** This story is a true story, telling of people and events that have taken place in the last three to four years. I have the consent of the others who are involved to use them, but no last names will be used for privacy reasons. This story will focus around two people as they stumble upon each during high school and find themselves falling for one another. They are able to survive the trials, tribulations, and difficulties that are thrown at them and from each other until everything comes to an abrupt end...All rights to this story are mine (lol well it is based on MY experiences) so no copying or publishing without my consent!**
Finding Andrew
Chapter 3: Bonding Time With a New Friend
By the time lunch came, I was anxious to make our arrangements. I didn't see him until it was about time for lunch to end. I saw him headed towards the front of the school motioning for me to follow. I excused myself from the table and followed him into the school.
"Sup buddy. So you sure you can come?" I know I sounded too excited and I couldn't help it.
"Yea." He laughed sensing my eagerness too. "My mom told me to call her when I'm ready to come back."
"Sweet!"
"So what do you have planned for us to do?"
"Depends on what kind of stuff you like to do?"
"I like basketball, video games, wrestling..."
"I have a hoop, PS2, X-box, and a Dreamcast (yea, I love my video games). Plus you know today is Monday so..."
"RAW comes on." We both said. We laughed and agreed to meet at my locker (strange how he knew where it was already) after 4th period. We bumped fists as the bell rang signaling the end of lunch.
I had Chemistry 3rd period and Lisa and Sean questioned where I disappeared to. I told them I was just chatting with an old friend as I was reminded that Lizzy was fuming that I didn't say goodbye before the start of class. I could deal with her later. The last two classes flew by in anticipation of hanging out with Andrew. After the last bell rang, I practically ran to my locker to see him leaning against it.
"Hey bud."
"Hey to you too." We bumped fists and headed towards the bus. When we got on, I instantly felt the heated glare from Mario. I ignored it as Andrew and I sat together making small talk as we headed to my house. You could sense we were both just a little nervous. I wasn't too worried as I knew he would feel more comfortable once we got inside.
We got off at the last stop as the bus rolled to a stop right in front of my house. A nice convenience. We walked behind my sister headed towards the house, when Andrew was "accidentally" tripped by Mario. I kneeled down to help him up off the concrete as Mario gave a half-hearted apology as he continued to his house. Andrew didn't make any comments about it as we walked in through the garage. I'll give you a quick layout of the house. On the ground floor there was the living room, kitchen, pantry, and a bathroom. Going up to the second floor you got the master bedroom (parents of course) with its own bathroom, two bedrooms (sister and guest), along with a washer and dryer. Then you had my domain - the basement. The big screen tv in the den, my own bathroom and bedroom fit with a walk-in closet. Having that extra floor in between gives me that extra sense of privacy and has kept me from being caught in some embarrassing situations. My walls are plastered with sports pennants of my favorite teams and players. I had a queen sized bed along with an entertainment center housing my 30" TV along with my game systems. There was an awkwardness as we figured what to do. Like most teenage boys, we settled on video games.
We started out by playing Halo on the X-Box which he completely owned me in. He started to do a little trash talking which put him at ease as he continued to slaughter me. After yet another loss, I decided to switch to racing popping in Project Gotham hoping to get a win under my belt. Same result as he dominated me in that too. This time I decided to just switch systems altogether pulling out the Dreamcast and putting in Marvel vs Capcom 2. This was one the games I was pretty good in and it didn't take too long to wipe that smile off his face. He began to get frustrated as I started slapping his guys around from the get go. After winning close to fifteen matches, he challenged me to let him pick my players. I agreed and he picked three of the worst characters hoping to pull out a win. He actually came pretty close as he knocked me down to my last guy. Only a few hits away from losing, I lunged for the power button and hit it just before he launched into a special attack.
"What the hell? You cheating little bastard!" He threw the controller at me as I rolled over laughing uncontrollably.
"Undefeated baby!"
