Robert's Revelations Chapter 10
Robert's Revelations
This story is set in rural England in 1982. It is, obviously, written in British English with British words and spellings. The cultural references are also from that time and place so I hope that references to cars, TV shows or music won't spoil the story for those who don't know them. Follow the links provided for more information or just ignore them. (And yes, I know you can use a search engine just as well as I can. The links are for convenience, not to insult anyone.)
As always, this is fiction and any resemblance to real people is coincidental. In some chapters controversial opinions will be expressed. Please remember they are the characters' opinions, not the author's. Some are opinions I profoundly disagree with but I've tried to state them fairly, not parody them.
Comments and feedback are welcomed and can be sent to: robertsymes65@use.startmail.com
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Chapter Ten: David and Tony, 1980-81
Note: At the time of this story 'social' (low rent) housing in the UK was almost all owned and run by local government (councils). The Thatcher government's 'right to buy' legislation was not yet operative and so council estates were council estates, exclusively owned by the council and occupied by tenants. If a tenant wanted to move they could organise a swap with someone who wanted to move the other way.
This chapter will be a little different because it is not about me, and I was not involved in the events described. It is written as if I was there in the background witnessing everything but of course I wasn't. I've put this together from accounts told to me by various people plus a little imagination to fill in the gaps.
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August 1980: Gerald Porter took his sons Andrew, 17 and David, 14 with him to inspect progress on their new home. They didn't have far to go, the new home was being built in the back garden of their existing home but it was very different. The existing house was a big old Victorian former rectory, the new one a stylish modern house.
A lorry from a local builders' merchant was parked on site, being unloaded by a boy about David's age, with help from a couple of site labourers who were taking what the boy gave them to where it was needed. The driver stood idly by the vehicle chatting to the site foreman and smoking a cigarette. Perhaps he didn't see Gerald approaching because he laughed at something the foreman said and replied “Yeah, it's hard to believe that little runt's my son isn't it? Maybe a bit of fuckin' graft'll toughen him up a bit.” [Graft here means work, not corruption.]
David glanced sympathetically at the boy, who was looking at his father with murder in his eyes. Their eyes met and he felt a connection, like he wanted to be friends. But that was ridiculous, he'd never seen the boy before and presumably never would again. The 'connection' was probably just sympathy.
“I don't see you grafting much” Gerald pointed out. “Does your employer know you use that language around clients and their children?”
The man's demeanour changed instantly. “I'm sorry, sir. I didn't see you there. Everyone talks like that on site, but not in front of clients, as you say.” He went to drop his cigarette, thought better of it and put it out in the ashtray in the cab. Then he went to help his son and the foreman went with Gerald, explaining how the work was progressing.
Andrew and David followed a bit behind, keen to see how the new house was progressing but uninterested in the technical details. “What a dick!” said Andrew, quietly. “He certainly makes our dad look good.” David heartily concurred. Later they went back to the old house and forgot about it.
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September 1980: The first day back at school. David Porter was in the fourth year now and would be fifteen in a couple of months. He went to his new form room, where he would go to registration each morning and also spend the first period today being issued with his timetable for the year. As a fourth year he could drop a lot of subjects that didn't interest him and just do his 'o' level subjects plus the compulsory ones (Maths, English, Civics, Physical and Religious Education) and was enjoying the prospect of no more French, no more Woodwork.
They remained in their form rooms until morning break while timetables were issued and any queries resolved. After break David had Physics, one of his favourite subjects. On his way to the science block he saw a boy he didn't know, but who somehow looked familiar, looking at a plan of the school and looking around uncertainly. Everyone else seemed to be ignoring him so David decided to do his good deed for the day.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I think so. I'm looking for Lab 4. Is it round here somewhere?”
“If you're going there you must have Physics with Mr Alderton. So have I. I'll take you there. Come on it's this way. I'm David Porter by the way.”
“I'm Tony Jackson” said the stranger. “In case you didn't guess, I'm new here.” He smiled and David suddenly realised why he looked familiar. He was the lorry driver's son he'd sympathised with last month. He'd get a chance to befriend him after all.
“That's it!” said David suddenly. “I knew I'd seen you before somewhere. You were helping unload a lorry delivering stuff to the site of our new house last month. Your dad swore and my dad told him off.”
