Saga of the Elizabethton Tarheels

by Sequoyah

 

Chapter Forty-two
 
Mom called called from downstairs, "It's 3:00 when you wanted to get up." After a few soft kisses, we showered with minimum of playing around beyond exchanging a few more kisses. Justin was drying himself and I was shaving when John called from the stairs, "Disengage! Disengage!" and came on up.
 
When he called from our living room, Justin called back, "We're doing the shower and shave bit. Come on in," and he, Sandy and Kenneth, came into the bedroom. "Hang your tux in the closet," I said, poking my head out of the bathroom.
 
Justin walked into the bedroom, as naked as the day he was born, as I wiped the last of the lather from my face. As Justin walked in, John asked, "Need us to shave your pubes?"
 
"Don't think you're man enough," Justin laughed, then added, "This Indian likes his bush and so does his sex partner."
 
"No sex partner, at least right now," Kenneth grinned, "but I am definitely with you. I noticed some of the guys in PE have shaved their pubes and so far as I know they are all straight. The guys who I know are gay are all sporting a bush. All that shaving makes those jokers look about seven or eight, like little kids. How'd the idea get started anyway?"
 
"Don't know," Justin said as I joined him, also in my birthday suit. I spoke to Kenneth and Sandy, as Justin tossed me a pair of black briefs which I pulled on as he pulled on a pair of whities. Dressed for the moment, we sat down with the three. "Heard it was a big thing in Europe and in European porn. Guess that might have started the trend elsewhere, but here in Elizabethton it's a different story. Started here with the football team. Tradition here that after the football season ends, the team has a big, all-weekend party. Few years ago there was a big scandal when it was discovered they had an abundant supply of booze and girls -- a few fans and the girls wanted to make sure the team had a good time. One of the girls ended up gangbanged by drunken players. She was paid off and the parties were not held until three years ago when they resumed with the understanding there would be no girls."
 
"Yeah, old Kev bitched about that," Sandy said, "and told Arnold he had some who would sneak into the party for him and his friends. 'They'll bring several cases of beer too.' Arnold told him he better forget the women because the team would have his head for that, but they'd welcome the beer. Wasn't women, but one of the team members' dad and the coach, at least that's what I overheard Kev say, brought the beer -- a dozen cases or more -- out to the hunting camp owned by Jim Patterson, Patterson Motors."
 
"Jim Patterson, Patterson Motors?" Kenneth asked.
 
John explained the name and continued, "These days he claims to have been a high school and college player, a star headed for the pros, but Dad, who is his contemporary, says otherwise. Dad says old Jim was second string at best and just not good enough for a college team after he left his junior college. He now relives the glory days that never were through the local team. He's one of the Football Booster Club's most loyal members and is always demanding something for 'our boys'. He provides the camp for the team party."
 
"'Our boys' were well-supplied with beer for the weekend and some at school say they had other stuff as well. Anyway, Saturday night the party was really rolling with most everyone well-lubricated..."
 
Sandy jumped in quickly, so quickly I wondered what was going on, to say, "Everyone except Michael Duncan -- he's team co-captain -- and three of his buddies. They were not drinking! Well, not much." That he had no use for the football team had been made abundantly clear even before his old man and Kev had beaten him, so I wondered about this quick defense of Michael who was a major factor in the little success the team had. "Kev said they didn't get drunk like everybody else. Wussies, he called them. Michael is really nice."
 
"Anyway, a bunch got to wrestling around and three of them pinned Ace Cunningham and decided to shave his head," John said. "Some of the others got razors and started shaving Ace's head. Three more grabbed his legs and said, 'One end shaved deserves another,' and started shaving his legs. By then, they'd had another beer and were really into shaving Ace. His head and legs done, they just kept shaving, making sure they missed nothing, except his ass, balls and pubes."
 
Sandy took up the tale. "Kev said Ace was so stupid he said, 'God damn, you better not touch my fucking bush!' Michael told them they needed to give that some thought before they did something they'd regret and, as Kev told me, they all called him a wuss. Well, you know exactly where the shavers headed next! When they had finished with his pubes, Kev said, they shaved his ass and his balls." Sandy started laughing, "Old Kev came home clean shaven -- really clean shaven. He was in on holding down Ace, and Ace and his buddies got him down and shaved him. When he got home he asked me to look at his ass to see what was wrong with it. Whoever shaved his ass had, I guessed, just shaved right over his asshole -- his official one since he's asshole all over -- and nicked it, twice," Sandy laughed. "Told him he was lucky 'cause if they had done a little more damage, he'd be half-assed. He hit me, but it was worth it."
 