"Oh yeah?" He dove onto me and grabbed me by my ribs and unleashed into a tickling frenzy. I'm very ticklish so I blushed and started squirming instantly. I was laughing and was able to push him off as I tried to get up and get to safety. I didn't make it to my feet as he dove on top of me once I got to my knees. This began a wrestling match as we rolled around trying to pin each other to the ground. A few times I found hands grabbing towards my crotch, but I chalked it up to guys being guys. Eventually I was able to pin him to the ground as we were both out of breath. As we stared at each other I felt something sliding up my left leg. This also caused me to grow hard as we just continued to stare at one another. We both could feel each other's arousal, but made no effort to hide it. After what seemed like an eternity, he broke the silence.
"For someone who has never been on a wrestling team, you're pretty good at it." He panted.
"You aren't too bad yourself little buddy." I replied rustling his hair. There was another short pause as we continued the staring contest.
"Thanks for inviting me over Sam." He said smiling. I rolled off of him as both of us sat up across from each other.
"Just glad to be friends with someone like you."
"With someone like me? What do you mean?"
"I honestly don't know what it is about you Andrew. From the day I bumped into you there is just something about you. Not something I can put my finger on. I feel like I need to get to know you."
"Well...I feel the same Sam. After the last couple of schools I've been at, I never thought I would be able to make friends again. It's been rough the last two years." He said sadly. I felt now would be as good a time as ever to find out about his recent past that he was trying to so hard to hide from me.
"You know, I've been meaning to ask you about that..."
"Sam, I don't want to talk about it."
"Andrew, I know we barely know each other, but I want you to know you can tell me anything and I'm not going to look at you any differently."
"Oh where have I heard that before?" He replied bitterly.
"I'm serious..."
"I don't care. Let's just drop it."
"Well if that's what you want..."
"Yes." He said irritated.
"Ok. Let me just say this. I'm more than what meets the eye. I'm one of the most open-minded people you'll ever meet. If you need to talk to me about ANYTHING my door is always open." He looked at me. Probably looking in my eyes to see if I was being sincere. He would have found that if that's what he was looking for.
"I can't believe I actually believe you." He laughed.
"Well I'm being serious. As a matter of face I'll give you my phone number if you ever need to call me." He handed me a notebook as I wrote it down inside the cover.
"Thanks. One of these days I really want to tell you."
"I'll be here whenever you're ready."
"I don't know what it is Sam, but you seem very different from most guys." That comment caused my heart to skip a beat. I didn't know what he meant by it. I was hoping that he hadn't figured me out. At least not until I could do the same. He didn't seem to be as normal for lack of a better word either. The way I saw it, there was an obvious attraction between the two of us. All the signs pointed to it. All the blushing, awkward moments, practically undressing each other with our eyes in public, and then the little wrestling we had as we both made very subtle grabs. I'm not one to make the first move...and I really would have hated it if I was wrong about him. I didn't really know how to go about it so I figured I'd play it safe for now. If he wasn't and we just ended up being friends I could live with that.
"Well I try." I laughed out nervously.
"Awww you're so cute when you do that..." He about choked on himself after the words came out.
"Cute?"
"Well...I mean...that...oh crap."
"Hey don't worry about it little man." I said as I again rustled his hair. Awkward for both of us and definitely confirmed my wishes. It was so hard for me not to let my more daring side get the best of me. I just smiled both on the outside and inside. I guess I just wanted a little more proof to be safe. "So since we're in a wrestling mood, how about we play some SmackDown. Sound good?"
"Yea." I switched the PS2 on and put the game in. After it loaded, we decided to play on the same team doing a tag team match. At least this way we would avoid anymore awkward moments for the day. He picked his favorite, RVD, as I accessed my create-a-players. I had somewhere around twenty-five as I scrolled down until I found myself. I got a questioning look from him and grinned back at him. He waited until the end of the match to inquire.