Tony looked at him intently. “Oh yeah, I remember now. I'm trying to imagine you without the school uniform.” He suddenly looked embarrassed. “I mean trying to imagine you in ordinary clothes that is. Look, we can chat later but hadn't we better get to the lesson? I don't want to be late on my first day.”
“Good point” said David. He guided Tony to the lab and since they arrived together and Tony didn't know anyone it seemed natural for them to sit together, work together and then go to lunch together, as Tony didn't know where to go for that either.
It seemed that Tony's father had fallen out with his former neighbours (easy to imagine) and the council had arranged a house swap from his old home in a different school's catchment area to a village near David's. Hence the change of schools. He'd spent the summer 'helping' whenever his dad was working alone “which means doing the lazy old git's work while he sits around chatting” said Tony cynically, “but I do like riding in the lorry. You get a good view from the cab. And I didn't have to do it that often, most of the time he has a driver's mate to help him.”
By the end of lunch they had really 'hit it off' and were on the way to being good friends. As Tony settled into the school David introduced him into his friendship group who might be described as the 'in crowd' of popular and successful pupils in their year. He fitted right in and soon it was as if he'd always been part of the group.
As the weeks went by David and Tony grew closer and became unmistakeably best friends. There was a bond between them that neither had ever felt with anyone else, they seemed to 'get' each other somehow. And they started spending time together out of school at each others' houses.
Or more accurately at David's house. Tony's family lived in a nice enough house and his mother kept it spotlessly clean but it was much smaller than David's. And more to the point, it contained Tony's family. Tony was clearly embarrassed by his father and his constant jibes and David took an instant dislike to him. His mother was pleasant but seemed cowed and defeated and afraid of her husband. His sister was frankly a manipulative bitch who curried favour with her dad by joining in with his insults of her brother. Tony preferred to spend as little time at home as possible and David didn't blame him.
So they hung out together at school with their friends and at David's house with each other, mainly at the weekend. Tony would catch the bus over on Saturday morning and David's mum would drive him home on Sunday evening after dinner (which Tony had always called 'tea'). To save David's mum having to change the sheets on a bed he brought a sleeping bag and slept on the floor in David's room. (And at this point in the story he really did sleep in it.)
It was in Spring of 1981 when things changed, and they could never really explain exactly how it happened or why. The Porters had recently completed the new house and moved in. On this particular Saturday Tony was staying over, as he so often did, and the Porters were celebrating because they'd just completed on the sale of the old rectory for much more money than they'd expected.
Actually the sale had completed during the week but the confirmation letter and cheque for the proceeds had arrived that morning. Mr Porter flourished bottles of champagne. “We're in the money now!” he bragged. “That's more than we paid! A free site and a couple of thou left over, can't be bad. 'Happy talking talking happy talk'” he sang. “'Talk about things you'd like to do.'”
“I'd like to get a new car, and some good furniture for the lounge and dining room” interrupted his wife. She looked at his face and laughed. “Don't panic Mr Arkwright, I don't mean brand new. I can get really good furniture pretty cheap at the auction 'cos everyone wants new. And a three or four year old car will do. But that Hillman Imp of mine is not long for this world and your old Triumph is just an embarrassment, you can see the road through the floor!”
“You drive a hard bargain Nurse Gladys Emmanuel,” he laughed, “but how can I refuse you? New second-hand it is, for both of us. And bubbly all round! Get some glasses boys, one won't hurt you.”
One didn't hurt them, and a surreptitious refill when Dad wasn't looking hurt even less. Andrew saw them looking covetously at the (second) champagne bottle, grinned and winked, and deliberately distracted his father with a technical question about the construction. When the younger boys went to play on the computer in David's bedroom (a gift from his uncle) they were happy and giggly but couldn't concentrate well so ignored the computer and found themselves talking about TV comedies.
“I like 'Open All Hours'” said Tony. “But your dad's not really like that old skinflint Arkwright is he?”
“No, it's like a joke with him and Mum” explained David. “Dad's always been careful with money but this house.... Well they always really wanted something like this and then when the rectory came up for sale and they saw a chance and, well, I don't think they could really afford it but they did it anyway. Since October '78 we've had nothing we didn't absolutely need. No holidays, the cheapest food, everything. They even sold their cars and bought the bangers they've got now, they were clapped out then. I think they made a joke out of it to stay sane because it's been so hard. If they've sold the rectory for that price their mortgage payment is less than half and they'll have a few thousand in cash. Enough for some furniture and a couple of decent cars anyway. That slightly hysterical happiness is mostly relief.”
