All rights reserved. Copyright held by the author. If you are underage or are offended by gay fiction, containing graphic sex and explicit language, please exit now.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
AUTHOR'S NOTE: TO MY READERS OF "WHENCE COMETH MY HELP", the story here, "Hawhthorne Awakening" is lifted from the "Whence" text, but configured together into one story. I will be adding additional chapters, but I the first seven parts are posted here to familiarize you with the characters, the locale, and the situations.
R,C.
Hawthorne Awakening
by
Ritch Christopher
Part One
<><><><><><><><>
Steve Jarvis was one of the most popular young men in Hawthorne, North Carolina, a small town of just under 6,000 total population. While larger cities had progressed, Hawthorne remained antiquated and outdated as it were still living sometime in the mid 1950's. Steve's reputation for screwing practically every girl in his high school was rivaled only by the almost equal number of co-eds, his best friend, Hal Carson, had fucked. There were three other guys in their immediate group of close friends: Randy Sage, Tyler Groom, and Wade English.
Steve and Hal had never "played around" with one another as most young boys had done during their pubescent teen years, the years of sexual discovery. Hal had a somewhat steady girlfriend, Carolyn Beatty in Carthage, twenty miles east of Hawthorne. The main problem in this relationship was that Carolyn was in love with Hal and more serious about him than he was towards her. They had sex several times a month, but Hal was extremely careful, always using condoms as he had no desire to become the victim of a shotgun wedding.
Hal's younger brother, Noah, was the 'brains' of the two Carson brothers, having won a full scholarship to Baylor School for Boys in Signal Mountain, Tennessee. Noah had had his seventeenth birthday and was returning home to Hawthorne for the summer between his junior and senior years. He blossomed late, being more interested in scholastics than athletics. He had never paid much attention to developing his body until he tried out for, and made, the swim team at Baylor. He soon learned his ability as a speed swimmer would be enhanced if he lifted weights to formulate muscles in his chest and arms. Hal, now, had a body that most kids his age would die for. His physique was better than his brother's, Steve's, Randy's, Tyler's, or Wade's.
They all were astonished by Noah's muscular build when he arrived home for the summer. Steve paid particular notice to Noah, whom he had always thought of as the little kid brother of his best friend...the tyke who always seemed to get in the way when he tagged along with the gang, trying to be "one of the boys". Hal was curious about Steve's sudden interest in Noah, but sloughed it off, as he'd never had feelings, at least sexual feelings, toward any male in his life. Hal's radar was alerted however, when he saw Steve eyeing his brother, but made no to-do about it, as Noah was old enough to take care of himself and Hal was certain his best friend, Steve, was giving his brother the same attention anyone would evince who was looking at a perfect male specimen, like a bronze statue in a museum, even though no one in Hawthorne had ever visited a museum.
Steve and Hal planned to meet the other guys at Smiley's Pool Hall on Friday evening, the first night that Noah was home. Noah had learned to shoot a pretty good game of billiards at Baylor and felt that he could show his older friends a thing or two about his new expertise with a cue stick.
The first game was a four-player round of "15" ball between Hal, Steve, Randy, and Noah. Noah was the fourth to shoot and at the amazement of all who watched, Noah cleared the table. Hal was impressed and pleased that his younger brother had developed a few manly skills while away at military school. Steve, on the other hand, was not only impressed by Noah's knowledge of the game, but by his physical prowess. Steve was wondering what else Noah had learned at the boy's school as he played close attention to Noah's butt every time Noah leaned over the felt table to reach for a shot. Steve was watching Noah while Hal sat back and looked at the way Steve was ogling his brother.
The six of them took turns playing eight games with Noah winning every one that he played. He was the big winner, which meant that he had to buy the beer to celebrate. Being under age, Noah gave the money to Hal to buy three six packs of Bud at Higgins Convenience Store, the only one in Hawthorne. They all decided to pile into Steve's Chevy and go out to the old mill to drink and raise hell among themselves. The whole time that they spent getting tipsy, Hal closely watched Steve who was watching Noah while Noah only returned a few cordial glances back at Steve.
