Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 42 By David Lee
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 Please do not publish without explicit authorization from me.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 42
Saturday at the lake was spent in the pursuit of leisure activities. Colt and Dane set up a net and the guys played volleyball in the morning. This was the main exercise before noon, since the day had begun a little too chilly for waterskiing. However, a warm front moved in and the afternoon was just fine.
Everyone dressed in trunk-style swimsuits for skiing because they thought their skimpy ones might not be appreciated by the residents of this conservative community. It was one thing to be mostly hidden in a boat. It was another to be out on skis where anyone could see the thin, wet, light-colored fabric plastered against their genitals by the air currents. They were thinking about Darrin's reputation as much as anything. Word travels fast in some small places. People at the lake were very likely to have connections with people in Bentonville.
The guys began the afternoon by working with John until he finally got up. It took several tries, but Darrin stayed in the water with him to coach him and to hold him in position. It was difficult for him to maintain balance by himself. Some of the guys swam in the water close to the dock until it was their turn to ski. Darrin had done it in the past and was able to get up on one ski as easily as Joel and Alex were. There was a nice fiberglass slalom ski that had a few years on it, but was still in excellent shape.
Around 3:00, Dane drove to a local shop that sold bait and some other equipment. He came back with a second tow line so that two guys could ski at once. Joel used the slalom ski and Alex used one of the other skis which had a toe strap toward the back. The two of them put on quite an exhibition making jumps over the wake and shooting some gigantic rooster tails. Joel cut under Alex's rope to switch sides every once in awhile. A number of girls who were staying at one cabin waved and cheered as the guys went by.
Darrin tried skiing later along side Alex as Joel had done. He was pretty impressive too as his skills came back to him. He laughed and played like a teenager. It helped to melt away the stress he had been feeling since the gun incident at school. He got his share of looks from spectators too.
Late in the afternoon, most of the guys were feeling like they had had a workout, but were still feeling the exhilaration of conquering the water. This time, Dane and Colton had enough energy to make dinner, but Darrin insisted on grilling the steaks that he had brought for everyone. And, where Darrin was, John was sure to be also. The two of them took care of most of the preparations.
There was enough left of several salads to round out the meal along with potato chips. This time, there was no wine, but there were plenty of soft drinks to quench their thirst.
After dinner, the guys who hadn't helped in preparation did the cleanup. Everyone worked very well as a team. Before long, the kitchen was standing tall.
The day had been warm, so there was no reason to build a fire. The guys had kept on their more modest attire in deference to Darrin. And, they had the best of intentions not to get too horny. However, Dustin couldn't resist nibbling on Dave's ear. That led to some gentle kisses. Those escalated to deep, open mouth expressions of hunger and lust. The fact that they had to repress those desires often at home made them hornier than usual when they had the chance to make out.
Pretty soon, other couples were kissing too. Darrin and John excused themselves to head hastily to their room. Since they were the adults in the group, they were self-conscious about doing too much in front of the younger guys. It wasn't only Darrin's job, but John's freedom that might be in jeopardy if anyone so much as accused him of improprieties in the presence of minors.
Dave and Dustin were the next to go off to bed. If they hadn't gotten there soon, they would probably have creamed their shorts. Despite what they had done the night before, they were horny as Hell and their balls were loaded for action.
The other six remained for awhile. Dane and Colt could make love more freely at home since they lived together. Alex and Joel were pretty comfortable making out in their presence since they had messed around at the lake before.
Cory and Dan were taking mental notes of the activities going on around them, planning to apply their new knowledge as soon as possible. They didn't feel at ease going any further in the company of others, so they soon departed for their room.
By 10:00 o'clock, everyone was bedded down, but sleep was not the main thing on their horny young minds. Though no one would mention it in the morning, it was evident that everyone got satisfied. If the grins on their faces were any indication, it had to be true.
On Sunday, they reversed the order of activities. Knowing that the lake would be busy in the afternoon, the guys skied a lot in the morning. When traffic got heavy, they put the boat away and played some volleyball.
Around 4:00, Darrin said that he and John had to leave so that they would be ready for work the next day. Once they were gone, Dane grabbed tarps and blankets in order to do some nude sunbathing. The other guys followed suit.