“Oh, I see, hence why you live in a big house that's mostly empty with cheap old tatty furniture and a black and white telly.” Tony screwed his eyes shut, opened them, shook his head and giggled. “I think my 'slightly hysterical happiness' is mostly alcohol!”
“Mostly perhaps, but not entirely I hope. You do like being here with my family don't you?”
“Of course I do, you silly sod, I'm here aren't I? There's other places I could be, you know.”
“Good to know. Now what were we talking about? Oh, yeah. Did you see 'Are You Being Served' on Thursday?” David laughed at the memory. Tony wasn't the only one affected by alcohol. “Mrs Slocombe and her pussy! I don't know how they get away with it.”
“No, my dad won't have it on” said Tony. “Says it's just smut and quote 'that bloody nancy boy is sick, it shouldn't be allowed' unquote. I think Mum would like to watch it but she never argues with him.”
David got up from his chair and minced round the room imitating John Inman's unique 'Mr Humphries' walk. He sat on the bed next to Tony. “I'm free!” he trilled.
Tony laughed. “You're priceless!” he replied. They stared at each other intently. Suddenly Tony leaned over and kissed David on the lips, just a quick peck that could be passed off as a joke if necessary.
David was shocked. Not so much by the action, which he certainly hadn't expected, but by his own reaction. Now he understood the nature of his unique bond with Tony. It was a shock, but not a surprise. He'd sort-of-known for a while, but never dared allow it into consciousness let alone hope it might be reciprocated. The desire to return the kiss was undeniable. And terrifying. This was dangerous and he couldn't afford to get it wrong. What if Tony really was just messing around? He could get himself beaten up and lose both his best friend and his reputation. But something in the look on Tony's face, a mixture of hope and fear, told him this was no joke. Screwing up his courage he leaned in and returned the kiss, a slightly longer and firmer peck that could still just about qualify as 'revenge' if need be.
“I'm glad you did that!” said Tony fervently. “I was half expecting a fist instead. I never dared try anything like that before, it must be the drink talking!”
“You too? Well let's be thankful for 'Dutch courage' then.” David kissed him again, properly this time. He felt like he must be dreaming. This couldn't possibly be real, but he knew that it was. And it felt so good and right. So why were tears forming in his eyes? Did alcohol do that? He stopped eventually and then, feeling rather embarrassed, put his hand down his trousers and adjusted his erection to a more comfortable position.“It wasn't until I did that that I realised how much I wanted to. How long have you known?”
Tony blatantly stared as David adjusted himself, then ostentatiously did the same. “Feels kind of weird, doesn't it, when you get something you really wanted but didn't think you could ever have. But don't cry or you'll start me off. How long have I known? About you? Roughly one minute for sure, but I did have hopes. About me? Since I saw you staring at me on the back of Dad's lorry. I wanted to jump down and ravish you then and there, there was something about the way you were staring at me. Remember the first day of school when I said I was trying to imagine you without the school uniform and got embarrassed? That's because I had been. Without the uniform or anything else.” He grinned suddenly. “Still do, actually. Maybe I won't have to much longer.”
“Yeah, maybe not” replied David nervously. “But I'm not too sure about anything so let's not rush it. I mean.... well, not you but the... how it works. That is...”
He was interrupted by a knock at the door. “You two hibernating in there?” called Andrew. “It's ten past nine. Hammer House of Horror is on at quarter past. You coming downstairs to watch?”
“Yeah, we'll be down in a minute. White coffee with two sugars for me and Tony if you're making one” called David. He turned to Tony apologetically and said quietly “I love that programme. They'll get suspicious if I miss it.” But truthfully he was glad of a chance to 'pause' this situation for a while. He knew he wanted this to develop, whatever 'this' was, but at the same time it was new and scary and he needed time.
“I understand” Tony replied. “And I like it too.” Then he grinned. “And the programme. But I'll still be here when it finishes. You don't get rid of me that easy.”
“That's good” laughed David. “Because I don't want to! Now let's go downstairs before it starts.”
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“Come on then” urged David, leading Tony into his bedroom. “No time like the present. Andrew's out with his girlfriend, Dad's at work and Mum's gone into town on the bus to look at a car. Her old one broke down and it's not worth fixing so she has to share Dad's and he needs it today. Dad got a really good deal buying two cars from the same place so if Mum likes it they're good to go. But she won't be back for ages yet.”