Everything was back to normal the next week until Steve approached Noah and asked him to go to a movie with him the next weekend. Usually, when Steve went to a movie, if he didn't have a date, Hal always went with him. But on this occasion, Steve had not invited Hal and Hal was not only hurt but also suspicious of Steve's sudden interest in his younger brother.
Hal kept his jealous feelings to himself the first part of the week, but Wednesday afternoon when he saw Steve tinkering with his Chevy at Quarles Garage and Filling Station, he decided to confront Steve about his being left out of going to a movie with the two of them.
"So, what's wrong the tin Lizzie?" Hal asked Steve, who was on the flat wagon underneath his car.
"Gotta an oil drip. The fuckin' thing almost burned up on me going home last night. I checked the filter and the oil canister was bone dry."
"Think you can fix it?"
"Almost as good as you," Steve replied. "The metal tube leading to the carburetor has a slit in it. I just gotta patch it or replace it, that's all."
"You seen Noah, today?" Hal asked, nonchalantly.
"Nope. He's your brother. Why should I know where he is?"
"Nothin', except he left the house real early and I ain't seen him all day."
"Sorry, bro, I can't help you there."
"I...I heard him mention to Momma that you and him was goin' to the movies Friday night."
"Oh, you did, did you?"
"I was just wonderin' why I wasn't invited?"
"I just figgered that since you didn't have a date with Carolyn last weekend, you'd probably want to see her this weekend. That's all."
"Maybe you shoulda asked me first if I had a date with her."
"Shit, man, you sound like you're jealous or somethin'! Goddamn, I'm just goin' to watch a fuckin' movie with your kid brother. I haven't spent much time with him since he got home."
"Fuck! You never spent any time with him before," Hal said. "I'm just wonderin', why now?"
"Christ on a crutch, Hal. You're makin' it sound like Noah and me are goin' on a date! You know me better than that! You should know Noah, too. I mean, it's not like either of us are queer or anything like that! So what's the big beef? If you wanna come with us, then come on!"
"I just don't want to tag along and get in the way...like Noah used to when you and I wanted to get away and go out with the gang!"
"Look, Hal, if Noah and I do anything out of the ordinary, you'll be the first to know...however, I wouldn't hold my breath! Goddamn! That makes me mad just thinkin' that you suspected Noah and me doin' anything out of the ordinary."
"Well, it just so happens that I DO have a date with Carolyn this weekend."
"That's fuckin' great! So you go out and get your weekend piece of ass while Noah and I share a bucket of butter corn! If you like, you and me can go out somewheres Saturday night...just the two of us."
"What will Noah have to say about that?"
"Ah, come on! Quit makin' such a big deal out of nothin'. Noah and I are goin' to watch a fuckin' movie! We ain't goin' out to park and I promise we won't hold hands or I won't put my arm around him one time as soon as the lights go out. Jesus Christ! I can't believe that you've got such queer thoughts in your head!"
"I thought that maybe since you'd fucked every cunt in three counties, you were lookin' for new holes to conquer!"
"Hal, you're beginnin' to piss me off. How long we been best friends? When have you ever known me to have queer thoughts? Come on, think about it and give me an answer!"
"None, I guess."
"You're fuckin' right...NONE and I ain't about to change my way of livin' now. So stop your envious belly-achin' and go have a good time with Carolyn!"
"I'm sorry, dude!" Hal said, softening his edge of accusation. "I don't know why I was thinkin' that way. It's only that this is the first time in our lives that you've left me out when you was goin' some place."
"You want me to invite Randy, Wade, and Tyler to come along and act as chaperones? Will that make you happy?"
"I notice that you didn't invite them either!"
"Goddamn, Hal. If you'd rather I not take Noah to the movies, I will tell him that his older brother doesn't trust us to be alone." Steve's intensity gave an honest indication of how strongly he believed what he was saying.
"Shit! Don't tell him that. That'd only put a rift between him and me and there's no sense in that since we have to live together until he goes back to school in the fall. Go with him and have a good time."
"That's all we intended, me and Noah, in the first place, was to have a good time. Now, I gotta get this oil leak fixed unless you want to help me."
"Sure, what can I do?"
