Flip

Flip Part 5

"Com'on, Flip! Breathe!" Mike was almost yelling at his old childhood friend sprawled on his side where he'd been dragged out of the pool. The urgency and helpless emotion was unmistakable in his voice as he watched Philip retch more water out of his body and make another ragged attempt to force some air back into his lungs.

`I'm trying!' Philip's panicked mind angrily wanted to scream back. He kept his eyes screwed shut, directing all his efforts into his breathing. It felt like he couldn't get his throat to open inward and his chest muscles ached terribly from the effort to expel the last of the water he'd started to inhale before his windpipe had closed off on its own. The choking sensation was incredible as he puked the rest of what he'd voluntarily and involuntarily consumed that morning all over the hot deck where he lay.

"Clear his mouth!" Philip heard an agitated but still calm voice. "Give me some room! Damn it!" Philip felt a quick finger sweep through his open mouth as he was rolled onto his back and his head pushed back. "How long was he under?" the unfamiliar voice asked. Philip felt his muscles unlock and felt the relief of air passing through into his still waterlogged lungs. He began coughing violently and found himself turned back to his side when he followed with dry heaves.

"Maybe a couple a' minutes," Mike sounded like he'd started to cry. "Is he gon'a be OK, Steve?"

"How the fuck should I know?" Steven breathed through his closed jaw. "He seems to be breathing easier now." He risked a glance at Mike and the others in the wet crowd of high school and college students standing in a circle around him. He'd only made it as far as getting his CPR card and hadn't started his Emergency Medical Technician class yet. He was going into the Coast Guard at the end of the summer and wasn't prepared for this right now. Hell, he and Mike had grown up in West Texas. What did he know about the effects of near drownings? "Has anyone called 911 yet?" He glanced from chagrined face to face; "OK, you....." he singled out one of the group, "...go call for an ambulance!"

"No..." Philip managed to gasp. He was supposed to be a rescuer, not the rescued! He opened his eyes to look at everyone around him and tried to sit up. The world suddenly tilted as another wave of lightheadedness and nausea washed over him. "I...don't want to...go."

"Look! We can't help you." Steve caught Philip as he sagged to the side. "You need to be checked out."

"No," Philip repeated, his discomfort at being the center of everybody's attention overcoming the physical pain he was feeling. "I'm...not going! Leave...me alone. I'll be OK."

"Philip? You are the most stubborn sonofabitch I've ever met!" Steven let his exasperation through. "When are you ever going to admit...ah, fuck it! Would you have liked it better if Mike had let you drown?" Steve and Mike just watched as Philip stared at them silently. "All right, let's get you back to your room. We'll let the ambulance guys check you out. If you still won't go...?" He left the rest unsaid as he and Mike reached under Philip's arms to help support him as they slowly made their way up to the room, leaving most of the others confused in their wake.

"I'm sorry." Philip felt himself flush slightly as he was led into the room past Nick, who'd held the door for them, his bitter words to Mike and Steve haunting his thoughts. Who was the potential victim now, that others were cleaning up after? Philip also couldn't stop thinking about Steve's last question to him. He didn't want to die, that much he thought he knew, but for an instant he had wished he had drowned to avoid the intense embarrassment he now felt as he tried to make his body follow his directions.

He found the idea, that for that brief moment he'd wished for death, more troubling than the event itself. He'd never thought like that before, considered suicide unthinkable for him, but now the thought had come. He couldn't deny it. He'd ruined everything for Mike, was a failure in the eyes of his old friend. He'd vowed to make death his arch enemy to be defeated at every turn. It was why he'd joined the fire department. Now he was a failure even at that.

"What for?" Mike steadied Philip while the others grabbed some towels. "It isn't your fault. Things just got out of hand, that's all." Mike watched his old friend intently as Steve and Nick began to strip the wet clothes off of him before he could lie down. Philip seemed lost somewhere deep within himself. He didn't even put up a fight when Nick dropped his cut-offs and boxers down to his ankles and made a good natured but rude comment about Philip being a natural' redhead as he enjoyed toweling off Philip's circumcised penis and low hangers. That really concerned Mike. Philip had been shy to the point of only opening the fly of whatever he'd been wearing when they'd jerked off together. The time the photo was taken of them together was one of the only times Philip had gone without a top. That was shortly after his dad had left them. Mike was thankful when Steve pointedly ignored Nick's obvious interest in Philip's, previously hidden, muscular body and his jewels' now on display.

