Author's Note – This is book three of the Kingswood Saga. Check out Tales from Kingswood and The Kingswood Eight to find out what has happened previously. Thank you all for the ongoing support and feedback.
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The Kingswood Effect
Chapter 41
Monday 13 June 2022
Danny sat with his arms crossed on the table, his chin resting on top of them as he watched the rest of the Year 9s working on their assignments. His group, which consisted of Josh, Mark, Harley and Aaron were eagerly planning out a scene ready for when Mr Trent called to say their time was up. He let out a gentle sigh and turned his head to rest his cheek on his arms. He suddenly jumped as the move allowed him to finally notice the teacher standing at his side.
"Sorry, I thought you heard me here," Mr Trent said apologetically with a meek smile at the startled boy.
Danny just shrugged without raising his head.
"You should really be taking part in the scene," Mr Trent said, nodding to the rest of Danny's group, where Harley was currently being hoisted into the air by his ankles for some reason.
"I am!" Danny insisted, "I'm playing my role!"
"Which is?" Mr Trent prompted.
"Sad loser who keeps crying like a stupid little kid!" Danny pouted, feeling his eyes watering a little.
The teacher sighed softly and placed a hand on Danny's back supportively. "You might feel a bit better if you join in," he suggested.
"Or I might just ruin the scene completely. I'll pass thanks," Danny said back moodily.
Mr Trent frowned at the comment and raised a hand to his face, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I really hate seeing you like this, Danny!" he sighed.
"Oh, I'm SORRY it's such an inconvenience for you!" Danny said, sitting up as he scowled at the teacher.
"You know that's not what I meant!" Mr Trent said back pointedly, shaking his head a little.
"Yeah, I do," Danny said mournfully as he turned back to the table and let his head drop, though this time without his arms in the way his forehead hit it with a gentle thud. A couple of seconds later he moaned a pathetic, "Oww!" He felt the hand on his back again. He let his head tilt to the side to look up at the teacher as he asked, "When does it start to get better?"
"Wednesday the thirteenth of July!" Mr Trent answered.
"Really?" Danny asked as he sat up, intrigued.
"No!" Mr Trent smirked, getting an annoyed pout back. "That's an impossible question to answer, Danny. It's different for everyone!"
"You're a dick," Danny pouted, surprisingly just getting a smirk in return rather than admonishment for saying such a thing to a teacher. "Have you... ever been dumped?" he asked pointedly.
"Oh yeah," Mr Trent nodded emphatically, "Couple of times, actually!"
Danny's eyebrows raised in genuine surprise. "How'd you handle it?" he asked curiously.
"Honestly..." Mr Trent started, giving a lop-sided grin, "About the same way you are... at first, anyway!"
Danny rolled his eyes and said, "Ugh, this is where you tell me some bullshit about how I should carry on and act normal and I'll feel better, right?"
"God no!" Mr Trent scoffed, shaking his head. "If you're feeling down, then fine, be down and if you wanna be alone then you should be, but... just don't let it become your ONLY thing."
Danny cocked his head and stared at the man inquisitively.
"When you're feeling this low, it's easy to end up keeping on feeling this low BECAUSE of how bad you feel. It's a nasty cycle that can feed into itself," Mr Trent explained. "Be sad about your break-up. You should, it's a sad thing, but... if you start feeling sad about feeling sad, that's when you know you gotta break out of it. Make sense?"
"I guess," Danny said with a gentle nod. "Thank you," he said quietly, moving as if to hug the man but holding back as he realised there was a whole classroom of other students nearby. He blushed a little and then pouted as he asked, "So is this where you order me to go join in with my group?"
"Nah, not this time. Stay here and keep me company instead," the teacher said with a sweet smile.
"Wow, you suck even worse than usual!" James said as he toppled David's king. "I kicked your butt and I'm barely even paying attention!" he said, glancing around.
David scowled at his best friend and shook his head as he said, "You know, it's your humility that I love most about you!" He uncrossed his legs and stretched them out ahead of him as he leaned back to rest on his elbows, the grass warm and scratchy beneath his bare arms.
James shrugged and said, "Humility's for people too stupid to realise their own potential!"
David went to argue back but couldn't find the energy to do so.
"I still think it's so weird!" James exclaimed as he watched a couple of Year 11 students wander along nearby.
David had turned his attention to the football pitches where practice was currently going on. They weren't close enough to really see what the various teams were doing, but he could make out Danny sitting on the bench, alone. "What is?" he asked absently.
"That a week ago, all of these guys were basically naked and getting off together absolutely shamelessly, and then the next day, it's all back to normal and people are acting like they haven't just fellated half the school!" James explained.
"Mmm-huh," David hummed, still watching the football pitch.
