The following is a pure work of fiction and is the property of the author.
If you are looking to get off quick, read something else. This story is presented in serial form and you'll read a lot of background, before you get any mind-blowing sex scenes and then not as many as in the past.
If you are bothered by same sex relationships, read no farther.
It's a story with some sex, not sex with some story.
Please remember this is fiction. Representation of characters and institutions may not be relevant to today's society.
I do not usually acknowledge e-mails, instead using my time to write.
I do appreciate hearing from you to let me know if this story is meeting your expectations.
Hope that you continue enjoying the story. LJB
Joseph Andrew Collins Chapter 7
At 7 o'clock precisely the front door of the House opened and four Brothers stepped out onto the porch, where eighteen of us stood. My friends and I automatically stood to attention. Some of the others around us noticed and uncertain how to respond, imitated us.
"I am Brother Vince, the Pledge Master. You may address me as Pledge Master." he stated in a moderate voice, which required the attention of everyone to be heard. "When you are in my presence, or that of any other Brother, you will stand at attention and remain silent, unless asked to speak." Everyone made a quick shift to a straightened, standing position and there was silence. "Line up by order of height, smallest to tallest."
I thought there was a slightly evil smile as he said that, knowing I would always be at the front of the line. I moved forward and Kirk moved toward the rear of the quickly formed line.
"Wait !" a voice reached us from off the property. Many of the Pledges turned to see what was happening.
"Eyes front." Pledge Master Vince barked. He left us and moved over to the top of the veranda steps. Two obviously late runners came up to the House and stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
"Sorry, we're late." one of the panting runners gasped out. "My watch is dead." he held up his arm as if to prove his point.
"I'm not an unreasonable person.," Pledge Master Vince stated, "but when I give an instruction, it's to be carried out. You Pledges turn this way and take note of this." Our line turned and we faced the errant Pledges. "You two should be the first two expelled from this year's Pledge class, but so that you and your Pledge brothers learn from the only infraction I am going to stay, you will be reprimanded instead. Turn around, drop your pants to expose your butts and bend over." The two looked at each other and hesitated.
"Pledge Chuck." Brother Andrew called out.
"Yes, Sir." Chuck answered loudly in his usual style.
"What did the Pledge Master just say about following his instructions ?" Brother Andrew asked.
"When he gave an instruction, it's to be carried out, Sir." Chuck responded loudly.
"Did he indicate a delay period, or an opportunity for a Pledge to think about it ?" Brother Andrew questioned further.
"No, Sir." Chuck confirmed. The two offenders hesitated no further. Setting the bundles of clothing they held onto the ground, they turned around, eased their trousers over their butts and bent over.
"Pledge Joe." Brother Steve called out.
"Yes, Sir." I responded loudly.
"Did the Pledge Master say, pants were to be eased down and butts to remain covered by underwear ?"
"No, Sir." I responded.
"What did the Pledge Master say ?" he asked.
"He said, 'drop your pants to expose your butts', Sir." I answered.
"Are those pants dropped ?" he questioned further.
"No, Sir." I said.
"Are those butts exposed ?" was his next question.
"No, Sir." I repeated.
"Pledge Joe, would you surmise these now, 'probationary' Pledges share a hearing problem ?"
"It seems a possibility, Sir." I conceded. During our exchange of conversation, the two offenders had both dropped their pants to the ground and pushed their underwear likewise.
"Good thing you got it right." the guy beside me whispered.
"Pledge Gary, what two things were you told to do when in the presence of any of the Brothers ?" Brother Andrew asked.
"Uh, stand at attention and remain silent, unless asked to speak ?" the guy next to me responded.
"You sound uncertain, were you not listening ?" Brother Andrew queried.
"No. I mean yes." Gary stuttered. "I mean, 'No', I'm not uncertain and 'Yes', I was listening.
"Last night when you delivered your acceptance to the Pledge Master, how were you taught to address a Brother?" Brother Andrew continued.
"Ah, oh, as Sir." he remembered. "Yes, Sir, I was listening."