"Who are all of those guys?" I dug through my backpack and tossed him my yellow notebook. He looked through it as I explained the contents to him just as I will for you readers.
My neighborhood was pretty boring for the most part when I first made the move to Colorado Springs. At the end of the 8th grade, Mario, myself, and a bunch of guys around the area got the idea to start our own wrestling league. It started with just eight of us and has grown to what it has become now: forty guys, we get paid, and perform in front of actual crowds. Up until that point we held our events in Mario's basement since his family decided to leave it unfinished. In about a month, we were able to get all the necessary supplies and build a ring down there. As for the notebook, it held the roster of all the participants and records of all matches.
"Wow! This is so cool. Why didn't you tell me about this?" He was acting like a kid in a candy store for the first time.
"Well you never asked."
"You have to take me to your next match." I thought about it and decided that it would be ok.
"Alright, but...it will cost ya." I had no idea why I said that, but it was too late to take it back. He looked at me and gave me an evil grin.
"Hmm, depends on the price." He laughed. I breathed a sigh of relief as he appeared to just blow it off. At that point I wasn't sure if he caught on or was doing the generous thing letting me off the hook.
"Well actually I do have one tonight if you want to stick around that long."
"REALLY? Oh man, this is so cool!"
"Yea, just call your mom to make sure its ok with her. I don't think she wants me to keep you all day."
"She may not, but I don't mind." He winked as he went to grab the phone. For a guy that acted so shy, he had no problem letting loose around me. After his little dirty comment, I pulled out my bag to put on my gear. He came back in just in time to see me finish changing.
"Hmm, I see you like to strip around me. Something you want to tell me, Sam?" He laughed.
"Geez get your head out the gutter man." We laughed as we headed next door to Mario's house. His parents greeted us at the door (real nice parents by the way) as we headed downstairs while the show was in progress. I filled him in on want to expect as I left him to an open seat and made my way to the back to stretch and get ready for my match. That night I would be defending the DCWF Heavyweight Title against an up and comer in Javier who was a year younger than me. It would be a submission match. As the match approached I started to get the jitters. I wanted to put on a good show for Andrew and I wanted to shake off the rust (my last match was back in the middle of July due to my vacation).
Early on it looked I was going to lose the belt as he locked in the boston crab on three separate occasions. It's a known fact around here that I have a bum left knee (three separate surgeries) so everyone always goes after it. I was writhing in pain as I tried to make my way to the ropes. As I looked out in the crowd, I saw Andrew with a concerned look on his face. I don't know where it came from, but I was able to flip off Javier to avoid further damage. I was able to fight back and eventually lock the ankle lock in. He struggled to get out, but I had his foot in a vice grip. He had no choice but to tap and I would retain the belt again. The guys and the small crowd erupted into cheers as I celebrated the victory. After shaking Javier's hand, I made my way outside the ring as Andrew greeted me.
"Hey you ok?" He asked very concerned.
"I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse." I said in between deep breaths.
"Congrats on the win champ."
"Thanks little man." Funny how I always called him that even though we were the same height. I'm surprised he let me. "What did you think of it?"
"Pretty cool. How do I join?"
"You have to talk to the head honcho around here." I led him through the crowd to Mike (one of Mario's older brothers; the other is Jacob) and left them to talk about it. I headed to the back to change back into my normal clothes. As I stripped down to my boxers, the door busted open as I looked up to find Mario with a pissed look on his face.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the guy that hates my guts..." Here was the guy who went out of his way to ignore me for the last few days. The silence finally came to an end.
"Can it! So who the fuck is this Andrew guy?" He was mad and I went against my better judgement and decided to humor him.
"A friend."
"Just a friend? Riiight. And you expect me to believe that?"
"First off, I don't owe anything to you so stop acting like I do. Like I said, he's just a friend."
"Oh for now I see. So you didn't want to be with me and go hook up with this guy?"