"Let me slide back under the car and you start the engine so I can check to see if oil is leaking from only one place."
Steve lay on his back once again under the truck and slid under the engine of his auto while Hal got behind the steering wheel and revved up the motor.
<><><><><><><>
Friday night came and Steve drove to the Carson house to pick up Noah. Hal had already left to go see Carolyn, hoping to wind up parking somewhere for his usual weekend blowjob and fuck, which had all but become a weekend expectation from Carolyn.
The Cameo Theater, Hawthorne's one and only, was showing a triple feature hunk-o-rama, consisting of Brad Pitt's "Fight Club", Jude Law and Matt Damon's "The Talented Mr. Ripley", and Ewan McGregor and Jonny Lee Miller's "Trainspotting." Hal and Noah stopped at the concession stand for Cokes and an extra large bucket of butter corn. They slid into their seats just in time for the coming attractions and future releases' trailers. The theater had a new preview of next year's expected blockbuster, Oliver Stone's "Alexander", the biopic of Alexander the Great, starring Colin Farrell as Alexander, Jared Leto, playing his male lover, Hephaestion, Anthony Hopkins as Ptolemy, and for good measure, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Cassander.
"We had to read about Alexander the Great in English this past year," Noah commented to Steve. "Alexander and Hephaestion were male lovers."
Steve was a bit stunned that Noah would remark about such a subject, but tried to pay little attention to what his young companion had mentioned. After all, it WAS a school assignment. Steve remembered he was supposed to read about Alexander in the eleventh grade at Hawthorne High, but never got around to it. If what Noah said was true, Steve was surprised that the Hawthorne Board of Education would allow the students to read about queers in history.
"Fight Club" was the first feature of the triathlon. Neither Steve nor Noah had ever seen the film. There was plenty of fights and action sequences...one in particular where Brad was teaching Ed Norton how to fight. Brad's shirt was quickly removed, showing a perfectly matched set of pectorals and abs. Steve was so caught up eating butter corn and watching the incredible fistfights, he was not aware of Noah's calf and knee pressing against his. It was only when the scene changed to a dialogue section that he realized that the pressure on his right leg was coming from Noah's left leg. Telling himself it was just an accident, and not wanting to create a commotion about it, Steve slowly moved his leg away from Noah's until it was free from the warm contact. Acting as a magnet, though, Noah's leg followed Steve's until once again their two legs touched, causing a tingling sensation in Steve's crotch.
Steve moved his leg close to his other leg until it could go no further. Again, Noah's leg crept closer to his brother's best friend's leg. Steve decided that Noah's move was innocent and let the two legs remain in contact. It was fifteen minutes later into the film that Steve became alarmed for the first time as Noah began to raise and lower his leg, rubbing noticeably against Steve's. The touch bothered Steve, but he was more disturbed by the raging hardon he suddenly had in his pants.
Steve leaned over to Noah's ear and whispered, "I'll be right back. I gotta take a leak."
Steve excused himself and crawled over the patrons occupying the filled Friday night row of the Cameo. Once inside the empty men's room, he walked up to the closest urinal to relieve himself, but his erection hindered his urinating. He decided to wait for his cock to return to normal before he tried again. In the meanwhile, he smoked a cigarette to relax himself. His mind was racing, 'Was Noah deliberately trying to turn him on? If so, he did one hell of a job. But, why the fuck did I GET turned on? I'm not attracted to guys! Hell, many nights when I was growing up, I slept in the same bed, naked, with Hal, Randy, Tyler, Wade...lots of guys! None of them ever gave me a hard-on. Fuck, I remember one cold night in January when Hal and me slept in a spoon position all night long, with Hal's ass crack pressed tightly against my dick. That didn't excite me! Shit, why should it? Only queers give other queers erections! I've never even seen Noah naked. He was always too shy to skinny dip with me and the rest of the guys. Maybe Noah wasn't aware of what he was doing. Maybe he just needed extra leg room in the cramped theater seats.'
By the time Steve took the final drag off his Chesterfield, his cock was back to "peeing level", so he pulled out his extra long sex organ and pissed freely, for what seemed to be two or three minutes.