"You may go over and take your place in line with the other two being reprimanded." Brother Andrew instructed. I immediately felt the wave of terror, which enveloped Gary next to me. It was chilling and I knew he was not able to move. I turned my head and looked sharply at Andrew. "You have something to say to me, Pledge Joe ?"
"May I take Pledge Gary's place, Sir ?" I requested. Andrew stared at me.
"Yes." he finally agreed. I went immediately down the stairs and got in line with the other two, exposed my butt and bent over. I could no longer see what was happening, but from what I could hear, Vince called Kirk out of the group and over to where the three of us were lined up. Someone handed Vince a paddle and told him we were to receive 2 whacks each. He was warned that if they were not his best blows, he would take our place and receive all six.
I heard the whirr of the paddle through the air and the crack of it striking the first offender seemed almost deafening. I sensed his pain, but as he had been instructed, he made no sound, except for the rush of air through his lungs. The next one and following two blows were delivered as efficiently as the first. The offenders were left in their bent positions, so that all Pledges could view the resultant sizzling red colouring of their reprimands.
Kirk had moved into position behind me. There was a delay. Pledge Master Vince moved over beside Kirk.
"I don't like this either," I heard him quietly whisper to Kirk, "but you're likely to hurt him less than any of the others. Now do it and get it over with." I knew Vince would do what he had to and now Kirk had to as well. I heard the paddle moving through the air.
"Hold." Brother Andrew ordered and Kirk caught his swing just before it reached me. "I have decided to defer this reprimand until a time which is more suitable, with your permission Pledge Master. Apparently Vince nodded his agreement.
"Adjust your clothing and go to your positions in line." Pledge Master Vince instructed. He turned toward the Pledges on the porch. "This has been the first and only demonstration of one of the ways you will be dealt with for infractions during the Trials. If any of you wish to resign at this time, there will be no hard feelings from this Fraternity." He waited a good minute for everyone to have a chance to think.
"Those who wish to resign, step forward now." Chris stated. No one moved. "Let's proceed."
It was one of the rooms in the basement I had never been in before. We had been led in single file from the porch, through the main lounge, which was vacant of any of the Brothers and down a staircase. This room was set-up like a lecture hall at the college. Desk-like lecture seats were tiered across the back two thirds of the room. A lecture platform and dais were at the front. We were instructed to sit in the seats. Don and Verne, the tardy Pledgers who were reprimanded, were allowed to stand if they preferred and they did. Brad entered the room and stepped up to the dais.
"I'm Brother Brad." he announced. "Pay attention, I am about to tell you information which will effect the rest of your life. I hold in my hand a contract. This contract is between the Delta Phi Delta Brotherhood and it's Pledge members. It basically says, One: you will have the right to withdraw from the Trials at any time, by telling any Brother that you wish to do so, Two: anything you learn, see or participate in from this point on is to be discussed with no one, excepting a DPD Fraternity member, Three: failure to adhere to item number two will result in payment to the Brotherhood of an indenture which comprises 50% of all your current holdings and assets and all future income from any source for the remainder of your lifetime." He stopped and looked out at all of us.
"Anyone having a question raise your hand. When you are designated, stand and address Brother Brad." the Pledge Master instructed. A couple hands went up. "Pledge William."
"Brother Brad, Sir. As I understand this, if I choose to leave this Fraternity, I become indebted to it for the rest of my life."
"You understand incorrectly, Pledge William." Brad corrected. "If you choose to leave the Fraternity at any time after the signing of the agreement until your demise and discuss or inform anyone else of the happenings and events within this Fraternity, you become indebted for the rest of your life. In other words, if you don't stay with us, keep your mouth shut."
"Pledge Gavin." the Pledge Master designated.
"Is this legal, Sir ?"
"You may have noticed," Brad said, "you have been given no itemization of costs or expenses for your residing in the House, or dues for membership. The reason is because there are none. The total cost of this Fraternity's operation and activities are taken from a fund, which is fed by collections from individuals who have violated this agreement. The first one was in 1909 and the latest in 2001. It's been upheld right to the Supreme Court, two Justices of which abstained from the decision because they are Brothers." There seemed to be no further questions.