"I know what you'll say. This is Kingswood' but that just feels kinda lazy. Like any time there's a plot hole in Harry Potter and someone just excuses it with It was magic!'" James reasoned.
"What did I tell you about mentioning that series!" David glowered, suddenly paying attention again. "That woman's a TERF!"
"Geez, sorry," James said defensively. "Bad example. But you know what I mean, right?"
David's attention evaporated once again as he heard a yell from the football pitch and returned to gazing that way.
"Like, that guy over there. I'm fairly certain I saw him masturbating on stage and now he's just some regular old guy around school. How is nobody else fascinated by this?" James asked, frowning slightly at David. "This place should be studied!" he added, scowling as David continued to look away, letting out a hearty sigh. "What?" he demanded unhappily as he looked the same direction as David.
"Do you think..." David started, sitting back up as he paused thoughtfully. "D'ya think... we had something to do with it? Danny and Brian, I mean!"
"You can't STILL be talking about that," James groaned. "It's JUST a break-up!"
"We were literally telling Brian two hours before he broke up with Danny that relationships at Kingswood are a stupid idea and that ones between guys in different years are basically doomed... then he goes and ends things with Danny! I get there's a difference between correlation and causation, but come on, even you have to admit the timing seems... problematic!" David explained.
James shrugged. "What if it was what we said? Not like we can change it!" he said dismissively.
"True," David frowned, though it quickly turned to a scowl as he looked at James and said angrily, "And don't say JUST a break-up. You don't know what it's like to get dumped. You might know a lot but you don't know everything!"
"You broke up with me!" James said casually. "Well... kind of. When you found out I was leaving the dorm, I know we weren't dating, but...I reckon that felt a bit like getting dumped!"
David stared back at the other boy for a few moments, slowly looking more downbeat. "I... I guess I didn't think of it that way. You never really... talk about that!"
James shrugged and replied, "What am I meant to do, see you one morning and go, `hey, good morning, how was breakfast, remember how you dumped me that one time and it felt like you'd ripped my guts out'? That's not really appropriate conversational decorum!"
David stared, slightly dismayed. He nodded a little and said, "Okay that's... maybe a little like how it feels!" He ventured a slight smile and said, "Maybe you DO know everything!"
"My exam this morning may say otherwise," James pouted, but as he saw David's expression change, he said, "Sorry, yes, I know, no talking about exams. This is my chill-out time. Unclench!"
David chuckled a little, glad to see James was sticking to their agreement, intended to help him handle the stress of Year 11. "I'm sorry," he said softly. As he saw James cock his head a little, he added, "For getting so mad at you about it all and... making you feel like your guts had been ripped out."
James shrugged again. "It's okay, it was my own fault. I shoulda just listened to Chris and told you about it," he admitted, "But if you ever tell him I admitted he was right about something, I'll literally rip your guts out... through your nose!"
"Duly noted!" David said with a playful giggle. He glanced over at the football pitches again and said, "Ya know... about what we said to Brian and the others..."
James huffed and started, "Oh my god, we can't keep..."
"No, I'm not saying that," David interrupted. "I was just curious... do you think there's really no way for relationships to work here?"
James thought for a brief moment, then shrugged.
"Cos I was thinking," David continued, "What if there was a third option?"
"For what?" James asked, sounding genuinely intrigued.
"For relationships. You said they all end in either death or a break-up, but what if there was an option number three?"
"Well I guess you could ascend to a higher state of being and merge together as one into a unified being of pure conscious energy," James mused. "Or maybe have your brains downloaded digitally and live together as a kind of AI relationship I suppose!"
David stared blankly for a moment, blinked a few times and said sarcastically, "Yeah, of course, I was totally thinking of ascended energy beings and living as artificial intelligence!"
James stared back flatly as he replied, "Then what? What's magical option number three then?"
"I... don't know!" David said with a frown, "But I'll figure it out!"
"Whadda you mean `he's not seeing anyone right now'? It's Brian, not the fucking Wizard of Oz!" Chris snapped angrily. "OY, GET OUT HERE!" he shouted, reaching past Joseph to hammer on the door.
"Stop that!" Joseph insisted, remaining staunchly in the way of the door.
Chris looked round at Mark, who had come up to the third floor with him, then back to Joseph and said, "You really think you can stop both of us?"
Joseph shrugged and said, "No, but I also think neither of you are really the type to get violent!" He lowered his voice a little as he looked directly at Chris and added, "Even over Danny!"
"Fine!" Chris huffed. "But you tell him he can't hide from me forever! We need to have words!" He turned and started to walk away before he looked back and shouted, "VERY ANGRY WORDS!"
"Hey, chill," Mark said softly as he put his arm around Chris to guide him down the hallway and around the corner. They stopped once Joseph was out of sight and he pulled Chris into a proper hug.