“I thought your mum worked too?”
“She does, but only part time now they've sold the old house. So she worked this morning, then housework, then caught the 3:17 into town. The 5:10 back is the earliest she'll get so we've got over an hour. Come on, I want you out of that uniform!”
It was Friday afternoon a couple of weeks after they'd celebrated the house sale. Tony had snuck onto David's bus home, raising the driver's ire when he noticed as they alighted. “Do that again and I'll report you” he grumbled. “This is a school bus, not a bleedin' taxi service.” They had apologised sincerely, then laughed about it after he drove off.
Now, as he walked into the bedroom, Tony was apprehensive. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.
“Yes, of course, we've done everything else. Why? Don't you want to?”
“Nah, not really. My gorgeous hot sexy friend wants me to have sex with him. It's a bore but I'll do him a favour..... Too bloody right I want to! But I don't want to hurt you. Aren't you even a bit nervous?”
“Well, yeah, a bit” admitted David. “But I want to know what it feels like and there's only one way to find out. I had two fingers up there in the bath last night, getting everything clean and thinking of you. It felt good, but I want more. I want you!”
“You've got me! But you know it's against the law?”
“Fuck the law!”
Tony laughed. “Only if you're the law, sweetheart. I want to know what it feels like too. But if it hurts tell me and I'll stop, that's what scares me.”
David silenced him with a kiss that soon became passionate and soon they were tearing their clothes off.
David lay face down on his bed, legs spread, as Tony nervously approached his target. “I don't know what the hell I'm doing here... let's try getting you a bit wet, that may help.” He used his tongue to liberally apply saliva to the entrance. If the gasps and moans from David were anything to go by it certainly was helping.
The tongue was followed up by a finger, then a second, exploring and loosening. Then Tony spat in his hand and used it to wet his member. He gently and slowly pushed it in a little way, then gently moved back and forwards, going in a little further each time. It felt amazing, like being sucked into a smooth, warm place tailor made to fit him. David's body didn't seem to want to let him go. He gradually began to increase the pace, aware of his own need but still afraid to cause hurt or damage. But the gasps and moans were of pleasure, not pain, and he continued thrusting until the feeling was overwhelming and he spent himself into David's body.
David lay there experiencing these new sensations. He was nervous, at first. But the pain was mild and bearable and soon gave way to enormous pleasure. The feeling of Tony inside him, filling and stretching him, was like nothing he'd ever known. Something inside him was being stimulated by each thrust, and each time the ecstasy reached a new height. Finally Tony slammed into him one last time and spasmed. He realised what that meant and felt his own body do the same. He hadn't expected that. They lay there for a while, exhausted.
After a few minutes they summoned up the energy to move, disentangled from each other and stood up, somewhat shaky and unsteady after that intense experience. “That was amazing” said David, in a tone that sounded as if he doubted his own memory of what just happened. “I feel a Tony shaped void inside me.” Then in a much more normal tone “Oh no!” He pulled his y-fronts back on hastily. “Your come is leaking back out of me, and mine is all over the bedspread. We're going to have to clean this up before Mum sees it, she'll go nuts!” They regarded the stain on the bed cover.
“Oh my God, I don't believe this!” said a voice behind them.
“Who the hell are you?” said Tony, looking round.
“Jeremy!” said David at the same moment. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for the bathroom. Your mum said the door facing you at the end of the landing.”
“There's two doors. The bathroom's the left one! That's why it says 'David's Room' on this door!”
Jeremy stepped back and looked. “You're right. Your door is the one right at the end of the landing, the other one's off to the side. I didn't even notice. Sorry, my mistake.”
“Well, go use the bathroom and we'll be down in ten or fifteen minutes. And do me a favour, don't talk to anyone until you talk to me first.” said David. “Shit!” he muttered despairingly.
“Hey,” said Jeremy, “you don't need to worry about that. I'm surprised, I admit, I never expected this. And that's one hell of a way to learn it. Gives a whole new meaning to 'coming out' doesn't it? But your sex life is none of my business or anyone else's. I won't mention it to anyone without your permission, that's a promise. See you later.” He shut the door as he left.
