bastard, I knew what he wanted to do!  He licked the lobe of my ear and began to massage the base of my spine.  My shaft became horny as well.  There was a moment or two while he fiddled with the jar then I felt an exploring finger in the crack between my buttocks.  The finger felt cool and sticky as it began to probe around until he touched my hole.  He stopped and I felt him press very slowly until he slightly opened it and the tip of his finger went in.  He moved around a bit and then I felt his warm knob end being pressed against the same spot.  I relaxed as he pushed firmly against me and he began to slide in.  Involuntarily I flinched and my muscles must have tightened round his cock.  He stopped pushing and I relaxed again.  After a few moments he tried again and this time pushed even harder and I felt his full length slide into me.

     We lay very still for some time until he started just moving his cock fractionally.  I responded by squeezing with my ring until he was panting loudly and then he suddenly thrust himself against me as he came.  He flung his arm over me and clung to me for ages then dropped his hand to my cock and tossed me off slowly still with his hard prick inside.  I didn't take long in coming and my stuff went all over the sheets, top and bottom, near the edge of the bed.  My dick didn't soften either as he held it tight and I wondered if we might drop off to sleep as we were, me impaled on his rod.  In the end he let go of my cock and slowly withdrew his shaft and slid out of the bed again.  This time he did go to the lav and was gone a little while.

      "Had to have a wash like you last night," was his terse explanation as he flopped under the bedclothes again.  

     I turned to face him.  "Did you like it?" I asked, flinging an arm over him this time.

     He nuzzled my cheek.  "Oh, gosh, yes!  That's two things new tonight, isn't it, as well as what we did yesterday."  He was silent for a moment then whispered, "I liked being shafted by my best friend and I liked shafting him as well.  So I've done more than thick dick Duncan, haven't I?  He only tried."  He giggled.

     "And I've shot my stuff all over your sheets," I giggled too.

     "Don't worry about that, I don't and you know Dunc doesn't!"

*
     Tom's alarm clock had a very insistent bell but he was full of beans and hopped out of bed as soon as it went.  At least we had set it for seven o'clock so had more sleep than the previous night.  Tom scurried around and was washed and dressed ready to go out on the paper round ages before I had even found my discarded socks.

     "Come on, Jacko, hurry up!  We can get it all done well in time for early breakfast at yours," he said cheerily, "But we won't have time for a run."

     I went across and drew back the thick curtains.  It was drizzling a sort of sleety rain.  I shivered thinking of the task to be done.  It was good exercise anyway cycling around with the papers.

     "I wonder if any nice lady might invite us in on a cold, wet morning like this?" I mused.

     A coarse cackle came from Tom.

     "Who do you think you are?  Henry Gale the second!  I don't think anyone has offered Duncan anything so I doubt if you'd be offered it either!"

     He came over and peered out of the window as well.  He nudged me on the arm.  "But you certainly know what you'd have to do, don't you?"  He nudged me again, "And so do I, but when?  I don't mean it doesn't feel good how we like it but Duncan says that Henry says you can't beat a proper shag!"

     That was something to ponder on.  I was still peering out of the window when Tom nudged me again and woke me from my reverie.

     "Come on Jacko!" he urged, "We'd better get going and get this paper round done.  Good thing Dunc'll be back today and he'll be doing it tomorrow so we'll be able to make up for the run then."

     He was in a very cheerful mood as we left his room and went down the stairs.  He turned and grinned up at me, "Can't wait to tell Dunc about old Henry and the others getting their cocks kissed.  He'll die of laughing, I know he will!"

     We nearly died of cold.  It was freezing, horrible weather and delivering the soggy papers was not my idea of fun and joy.  Even a run might have been more pleasant.  Ma laughed when the two half-drowned and blue-coloured rats arrived with Pa's paper - the last to be delivered today.

     "Come on in and take those wet things off!" she commanded us gaily.  She pointed at me. "You can take the paper up to your father.  He's still in bed.  He thinks he's got a cold so don't get too near him!"

     Pa winked as I went into their bedroom.

     "I'm OK, but I thought I might have a lie-in today," he said, then coughed to make it sound as if he were ill, "Hot tea and a read of the paper and I'll be much better!"

     Tom and I had hot tea and two bowls of porridge each before being told our tasks.  He had to finish his homework and I had to practice.  That over I had to listen to Tom's whispered recapitulation of the past couple of days and nights until just before lunch I beckoned him over to the sink and made him toss me off.  I then did it to him and he came just as Ma called up the stairs.  A swift buttoning up was necessary but we were both well satisfied with our performance.

     We also put in a good performance in demolishing Sunday lunch ready to go to the station to meet Tom's Mum and Duncan who were arriving on the four o'clock train.

     As we walked into the city Tom said he was glad he hadn't gone up to Edinburgh as he'd had a really good time with me staying with him.  He leaned toward me and whispered confidentially.

     "Gosh, Jacko, it's been marvellous.  You've liked it haven't you?"

     "Yes, I have," I said, "Especially seeing your face when you were tied up."

     "Hey, don't tell anyone about that, will you?" he asked looking a bit concerned.

     "Cross my heart," I said, keeping fingers crossed behind my back.  I might tell Matt some time and get him all worked up!  "You liked that the best, didn't you?" I asked.
     "Yeah, I think so.  Gosh, but those other things were good as well.  Poor old Duncan.  I know he's not done so much."

     "Bet he's been tossing his caber up in Scotland, though," I retorted.

     Tom gave a throaty laugh. "Yeah, wait till I tell him...."  He paused.  "Better not tell him everything had I, eh?"

     "Better not - he might want the same!"

     We were still giggling over this as we entered the gloomy smoke-grimed station just as the train was signalled for arrival. They were glad to see us as they had brought back two extra suitcases which were given to us to carry to the bus stop.  Tom was all curious to know what was in them but Duncan said he would have to wait and see.  After carrying my load back to their house I left them to it and went home to tea, Van's homework and, finally, in bed, shedding my load again.