"Earth to Flip. Earth to Flip." Mike smiled as they wrapped a towel around Philip and pushed him back onto his bed just as there was a knock on the door. He ignored it as Steve went to answer. "Are you still with us?"

"Wha...Yeah, I'm still here." Philip smiled wanly at Mike hovering within his sight. "I'm sorry for everything."

"I told you before, you don't have anything to be sorry for." Mike looked into those deep sad eyes he'd grown to care for all over again. "I'm just sorry we almost lost you forever." He glanced over his shoulder at the medics entering the room. "Let these guys look you over, like a good boy. Then we'll talk some more." He smiled again at his old friend as he stepped out of the way and sat next to Nick.

"OK, smartass! Look! This is how it's going to be." The perturbed medic looked at the young, uncooperative, redheaded boy he'd been trying to evaluate. He quickly reviewed the answers to the usual questions he'd asked. How old? Old enough! What time was it? Daytime! Who was president of the United States? Millard Fillmore! "You're only sixteen and not living on your own. We're going to call your mom and see what she wants to do with you." He held up his hand to continue before the boy could begin to protest. "The other rule I work under is: The bigger the asshole, the bigger the IV gets, and you are almost up to the largest needle I've got!"

He stopped to let that sink in and was pleased to see the kid somewhat cowed now, although the unspoken challenge was still there in Philip's eyes. "What's her number?"

"She's at work right now," Philip responded quietly. He was surprised he didn't gurgle when he spoke, but he just wanted these guys gone. The pain in his chest wasn't half what it had been.

"I didn't ask you that!" the paramedic snapped back. That was the final straw if the kid didn't change his attitude. "OK, let's go. I'll just say we couldn't get ahold of any family." He glanced at his partner who nodded in agreement, then stared back down at Philip. "We can't reach her, we can only assume that she'd want us to do everything to save her `little boy'!" He knew his bedside manner sucked, but was beyond caring now. His shift had just started and already this was their third run of the day. If they did transport this asshole, the kid had just graduated to a fourteen gauge, the largest they carried. (Little larger than a pencil lead.)

"OK." Philip slumped deeper back in defeat. He'd been able to refuse treatment that one time with the fire department, why not now? He belatedly remembered the releases his mom had signed for him and realized that Bill could have made any of them go anytime he'd wished. It was really the department that let him refuse that night, not himself. "Her work number is 281...."

"What are you laughing at?" Philip nervously pulled the cover back up around his bare chest, still trying to remember when the others had stripped him and glad that the medics had let him cover himself better than the towel had. He glanced at Mike and the others in the background of the room. They were grinning back at him, enjoying the show of temper he'd just put on. "It's not funny."

"Yes, it is." Mike, still smiling, sat forward to catch his friend's eyes flashing in the light from the window. "I'm just glad to see you back to normal."

"You mean he's always like this?" the second medic asked, while his partner was on the phone. "You have my sympathy."

"Can I take this off now?" Philip shifted his gaze back to the stupid clamp with the red light attached to one of his fingers. He gave up when he was ignored and closed his eyes, wishing everybody away again. It was obvious to him that no one wanted to be there, himself included. He'd spent the last three years alone just fine. It was only when he was with others he didn't choose that disasters like this happened.

"Here, kid." The first medic shoved the receiver into Philip's hand. "Talk to your mom."

"Philip?" He heard his mom's concerned voice strike him, harshly bringing the reality of the situation home to him. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Philip responded quietly. "This was a mistake. I shouldn't be here." He fought back the crack in his voice. He wouldn't give the others the satisfaction. "Can I come home now?"