And, as previously mentioned, Jeremy was as good as his word, kept his mouth shut and became a useful ally. It turned out he'd bumped into his aunt in town while she was killing time waiting for her bus and offered her a lift home, hence why she was earlier than expected. As David said when he told me the story “It was bloody embarrassing and it gave us a fright, but it turned out well in the end. And it taught me to lock the door even when we're alone.”
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Tony nervously approached Alice Coleman and Susan Walters, who were chatting in the yard at morning break. “Can I have a word with you please? It's sort of about what happened the other week. Maybe we can help each other out.”
Alice looked dismayed, almost on the verge of crying. Susan saw this and her face tightened angrily. “Are you trying to blackmail us?” she asked aggressively.
Tony was stung by this question. “God, no. Nothing like that. What do you take me for?” But a less moral person might try that he realised, and he wished he'd been more tactful broaching the topic.
Because three weeks before a teacher had asked Tony to take some spare stationary and lock it in the storage cupboard in another classroom currently not in use, lending him the cupboard key for the purpose. When he had opened the door the blinds had been closed and the room almost dark so he had switched the lights on. As the florescent tubes had flickered into life he'd noticed a boy kissing a girl in the corner of the room.
As the lights had come fully on he had suddenly noticed that both of them were wearing skirts. The 'boy' had turned to face him and he'd recognised Susan Walters, who always liked to wear her hair short. The 'girl' really was a girl, Alice Coleman. They had both stared at him, shocked at being caught. “Oh, I'm so sorry” Tony had babbled, fairly shocked himself. “I didn't realise there was anyone here. I just need to put this stuff in the cupboard and then I'll leave you alone.” He'd brandished the key, opened the cupboard, put the stationary away, locked up, and headed for the door, almost more embarrassed than the girls. “Sorry, so sorry, I'm going now” he'd said over his shoulder.
“Wait!” Susan had called after him. “You won't tell anyone about this will you? Please?”
“No, no, of course not” he had replied automatically. “I didn't see a thing. None of my business anyway. I've forgotten already. Don't tell anyone what?” He'd bolted out of the door, glad the excruciating encounter was over.
And he had not mentioned the incident to anyone since. Why make trouble for two nice enough girls he had no beef with? But it seemed they had been worried, understandably perhaps, about his discretion and feared what he might do. When he hadn't done it they had apparently started to worry about blackmail instead. Perhaps he could, and should, have done more to reassure them, he reflected, but it hadn't occurred to him that he needed to.
Now he said “No, no blackmail. I can see why you might worry but that's actually a bit insulting, don't you think? And if I was going to do anything like that I'd have done it before now wouldn't I? And who would believe me if I told them anyway?”
“Yes, point taken” said Susan in a calmer tone. “Sorry, then. I didn't mean to insult you. And thanks for keeping your mouth shut. But we have been worried, you're right about that. So if not that, what do you want?”
“Have lunch with me and David Porter. We're... er... not just friends... the same way you two are not just friends. That's what I meant about helping each other out. At our age we're supposed to be obsessed with sex and people will talk if we don't seem interested. You could do with having boyfriends who won't want what you can't give them. And we could do with girlfriends like that. It gives us all cover, doesn't it?
“And perhaps we really can be friends and all hang out together. That would make a lot of things easier all round wouldn't it? A foursome, just not the way everyone thinks. What do you say?”
Susan looked at him with respect. “I say that sounds like a damn good idea. You're not just a pretty face are you? Does David know about this?”
“Of course. I wouldn't do this without asking him first. But he doesn't know who you are yet. I promised you that.”
“Well I'm in then. If we make it official it might stop boys trying to chat me up. What do you think Alice?”
Alice had stopped looking scared. Now she smiled sweetly. “I think that's a really good idea. Can I have Tony for my 'boyfriend'? He's nice!”
Susan put on her best 'scary butch girl' act. “You have Tony and you'll both be in shallow graves!” Then she grinned. “But as long as we're just pretending I'll take David. All the other girls want him, they'll be so jealous. Good joke on them really. Okay Tony, we'll see you at lunch then.”
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About a year after the 'foursome' became 'official' Alice wanted to give her sister Gemma a treat for her thirteenth birthday. At the same time David was getting sick of Craig McKinley's arrogant mouthy attitude and his penchant for 'homophobic' (to use the modern term) so-called jokes, most of which weren't funny. And so the plot to get Gemma a 'naughty' photo with a nude boy was hatched.
And that, as they say, is where we came in (see chapter 1).
Chapter 11 coming soon.