"I'm sorry," Chris muttered as he let the side of his head rest against Mark's clavicle. "I don't really do aggressive usually but..." he paused as his fists clenched, "This stuff is REALLY pissing me off."
"I know," Mark said gently, running his hand up and down Chris' back.
"Danny won't tell me what actually happened and Brian just... keeps avoiding me!" Chris went on.
"I know," Mark repeated, still holding his boyfriend supportively.
"And I can't help if I don't know what happened. I have to fix this!" Chris insisted.
Mark sighed. "I know!" he said, a little more firmly.
Chris pulled back, frowning meekly at Mark. "Sorry, I know you've heard all this and I'm sorry I'm mucking up our evening together. You wanna go do something?"
Mark smiled sweetly as he said, "It's okay, it's your best mate and your mentor. I know it sucks being stuck in the middle." He took hold of Chris' hand, and they started back along the hallway to the stairs. "We could go hang out up there if you like," he said as he nodded to the door up to the Peace Garden on the roof. "Or you could give me another tour of what plants are blooming in the main gardens," he added, nodding down the stairs. "Or we could grab our guitars and just go play!"
Chris stopped and moved in front of Mark, taking his other hand as he sighed contentedly and smiled up at the taller boy. "You know all the right things to say!" he said happily. He leaned in and stretched up slightly to deliver a gentle but passionate kiss. He let out a happy mew as he pulled away and said, "Let's go make music!"
Mark nodded as they started down the stairs. "We could grab Mikey and Nicky if they're free," he suggested casually, "Maybe get in a bit of band practice!"
Chris shook his head as he said, "Nicky's at diving. Besides, I think I want you to myself!"
"Oh, I like the sound of that!" Mark said with a cheerful giggle.
"Hey, anything you need?" David asked quietly as he squatted down beside Danny's bunk.
Danny had returned from football practice and jumped straight into bed, pulling the covers up over his head, leaving only the tiniest gap for his face to peer out of. This had become his default position over the last week. His `cocoon of solitude', as he had dubbed it.
When he revealed the breakdown of his relationship to the dorm, he had been utterly inconsolable, crying pretty much constantly that morning and ultimately missing most of the second day of Kinkswood. Everyone in the dorm had been so supportive, comforting him and holding him, but after the first day he had started to insist it was unnecessary, despite the frequent tears. "I just wanna be alone!" was the main thing he said to most of them, and to an extent they had respected it. They still checked in with him, probably far too often for his liking, but for now they were mostly giving him space.
As he saw David peering through the hole, Danny's eyes widened and he threw back the covers. "David!" he said firmly as he reached out to grab the smaller boy. He wrapped himself around him, pulled him in and dragged the covers back over, like some weird undersea creature capturing its prey.
"Erm... you doing okay?" David asked nervously, reaching out to the side to put his tablet out of the way for fear of it getting crushed by Danny's emphatic hugging.
"I'm so sorry!" Danny said, sniffing slightly.
"That's okay, I forgive you!" David quickly said back. He paused a moment and added, "Erm... Danny, what am I forgiving you for?"
"For making you feel like you're not seen!" Danny said back to him, keeping his voice low. Though the bed covers muffled the sound a little, there were still others in the dorm.
"Oh!" David exclaimed. It was a feeling he had always lived with, but on that had grown over the past year, changing from a minor issue into something that really bothered him. He had told Danny a little bit about it during the Kinkswood party and he had promised in return that they would do more things together. "That's okay, you've got other things to worry about right now!"
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that too," Danny said with a remorseful sigh.
"You're... apologising to me because YOU broke up?" David asked with an almost-chuckle.
"No!" Danny insisted, shaking his head as he gripped the smaller boy tightly. "I'm apologising because you went through a break-up when Rose left and if it felt even half as horrible as mine, then we REALLY shoulda been there more for you! And I wasn't, and I'm sorry I was a bad friend!"
David tried to reply but couldn't. He actually felt a little choked up. Not feeling seen was definitely an unpleasant part of his life in the dorm, but he really had felt abandoned after Rose left, not just by her, but by his own friends who all seemed way too caught up in their own issues to even give a crap that he felt like he was dying. He gave Danny a tight squeeze and said, "Thank you for saying that. It really means a lot to me!" He lay nestled against Danny for a few moments before he asked cautiously, "Danny... what happened?"
Danny sighed slowly and started, "Look, David, I... I'm just... I mean, I can't..."
"It's okay. Sorry, I won't ask again," David quickly replied. "D'you want me to go?"
"No," Danny replied, "But... you might get bored. I feel sleepy!"
"Hmm, let's try this then," David said as he threw the covers back. He pulled away from Danny slightly, then shuffled up the bed to sit up, leaning against the headboard. Reaching out, he grabbed Danny gently and pulled him closer so his rested on his lap. "How's that?" he asked softly.