"Each of you will be called to an office to review and sign your agreement." Brother Chris instructed. "You will take one of your Pledge brothers with you to serve as your witness. You will meet with Brother Brad and Brother Andrew, or a pair of the other Brothers, who will answer any further questions you may have. One of the College's Law Professors is upstairs and will consult with any of you who wish. He has no affiliation to this Fraternity and will advise you with strict independence and confidentiality. Anyone who decides not to sign the agreement will be considered to have resigned and will be free to leave with no strings or commitments." Andrew had moved around and was now standing next to where I was sitting.
"Bring Kirk with you into the office we're using." he instructed. I acknowledged his order.
While some were doing their contracts, the rest were given large bags with our names on them and told to store the change of clothing we had brought in them and then we were allowed to sit and talk quietly. It wasn't long before my name was called. Kirk and I entered the office and Andrew pointed to chairs for us to sit in.
"Explain your actions." Andrew demanded. I knew what he was asking.
"He was too frightened, Andrew." I said. "I could sense his terror. He couldn't have moved from where he was and that would have caused a lot of problems and upset."
"He could have resigned." Brad commented.
"No, you don't want that." I said without even thinking. "I can't tell you why, but there is something about this House. When I'm here with the Brothers, I know things and feel things. I'm not even sure who Gary Davis is, but I know he's been abused and you struck a seriously exposed nerve this evening."
"What do you think ?" Andrew asked Brad.
"I think he's right." Brad replied. "I wasn't aware of the feelings until Tick focused my attention to it. Gary was too terrified to move. He couldn't have coped, if Tick hadn't mediated."
"You said, that I didn't want Gary to resign, Tick." Andrew reviewed. "Do you know why ?"
"It's a feeling that he has something important to do." I told him. "I don't know what it is, but it will have great benefit to this House. Is that crazy for me to say ?"
"No, Tick. It's not." Andrew assured me. "Don't be afraid of your feelings. Do you remember what I told you about coming and talking to me about anything, even if you feel it would be inappropriate with someone else ?" I nodded my acknowledgement. "You remember it. All you need to do is tell any Brother you want to see me."
"Thanks, Sir." I said. Andrew stood and stepped over to me. I stood up and he hugged me. I felt a sense of warmth and happiness. When he released me I gazed up at his face and looked deeply into his eyes. "Someday, you and I will be much more than just friends."
"I've thought so for a long time, Tick." he responded. He held my gaze briefly and then turned back to Brad. "All right, let's get these two signed in."
After the contracts were completed with no one choosing to resign, we were taken back upstairs to the main lounge and then led into what I knew last term as the Seniors' Wing. The graduating Seniors had vacated it at the end of last spring and now it had become the Freshman Wing, for the next short while, the Pledge Wing, for this new school year. We went up to the second floor and down the main hallway.
"Everyone have a look around." Brother Chris instructed. "Meet back here in 5 minutes. Pledge Verne, you will manage to gauge the time more accurately, won't you ?" Verne reached behind himself and lightly rubbed the back of his pants.
"Yes, Sir, Brother Chris. I sure will."
Everyone had looked at the 6 double bedrooms, shower and drying rooms and toilets and was back in the hall with time to spare. We then went down to the main floor and looked around there.
"Now, pay attention." Pledge Master Vince announced. "I'm giving the lot of you one and a half hours to have this Wing spotless. I want the floors swept, washed and polished, the walls and ceilings dry wiped, the furniture vacuumed and polished, the bedrooms cleaned as well as the shower and toilet rooms and the staircase polished. This is a group project and the level of my pleasure with the total result will be reflected on all of you." The Brothers indicated the cleaning supplies and equipment and then they left.
