Warning: This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction. Much of this involves males with other males. If the reading or possessing of such material as this is illegal in your country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so. It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble.
The author retains all rights to this original story. Please do not publish without explicit authorization from me.
Disclaimer: This story is completely fictional. Most of the places mentioned, and none of the characters exist in real life. Some may possess physical or personality characteristics of people I know or have known. But if you see yourself in this story, your imagination is better than mine!
"Tales from Bentonville" is a romantic story centering on the lives of high school kids. Lovers of other ages may appear, but not normally in a cross-generational sense. References to sex with under-age kids may be made for the sake of the story line. However, I feel that child molestation is a crime and should not be glorified or tolerated.
This is my fifth attempt at writing fiction. My other stories on Nifty include: "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004) under High School, "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 23, 2004) under Camping, and "Jacob and Jacques" (May 5, 2004) under High School. Some characters from previous stories may have cameo roles in this one. However, you need not read them first.
Our only reward for contributing to Nifty is your e-mails. Please write if you like the story. Please include the name of the story in the title of your e-mail. I get a lot of spam!
Finally, thanks and hugs to Tim who edits for me so that there are fewer typos!
dlee169@hotmail.com
Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 34
March was rapidly coming to a close. Before anyone knew it, another week was nearly over. This March was a crazy month in several ways.
March Madness is an appropriate term for the fever that grips many basketball enthusiasts during college tournament time. The loss of productivity in the workplace is astronomical as fans neglect their jobs to catch the scores of their favorite teams. Bentonville High was not immune to the disease. Students listened to their radios during passing time or, for the few who could afford the equipment, checked the `net from their cell phones and laptops.
By the time gym class rolled around, it was in the second quarter of the University of Iowa game. No one wanted to do anything but watch the action.
That included the gym teacher who had brought in a couple of 27 inch TVs so that the kids could all view the game. He even got one of the booster club parents to run the popcorn machine so the kids could munch while attempting to cheer their nearby university to victory. Needless to say, this teacher was winning the hearts of his students.
Dane and Colton sat on the bleachers next to Joel and Alex. Allen was behind them. Jerry, Dan, and Cory were in front of them. Dan and Jerry took turns feeding Cory his share of popcorn until Kaylee came over to relieve them of that duty. They all enjoyed each other's company as they rooted for the Hawkeye team.
Despite their best efforts, the Iowa team didn't win that day. But it was an exciting game in which the lead seesawed back and forth several times. Iowa had been ahead a lot of the game, but lost when the other team hit a three-pointer just before the buzzer. No doubt some money was lost on bets placed by loyal fans, but no one could say that it wasn't a fair game.
When his mom picked him up at the end of the next school day, Cory got the message he had been hoping for. The doctors were ready to do surgery on his arms the following Monday. At this point, they felt that his chest had healed enough for him to have an anesthetic without any ill effects.
That night, he stayed with Dan at Miss Charlotte's house. Darrin was off early enough on Friday to make dinner. The house smelled wonderful with the aroma of good food being prepared. Nancy Fordham's mouth watered as she stood in the hall making sure that Cory had everything he needed. She felt that her son was in good hands at this place.
Once dinner was over, the three young men sat in the back parlor watching more basketball until it was time for Darrin to pick up John from work. While he was gone, Dan got out some Cokes and some straws. Cory loved the fact that he could at least drink without help.
When it was bed time, Dan and Cory disappeared into Dan's room. It had a queen sized bed that they could comfortably share.
"Do you want to sleep with me, or do you want one of the other bedrooms? There are a couple more on this floor that aren't in use." Dan offered.
"If you're okay with it, I'd like to sleep with you," Cory responded.
And so, after taking care of their bodily functions and getting cleaned up a bit, the boxer-clad boys climbed into Dan's bed and went to sleep.
News around school on the following Monday dealt mainly with the fact that Derek Carver had been arrested for vandalizing Joel's and John's cars. By lunch, everyone knew most of the details. No one was too surprised that he was the guilty party or that he was stupid enough to get caught so easily. He had gone to the hardware store to buy a mallet right after the confrontation he had had with the boys on the day the windshields were smashed. Then, of course, his fingerprints were found on Joel's car exactly where the video tape indicated he had put his hand.