"Philip, let me talk to the paramedic again." She sounded strained to his ear. "I love you more than anything in the world, but...I sent you with Michael...to be with the only friend you've ever had. You are where you need to be right now."

Philip numbly handed the medic the phone and silently rolled away from everyone in the room. He couldn't hold back any longer as he felt his eyes well and his body shudder uncontrollably, completely unaware of the medics leaving the room.

"Philip?" Mike crossed quickly to his distraught friend and wrapped his arms tightly around him. "You should be here...You belong here." He and Nick had found their own tears come as the mood in the room had plummeted with Philip's severe reaction finally bubbling to the surface. "We...I care about you. I'm your friend. Why won't you see that....Hell, everybody's still downstairs waiting to make sure you're OK."

"That's just because they don't know me." Philip buried his head deeper into the pillows; "I should have drowned. It wou...."

"Don't you dare say that!" Mike held on, feeling the warmth of his friend as Philip broke down completely. "You're not some monster. Why would you think I'd be friends with a monster?" Mike let his voice lighten as he reached up to stroke Philip's face. "I have more taste than that! You're just my friend, who may or may not be gay. That doesn't make you a monster inside."

"You're gon'a be OK. It's OK...." Mike let his voice trail off in the storm that raged within his friend. Time seemed to stand still as years of Philip's isolation and pain crashed against them relentlessly.

"But...I don't...." Philip slowly felt himself calm down and found his voice again as the emotions ebbed out through his eyes. "I...don't...."

"But you don't what?" Mike relaxed himself and noticed they were alone now. Steve and Nick had quietly slipped out to join the others in their vigil on the stairs. "You have more people than you think! I'm your friend, Steve and Nick and the others care about you. Your mom loves you. All they want is for you to be you."

"But what if they don't like me any more?" Philip returned to his biggest fear, visions of his mother's face swimming in his mind. "I'd lose everything!"

"Some people probably won't like you," Mike sighed quietly. He'd seen plenty of that as well and couldn't sugarcoat it, no matter how much he wanted to, "but more will! You can't block out the whole world because of a few people out there. If you do that, they've beaten you without trying, and the Flip I knew was a fighter."

"My mom..." Philip's voice shook again with a deep anguish Mike had never heard from his old friend. "My...mom will ha...hate me!"

"You don't know that," Mike quietly reassured his old friend. "She gave birth to one of the most beautiful people I'll ever know. She could never stop loving you, no matter how hard you try." Mike gripped Philip's arm and tried to pull him closer. "She may be smarter than you think. She just wants you to be happy, that's all."

Philip silently rejected Mike's assessment of his mother. She'd already rejected his appeals to her twice that week! How could she love him and put him through the pain he was feeling? He was afraid he'd never survive if she finally rejected him for a third and final time, if she ever really saw what he'd become.

"Just remember, you aren't alone," Mike continued as he finally rolled Philip onto his back so he could see his face. "Your mom really does love you, I'm your friend, Steve's still your friend, Nick wants to be your friend." Mike let a slight smile creep into his features as he let a finger absently trace a pattern across Philip's shoulder. He shifted to another tack. "Well, actually I think Nick wants to play 'connect the dots' with all those freckles you have running down your back! But he can be a good friend too, when he isn't lusting after your body."

"But...But how...why?" Philip looked at his smiling friend in confusion. The new thoughts jarred his brain. How would Mike know what Nick was thinking? What had they talked about? He quickly felt his knee-jerk anger start to rise, which he just as quickly tried to quash. "You've been talking about me?"

"Why?" Mike shook his head in disbelief. "Just take a good look in the mirror sometime! Nick accused me of keeping you all to myself after he saw you the first time." He saw the shock cross Philip's face as his blush slowly spread up his features. Mike couldn't help but grin a little as the worst part of his nature asserted itself. "And, no, we haven't been talking about you all the time. I don't like to talk with my mouth full!" Mike continued to grin as his revelation sunk into his friend. "Jeeze, Philip! I'm not a virgin, you know. I've been there. Now just relax. I'm here and I'll be here when you're ready." Mike placed his finger up to stop Philip's utterance before it emerged. "I said 'relax'. Get some rest. I'm not going anywhere."