The room was silent for a few moments, then a murmur arose as people started to quietly speak to each other. After several minutes the discussions continued, but no one had hardly moved more then a foot or two. I motioned to Kirk, Pete and Chuck to follow me. We grabbed a bucket, some cloths and some cleanser and headed toward the stairs.
"Where you guys goin' ?" RAT called out. I turned back toward him.
"I don't know about you guys," I answered, "but I'm still facing a session with the paddle and I don't want to give the Pledge Master any reason to make it more than one. We're goin' up to clean the showers and drying rooms. The rest of you can divide things up however you want, but do a good job, because this is a group project and my ass is as much at risk for what you do, as yours are for what I do."
"Fuck, I don't know what to do." RAT responded. "I don't usually do the cleaning. Where do we start ?"
"Find some dirt," I called back to him, "and clean it up." I heard him grumbling and the others start to move as our group moved upstairs and into the shower room. "Where do you guys want to start ?"
"You tell us what to do, Fearless Leader and we'll do it." Chuck replied. I looked around and our numbers had increased. In addition to our regular four, Gary Davis had followed along with us.
"Hey, Gary." I acknowledged him. "You going to give us a hand ?" He stood with us, but a little separated from our group. He was watching me.
"I don't know how to thank you for what you did for me earlier." he said. "I don't even know you and you saved me. Why ?"
"You're our Brother and you needed help." I said. "That's what fraternity is about. Someday you may need to do the same thing for me."
"I'd want to, but I don't know if I could." Gary replied.
"Okay." I responded. "For now, you can help us clean." Just at that point the shower room door opened with Brad and Vince walking in.
"Brothers on deck." Chuck muttered when he spotted them. We all came immediately to attention and stopped talking.
"Isn't this wonderful, Vince, finding these hard working little drones cleaning and scrubbing their little hearts out." Brad observed.
"Permission to speak to my crew, Sir ?" I requested.
"You go right ahead, Pledge Joe." Vince conceded.
"Would you guys make a note please, to remind me next time I see my very own, personal brother, Brad, to flip him the bird ?"
"Sure thing, bro." Kirk chuckled. Vince and Brad both laughed.
"Joe, Andrew wants to see you and Gary in his office." Brad told me.
"Yes, Sir." I acknowledged. "You guys okay here ?" I asked Kirk, Pete and Chuck. They all nodded. "Come on, Gary." We left the shower room. As we passed through the hallway I saw several teams of Pledges cleaning the bedrooms. Going downstairs there were more cleaners in the lounge. I stopped where RAT was vacuuming. "I see you've found a skill."
"You got a lot of balls for such a bloody, little runt, don't you ?" he asked.
"You don't even know the half of it." I responded. "I just stopped to tell you the Brothers never showed us the office and spare room and bathroom over there," I pointed, "but it's part of this wing and I'm willing to bet they'll check them."
"Okay, Joe." he acknowledged. "I'll get some people to go through there." Gary and I went into the lounge in the main house and turned toward the stairs.
"Where you goin', Joe ?" Nathan called to me from his seat in the lounge area. I stopped and came to attention. Gary mimicked me.
"Brother Andrew sent for us to come to his office, Sir." I replied.
"Does the Pledge Master know where you are ?" he asked.
"He sent us, Sir." I answered.
"Good man." he responded. "Go ahead and have a good night."
"Thank you, Sir." I called as we started up the stairs. Vince was in his office on the main second floor with another man I did not recognize. I stopped at the door to his office and knocked.
"Come in guys." Andrew called out. We entered the room and stood at attention, waiting for instructions. "Sit down fellas." We sat in the chairs he pointed to. "Pledge routine is suspended while you are in my office, understood."
"Yes, Sir." I responded. He looked over to me and I grinned.
"Gary, this is Dr. John Bayer. He's a Psychologist and a Brother in this Fraternity. We have some concerns with you continuing in the Trials, but Joe insists you should. Can you tell us what happened with you tonight ?" Gary sat staring at the desk, not acknowledging anything.