His parents expressed shock (though no one could see why given the boy's record) and offered to make restitution immediately. They paid to have new glass put in the cars and also paid for detailing the interiors and for buffing the exterior finish to take out any scratches.
If Joel was pleased, John was thrilled. He would have his car back in a day or two and wouldn't have to depend on Darrin and others to drive him around.
But, he thought that buffing the hood of his car would be like polishing a turd. Still, he wasn't going to deny his vehicle a beauty treatment at the expense of the Carver family.
The usual gang of girls who had been feeding Cory his lunch missed him at noon. They noticed that Dan was absent too. There was lots of speculation about why they were both gone.
Cory had come to just about an hour before his lunch-time companions were discussing him. Since he had found out about the surgery on Friday afternoon, he had not discussed it with anyone but Dan. As the fog cleared from Cory's brain, he saw his mother and Dan standing on either side of the gurney in the recovery room. They were both smiling at him. He tried to smile back and was more or less successful.
"The operation went very smoothly," his mother informed him. "The surgeon was pleased to find less damage than he had anticipated. He had to scrape away some scar tissue that had begun to form, but given your age, you should be able to regain full use of your arms with therapy. He sees no reason why you should not be able to play basketball next season."
Cory raised his bandaged arms up to inspect them. They were immobilized to an extent, but felt much lighter without the casts. He was able to move them at the elbows! Now he could wipe his own butt! He could do some other things for himself again too, but he had to admit that he would miss having Dan do those for him and with him.
"I'm going to be your part-time nurse for awhile longer," Dan smiled. "Your mom seems to think that you will still need some help with bathing. You may need some help with eating and writing too because your arms will tire easily. I can coach you with the therapy exercises also now that the basketball season is over."
Cory smiled broadly upon hearing that news. Dan was the closest friend he had ever had. Dan knew him more intimately than anyone in the world at this point. He hoped that they would remain close for the rest of their lives.
Dan stayed with Cory once he was settled in his room. The two watched more basketball while Nancy went to get some lunch. About the time Cory's light (and mostly liquid) lunch arrived, Nancy had returned with a plate of chicken and noodles, a salad, some pop, and a big chocolate cupcake for Dan.
Dan felt bad about eating this delicious meal in front of Cory who couldn't have solid food yet. But, when Cory insisted that Dan had earned that right, Dan dug in with gusto. Cosgrove hospital had the only cafeteria in the area that was staffed by local people rather than a contracted food service. Everything was home-made. The patients may not have appreciated the food (who in the hospital does?), but the locals did. Some workers from other businesses would come over to eat lunch.
Cory hated to see his mother and Dan leave, but he knew that they needed to.
He would be coming home the next day if his vital signs held steady, so he would see them soon. Dan was going to live with him for a few more days at least.
On Tuesday, the vandalized cars were repaired and ready to be picked up. Everything was back to original condition or better.
When Joel got home that afternoon, he called the sheriff's office to see when his car could be released. The talk that he had with Sheriff Larkin disturbed him to the point of fuming.
"I'm really sorry," Larkin told him. "But I have a court order. Your parents say that the car belongs to them and that they are taking it away as punishment for your disobedience. I feel really bad about this."
"Hey, Sheriff, it's not your fault that my parents are vindictive. I'm sorry I yelled at you. You have to do your job. I'll be fine. I don't have anything in that car that I will miss."
"No problem, young man. I would have used the same kind of words if my parents had done that to me. I hope everything gets worked out for you."
After he got off the phone, Joel told his grandparents about the conversation.
"Well, I figured they would try something since the guardianship papers seem to be iron-clad," his grandfather said. "Don't fret. I'm going to call your other grandparents and we will discuss what to do. I promise you that you will not lack for wheels. Tell me about some of the cars that you think are hot and I'll surprise you with something."