It was great to have enough evergreen growth to screen their activities from people going by in their boats. It was a turn-on to be bare-ass naked when there were people only a few yards away. This was one of the things that Cory and Dan had hoped would happen, but were hesitant to ask about.
So for the next couple of hours of sunlight, there were eight naked teens lying in the yard. They had to remain in fairly close proximity with each other in order to get some sun. The lengthening shadows of the trees that gave them cover were threatening to block the light.
Dan and Cory were surprised, but not displeased, when the others began to fold the blankets and tarps but made no move to get dressed. Evidently Dane and Colt hadn't been making it up about going naked for days.
Their hasty supper of cold-cuts and leftovers was prepared and eaten in the nude. It made Dan and Cory both bone up under the table when their bare knees touched. Cory moved his left hand from his own lap to Dan's. That startled Dan making him jump. Of course the other guys teased them about not being able to keep their hands to themselves even while eating.
With the adults gone, the younger boys felt far less inhibited. Again Cory and Dan were wide-eyed at what the others did. Dave kissed his way down Dustin's abs and swallowed his cock nearly to the pubes in one gulp. That show made everyone else hornier than they had been already.
Dane and Colton got down on the hearth rug in the 69 position. They began to bathe each other's balls. That motivated Alex and Joel to dry-hump each other. Cory and Dan couldn't hold back any longer. In the corner of the room, obscured from the others, they tried several of the things that they had observed.
Dustin's cry of joy when he came nearly caused everyone else to cum with him. He quickly got on his knees between Dave's legs so that he could take his lover over the edge. Dave didn't take long to produce a gusher that nearly drowned Dustin. When Dave began his whimper of ecstasy, the rest responded almost immediately. There were more moans of pleasure than in a Nevada whore house on a Saturday night.
Monday was another great late spring day. The temperature was in the 80's and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The lake was not that busy because it was after Memorial Day and before most people could take a vacation, so the boys spent more time skiing than they had on Sunday. They cooked hotdogs for lunch, ate the last of the chips, and drank most of the rest of the sodas.
"We're going to have to go out for dinner or go hungry tonight," Dane announced. "I guess we should have listened to Grandma and brought more food. We will have to go to a grocery tonight or tomorrow if we stay a couple more days."
The boys all agreed with him. They played some volleyball in the afternoon, showered with their lovers, and reluctantly put on clothes in the late afternoon.
They drove in two vehicles all the way to Cosgrove because that was where the best restaurants were. Dane and Colt had assured the other guys that their favorite Italian restaurant was a great place to eat. Colton used his new cell phone to call for reservations before they left.
Since it was a Monday, the place wasn't going to be too crowded and the owners were pleased to have a group of that size come in. As a result, the boys were treated like royalty. They were given some sample appetizers at no cost. Their soda glasses were never empty.
Dan and Cory were trying to order something inexpensive because they were watching their pennies. Joel sensed that and insisted that he was treating everyone.
"My grandparents gave me some money especially for taking you all out," he fibbed. "They want us to have a good time, so you need to order anything that you would like and I'll pick up the tab."
It wasn't a big lie, because his grandparents had given him a generous sum of money for the days he was spending at the cottage. And, they had made it clear that they wanted him to pay his own way and not sponge off of his friends (as if he would!).
When everyone had had their fill, Joel grabbed the bill and also left a good tip. The guys made sure to compliment the cook on the fine quality of the food. Doubtless, these boys would always be welcome in this establishment.
On the way back to Camelot, they stopped in the local Fareway Store to buy groceries for the next couple of days. Shopping on a full stomach tends to make one buy less, but they were growing guys and managed to get plenty of food.
Back at the cottage, they all shucked their clothes right after they got the supplies put away. Like the night before, they sat around talking until someone got amorous and began to get his boyfriend excited. This time, it was Dan messing around with Cory. The two had lost a lot of their inhibitions in the past couple of days. It was especially true now that the older guys were gone.
After some heavy kissing, Dan licked his way down to Cory's `nads. He bathed them gently with his tongue. He as about to swallow Cory's hard, dripping cock when Cory pulled him toward their room. He was still a little shy about putting on a show. Once they got behind closed doors, Cory spun around so that they could suck on each other. They didn't last very long once the rhythm got going. Their moans did not go unnoticed in the living room.