"Gary, they want to put you out for your own good, but I think you'll be better off here with us." I said to him quietly. "I know how afraid you are and I know why." He looked up at me, his eyes trying to pierce my forehead to see if I did know. "I can tell them, or you can, but they have to be told if you're going to stay."
"How do you know ?" Gary asked me.
"As hard as this may be to believe, I felt it tonight when Andrew threatened to paddle you." I told him. "I could feel it come from you to me. You can trust these men. I do."
He continued to stare at me in silence, then slowly he shifted his gaze to Andrew and then to Dr. Bayer.
"While I was growing up, I was physically abused by my Mother's boyfriend throughout my teen years. He beat me repeatedly, until a year ago, when I shot him. There was an inquiry and it was acknowledged I acted in self-defence. It was suppose to be all over then, but I'm still living with it. When I was threatened tonight, I lost control of my emotions and started to shut down. If Joe hadn't stepped in, I don't know what would have happened." Everyone sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Gary, would it be okay with you, if I came over here to the House a couple times a week and we sat and talked for an hour or so ?" Dr. Bayer asked. Gary thought for a moment.
"It's okay with me." he said. "As long as I don't have to call you Brother Doctor." Everyone chuckled. I was glad to see Gary was holding on to his sense of humour. Some arrangements were made and then Andrew sent Gary back to the Freshman Wing.
"You've had a busy time, Mr. Collins." Andrew commented. "Between Gary and Kirk, you've got us hopping to make sure nobody has a mental breakdown during this Trial session."
"Kirk is okay." I asserted. "He needed to find his true self, instead of the image he had built around himself in his own mind. He's doing that and he's doing okay."
"I concur with your prognosis, Joe." Dr. Bayer noted with a big smile. "Are you cutting him loose yet ?" I knew what he meant. Kirk was continuing to feel all his achievement and improvement stemmed from me, instead of his own efforts.
"I'm trying," I responded, "but he's fighting me." I could see from the look on their faces they both understood. "I've thought about the sleeping arrangements tonight and Kirk won't be happy when I ask him to sleep with Gary, but they both need it."
"Joe, when Trials are over and routine gets into a normal pattern, how be you and Andrew and maybe Brad too, have lunch or dinner with me and see if we can talk you into studying psychology, instead of law. You'd be a natural." the Doctor stated. "I'll even talk your Dad into it, if you're interested."
"Thank you for the invitation, Sir." I responded, without any commitment.
"All right you turkeys." Vince was calling the Pledge group together as I returned to the Freshman Wing. "You've even had an extra 15 minutes as allowance for Joe being taken away. Let's see how you've done." He and Steve put on white gloves and went around rubbing doorframes and floor corners, crevices and windowsills. When they returned to where we were gathered in the lounge, they held up their gloves. There was a little greying on a couple of the fingers, but overall not a bad job I thought.
"Passable." Vince declared, "for a first attempt." There was a collective sigh of relief. He turned to me. "You told them to clean the office, didn't you ?." It was a redundant question. "I'm going to have to keep you busier." I couldn't help smiling and I saw RAT arch his eyebrows toward me.
"Everyone can find a seat and sit down." Steve announced. He came around to each of us with a box and handed us a small roll of Lifesavers out of it. Peppermint flavour. "You will note these are not full sized packages. There are ten candy Lifesavers in each of them. Enjoy them if you like. You will carry this roll with you at all times. Each time a Brother corrects you, notes an error, or for any reason he feels justified, he will take a Lifesaver from you. When they are all gone, so are you."
"The next few days will be spent getting to know people." Vince announced. "On the table over there are several photo albums. The photo of each Brother who will be on campus is in each book. Starting at breakfast, the day after tomorrow, each of you will be expected to identify any Brother by his first name. As of breakfast, Wednesday morning, any Brother who approaches you whose first name you don't know will charge you a Lifesaver. There will be a maximum of three Lifesavers lost per day, per Pledge on this Trial."
"Joe, you are the exception. You already know names, so for you, full names will be required, first and last." Brad declared.
"Thank you, Sir." I acknowledged with a bit of a sneer. He grinned big at me.