Joel relaxed knowing that Rhys was a man of his word. He told his grandfather that he was interested in going for a small SUV instead of another sports car. He felt that the activities he might want to do with his widening circle of friends would be better served by having room for at least four passengers and have some towing capability. Of course, he still loved performance, but would be happy with whatever he got.
Rhys pressed Joel into confessing that he had been looking at a Porsche Cheyenne on the `net. Joel felt it was too extravagant, but he was dreaming about owning a vehicle like that someday.
Later, Joel called Alex to tell him the news and to alert him to the fact that Allen would still need to be their chauffeur for the foreseeable future. Alex assured Joel that his twin would be there for them.
John was happy when he got to pick up his car from the repair shop. The owner had had his guys touch up the paint before they polished it out. The buffing removed the oxidation from the paint surface. Then one of the workers had given it a complete wax job. It looked respectable for the first time since John had owned it.
"Uh, it's beautiful," he exclaimed. "What do I owe you for the extra work? I don't have much money, I'm afraid."
"No charge," the owner, Roy Hahn replied. "It's for a favor that I owe someone who said you deserve this."
John was mystified. He wondered if Darrin had paid for it. He couldn't think of anyone else who might do that. However, when he got home and questioned Darrin, Darrin swore that he knew nothing about it. He had one other suspect in mind. That evening, he called Miss Charlotte to tell her about his good fortune. If she were the one who was responsible, he wanted her to know how pleased he was.
Lottie Webber seemed not to know who could have done the favor for him. But, when she talked to him, she said that he deserved it. Her words were almost verbatim those that Roy had used. John was pretty certain that he knew who his "fairy godmother" was. He wasn't sure how she had known about the vandalism incident, but he wasn't surprised that she did.
Tuesday afternoon, was also the day that Cory got home from the hospital. His mother picked him up before noon and took him down to the cafeteria where he swore that the food must be made by someone else.
"Mom, the gruel we got up in the room was prepared by aliens. And I'm talking about creatures from outer space, not foreign countries!"
"I'm pretty sure that it's all made by the same humans. The problem is that you are often on a restricted diet after surgery. They don't want to load your stomach up until the anesthetic is out of your system," she explained after laughing at his comments.
The ride to Bentonville seemed to take forever. Cory was in a hurry to see Dan again. And Dan was waiting on the steps of the school when Nancy pulled up to get him. He had his backpack with his books and his gym bag with some clothes. He was prepared to stay with Cory for the rest of the week.
Cory's strength was surprisingly good for having undergone surgery only the day before. He ate a hearty supper, managing to feed himself with some help from Dan. He did tire toward the end, so Dan pretty much fed him his chocolate pudding for dessert.
Dan got them both into the shower around 8:00 o'clock because he thought that Cory would need more rest if he was going to try a whole day of school.
As had happened before, Cory started to chub-up when Dan washed his "privates." He grinned because he wasn't the least bit embarrassed about getting hard in front of Dan anymore.
"Looks like you've been neglecting this boy again," Dan snickered as he patted Cory's erection.
"Yeah, are we going to do something about that?" Cory hoped.
"We could, if you want." Dan replied.
"Okay, let's do it in the bedroom."
When they got to their destination, Cory pushed his boxers down letting them fall to the floor around his feet. He reached over and pulled Dan's off too. He felt like he owed Dan for the relief Dan had brought him when he couldn't bend his arms.
Dan honestly enjoyed the feeling of being stripped by another guy. It wasn't anything like the terror he had felt with Marv. Now, he felt excited and horny. He didn't think that he preferred guys over girls, but he couldn't deny that this was hot!
Cory insisted that he wanted to pay back Dan for all the help he had received. His arm movements were still awkward, but his hands were flexible and warm. Eventually, the boys lay facing each other's cocks in nearly a 69 position as they manipulated each other toward climax. Toward the end, both were humping into the other's hands. It was stimulating to say the least. They exploded onto each other's torsos with force.
Dan cupped his hands over his abs to keep from spilling Cory's load on the carpet as he got up to get the damp washcloth he had remembered to bring along. When his back was turned away from Cory, he licked his fingers. Cory figured out what he was doing, so he got brave and sampled some of Dan's cum too. It tasted pretty good. He had expected to be grossed out, but wasn't. This surprised him and disturbed him a little.