"No!" Philip woke and sat up suddenly with a start to find the bed covers trashed around him in the darkened room. He felt his penis slowly detach itself from the cool puddle that ran off his abdomen and lazily flop across his bare thigh. His dream/nightmare was a complete jumbled rollercoaster in his fogged mind. One moment he'd been struggling violently against the water covering him, only to be pulled out by Michael. Then suddenly they were back in West Texas and he was twelve again, grinning, as Mike and he masturbated each other. His orgasm had seemed to take forever as he frantically worried his dad might catch them. Then he found himself onstage and looking at Richard playing a Roman soldier in Superstar'; that his mom was Pilate' was strange to him. Then Richard was gone, replaced by his smiling father holding his belt. He'd heard the crack and felt the sharp welt of pain streak across his back, then he was awake! He dimly became aware of others in the room and scrambled to recover himself.

"Hey, Philip?" Mike crouched by his side again. Nick and some others Philip didn't know were lounging around the small room table; they'd been playing cards or reading by the looks of things. "Are you all right? That must have been some dream!" He smiled at Philip's sticky body. He'd been forced out of the bed by his friend's violent struggles in his sleep so he'd continued his vigil from a safer distance, soon joined by his other friends.

"What?...Did you?" Philip glanced from Mike and the others down to his, now covered, groin.

"No. You made that mess all by your lonesome." Mike grinned then. "First time I ever saw a wet dream from the outside. What were you dreaming about?"

"Us," Philip whispered. He felt like he could fry eggs on his face, it was burning so much. "Then my da...." He trailed off, away from the past family shame he felt as well.

"Com'on, get up and shower so we can get some food." Mike saw the pleading hesitancy in Philip's eyes, but wasn't giving in now. No more backsliding! "No, we're not leaving without you. We've seen it all anyway! You definitely have nothing to hide now. By the way, you have a license to carry that concealed weapon?"

"But...." Philip slumped his shoulders and turned away from the others to exit his cover toward the bathroom. He should be angry but wasn't. He figured he was too embarrassed to be angry.

"No more buts' today." Mike grinned as he watched Philip's tight ass disappear from sight. "Life is more than buts'!" Mike ducked his head and glanced at the others. "That didn't come out right....No comments from the audience!"

"See, Flip, I told you I can still do it!" Mike looked up into his old friend's smiling face as he made a few more steps on his hands along the sidewalk. Nick and the others looked on in bemused silence as they attracted a few more spring breakers to the impromptu competition that was potentially shaping up.

"It's OK, I guess." Philip smiled back. He'd already shocked himself more than once this evening. He was actually feeling calm and even happily enjoying himself with Mike and his friends. They were happy he was with them. If he didn't talk much? They acted like they didn't care about that and included him in their light banter anyway. Soon he was completely comfortable around them. He just wished Mike hadn't gone out of his way to attract attention, but then Mike was being Mike!

"Just OK?" Mike scowled at him mockingly as he righted himself. "All right, then, show me how to do it! You're not chicken, are you?"

"No, I don't know about this." Philip cautiously looked around at Mike and the others in their group and the ones they'd attracted. He found he wasn't so nervous about doing things in front of these strangers, a challenge like this was how he ended up his school's only male cheerleader. He was nervous because he felt out of practice and hated to screw up what he knew he could do. Mike and some of the others, making exaggerated clucking noises, made his decision for him. Deep down he knew he was thinking with his balls, but they weren't about to let the challenge go. "OK, how far?"

"To the light and back!" Mike grinned back evilly.

"On my hands?" Philip looked down to the intersection about a hundred feet away. He knew he had good balance, but that was way too much.

"No," Mike saw the hesitation and modified his challenge, "anyway you like, except no walking or running the whole way. That would be cheating."

"OK then." Philip looked down the sidewalk as some of the crowd moved to provide him with an uninterrupted lane, which of course attracted even more casual onlookers. Damn!' he thought to himself, it looked narrow!', but at least it was flat. He stepped back a few paces and jogged forward on his, thankfully dry, spare sneakers his mom had packed.