"Good," Danny replied, closing his eyes, "Nice!"
David watched for a moment as Danny quickly drifted off to sleep, then reached out to grab his tablet. He had been intending to sit and read some comics anyway, so it was no inconvenience to do so with Danny asleep on his lap. He turned the device on and opened up the next comic from the current week's releases. "Cool!" he whispered to himself as he stared at the cover. Thor was brandishing a blade made of lightning, while Jane Foster was wielding Mjolnir. As he turned to the first page to start reading, something occurred to him. Quickly, but being careful not to disturb Danny, he pulled out his phone and wrote out a message to James. [I found option number three! Tell you about it at breakfast in the morning!] Satisfied with his accidental inspiration, he put down his phone and resumed reading.
Playing on their guitars had lasted all of one song before the instruments had been put aside in favour of making out. Mark had sat down and Chris had stood over him, kissing down for a few seconds before straddling him to sit on his lap, wrapped around his boyfriend.
Mark happily gripped onto the other boy, fingers alternating between stroking up and down Chris' back and digging into it slightly with his fingertips, mostly on top of his t-shirt, but occasionally underneath to touch the warm, smooth skin directly.
Chris had been holding on just as tightly, though his hands had started off stroking through Mark's dark blonde hair before one of them slid down to enjoy the feel of his muscular shoulder and bicep.
All the while, their lips were locked passionately, kissing dreamily as they lost themselves in the embrace.
When they eventually stopped and Mark pulled Chris back slightly, he smirked and said, "You're very... eager today!" He gave a wry grin and asked, "Feeling a bit horny, are we?" He reached down as he said it, placing a hand on Chris' crotch, but surprisingly found no erection.
Chris blushed a little and said, "No. Well, yes, always, but... I know we're taking things slow so I'm trying to... control myself a bit and take things at your pace."
"Awww," Mark said, smiling sweetly before leaning in to start another minute-long kiss. "You're too sweet!" he said happily.
Chris shrugged as he beamed happily back. "I know," he said playfully. "Besides, I guess it's kinda nice to just make out sometimes, without expecting it to lead to... other things!"
"It is!" Mark said, nodding in agreement. He leaned in and put his mouth so close to Chris' ear that his lips grazed it gently as he whispered, "But maybe sometimes I WANT other things!" He pulled back, biting his lip nervously.
Chris' eyes slowly widened and the look of mild shock was slowly replaced with one of barely-contained glee. "What..." he paused to gulp, "What sort of other things?"
Mark moved a hand in between their bodies and made a slight wanking gesture as he said, "We could... do each other!" He looked more than a little nervous at the comment and added a timid, "If you want to!"
Chris nodded back, slowly at first but quickly growing more emphatic as he said, "I definitely want to!" He reached down to unleash his dick, but Mark playfully swatted his hands away.
"Let me!" Mark said with a grin as he popped open Chris' jeans and slid down the zipper. He placed his hand once again on Chris' crotch, though this time only through his underwear and his smile broadened either further as he said, "Didn't take him long to wake up, huh?"
"Well he's got a really hot guy touching him. That usually tends to wake him up!" Chris sniggered back.
Mark blushed a little at the compliment and continued to rub at the rapidly stiffening dick. For now his hand remained outside of the briefs Chris had chosen that morning, his choice of underwear changing daily as opposed to most of the other boys who were firmly set with either boxers or briefs. As he rubbed gently, he saw Chris shudder slightly. Whether from anticipation or simple enjoyment, Mark wasn't actually sure, but the look of sheer contentment on the other boy's face made it clear he was enjoying it. He stopped for a moment and gently pushed Chris back a little on his lap, clearing some space between them as he said softly, "You can... touch me too... if you want to!"
Chris smirked a little, raised his arms so his fingers could meet round the back of Mark's neck and pulled him into a momentary kiss. He kept his face close to Mark's, their foreheads pressing together as he whispered, "I always want to!" He gave another peck on the lips before he let his hands drop to Mark's chest, feeling his muscular torso as they slid down towards the bulge in his sweatpants.
"Fuck," Mark whispered as he felt Chris' hand grasp at his semi-hard dick through his clothing. His breathing went slightly ragged and for a moment and his hands went still on Chris' cock, but he quickly composed himself and continued playing.
Chris pulled the front of the sweatpants down to reveal the boxers, now beginning to strain as Mark went from semi to fully hard under his delicate touch. He wanted to pull back the underwear too and unleash the sizeable tool within, but he was determined to continue taking things at Mark's pace. He really seemed to be doing better with all of his issues, particularly since they made their relationship official, but he was still cautious of pushing too far or too quickly, so he contented himself with letting his fingers rub up and down the cotton-clad shaft, feeling the ridge of the head slide beneath his fingers as he reached the tip.