"Next, you guys are going to get to know each other, really well." Vince continued. "When we are done here, you will all proceed upstairs to the showers. All your clothing will be taken and put in labelled bags. You will shower. You will find your name on the toothbrush rack and place your brush in the slot. The person whose name is tagged to yours is your partner for the next 48 hours. You will sleep together, shower together, eat together, shit together and if you're so inclined and have the opportunity, fuck together, never being out of each other's reach during that period. Oh and one of you, your choice, is to be mute from wakeup tomorrow until you're told otherwise."
"Be helpful to your partner, because whoever is the talker tomorrow will be the mute the next day. If you are found without your partner at any time it will cost 5 Lifesavers from whoever is responsible for the separation, or each if blame is not attributable. You must be within grasping space of each other." Brad added. "The mute restriction is lifted only in the classroom during lecture time when you are in your seat, on the practice field, or if you are addressed by a Brother." I looked around the room and some of my fellow Pledges appeared a mite shaken up.
"As always, if you can not carryout the assignment, you are free to resign." Vince stated. That appeared to unnerve some more and resolve others. "I will take pertinent questions." He pointed to RAT whose arm was waving.
"Pledge Master Vince, Sir, what exactly are the sleeping arrangements ?"
"You do the math Pledge Robert. 5 bedrooms, times 2 beds, divided among 20 guys. What do you get from that ?"
"I get 2 guys per bed, Sir, in the raw for the night."
"Haven't you ever shared your bed with a brother or cousin, Robert ?" Vince asked.
"Yes, Sir." RAT replied. "Back when I was 12 years old."
"Just think of it as reliving old times then." Vince concluded.
"Yes, Sir." he answered. "It just seems to me my cousin was sore and walked funny the next day and I'm sure a lot bigger now, Sir." There was a nervous twitter from some of the group.
"Lucky cousin, maybe you'll get the right partner for the night." Vince said and winked at him. Several of those present chuckled, some look startled. I laughed out loud.
Twenty minutes later we were all in the shower room, putting our clothing in the bags we had been given on our way in. I pulled Kirk aside.
"I think you're going to be partnered with Gary tonight." I said. He glowered at me and started to object. "This isn't our ballgame, go with the flow. He's been badly hurt and I need you to look after him, okay ?" His expression changed and he nodded to me. "Thanks, Kirk." I rubbed him fondly on his upper arm.
On the way into the shower, I stuck my toothbrush in the slot with my name on it and found I had been paired with RAT. I turned slightly and glared at Brad, who was collecting clothing bags. He stopped what he was doing and looked over at me. I knew. Walking over to him, I said just loud enough for Vince to hear me,
"Thank you, Sir. I really appreciate an opportunity to spend my first Fraternity night with a super stud, like RAT. It was extra considerate for you to have arranged it." Turning back to the showers, I heard Vince's annoyed voice,
"What's going on, Brother ? That's not the kind of move I consider supportive of Joe and I developing a relationship." Glancing back I saw Vince scowling at Brad and Brad scowling at me. I turned my attention to the showers, where some of my fellow Pledges were already starting to exit and take the towels stacked on the benches.
Robert Allan Trunt, or RAT as he seemed to be usually called by those who knew him became the focus of my attention. This 6 foot, 160-pound tower of sleek, bulging muscle was handsome, fit and hung. As I watched him wash his hair in the shower, my eyes didn't really know where to look first. He had large feet. They must have been size 12 or 13. His muscular calves and thighs had a light coating of black hair, which showed dark, moistly matted against his wet skin, but was almost invisible, when dry. Narrow hips bordered a pubic bush, which was also black and normally had the appearance of being thick, soft and silky. In its currently wet state, it clung tight against his body and accentuated the outward arch of his flaccid dick, which was creamy white, circumcised, thick, hung down about 4 inches and appeared meaty. The pink cap had a mushroom shape to it and the slit in the end was narrow, not reaching fully from one side to the other. His fir covered scrotal sac hung loose another couple inches below his dangling dick and outlined two golf ball sized sperm producers.
