"Did he give you crap about it?" Clayton was waiting outside the classroom when Brian exited still blushed from embarrassment.
It was earlier when Brian heard "Mr. Willow, see me now" His teacher, Mr. Tredmore yelled out as soon as the bell rang causing the usual noises of the 30 students grabbing books, backpacks, purses and gym bags.
"Yes Sir?" Brian was still embarrassed.
Even earlier he had stood in front of the class reading the assigned poem. The murmurs had grown into laughter.
"Please continue Mr. Willow" the teacher instructed. He seemed oblivious to Brian's classmates' behavior except to say "Quiet class" twice.
Brian felt the blood rush to his neck and over his face. The poem was reflective, his memory of watching snow fall outside their home one morning. It had been especially beautiful to him that particular morning.
"So quiet as the night before. As beauty covered what had been barren earth before. Moistening the beginning of what had grown without anticipation. What would blossom into a yet unknown flower."
Brian had tried to capture both his feelings and the beauty that struck him. He knew many of his classmates would probably call him names, perhaps even the type what would make him blush.
"Very nice Mr. Willow, take a seat, now class when you hear?." The teacher's comments were interrupted by the bell. "Mr. Willow, see me now" he added.
So Brian stood there, still embarrassed but not by his poem nor the class abuse. He figured Mr. Tredmore his English lit teacher, was going to tell him not to be embarrassed by the poem. The man didn't realize what the problem really was.
"So Brian, that was a very nice poem, worth of the A I'm giving you" he said.
Brian adjusted his books. He had lunch next so there was no reason to worry about being late of his next class.
"Thank you sir, sorry the uh class didn't like it" Brian said knowing that wasn't really the reason his classmates laughed at him.
"And as for the other thing, don't be embarrassed. It happens to all of us." Mr. Tredmore added and smiled. The man's eyes darted towards where Brian now held his books.
He wished he had them with him when he was reading the poem. Brian always worried that when he stood in class, the damn boner would appear. Even when he thought about it before standing, it seemed to respond unexpectedly.
He didn't even have to think about sex or the body images that stimulated him. The damn thing just popped up literally.
Even when he was standing at the dinner table listening to his parents talk, it would pop up behind the dining room chair he used for a disguise.
"Shit man, you're hard again" Clayton elbowed him as they sat in the bleachers during gym class.
"Christ I hope the coach doesn't call me now" Brian said. "You look like you're getting a boner too"
"Fuck you" Clayton said laughing at the same time. "We're the boner boys!" he started to sing and Brian shushed him.
Brian nodded not knowing what to say to the teacher. He just wanted to get out of the classroom where he knew his boner display would become the whispered story in the hallways all day long.
Jenny brushed by him. "Oh hi Brian, nice poem" she smiled. "Wait a minute"
She handed Mr. Tredmore some paper. "Here it is, thank you for the extension sir"
"Thank you Miss Malone"
"Brian, you got so red" She was standing by him again.
"I know"
"Don't worry about it, all the guys have the same uh problem" She added patting his shoulder.
Jenny was one of his best friends and a neighbor?a kind of sister. And she was always ready to go places with him.
"Not all" he said
"Yes all, believe me we see it" She was representing herself as a spokesperson for the girls in school.
"So you go and gossip about it?" he nudged her.
"Sometimes" She laughed "gotta run, late for bio" she dashed out the door.
"So?" Clayton was waiting "Did he give you crap about it?"
"No he liked the poem" Brian said.
Clayton smiled, "no you perv you know what I mean."
"Naw he said we all get em, even him. You got one now" Brian chided his best friend.
"Do not" Clayton adjusted his crotch despite his denial.
"But I like your boner" Brian whispered
"I know you do fag, but do you have to write a poem about it?" Clayton stopped and looked serious.
"Oh you got it" Brian looked down at his feet.
"Remember? I was there. You stood there by the window naked after we spent the night doing it" Clayton
"It was nice" Brian said "wasn't it?"
Clayton sighed.
"We gotta stay on the down low. Don't you get that?"
"If we do can we do it again?" Brian said.
"Come on you goof, we've got lunch period"
Brian watched Clayton walk ahead of him. He admired the jeans that covered Clayton's butt. He was lucky to have found someone. He knew that. They would stay closeted, but it wouldn't be easy.
His pants stretched.
Brian had another boner, this time not unexpected.