Mark leaned in for another kiss and for a couple of minutes they sat making out while casually rubbing, by the end of which both boys were rock hard and the tip of Chris' prick was leaving a sizeable wet patch on his briefs.
"You leak a lot!" Mark observed as they parted, letting his finger focus on the patch, sniggering a little as Chris shuddered from the extra sensitivity it caused.
"Yeah," Chris replied shakily, his vocabulary limited by the excited anticipation. He inhaled sharply as Mark finally pulled down the front of his briefs, not even realising he had been holding his breath as the moist head had been played with. He wasted no time in returning the favour, releasing Mark's ample appendage.
In most rooms, Mark would be comfortably the most hung, though he bore no malice over the fact that even his own impressive rod came second to Nicky's insane organ. He did feel a slight twinge of pride over the fact that his was almost certainly the thickest though, just a tiny bit chunkier than the other boy's. Chris, however, didn't really seem to care one way or another how Mark compared to anyone else, he was staring down at the cock like it was the most magnificent thing he had seen in his life.
The two boys grasped each other in unison, slowly beginning to stroke. They sat allowing each other to play for a while before Chris gave the first instruction, letting Mark know exactly how he liked to be touched before Mark returned the favour. It only took slight adjustments in grip or speed and it suddenly went from pleasant touching to thrilling masturbating. What had started as simple intimacy was now very much a relaxed but intent march towards climax.
Content they had the technique right, the two boys leaned in to resume making out as they wanked their way towards the inevitable conclusion. Mark began moaning first, almost pulling away but held in place gently by Chris who moaned back as they both began to shoot. They didn't pay the slightest bit of attention to where the cum was going as they grasped onto each other, kissing their way through the excitement with a mix of muffled moans and sniggers.
When breathlessness finally forced them to part, Chris sat back, grinning broadly at Mark before they looked down at the gooey, sticky mess between them, cum smearing their hands, dicks and clothes.
"Wow, that's a lotta cum!" Mark said with a chuckle.
"I know. Yummy!" Chris said as he raised his hand to lick the white globs from it, unsure whose cum he was actually eating but unbothered either way.
Mark watched in thrilled delight as Chris licked his hand clean, then raised his own to offer it as he said, "Here, I got you dessert!"
"Too kind!" Chris said as he took the hand ran his tongue along the back of it from knuckle to wrist. He worked his way across the rest of it, then flipped it over to lick at the palm, tasting a mix of spunk and his own dick before he moved onto the fingers.
Mark had only offered his hand as a playful joke, but as his pinky finger slipped into Chris' mouth he let out a gentle shudder. It only grew stronger as Chris moved along the rest of the sticky digits, sucking them clean, gradually fucking his own mouth with them more and more as he reached the index finger. As he slipped the thumb into his mouth, he raised his gaze to stare straight into Mark's eyes. The cum was gone within moments, but Chris continued sucking and licking on it as he watched Mark gulp with confused excitement. "Enjoy that?" he asked playfully as he finally released the hand.
Mark stared back, panting slightly as he nodded.
"Good. Me too!" Chris said before giving a final peck on the lips and climbing off. "You done for the night or d'you actually fancy playing anything?" he asked as he put his cock away.
"Actually, I have a song I found that I'd like you to hear," Mark said a little shyly, untucking his sweatpants and underwear from beneath his balls.
Chris gasped dramatically and asked with a smirk, "You're going to sing? I didn't think you did that!"
"I didn't think I got wanked off by my boyfriend either, but things change, roll with it!" Mark grinned back. "And don't judge me, I'm not as good a singer as you or Nicky! Just focus on the lyrics and see if I'm being too subtle!"
"Declaring your feelings for me through a song. You know the way to my heart, don't you!" Chris joked.
"Oh," Mark said a little awkwardly. "Erm... it's... it's not for you! It's actually for..."
"Wait," Chris interrupted, "Play it and let me guess who it's for!"
Mark nodded and chuckled at the idea as he grabbed his guitar. He positioned himself and got ready then started playing.
Chris watched intently. He didn't recognise the intro, which was mildly annoying as he prided himself on knowing most music but listened closely as Mark started to sing.
"Maybe I'm just crazy, Maybe I'm a fool, Maybe I don't know how to love but, Maybe I do!" Mark started, getting a mildly confused frown from Chris as he tried to figure out the target. "Maybe you know more than me but, This much is true, This little heart and brain of mine say, We're through with you!"
Chris grinned. While he still didn't know the song, it became apparent from that one line who this was for – Gregory!
"And I wonder does it blow your mind, That I'm leaving you far behind, I wonder does it stop your heart to know, You're not my sunshine, anymore!" Mark sang, slowly smiling more as he saw Chris' delighted face. "Okay you're pretty, Your face is a work of art, Your smile could light up New York City after dark! Okay you're Coverboy pretty, Stamped with a beauty mark, But it's such a pity a boy so pretty... With an ugly heart!"