He made his way back through the crowded row and once more sat beside Noah. To prevent any kind of future contact, Steve managed to cross his left foot and leg over his right, thus making it impossible for Noah to touch his leg for the rest of the movie. As the first feature finished and the credits of "Mr. Ripley" began to roll, Steve noticed that his raised leg had fallen asleep. The slight tingles in his foot had turned into enormous pain, so he decided to uncross his legs and take a chance that Noah had gotten his message, if Noah was even aware he was sending a message to him.
Both their legs remained in the proper position until a scene appeared in the movie with Matt Damon watching Jude Law take a bath. Almost instantly, Steve felt Noah's leg return to his, with much added pressure...and in the same instant, Steve's boner had reappeared. Steve was really sorry that he had asked Noah to a triple feature. Steve knew he would wrestle with himself and fidget with his swollen cock and these strange emotions for at least two more hours. He would be a nervous wreck by the final scene of 'Trainspotting,' which they were watching now.
'My God!', Steve thought, 'Ewan McGregor is completely naked on the screen for everyone to take a good gander of the size of his dick. I feel like I'm watching a male porno flick...and whether it's the movies or Noah, something is making me horny as hell!"
After nearly five hours of struggling, self-doubt, and soul-searching, the marathon finally ended. Steve, who was usually the first one out of the theater, waited for everyone else to leave before he stood up, hoping that his bulging pants would go down in the meanwhile. It did.
"Come on, hot rod," Steve said to Noah, "Let's go get a hamburger or a beer! Whaddya say?"
"Sounds good to me!"
The two of them walked down the street toward Steve's Chevy and for some unexplainable reason, Steve opened the passenger door for Noah to enter and closed it. In all the years Steve had been dating and fucking every girl he went out with, not once had he EVER opened a car door for any one of them.
'God! What am I doing?' Steve asked himself. 'Has this kid put some kind of voodoo or magic spell on me? I mean, he's only Noah Carson, my best friend's kid brother, who I used to hate being around...and now, I'm treating him as if he were nicer than any girl I ever met!'
"Where to, the Dairy Queen?" Steve asked.
"You drive and I'll buy! You bought the popcorn and cokes!" Noah replied.
"Nothin' doin'! You're my da.." Steve stopped before he said it. 'DATE? What the fuck did I almost say? Noah's not my date. He's not even my best friend!'
Noah realized that Steve had almost referred to him as his date and he became slightly amused. He had never seen Steve embarrassed by anything, anytime, anywhere, by anybody. Steve ALWAYS had the last word. He was always full of confidence and self-assurance. Noah giggled to himself for he knew now that his ploy to upset Steve with the leg jive had worked. There were many things that Steve didn't know about him; things not even his own brother, Hal, knew. No one in Hawthorne was aware of the drastic changes that had been made in Noah's life at military school.
They walked up to the order window at the Dairy Queen, each deciding on a large cheeseburger all the way, fries, and large banana milk shakes. It was a pleasant summer evening and they chose to eat outside at one of the ornate concrete tables, complete with a red and white umbrella.
"You tired?" Steve asked, as they sat down to eat.
"Some," Noah replied. "My butt's kinda sore from sitting through three movies."
"Which one did you like the best?"
"Probably, 'Mr. Ripley', although I'm a huge fan of Brad Pitt's. He'll soon be forty years old and he still looks like a teenager."
"No teenager at Hawthorne ever looked like that. If he did, Hal and I would've been rat-shit out of luck with the girls."
"I suppose you were the Brad Pitt of Hawthorne High," Noah remarked, intending to compliment Steve.
"Oh, if you mean, 'did I get the most pussy?', well, then, yeah, I did. Hal did all right, too, though."
"What about Wade, Tyler, and Randy?"
"Ah, the three of them got Hal's and my leftovers, only...can you keep a secret?"
Noah was exhilarated by Steve's sudden trust. "Sure."
"I don't think Wade ever got any pussy. I talked it over with Hal, and we think Wade's still a virgin."
"He doesn't like guys, does he?"
This question disturbed Steve, thinking he had gotten off on the wrong subject.