The other boys soon went to their own beds to consummate what they had started downstairs. It would have made great footage in a porno film to see the fit young men climbing to the loft with their hardons leading the way.
The next couple of days passed very much like the previous ones. There was time to water ski and time for volleyball. The boys also worked on their tans. Needless to say, they satisfied their lovers regularly as well.
When it came time to leave, everyone pitched in to clean the place up. Some worked on washing the sheets while other's changed the beds or vacuumed the carpet. With eight guys sharing the load, everything went rapidly. There was time of one more spin around the lake before heading back to their homes.
It was with mixed emotions that they departed in the middle of the afternoon. They knew that this idyllic life couldn't last forever, but they also knew that they would all come back again. They had grown much closer as a group than they had ever been. It wasn't just the idea that they could be free sexually around each other. It was a deeper bonding that would help them in the coming school year and throughout their lives.
Dane and Colton came bounding into the house with the energy that only teenagers have. They stopped short in the kitchen when they saw their grandmother with tears in her eyes.
"What's wrong," they said in chorus.
"I just heard from Walter, your grandfather. He's in the hospice in Iowa City. He is dying and he wants to see his family again. I'm going down there tonight. I would like it if you would come along, but that is entirely up to you. I really don't want to put any pressure on you."
"I'll go," said Dane.
"Me too," Colt added.
"Okay, we'll eat an early dinner down there so that we can spend some time with him before he gets too tired out."
"What does he have, cancer?" Dane asked.
"No, dear, he has AIDS."
"Shit," Colt said before he thought to censor his tongue.
"Shit indeed," Greta sighed.
The ride to Iowa City was a quiet one. Everyone was lost in his or her own thoughts. DJ drove them in his minivan. Ellen stayed home with the twins, but assured him that he needed to go to see his father. She told him that if the days were limited, he should go as often as he could.
"He may have run out on your brother, but he's still your father. And who knows, he may want to make peace with Wade as well."
At dinner the adults had little appetite and seemed to be picking at their food. The boys put away enough to make up for it because they had exerted a lot of energy that day and were hungry as usual. After all, neither had any memories of the man they were about to see. They could empathize with the feelings that DJ and Greta had, but that didn't keep them from fueling up.
At the hospice, they were led to Walter's room and cautioned not to tire him too much. He overheard that and disagreed.
"I'm not going to be around for long. I want to enjoy the time I have!"
Walter looked like a skeleton. He had lost a lot of weight. He had ignored the symptoms too long for the drugs to do much to slow the disease. Despite that, his eyes were bright and he smiled to see his family.
Greta took the lead by kissing him on the cheek. DJ embraced his fragile sire and them reintroduced him to Dane and introduced him to Colton. Walter was happy to find that he had a grandchild that he had never known about. He could see many of Wade's features in the boy.
DJ pulled out pictures of the twins and promised to bring them for a quick visit someday.
"Aren't you all afraid that you'll catch what I have?" Walter asked.
"No," Greta answered. "We are all aware of how the virus is spread and how it isn't. We are not afraid."
Walter got tears in his eyes. He could not believe that his ex-wife would treat him so kindly.
"Do you suppose that Wade would forgive me?" he asked. "I have to ask him - whether or not he does. I have to apologize for doing what I told him that he couldn't."
Greta and the others looked quizzically at this statement. They waited for Walter to continue.
"I always loved you, Greta, but I knew that I had feelings that I dared not show. I hope that I won't shock my grandsons by saying that I always had a desire for other men. I found them attractive from an early age. But in my day, anyone who had those feelings was considered an evil person or a crazy one. No one would dare to admit it in public."
"When I found out about Wade, I went ballistic. I couldn't accept that I had passed on those genes. He just couldn't be gay. I wasn't going to have it. Well, as you know, I screwed up his life and my own. Perhaps if I'd stayed married I would never have tasted `forbidden fruit.' I did, and I went hog wild. I wasn't careful. I'm sorry."
Walter's announcement ended with a sob. Greta cradled his head until he calmed down.
"Well, isn't anyone going to yell at me for being queer?" he questioned.
"Uh, Grandpa, I'm gay too," Colton whispered.
"Me too," Dane said in a slightly more audible voice.
"Are you two okay with that?" Walter asked of DJ and Greta.
Both nodded their heads.