"Wait wait wait wait!" Chris suddenly called out as he reached the end of the chorus. Mark paused, looking a little dismayed. "Obviously for Gregory, it's fuckin' perfect... and by the way, you sound AMAZING when you sing, but... I've got a REALLY good idea... or a bad one maybe!"
Mark cocked his head curiously and listened as Chris explained his plan. The Kinkswood party seemed to have been somewhat of a turning point for his feelings about his ex, though he couldn't remember most of it, or perhaps it was just the new relationship with Chris that was emboldening him, but he decided to go along with the plan and readied himself to start over.
Mark began playing again, this time getting through the whole song as Chris stood back, recording him on his phone.
"But it's such a pity a boy so pretty... With an ugly heart!" Mark finished. As he struck the final note, Chris moved in, kissing him passionately while still recording them. They both looked at the phone as they parted and raised a hand each, giving Gregory the middle finger.
As he stopped the recording, Chris looked to Mark and started laughing. "How did that feel?" he asked softly.
"Really fucking good!" Mark replied giddily. "Can you send that to me?"
"Sure," Chris replied. "You're not really gonna send it to him, are you?"
Mark thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah, it was a fun idea but he'd find a way to use it against me and he's so stupid he'd probably think I'm just calling him hot and miss the whole `ugly heart' side of it!" Mark explained. "Besides, I'm not lowering myself to his level. I know that's what Danny would tell me to do!"
Chris' smile dropped at the mention of his best friend.
"You wanna go back and check on him?" Mark asked.
Chris gave a sullen nod as he said sadly, "He's probably still not talking about it, but... I still wanna be there!"
Tuesday 14 June 2022
"Come on then, let's hear it!" James said incredulously as he sat down opposite David.
"Morning former roommates, nice to see you, how are you doing?" Nicky said with a slight smirk as he looked at James, getting a giggle from the rest of the boys.
James rolled his eyes, shook his head and looked at the rest of the group. "Fine. Good morning. Are you well?"
Nicky clutched his hands in front of his chest and smiled sweetly at the other boy as he said, "Oh, so kind of you to ask! Such a selfless young man!"
"Well if you're gonna be sarcastic about it!" James huffed.
"Oh, I'm NEVER sarcastic," Nicky replied... sarcastically.
"Screw you all!" James grumbled, then turned his attention back to David as the others continued chattering, sniggering at the exchange. "Go on then," he said gruffly.
"Here," David said as he placed his tablet down in front of James. "Whadda you see?"
James shrugged as he looked at it. "A comic, but no spoilers, I'm not allowed comics until I finish my exams!"
David frowned. He was supporting James with the stress of being in Year 11 and taking his GCSEs by forcing him to relax and take breaks from studying, but even he was unable to prevent some of the ridiculous self-imposed rules he had given himself. "The issue number," he prompted.
"One. So?" James shrugged dismissively.
"One of..." David continued to prompt.
"One of... five," James said, absolutely bewildered. He frowned at David who was staring back expectantly and asked, "Are you okay? Are you having a stroke or something? Do I need to call someone? Try talking so I can see if you slur!"
"Very funny!" David said as he pulled the tablet back. "But you're missing the point. That's option number three... a limited run!"
James looked absolutely lost as he said, "I... I'm still not convinced you're not having a stroke... but go on!"
"So you said relationships either end in death or a break-up, but THIS is the third option!" David insisted, brandishing the tablet with vague menace. "Like most things in life, comics hold the answer. With comics, they always end in cancellation... except for when they're a limited run, then they don't get cancelled, they just... conclude!"
"Oh!" James said, finally nodding as he caught on. "So you're saying you could do the same with a relationship? Like you could start one on the agreement that it goes for, like, six months or a year or whatever."
"Exactly!" David exclaimed. "That way nobody dies and you don't break up. You're together for as long as you've agreed to be together, then you move on after!"
"I guess it's not THAT different from a break-up," James mused thoughtfully, "But... okay, yeah, I concede. You've actually found another option. Nicely done!"
"Thanks," David said proudly. He stared down at his hands for a moment then looked back to James, blushing a little as he asked, "So... is a limited run relationship something... you'd consider?"
"I guess it would depend on the person it's with and the terms involved," James answered obliviously. "Come on David, you know better than to agree to something without reading the fine print!"
"Yeah, yeah I do," David said softly as he started eating.
"No, I'm not saying traditions are stupid," Brian said, shaking his head as he walked long, halfway back to the Home Building, heading for lunch. "I'm just saying THAT tradition is stupid!"
"How's that any different?" Joseph asked, shaking his head.