"Well, you know how it ended up. Shavers became shavees as the battle raged on. Fighting and shaving makes a guy thirsty so they were also getting drunker. Finally, several had passed out drunk and the four -- Michael Duncan and his three buddies -- were relatively sober and, in team spirit, shaved each other's heads but nothing else. A month later, a few had joined Michael and his crew in not shaving their heads, but they were the only four who did not continue shaving their pubes," John said.
 
"Have you noticed that the two co-captains were leaders of the shaved and unshaved, and the shaved are pretty much the dumb jocks and the unshaved the great guys? Guess I noticed because Kev is still shaving his pubes and head. Calls the others 'Damn wussies'," Sandy said. "Yeah, and Michael Duncan is a nice, smart guy, not like those who are all muscle including between their ears, and Michael's a junior like me!" I thought I detected more than a casual interest in the football co-captain which was more or less confirmed when Sandy tried to hide a blush. Poor Sandy. Stud jock and nice guy that Michael is, and he is nice, he probably didn't know Sandy existed and, I suspect, if Sandy ever made half a pass at him, he'd get another beating. Too bad. Unrequited love is painful. I know.
 
"Oh! And Adam had been a shaver," I said, "but Bobbie put a stop to that. 'Makes you look like a nine-year-old,' she said. And I agree with Justin. I like his bush and mine."
 
"No argument from me," John said and Kenneth and Sandy said "Ditto!"
 
"I guess we need to hit the shower," John said. "My place is a zoo and we just wanted out! Who's first?" John was completely at home in our place so he opened the linen closet, took out towels and handed them to Sandy and Kenneth. "Kenneth, why don't you go first? You'll need to shave and while you're shaving, I'll shower. Don't think Sandy needs to try to shave yet."
 
"Maybe I can," he said and when I looked, he certainly had a face full of stubble.
 
"Maybe one of us could shave you, if you think you need it," John said.
 
"Take a look. Another few days and he'll look like Santa Claus," I said. Sandy did have a very, very heavy beard. If he hadn't been a sandy, it would have been more than obvious.
 
Kenneth showered and as he started shaving, John hopped in the shower. Kenneth came into the living room -- that he had no complaints about bush or equipment, was clearly evident -- and pulled on a pair of black silk boxers. By then, John was shaving and Sandy was in the shower. When he came out, I lathered his face and carefully shaved him.
 
Since it was not time to get dressed, we all sat around in our underwear. Well, Kenneth was in boxers, Justin and I wore full-cover briefs with a front pouch and no fly. John had always worn similar ones until he came back from Atlanta last summer with high-cut pouch briefs, tonight snow-white, which really showed up his basket and dark skin. Sandy was sporting new, very brief briefs -- part of the wardrobe Lacy had purchased for him -- and, as has been noted before, had the equipment for a very, very respectable basket.
 
"Sure strange to see all these briefs," Kenneth said. "I don't know anyone who wears briefs. Well, some wear boxer briefs but most, like me, wear boxers. Lets Master Thurmond swing free." That, of course, provoked a discussion as though it was something we needed to discuss and vote on. Kenneth finally said, "Well, I still want Master Thurmond swinging free."
 
John got a shy grin on his face and said, "Yeah, well, how they be knowing you got it if'n you don't flaunt it." He didn't have to explain his remark as his briefs stated his argument very well!
 
It was finally time to get dressed and Kenneth, John and I unzipped our garment bags and started dressing as easily as we would have for school. Justin and Sandy had unzipped their bags and both were standing staring at the contents. "How do I get into all this, Justin?" Sandy asked.
 
"You sure asked the expert," Justin laughed. "I've been in one of these things once before."
 
Justin's comment reminded the three of us who were about half-dressed, we had been pretty inconsiderate. John quickly said, "Just hang loose, Sandy, and when I finish, I'll help you out. Sorry I didn't remember this was a new adventure for you."
 
"Justin, I have more experience undressing you, but when I finish dressing, I'll help you and not jump your bones."
 
"Damn! What fun's that?" Justin grinned.
 
When Justin was dressed except for straightening his tie, I said, "You know, when I was helping you dress for the Christmas dance and was straightening your tie, you were so handsome I really, really wanted to kiss you."
 