As he passed Mike out of the corner of his eye, he pitched up and forward into his first of many somersaults. It wasn't until his return that he had to pull up before he crashed into another group of `breakers' one third of the way back. He then moved slower until he reached his starting point again. He smiled ruefully as he righted himself and sat on the concrete. His mom would probably have been disappointed that he wasn't flashier, but he was just too out of practice to try those moves she'd playfully taught him in between her sessions with the paying students she had. Nobody else cared. They were just glad to watch him attempt it, although Philip did think there were a few who'd secretly been hoping to see him crash and burn all over the sidewalk. He just shook his head at the congratulations he received. Those people were the ones who went to car races for the wrecks.

"OK!" Mike extended his hand to help Philip up. "You win this time."

"Was there ever any doubt?" Philip grinned for the first time that Mike could remember. Philip felt like he was thirteen again as the two retraced the old familiar playful competition that only ended when he had moved away.

"Keep it up, carrot top!" Mike chuckled back, using the name he'd derisively called Philip when they were younger, and directed their attention to the formerly clear lane as a few others, spurred on by alcohol, attempted equally ludicrous feats, falling just short of disaster a few times. "I think we'd better go."

Philip and the others agreed and slipped away from the spontaneous block party Mike had helped instigate, before the cops arrived.

"Hey, Flip!" Trent spoke up, bringing up the rear of the group. "I'm glad you came with us tonight. We're going across the border for the day tomorrow." He paused and glanced confused at the warning look Mike was giving him. True, Philip was quiet and, according to Mike, had been a loner but he was a really nice kid once you got past his defenses. Besides, the show he'd put on in his sleep would be a great memory for all of them. "Anyway, we'd really like you to come with us. It'll be fun."

"I don't know..." Philip began cautiously. "Hell, I've never been out of the state. I don't know about Mexico. What are we going to do there?"

"Don't worry, you know we don't drink." Mike spoke up. He'd wanted to wait to bring it up but Trent couldn't keep his big mouth shut. "We'll just go look around a while. You know, just to say we've been."

"OK, I'll go." Philip's words almost floored Mike. His good natured threats to get Philip to go were left hanging in his mind with no place to go. "Just as long as we stay together, I'm OK with it."

"It's a plan then." Mike smiled at Philip. He was full of all kinds of surprises that night. "So what should we do now?"

"We could see if Flip wants to put on another show?" Nick grinned and pushed off of Philip, spinning away from any retaliation he could threaten. He laughed outright when he saw the redhead's already pink complexion glowing in the evening sun. He too had been relieved to see Flip loosen up from whatever his problems were. "Maybe even have some audience participation this time!"

Philip stayed silent as he flushed again. He still hated to be embarrassed and it was becoming harder for him to fight back his initial urge as he felt his anger flare again. Thankfully, the mood of the group was somewhat infectious and he found himself successfully fighting back his anger as he smiled through it. They weren't attacking him. Nothing they said was mean spirited or meant to hurt him, but he still felt himself start to withdraw a little from them. He was still too new to this `friendship' thing.

"I don't think so." Mike quickly stepped in as he saw the war playing out behind Philip's eyes. "Everything that happened this morning, from the pool to the bed, were accidents. I think we need to let all that go." He shot the others silent warnings not to push Philip and screw everything up again.

"Sorry, Philip." Nick glanced guiltily around the group. It dawned on him that maybe he'd gone too far with the kid. Philip just wasn't ready.

"Don't be. I know you didn't mean anything." Philip shrugged his shoulders and looked away from the others. "This is just so...I don't know."

"We know." Trent put his arm over Philip's shoulder as they reentered the hotel. "I'm glad you finally came with us. Nick, John, and I are going to our room. We'll see you tomorrow if not sooner. You're welcome to join us anytime."