"It's different because I'm not saying everything that is `traditional' should be stopped, but we should stop and question WHY we do things. Stuff that makes sense or that does what it's supposed to do, we should totally keep doing, but doing something that DOESN'T work just because that's the way it's always been done..."
He never got to finish the sentence. The sound of an angry yell and hurried footsteps behind them concluded in a Chris-shaped mass tackling Brian from behind. The momentum of the running teen sent Brian staggering away from the path as he tumbled to the ground on the grass, rolling a couple of times with Chris tightly clamped onto him.
"Ah, you fucker!" Brian groaned, slightly dazed.
"Do I have your attention now?" Chris asked, staring down at the older student as he sat atop him. He had spotted the Year 12 group leaving the School Building from the window of the French classroom and bolted. He hadn't even packed up his own laptop or bag, figuring one of the others would do it for him, he had just charged down the stairs, out of the building and sprinted at full speed to get hold of his mentor when he saw the opportunity.
"Chris, what the fuck?" Joseph exclaimed, hurrying over to try and drag the Year 9 boy off his friend.
"It's okay," Brian said, raising a hand towards Joseph. "I knew this was coming..." he paused and frowned at Chris, "Well, I didn't know exactly THIS is what was coming but..." he looked back to Joseph, "It's okay!"
"It's fucking not okay!" Chris growled as he climbed off and got to his feet.
Joseph offered Brian a hand to help him up and kept hold for just a second once he was on his feet, holding eye contact. "You sure?" he asked cautiously as he accepted Brian's bag from him.
Brian sighed and nodded as he let go. "Come on," he said, turning to head down the side of the Home Building as the growing group of spectators realised the show was over and continued on towards lunch. Chris followed, glowering at him the whole way.
They continued round the back of the building, stopping at one of the small clusters of trees that dotted the large open area, seeking shade from the blazing sun. Brian's blazer was already off, hanging on the bag he had handed to Joseph, but as he sat down he loosened his tie and undid the top two buttons of his shirt. "Can we sit, or do I need to prepare myself for more violence?"
"Both, probably," Chris scowled as he dropped to the ground, sitting cross-legged as he watched Brian take a seat in front of him.
"So... how can I help?" Brian asked flatly.
"This isn't funny, you colossal cunt!" Chris snapped angrily.
"DO I LOOK LIKE I'M LAUGHING?" Brian snapped back.
Chris recoiled. He had not seen Brian angry, not really, so the aggressive outburst almost shocked him out of his own anger. "No," he said a little timidly before his righteous fury began creeping back in and he said accusingly, "You've fucking devastated Danny!"
Brian's fury had been a brief flash that was gone as quickly as it started, leaving him just looking upset, which only intensified at Chris' comment. "I know," he said softly.
"Well... what the fuck?" Chris asked, expecting more argument.
"What exactly has Danny told you all?" Brian asked nervously.
Chris shook his head and shrugged. "Fuck all!" he sighed. "He said you'd dumped him and... that's pretty much the extent of it!"
"Well if that's all he wants to tell you, it's not my place to say anything else!" Brian insisted.
"Yes it is!" Chris argued back. "You hurt my best friend and... and I... I don't know why. I don't..." he paused, sniffling a little, "I don't know how to help him!"
Brian stared at Chris for a moment. There was so much he could say, or wanted to say, but at the same time he knew he couldn't... or shouldn't... it was hard to keep track. He was perfectly aware that he was the `bad guy' in all of this, as the other Year 9s had made perfectly obvious to him, but what they seemed to forget... what Chris seemed oblivious to... was that HE had been through the same break-up as Danny. He was hurting too. "I... I don't know what I'm meant to do here," Brian said with a slightly dismissive shrug.
"You... you're... you're meant to be my mentor. You're meant to help, not hurt. You need to act like my mentor, just for once!" Chris said accusingly.
"I am!" Brian replied.
"How? By hurting my best friend? Is that some part of the job description I don't know about, cos if it is, I think I'll pass on the job for next year, thanks!" Chris said flippantly, gesturing angrily.
"Look, I... I can't tell you what you need to hear, Chris. I wish I could... but I can't," Brian explained. "I did what I had to do. Am I happy that Danny's so upset? Of course I'm fucking not. But... I have my reasons and that's all I'm gonna say on it!"
Chris stared for a moment then stuttered, "But... but... you need to..."
"No!" Brian snapped as he stood up. "We're done talking about this. I'm sorry I hurt your friend and I'm sorry you're struggling with supporting him, but... I've got nothing else to say about it!"
"Fine!" Chris huffed as Brian started to walk away. "Cunt!" he added moodily, deliberately loud enough for Brian to hear, though he didn't look round to see any reaction to it.
The quiet study hour on Tuesdays was always a little restless for the Year 9 boys. Having endured double periods of Geography, French and English during the day, the final double period was PE, meaning they had gone from a day of quiet academia to an hour-and-a-half of vigorous physical activity, only be to be expected to return to calm, quiet studying afterwards.