"Coward," Justin said. "If you had kissed me then, think what a Christmas present we could have given each other."
 
When John had finished with Sandy, the young man was absolutely stunning in spite of his face which was still a bit swollen and bruised. "You know, little brother," John said, "I think you look good enough for someone to eat with a spoon and we'll have to lock you in a chastity belt when your face is back to normal."
 
"Can I have a fistful of keys?" Sandy grinned.
 
After we gave each other a final inspection, John asked, "Where's the petunias?" Justin and I laughed because John's comment went back to when we were in first grade. Our teacher, Miss Mavis Schroder, was much into flowers and decided we needed to know the names of common ones. She would hold up a picture of a flower and ask a student its name. Regardless of the picture, John would announce with enthusiasm "Petunia!" Miss Schroder finally asked him why he always said petunia and he told her, "One day you'll hold up the right picture and I'll get the answer right." From then on, we all referred to flowers are petunias.
 
Justin went to the mini-fridge and brought out five florist's boxes, each holding a perfect gardenia boutonniere. I suspect we could have managed, but Eunice had very detailed instructions inside about how we were to wear them. As soon as that had been taken care of, I yelled for Clarisa and she came up with her camera and a couple flash units. As I said earlier, Clarisa was an accomplished photographer. Camera in place and the strobes tested and retested, Clarisa was ready. But before she made a picture, she inspected each of us from head to toe, making small adjustments, demanding her subject stand up straight, etc. Then she made pictures -- at least two dozen, both individual and groupings -- John and his cousin Kenneth, John and his new little brother Sandy (who was actually taller than John), and Justin and me. She would, of course, be set up downstairs later and we were to bring the women by before going to dinner.
 
We went down to be inspected by Mom and Mrs. Crandall. Both gave their approval, hugging each of us, including Kenneth and Sandy. Then they started asking Clarisa for photos. Both wanted pictures made of them with the three "spring breakers," Mom wanted pictures with Kenneth and Sandy as well. "I'll need pictures with these two gentlemen as well, " Mrs. Crandall said. "Suspect they'll be at La Casa sooner or later." When Clarisa was finished taking pictures, John called the limo driver to come pick up him and Kenneth.
 
After the two left, Mom took me aside and said, "I started just to forget it, but that's not fair to you, Marc. Your Father called a while ago and said he had the prom on his calendar. 'Ann Carter, I planned be there to see him before he went off for his final high school prom. I'm sorry to say an important committee meeting came up unexpectedly. Tell the boy to have a good time and be careful in the car and in bed!' He laughed and said, 'Yeah, boys will be boys. Who's his date? Whose daughter is so lucky?'"
 
Mom laughed, "I'm sorry, Son, I couldn't resist. 'No-one's daughter. He's going with Justin Smith.' He laughed and said, 'Stop pulling my leg, Ann Carter. You trying to tell that boy, my son, is going stag? Think I'm a fool? Hell, I know better. A son of his old man wouldn't go to his prom stag.' He laughed that politician's laugh of his.
 
"I said, 'No, he's not going stag. I told you he's going with Justin Smith, Justin Smith, his fiance.' Marc, your father went postal. I won't tell you what he said...
 
"You don't have to," Justin said. "What did he say after he finished with the hells, damns, fucks and other assorted choice words."
 
"'Ann Carter, you better get that boy straightened out. No son of mine is going to be a cocksucking, ass-fucking faggot. You better get that across to him.' He slammed down the phone.
 
"Now we see how interested he is. Think he'll care enough to find out about what's going on in the life of his son?" Justin asked. "Bet he puts out the story that I turned you gay. You'll get sent to one of those programs to turn you straight.
 
"Probably puts out the story you were adopted, cuts off your allowance, disinherits you. Sounds like a plan," John said. "Yeah, there goes your allowance, Senator's gay son." John laughed.
 
"It's worth it to have my loverboy," I said.
 
"We'll talk about that later," Mom said. "Don't worry yourself about it. Now, Marc, I thought your Clan might like to be together after the prom, so I reserved the Sunset Lodge. It's yours until you leave for school Monday. Clarisa, Consuela, and LaTasha all pitched a fit when I was going to have a caterer for the midnight snack, and they prepared one which you can just set out and eat when you are ready. They also stocked the pantry with cereal, plenty of juice and milk in the fridge, along with an assortment of yogurt. You all can fix what you want when you want it. 'Course you and Justin better show up at St. Paul's."
 