The rest of the week dragged on. Spring break was coming soon and that made all of the days before it seem like weeks. Dane and Colt weren't going anywhere exotic because Wade and DJ had spent a lot on them for the Christmas trip. They were, however, working on Greta to let them open the cottage at the lake. Even if it was going to be too cold to swim or to lie naked in the sun, they could still have fun being away on their own. It might be warm enough to take the boat out. Perhaps they could get Dave or Dustin to come for part of the break. Too bad it couldn't be both of them like it was before....
Joel and Alex weren't going away either. Joel expected to spend part of his break looking for a new vehicle. He would love to go somewhere warm with Alex, but he knew that if he were with Alex, they would be warm wherever they were!
Friday eventually came. It was the longest day of all. As the boys showered after gym, they compared notes on what they were doing next week. Realizing that a number of their friends would be in town, Dane began to form a plan. He would have to get Grandma to approve it, but he was fairly certain that she would. After all, he and Colt had not gotten into any trouble since that fight they had had at school their freshman year. He knew that she trusted them to be responsible despite their youth.
On Saturday, Rhys and Joel drove over to Alex's house to pick him up for a car buying trip to Iowa City. There were more car dealerships in the university town than in Cosgrove or the outlying towns so the selection would be good.
They checked out the Corvettes and Mercedes convertibles to make sure that he would be satisfied with an SUV. Joel thought that maybe they should look for something that was more practical and less expensive. He didn't want to be a financial burden on his grandparents though he knew they were all wealthy.
Finally, the trio stopped at the dealer who sold Porsches. There in the show-room was Joel's absolute favorite SUV. It was a Cheyenne Turbo S with a 4.5L engine. It had the performance of a sports car with the practicality of a utility vehicle. The black leather interior complemented the titanium metallic finish. Joel's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree on seeing the fine machine.
Rhys Masterson smiled knowing that this was THE one. While the boys were looking the vehicle over, he signaled to a young salesman who was eager to make a deal.
"Are you the same `Rick' that I talked to on the phone?"
"Yep, that's me."
"I'm pleased that you were able to get this beauty in so quickly. As you know, I went on the Internet and checked the `fair market' price on Edmonds.com. I assume that you are ready to sell me this car for the price we agreed upon."
"Yes, Sir!"
"Well, I have a cashier's check for that amount. You did say that price included taxes and license." Rhys pressed.
"Yes I did. Now, if you would like to step into my office, we can sign the papers. If it is going in your grandson's name, he will have to sign too."
"Okay, let's take care of most of it and call him in to finish. I want to see the look on his face when he realizes that dream car is really his."
Rhys called Joel into the office a few minutes later and showed him where to sign. Joel's face broke into a huge smile. He knew that his four grandparents loved to spoil him, but he really wasn't expecting to be driving this SUV home today.
After the business had all been taken care of, Rhys headed home while Joel and Alex went to the Coralridge Mall to do some shopping. Their excuse was that they wanted to check out some of the spring clothes that were available. It would be great to have some new shorts and shirts if the weather ever decided to warm up. In fact, their main objective was to be seen cruising around in the new set of wheels.
Upon returning to Bentonville, Joel opened a letter that had arrived from his parents. In short, it told him that they were having the Corvette shipped to Florida so that his brother, Jake, could have it. Of course, they would keep it for Joel if he would call to tell them that he was coming home on the next available flight and that he would abide by their rules. He would be expected to give up this "gay" notion, date girls, and act like a "normal" teenager.
Joel laughed aloud as he handed to letter to Alex to read. A plan was forming in his mind. There was still plenty of daylight and the temperature was in the 60's that day. He had Alex come up to the bedroom with him where they dressed in the new shorts and muscle shirts they had purchased at the mall.
With his digital camera in hand, and Grandma in tow, Joel pulled his new Porsche Cheyenne out of the garage so that Jane could take some photos of the boys in front of it.