My eyes travelled up his hard, flat abdomen following the well-marked treasure trail from his bush, up around his hard knot of a navel and along the well defined six-pack abdominals, supporting hair covered pectorals with quarter sized, pink nipples barely visible. My chest is defined, his chest is DEFINED. Strong, well-muscled arms worked his hands through his hair as he rinsed and looked around. The normally silky swirls of black hair under each arm were wet and flat. His flashing green eyes caught mine and a smile stretched his five o'clock shadow over his squared jaw line.
"Joe, come on in here." he called out. "I'm just about done."
I moved over beside him and started to run the soap over my chest and abdomen. I suddenly felt his hands rubbing soap on my back and down to my butt. I twisted my neck and looked around at him.
"I figured if I was going to be pressed up tight against it all night," he offered in an explanation he seemed to think my look called for, "I should make sure it's well washed off."
"Sorry I wasn't here earlier to help you with what you expected to press up against me." I remarked, a little sarcastically.
"Touché, Brother." he quipped with a big grin. As I washed my hair, he continued to stand beside me in the warm water even though he had finished with his shower.
"You don't need to wait for me, you know." I said, when I rinsed my hair and saw him still standing there.
"No prob." he declared. "I just thought I'd size up the opposition while he was showering, just like you did." I could feel my dick start to fill out for some reason., so I cut things short.
"Thanks. I didn't think you actually looked at me as competition." I commented.
"Well, not really." he shot back. "I'm still trying to figure out why they let a little guy like you in here, even if you're cute and pretty well built."
"They had to, I'm 'legacy'." I informed him. He gave me a look of confusion. "My Dad's a Brother and my older brother's here as one"
"He is ?" he asked in disbelief. "Which one is he ?"
"He's the one who's about to kick both your butts, if you don't get out of here and into the drying room with everyone else." Brad declared. "Me." RAT was startled and turned to find Brad standing behind him.
"Yes, Sir," he responded and turning back to me said, "hurry up, Joe." We were out of the shower and into the drying room in a matter of seconds, where Brad handed each of us a dry towel. Everyone was standing around and the room looked like a nudist convention. Like I've said before, a jock hotel.
"Listen up." Pledge Master Vince announced. "My last communiqué for the night. Whoever is the talker in your pair tomorrow had best fill his partner in on all the details of his life and the next day, the other way around. On Wednesday evening you will each make a 5-minute presentation, introducing your new partner to the other members of this Pledge Class. The introduction must include at least one very personal detail or story which up to now has not been known openly, but is to be shared with your Pledge brothers." We were dismissed to our rooms. I went to brush my teeth and after turning in the towel, I strolled naked into our room.
Kirk, Gary and RAT were all there, sitting on the sides of the beds in silence. When I checked the bed, I found there was only one pillow and one blanket on it. When those bastards said share, they meant share.
"Do you guys all know each other ?" I asked.
"Sorta, Kinda and No." were the three responses, so I introduced everyone by name.
"Gary, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you before, but Kirk is my roommate and good friend. I know he's big and gruff, but he'll take good care of you, so just relax and rely on him." I told him. "I'm tired and I'm going to bed."
"RAT, you be good to Joe, you hear ?" Kirk growled.
"Or what ?" RAT snarled back. Kirk fixed him in a hard stare.
"Or I'll get stuck helping scrape you off the floor or wall, after he takes a big chunk out of you." Kirk warned him and then snickered as if he had a private joke all to himself.
"What the fucks wrong with him ?" RAT asked me in low tones.
"He's just tired." I suggested. "Let's go to bed."
"Now you're talkin'." RAT answered full of bravado. We climbed onto the bed and pulled the cover over us. We were quite comfortable lying on our sides, back to back.
"Hey Kirk." RAT whispered. "I hope it won't bother you to hear moans of pleasure from Joe thru the night." Without waiting for a reaction, he reached over and turned out the bedside light.