"Bobbie, Susan, and John are also on duty, so we'll be there," I said. "Who's going to make sure we behave ourselves?"
 
"I hope your good common sense. Figured you'd do what you wanted to do under watch and you'll be on your own good behavior soon enough anyway. The parents all agreed we had to trust you sometime and in very few months you will be away from home with practically no supervision, so we discussed it and couldn't come up with any good reason to send a chaperon. I think we'll all worry some, that's our right as parents, but I suspect less than parents who don't treat their eighteen-year-olds as adults."
 
"I'm only seventeen," Sandy grinned.
 
"We'll post watch over you, then," Mom said. "You get out of line and it's the swamp." Obviously Mom knew more than we thought she knew, but that's another of the jobs of parents.
 
Sandy gave the proper response, "No Missy, no, no, not the swamp!"
 
"Yeah, the swamp," Mom laughed.
 
The limo driver rang the bell and John and Kenneth left to pick up the women. They were at Bobbie's place since Susan had the same problem at her house John had at his. While they were gone, Justin and I gave Sandy some tips about dancing. He had been to a few school dances and had come to the conclusion that there was no real rhyme or reason in dancing. He was pretty much right about a lot of what passed for dancing at school dances, but wasn't bad. However, it didn't take long for him to decide he wasn't as healed as he thought. We gave him a few pointers about slow dancing, but he definitely seemed lacking in that department -- little did we know! All it took was the right motivation!
 
It was half an hour before the other four arrived. John and Kenneth helped Susan and Bobbie from the limo and they came up the front walk. Kenneth, as his cousin John, was dark, with black hair and dark eyes. Both were well built, but slender. Kenneth was about two inches taller than John who was an even six feet. Both looked very handsome walking beside their dates. As Susan and Bobbie came up the front walk there was no doubt the two were no longer girls. They were young women, beautiful young women. It seemed as though they had grown up since yesterday.
 
Susan had turned heads since she was able to walk. She was a redhead with dark red hair, coppery I'd call it, which was long, ordinarily not worn loose, but tonight it was. She had that flawless skin some redheads have, like a porcelain doll's but, unlike most, she tanned beautifully and evenly. Her time in Florida had given her a healthy glow without changing the porcelain doll effect.
 
Her eyes were green -- not blue-green or hazel or anything except green, dark green. Like mine, her eyes had gold flecks which danced when she was happy and shot sparks when she was angry. As soon as I saw her dress, I knew it matched her eyes. Dark green velvet, it was classic. One shoulder was bare, showing off her nice, but not excessive bust line. I'll admit I don't understand the engineering of women's clothing and I wasn't sure how it worked, but gardenias started at her waist, went up between her breasts and over her left shoulder. Later, I saw the gardenias went down the back, ending at the top of her bodice. She was holding up the skirt of her gown with one hand, the other was in John's as they walked toward us. Watching them, Sandy grinned and said, "Nearly enough to make me wish I was straight!"
 
"Damn, I never thought Susan was ugly enough to stop a Chinese funeral, but I never thought of her as a beauty queen either. She is beautiful!" Justin said. "I agree with you, Sandy, she's one damn hot woman."
 
"All I can say is since John IS straight, he is fucking lucky and I can't see why he keeps saying 'We're just good friends.' The guy needs to be told about the birds and bees," I joined in.
 
"Men and women and sex, you nut! Screw the birds and bees!" Sandy said and Justin nodded.
 
While Susan was only a few inches shorter than John, Bobbie was four or five inches shorter than Kenneth. She was a natural blond, with hair the color bottle blonds saw only in their dreams. It was curled naturally, loosely, softly. For school she usually wore it in a ponytail or a French braid. Tonight, she was wearing it loose, framing her face, a silver coronet holding it in place. I had been jealous of Bobbie's complexion for years because she tanned rather than burned. Her Florida time left her with a healthy tan, fresh-looking, not baked.
 
Bobbie was wearing a very dark blue gown which fit close, flattering her figure. It had an over-skirt, like an apron worn backwards, of a pale blue filmy material with silver threads running through it. Strapless, gardenias ran up between and over her more than adequate bustline.
 
"WOW!" Justin said. "Kenneth, you have any thoughts now that you've seen your date here in the boonies?"
 
Kenneth actually blushed, grinned, and finally said, "Yeah, but not something I can say in mixed company." Bobbie looked up at him and he pulled her to him for a quick kiss.