They tried several poses including ones with their arms around each other. They even did some in which they were kissing. Because the house was set back from the street and had plenty of privacy vegetation, there was little chance of being seen by anyone else.
The boys uploaded the photos into Joel's computer to view which ones they liked best. Joel picked one in which they were kissing. In that one, he had slipped Alex some tongue and the flies of their shorts gave a hint of their passion for each other. (Fortunately, Jane had been too busy fussing with the telephoto button to notice the bulges.) This was the one he would use!
Joel's attached a copy to the e-mail that he sent to his parents.
"Hi My Loving Family,
No doubt you realized that I was outgrowing the `Vette because of the new friends and interests that I have here in Bentonville. I'm glad that Jake can get some use out of my hand-me-down car. As you can see from the photo, I have something that will serve me better. BTW, my boyfriend, Alex, sends you greetings too. I guess you can't see his face too well in the picture, but you can trust me that he is one hot, handsome jock. He is out to his family and we are looking forward to possibly spending the rest of our lives together. Don't worry; he comes from a good background with money of his own. Grandma and Grandpa absolutely LOVE him.
This turned out to be a great move for me. Thanks for sending me here. Otherwise, I might never have found the man of my dreams or had this fab SUV.
Your son,
Joel."
Alex read the contents over Joel's shoulder.
"Wow, you really have balls! That is one sweet, sarcastic, piece of writing. Are they really that bad?"
"Well, you see how they are trying to control my life. You read their letter. What do you think?"
"Yeah, I know my parents wouldn't react like that."
"Okay, now that I've had my fun, what was it you were saying about my balls?" Joel said as he wiggled his eyebrows.
"Hmm... Let me check them to see if they are as big as I think they are. Mmm... Yes, they certainly are. And what is this thing moving around beside them. It feels like a big snake. Will it bite me?"
"Not if you're careful not to bite it!" Joel snickered.
The boys kissed deeply again while grinding their crotches together. They kind of danced over toward the door so that Joel could close and lock it. Then they tumbled onto the bed where their passion heated up further.
Alex released the "snake" from its confinement in Joel's shorts and Joel was quick to perform the same service for Alex. It wasn't long before they were meeting the "serpents" head-on (so to speak). Alex covered his teeth with his lips so as not to accidentally bite the beast he was taking into his mouth. Joel did likewise.
Getting a new Cheyenne is only surpassed by getting a new Cheyenne and making love to your boyfriend on the same day. Joel was as happy as he could be. He felt familial love from his grandparents and sensuous, passionate love from Alex. It helped to make up for the gulf between his parents and him. With Alex, he had a purpose in his life.
Twenty-some miles away, Dustin lay on his bed listening to Green Day on his IPOD. As they sang "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," big tears ran down his face. His eyes were closed, so he didn't see his father looking through the partially open door.
Gary bit his lip. He had tried very hard to make his son happy since that last talk with DJ. Dustin had dated a couple of girls in the last month, and Gary had rewarded this change in behavior with a used pickup for his 16th birthday. The vehicle had belonged to a farmer that Gary had worked for when he was in high school. The old man's widow had sold it at a very good price. The truck was spotless and drove like a new one.
Still, Dustin seemed to be sad, almost depressed. Gary decided that he would talk about it to his counselor at their next session. Maybe he'd take Dustin with him. God, he wanted his kid to be happy! He shuddered when he thought of what it might take to make him content.
Author's note: One of my readers wrote to tell me that his older brother broke both arms in an auto accident and the he (the writer) had to perform many of the duties that Dan has done for Cory -- yeah even that!!! He said that they became very close through the experience. So, it does happen in real life.
Thanks to all who wrote to me this week: Joe, Jim W, Mike K, Allen M, Tom H, Darius, Dyllon, Rad, Jim C, Carroll, Yarel, and Don B. You guys are special to me!
This is early since I am going away for Easter weekend and singing on Thursday night in choir. Next week may be off schedule too. I'm having minor surgery on the 20th. Dyllon is having some surgery on the 21st. Please keep him in your prayers and thoughts. His is more invasive than mine.
David