"It's not even like that and you don't have anything to do with this. He's just a friend I made in PE class. A freshman and I just want him to feel welcome since he doesn't have many friends. Anything else detective?" I asked annoyed.
"So you like him...don't you?" He asked in a hushed voice. I knew the answer to that. They say that love at first sight isn't true, but I beg to differ. From the first moment I met Andrew, I knew that I could and would have those type of feelings for him. I was going out of my way to be around him, to put him at ease around me, and to become friends with me. There was no doubt I was.
"Well...yea." I meekly replied. Mario looked hurt as the two words echoed in his head. "I'm sorry, Mario." He turned to walk out the room as I finished dressing. After he left, I sat thinking about the last few hours. I felt both terrified and overjoyed about what was happening. Andrew seemed to be fond of me, yet at the same time Mario was drifting away. We were really good friends and I would have to do something to help patch up our friendship. I was also a little terrified about how things with Andrew would progress. I sat there in deep thought when I heard yelling coming from the ring area. I rushed out to see what was going on and was terrified at the sight. Andrew was slumped against a wall as Mario was pounding away at his face yelling threats at him. I made my way through the crowd as I caught the glance from Mike. He also had a look of confusion as we made our way through. He got there first and pinned his brother to the ground trying to calm him down. I grabbed Andrew and pulled him into my arms letting him know that I was there and that things would be fine. He looked up at me with a face of fear as I saw he had a gash above his right eye (his eye was swollen as well) and a swollen lip. Once he realized it was me, his face quickly turned to anger as he shoved me to the wall. He sprung up and took off out the back door. I knew where he was headed, so I was in no rush just yet. I stood still in shock trying to process what just happened. After a few minutes, I made my way to the door to head back home. Mario and I exchanged looks on my way out and it was obvious that this wasn't over...not by a long shot.
When I got home my mom shot me a worried look as I saw the first aid kit on the counter. She asked what happened to Andrew, but I couldn't give her a real answer. She told me that he was downstairs as I thanked her for cleaning him up and bounded down the stairs. I got to my room and found him sitting in total darkness. I flicked on the light to find him facing away from me with his backpack on.
"I'm ready to go." He coldly spoke.
"Andrew, I'm sorry about Mario. What happened? I got out there as soon as I could."
"Call my mom. I'm ready to go."
"Andrew, I really need to know what..."
"Why don't you ask Mario you asshole! Leave me alone and call my mom!" He yelled out. That shut me up instantly. I called his mom and let her know he was ready to go. Andrew and I sat in silence for the ten minutes it took for her to get to the house. When Andrew went outside, I again tried to say I was sorry and was given the silent treatment. My mom explained as best she could to his mom what happened. She thanked her for the first aid as she looked towards me. She said she knew I didn't mean for it to happen and that she was not upset with me. That made me feel a little better. She wrote down the phone number for the house so I could check up on him. As they left, I felt like the smallest guy in the world. I just wanted to be his friend at the very least and then I go and let something like this happen. I had a rough time sleeping that night wondering if Andrew would ever talk to me again.
****************************************************************************** First off, I'd like to say thanks to all of you who have sent mail. Happy to see that you like what you see so far and I'll keep plugging away at it. Chapter 4 is already finished (yea, I like to work ahead) and will probably be sent in sometime Friday. A few people have had a few questions which I'll address in real quick. 1 - The chapters will vary in size depending on when I can find a good stopping point. I like how long this one was and will probably look to get close to this size as much as possible. 2 - Yes there will be sex in this story. It will come and go at times and I do admit I find it hard to talk about that so openly. So I'll do my best to be as descriptive as possible when it comes. 3 - I don't have as much free time as I would like between work and college, but I WILL continue to do at least 2-3 chapters a week. The plan is to do one over the weekend and two during the school week. At the very least I'll be able to do one during the school week so you won't have to worry about long updates. Take care and the next chapter will be up before the end of the week.
Chapter 4: Finding Each Other Out