"Bathroom's free." Mike wandered out in a fresh pair of boxers - he hoped he'd brought enough to last - as he finished drying his hair. He watched Philip for a second. He lay face down, staring at the pattern the wallpaper made on the wall. "You were great tonight." He sat on the edge of the bed and gently began to massage Philip's shoulders through his shirt. "What are you thinking about so hard?"

"Do you love Nick?" Philip whispered. He was unsure he really wanted an answer but the question had been lingering in the back of his mind, slowly gnawing at him. "You said you've had sex with him."

"If you mean `till death do us part' love, no, I don't." Mike sighed deeply. He should have seen this coming. "But he is a good friend and sometimes we have fun together. That's all."

"That's all I was...." Philip fought down the lump in his throat and tried to will the cold detachment he'd relied on, back into his thoughts. He couldn't do it. Somehow that part of his shield had been stripped away from him. He had no choice but to continue feeling, "...wasn't I?"

"God, Philip! How could you cut yourself down like that?" Mike threw caution to the wind and leaned down to quickly kiss the back of Philip's neck. "You were...are still the best friend I've ever had. Now turn over! I'm tired of talking to the back of your head!"

Mike calmly watched as Philip complied with his request. "Good! Now repeat after me: I am a great person that everyone wants to know and like!' Com'on, you can do it." He watched as Philip struggled with his absurd sounding order, then mumbled something. "Again?" This time he let his fingers wander over Philip's ribs a little as his friend repeated it. He was rewarded with a renewed smile as Philip started to squirm a little under him. "Now say, Michael O'Rourke and his twelve inches of monster man meat is perfect! I worship the ground he walks on.'" He waited while Philip looked at him like he was insane, then burst out laughing. "Hey!"

"More like twelve centimeters!" Philip managed to gasp when he could talk again. It didn't help when Mike's fingers trailed up to his armpits and he felt himself trying to jerk away again.

"Hey! I'll take any description with `twelve' in it." Mike found himself laughing as well. "Shoe size, dick size,...."

"IQ...." Philip jumped in, his troubling thoughts shredded by Michael's lame wit and stabbing fingers.

"You know, of course..." Mike gave his best evil grin, doing his best `Bugs Bunny', before he slid his hands under Philip's shirt, aiming one for his ribs again and the other grabbing for the ridges of his friend's tight muscular stomach, "...this means war!"

Philip tried to retaliate in kind but soon found it hopeless. Mike had never been ticklish, that was his cross to bear. He did get a little revenge when he `sort of' accidentally grabbed one of Mike's nipples and squeezed harder than he thought. Most of the time, however, he just tried to fend Mike off.

""OK, truce, truce!" Mike stopped to rub his chest where Philip had learned to grab him to make him slow his own attacks. His breaths came in gasps as he continued to grin at his old friend. "Let's get to bed. I want to leave early tomorrow."

Mike grabbed the loose tail of Philip's shirt and started to pull it over his head; "Just relax. Let me do this for you." Mike felt Philip's body shudder a little as he tried to do what he was told. "Trust me."

He saw the fear that had appeared slowly start to fade as he leaned over and kissed Philip's face and neck, trailing down to his now bare chest. This was the first time Mike could really study Philip up close and he took advantage of it as he let his tongue play 'connect the dots', focusing on the sensitive nipples that topped his friend's firm muscles and smooth skin. Philip had obviously worked hard to build himself up in the years they'd been apart and it showed and showed and showed! He felt like he could get lost between those pecs but had more exploring to do.

Philip closed his eyes and lifted his waist so Mike could lower his jeans and briefs. He felt his hard penis slap his lower belly and arched a little when Mike wrapped his hand around his low hanging testicles, fondling first one, then the other, then finally cupping both in his palm.

He involuntarily sucked his stomach in as Mike's tongue and nose bounced along the washboards of his abdomen, striking his tickle reflex again. He stifled the nervous laugh that had threatened and again tried to force his taut muscles to loosen. His heart was pounding and he'd almost said `stop' a dozen times already, but this was Mike causing the intense feelings coursing through him and the one thing they'd always done is trust each other. Philip quickly glanced through his lidded eyes and directed his own hand to Mike's erect cock, jutting out of his boxers, and began his own stroking motion like they'd last done three years previous.