"Wade?...A queer? Don't kid yourself. He probably has more naked pictures of girls than any of us. I bet he beats off four times a night, just lookin' at them, so's he can go to sleep."
That was not the answer Noah hoped to hear.
"What about you, little guy? Tell me about all them Chattanooga, Tennessee women? Do you get laid regularly on the weekend? I heard that military uniforms really turn girls on...and they'll blow you through your pants before you can unzip 'em."
"Naw, nothing like that has ever happened to me. Besides, it takes money to take a girl out on the weekend. I usually stay in the dorm and study. I got a 3.9 grade average."
"Is that good?"
"Well, 4.0 is straight 'A's'."
"So you're really doin' extra good in your school work, huh?"
"Yeah."
"What about year after next when you graduate? You goin' to college?"
"I'm trying to get a scholarship to Sewanee, the University of the South in Middle Tennessee."
"And study what? What do you want to be?"
"If I tell, that's a secret YOU'LL have to keep. I'm not ready to tell my folks or even Hal, for that matter."
"Jesus Christ! You wanna be a spy like James Bond? What's so secretive that you won't tell your folks?"
"Gotta swear that you won't tell anyone?"
"I swear!"
"Not even Hal! Although that might be a little difficult, Hal and I have no secrets. We know everything there is to know about one another."
"Then, I won't tell you...not unless you promise to let ME break the news to Hal first!"
"Damn, Noah, I just swore I wouldn't tell," Steve said, impatiently.
"All right...but you can't make fun of me!"
"Jesus Christ! Don't tell me you're gonna be a fuckin' hairdresser!"
Noah laughed. "No, nothing like that."
"Well?"
"I've heard my calling. I'm going to become a priest."
"HOLY SHIT! GOD-FUCKIN'-DAMN! No wonder you don't want your folks to know...although you might not have anything to worry about because I'm sure they're both gonna drop dead from a heart attack when you tell 'em."
"Steve, I can't let them know until I'm almost ready to graduate Baylor. If they hear of my intention, they won't let me go back for my senior year in high school."
"You probably got that right!" Steve took a big gulp of his milkshake. "A PRIEST! A FUCKIN' PRIEST FROM HAWTHORNE? Who got you interested in that in the first place? Don't you like girls? Do you want some Pope tellin' you what you can or can't do for the rest of your life?"
"Not a Roman Catholic priest, Steve, an Anglican priest."
"What the fuck is that?"
"It was a church which began in England when Henry the Eighth wanted to get a divorce and the Pope refused him. So he started his own church...the Church of England, or as it's known in this country, the Anglican Church."
"Oh, that's the one where priests can get married and have children."
"If they want to, yes."
"Well, thank God for that! I couldn't see Hal Carson's baby brother tryin' to live the rest of his life without pussy."
"That's another secret I have to keep from them, Steve."
"What?"
"I don't want to spend the rest of my life with a woman."
"What do you mean?"
"Steve, Hal MUSTN'T know this...but I think I'm gay."
"Gay?...like in 'queer'?"
"Well, yes."
"Ah, no! You're shittin' me! Have some of those military students been tryin' to give you blowjobs? I've heard about things like that in military schools, but most guys grow out of it, after they graduate."
"I don't think I will grow out of it, Steve."
"Have you had sex with a boy or a man, yet?"
"Not yet."
"Then how do you know that you're...'that' way?"
"I've always had gay feelings, only I could never discuss them with anyone in Hawthorne. My roommate is gay, but he and I have never done anything sexually. He goes to the Christ of the Vespers Anglican Church on Signal Mountain. He invited me to go and for the first time ever, I felt what it was like to have God in my life. I took classes at the church and was confirmed last year. I'm an Anglican now."
"And you're sure that your folks don't know?"
"Positive. They never asked, so I didn't have to lie to them about it. You're the only person in Hawthorne that knows. You're the only person in the world that knows that I'm gay."
"Why me, Noah? Why tell me about it when you know I might easily slip and tell Hal...and then he'd tell your folks. I wish now that you'd never told me."
"Steve, I had to tell someone."
"But like I said, why me?"
"Because, tonight, you treated me like an adult...not like Hal's kid brother. I've always looked up to you and admired you for being the man that I'd never become."