"I wouldn't wish for them some of the crap they may face, but I will take on anyone who doesn't accept them as they are," DJ stated with determination. "I have made up with Wade and we enjoy getting together with his partner and him. They are really a great couple."
Walter looked hopeful when DJ suggested that Wade would probably welcome a reunion.
DJ excused himself to go to the restroom. He went, but not for the usual reasons. He hit Wade's number on his cell phone and was soon explaining everything to his brother. Wade was dumbfounded to say the least. His emotions were all over the map. DJ could hear Roger in the background giving Wade support. By the end of the conversation, Wade had decided to catch a plane the next day as soon as he could make arrangements with his job. He asked DJ not to tell their father of his coming.
By the time DJ got back to the room, he could see that his father was far too tired to visit any longer. So, they all bid him goodnight and headed for home. It was not as quiet on the return trip. Greta and DJ talked about some of the good times from the past. Dane and Colt got to hear stories that they had never heard and might very well not have. It was a kind of bitter-sweet time.
Early the next morning, Greta got a call from Wade saying that he and Roger would arrive at the airport at 11:00 a.m. Since Greta had a meeting that would be hard to reschedule, Colton and Dane volunteered to pick them up. They would have lunch with the men and drive them on to the hospice. Greta probably could have gotten free, but she thought that it didn't hurt for the boys to take the responsibility. The experience of driving to the airport and the companionship with Wade and Roger without her presence couldn't be a bad thing either.
The boys managed to find the correct entrance to the short-term parking area and were impatiently waiting for the flight a full 15 minutes ahead of schedule. It was a good thing that they were because the flight from Minneapolis arrived early.
Wade and Roger hurried into the waiting area and hugged the boys. They were holding back so as not to embarrass the teens and were a bit surprised when the boys kissed them in public.
Since the men had traveled light, they didn't have to wait for luggage. By noon, they were seated in a café in Iowa City eating lunch. Wade wolfed down his food risking heartburn in his haste to see his father.
When Wade entered his father's room, he did not hesitate in embracing him. Walter sobbed and sobbed tears of joy upon realizing that his second son did not hate him. Wade cried too. It was a day that he had thought would never happen.
As soon as he could speak, Wade proudly introduced Roger. Walter made all of the right comments about what a good catch Roger was. Roger beamed. He took an immediate liking to his "father-in-law."
When the guys left an hour later, it was with the feeling that this might have been their last chance to see Walter alive. He looked quite worn, but he was smiling. He told them that it had been the best day he had had in years. He cautioned all of them to be careful in their relationships so that they didn't end up like he did.
"The best way, is not to stray!" he quipped.
The guys promised to come back in the evening to see him again. He nodded, but had a strange look on his face. Dane and Colt exchanged a glace that told them they were both thinking the same thing.
Greta's meeting was long over by the time the guys got to her house. She greeted them at the door telling them that hospice had just called to inform her that Walter was not suffering any longer. He had died only moments after they had left. Dane and Colt gave each other another knowing look as they embraced. Wade wept in Roger's arms.
The family had Walter's body cremated the next day according to the wishes he had left. A day later, they had a small, family service at the funeral home before placing the urn with his ashes in a niche in the mausoleum.
Wade and Roger were headed back to their home only three days after arriving. It had been a short stay, but one which was filled with meaning for them. In spite of his grieving, Wade was feeling more of a sense of calm and completeness than he had in years. The reunion with his father had been more important than he would have thought.
Author's note: In Chapter 41, I misnamed Trent as Trevor. Trevor is his bro who lives with his lover Marc and is in college. Mike K, kindly drew my attention to the error. Thanks! If anyone is retaining it as a file, he/she should make the correction.
If you want to read a cool story set in Australia which has lots of sexual tension, but no real sex in the chapters to date, I highly recommend: "Double Trouble" under high school. It was last posted a couple of days ago. After I started reading it, I couldn't do anything else until I got caught up! Jim W and Barney agree with me.
Thanks to those who wrote: Joe, Lucas, (I think I mentioned you last time) Mark K, Jim C, Russell, Paul W, Dave, Rad, Carroll, Tom H, Iawain, Jace Jim W, Gary, and Barney. Hope I got everyone. If you are enjoying: "Sad Song for a Gay Teen," please let Paul W. know! We all need feedback. If you haven't written to me for awhile, please consider doing so. David