Mike quickly left off driving his tongue into Philip's navel when he felt him shudder and breathe out explosively. He almost grinned as he thought of a new book he could write: `How to make love to an intensely ticklish man'. Turning his head, he laid his cheek on Philip's lower abdomen, the light reddish down that trailed from his navel to his pubic hairs prickling his face. Mike felt Philip's hand on his own hard member and quietly positioned himself to give his friend better access. He almost stopped him. He wanted Philip to just receive his attentions this time, but decided against it. Philip obviously felt it important to give back as well and he didn't want to have his fragile friend think he was being rejected.

Mike shifted his hand from Philip's balls to the base of his cock and examined it for a moment as it throbbed with each rapid, massive pulse of his friend's powerful heart. Philip had definitely grown since the last time he'd held him. Philip would never be massive like so many in the porn tapes he'd been able to sneak into seeing, but had nothing to be ashamed of either, not with at least four inches extending above his hand. Hell, he was bigger than Nick, and Nick was almost a foot taller!

Mike did finally grin when he saw the multiple trains of fluid running down the shaft. That part of Philip hadn't changed at all. He'd always flowed' when hard, even as a thirteen year old! Mike moved his tongue into the well defined crevice that pointed to his final destination, but let up when Philip's legs jerked and he barked out a sudden involuntary laugh. Well, that's a new one.' Mike's mind laughed at them.

Mike stopped for just a second as he watched Philip continue to squirm on the bed and start to breathe raggedly. It was time to finish him off. Besides, he was getting close himself from the manipulations he was feeling from his old friend and the joy of what he'd done to that point.

Philip thought he would come off the bed completely when he was engulfed by the unbelievable warmth of Michael's genteelly sucking mouth. He quickly remembered to let up on the grip he had on Mike's penis. They'd never physically hurt each other and for a second he was concerned his grip would break something. He quickly reached his peak and felt the suction increase slightly as wave after wave exited his convulsing body. He was only dimly aware of the shots from Michael's cock arching across his own body to land on the bed on the other side.

As Philip felt himself calm down from the intense high of his orgasm, he felt himself continuing to descend. He had four days left around Mike, then they would be separated again. Across the state from each other. It might as well be the other side of the world!

Mike let Philip slip from his mouth and looked up into his face. He still savored the taste of his old friend. He was shocked to see the silent tears rolling down his cheeks from his closed eyes. "Philip? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me," Philip whispered, breaking the silence of the moment. "It's...It's just you'll be going away and I've wasted so much time. I miss you already!"

"Shh, I'm just going home. I'm not dying." Mike gently moved so they lay together on the bed. "We'll be able to visit. I'm just not going to abandon you. Friends forever, right?" Mike was rewarded with a smile as Philip pulled his clothes the rest of the way off. He decided to change the subject. "So, anything special you want to do tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I've always wanted a tattoo." Philip yawned as he let that bombshell float in the air.

"You do not." Mike smiled at the joke he thought he was hearing. He finally just shrugged his shoulders and yawned himself. Those things were catching. "OK. Just no names." `Yep! Flip had been full of surprises all day!' was his last conscious thought of the night as they settled next to each other.

The sun had just started its final golden descent below the horizon as the five boys cleared customs and made their way to where they'd left Mike's truck for the day. Everybody had fun relating their adventures in Mexico and they had a few pieces of junk to prove they'd been there. Everybody had fun, that is, except Mike!

"Jesus Christ, Philip!" An agitated Mike addressed the group in general, "Trent I could see! Especially after he poked a hole through his tongue. But you? I thought you were joking." Mike stopped then. `God, he was sounding like his father!' Mike continued to walk on in silence. It wasn't his job to watch Flip all the time, was it? Slowly another chilling thought crept into his brain as they packed into his truck. "Oh, fuck! Your mom is gon'a kill me!"

End of Part 5

My thanks to ED for his kind assistance with the story. Let me know what you think so far.

Thanks. Willy B. (haztech@msn.com)