"All right, since we're puttin' our cards on the table, can I ask you somethin' and promise me that you'll answer me, honestly, with no fudgin' or hemmin' and hawin'? I want the honest-to-God's truth!"
"Okay."
"Tonight, at the movies! Were you rubbing your leg against mine on purpose? Was that some kind of queer thing you were doin' to me?"
Noah smiled, "Did you get excited?"
"Hell, NO! I didn't get excited!"
"Is that why you had to leave and go to the men's room?"
"Now you're puttin' me on the witness stand. It was me who asked you first."
"Then I won't lie...if you don't," Noah replied. "Yes, I was rubbing against you on purpose...and you DID get excited, didn't you?"
"Well, maybe...but why did you do it? If you hadn't been Hal's baby brother, I'd've hauled off and knocked your teeth out, all the way down to the movie screen."
"Why do you think you got excited?"
"I don't know and it's been buggin' the shit outta me all night!"
"You were wondering what it would be like to have sex with a male, just as I've been wondering about it all my life."
"Well, I ain't about to be your guinea pig! You'll have to wait until you go back to school and find that out from one of your classmates."
"None of them attract me the way that you do, Steve."
"You're sayin' that I attract you sexually?"
"Many nights I've laid awake jerking off while thinking about you."
"Noah, you're fuckin' insane."
"No, I'm not. I've always had a special feeling for you, even when I was sure you were trying to get rid of me."
"Noah, I've think you've told me enough secrets for one night. Finish up your shake! I'm takin' you home!"
"I've finished."
"If it's all the same to you, I'd just as soon that we not talk or say anything until we get there."
"Okay."
They walked back to the car, but this time, Noah opened the passenger door without Steve's gentlemanly assistance. True to his word, Noah didn't utter a word all the way home. Soon Steve's car pulled up in front of the Carson house. Steve kept the car's engine running, waiting for Noah to hurry up and get out.
Finally Noah exited the car and walked all the around to the driver's window which was lowered and spoke to Steve.
"I had a very nice time, Steve."
"OKAY."
"I hope you won't reveal my secrets to anyone."
"I promised, didn't I?"
"Thank you. I only hope you're not mad at me...Are you?"
"I suppose not...I mean, nothing DID happen between us," Steve said aloud, as if to convince himself.
"No, nothing happened. It's just that since I told you everything, would it be all right if I could talk to you again before the summer's over?"
"Maybe...TALK! But none of the leg rubbin'!"
"I promise I'll never do anything like that to you again."
"Okay, we'll talk."
"Thanks!"
"You're welcome."
"Good night."
"'Nite."
The moon lit up the Carson lawn as Noah slowly walked up the sidewalk and into his house.
When Steve drove away, he almost felt guilty about trying to shun Noah, especially when he knew how hard it must have been for Noah to divulge the innermost secrets of his heart. The kid DID need someone to talk with...to straighten him out and get rid of those foolish notions in his head. There was no one else and since Noah had chosen him to be his confessor, then it was up to him, Steve, to change the ways of Noah's thinking.
Steve went home, straight to his room, undressed in the dark and lay on top of his bed. The three movies and the private chat with Noah had exhausted Steve. All he had to do was jerk off and he'd be asleep in less than five minutes. He grabbed his semi-erect organ and slowly began to pump, as he did every night, even after he'd fucked a girl for hours. Jerking off was his final ritual of his day. He didn't want to get up to turn on a light and look at his newest Club magazine. He'd use one of his many girls for a fantasy. His right foot was caught in the top sheet on his bed and he slid his left foot down his right to free it. The rubbing of his leg brought to mind a recent memory. He remembered how exciting it was, just a few hours ago, to feel Noah's leg pressed against his own. Before he was totally ready, Steve reached an orgasm and cried out, "Oh! Oh! Oh! Noah, do that some more!"
Had those words come forth out of his mouth? Had the thought of Noah caused his premature ejaculation? What the fuck was going on? Instead of falling to sleep, Steve stayed awake the rest of the night, frightened by his actions and sudden feelings for Noah.
<><><><><><><><><><>(To be continued in Part Two)