Although James' official study room was the one up on the second-floor where he was supposed to work, there was no actual rule against spending the time in a different one, so long as it was being used correctly. He had joined his former dormmates at David's request, under the guise of talking about his Media Studies exam that afternoon.
As it was a subject four of the boys had chosen for their own GCSE selections, the conversation actually stayed on the subject for quite some time, much to David's annoyance.
Once the talk died down and most of the group moving onto a conversation about their actual homework, David looked to James and asked, "So had you... thought anymore about that thing I mentioned this morning?"
"What thing?" James asked blankly, frowning as he examined the timetable for his remaining exams.
"The, erm... the thing about, like... limited run... relationships!" David prompted.
Nicky gave the two boys a sly look, listening in while pretending to be engaged with the others.
"Oh, erm... not really. Why?" James asked with a dismissive head shake.
"Oh, just... umm... just... wondering really," David said a little awkwardly. "I thought the idea might... interest you!"
"Oh it definitely interests me!" James said emphatically.
Nicky watched as David's face lit up, smiling a little.
"You know I like new ways of thinking, and offering up a genuine alternative to the existing relational status quo is a fascinating idea. Challenging the conventional ways of thinking is one of the things I actually like about this school! It's like I said about the party, this place should be studied!"
David's face dropped. That was certainly not the interest he had hoped James had.
"So you... only want to study it, not... try it?" David asked meekly.
"Oof, come on David, you know self-experimentation rarely works with the scientific method!" James admonished the other boy.
"Oh my god!" Nicky suddenly blurted out, shaking his head. "He's trying to ask you out, you oblivious little turdweasel!"
Everyone dropped into silence as they stared at Nicky – James in absolute shock, David in mild dismay and the rest of the group in amusement.
"I'm sorry," Nicky said, shaking his head, "But that was too painful to watch. I couldn't take anymore!"
"Wait, are you... is he... is he right?" James asked as he gestured to Nicky, staring at David.
David's cheeks blazed deep crimson as he felt so many eyes on him. Embarrassing as it was to have had Nicky blurt it out like that, he had spent so much of his time at Kingswood feeling invisible that in a weird way it actually felt nice to have everyone staring. Humiliating as it was, at least they could see him. "Yes!" he said firmly. "Yes, I am!"
James frowned, nodding thoughtfully for a moment as he asked, "Terms?"
"Limited run. Two years!" David proposed.
James nodded back thoughtfully for a moment and said, "One year, with a review at the end and scope for a further year extension if agreeable!"
"Fair," David nodded. "Monogamy?" he enquired.
James glanced round, thinking for a second before he said, "Not too practical around here, especially given your dormmates." He glanced at the group who were watching the negotiation in absolute bewilderment. "Non-monogamous, with the caveat of transparency and prioritising relationship over extra activities!"
Everyone else was staring on in absolute bewilderment at the exchange.
"And physical entanglements only, no adding others to the relationship," David offered.
"Of course!" James said with a nod. "Time together?" he enquired.
"Your suggestion?" David prompted.
"Study hour together two days a week, one of our evening hang-out sessions repurposed into date night!" James stated confidently.
David's eyes narrowed. "Three study sessions and two relationship-based hang-outs as either dates or intimate activity, one weekday evening and one at the weekend!" he counter-offered.
"Hmm, that's a big commitment. Is that a deal breaker?" James asked. As he got a nod, he shrugged and said, "Fine. I can work with that!" He offered his hand across the table and asked, "Boyfriends?"
"For now!" David replied with a grin, accepting the hand. He shook it and said, "Boyfriends it is!"
The others remained in stunned silence for a few moments before they burst into applause and cheers, some of the nearby tables having heard the conversation joining in. Mr Yaeger, who was supervising, allowed the noise to continue for a few moments before hushing the boys to get them back to studying.
"That was the most romantic business transaction I've seen in my life!" Rob said with a grin.
"It was efficient and effective, just like my boyfriend," David said, grinning proudly. He quickly looked to Nicky and punched him in the arm before he said, "That's for interfering and calling me a turdweasel!" As Nicky rubbed his arm and smirked, David leaned closer and hugged him as he said, "And this is for interfering too. Thank you!"
"Enjoy playing with your balls!" Chris said with a snigger as he waved off Nicky and Mikey, who were heading into the Sports Complex to change ready for basketball.
"Every time," Nicky grumbled, shaking his head at the Chris' eternal joke as he wandered away.
"We going back?" Danny asked, glancing back in the direction of the Home Building. He had agreed to join for the others just for the walk, but could already feel the siren-call of his cocoon of solitude, beckoning him back into the comfort of not doing anything.
"Nope," Chris said as he put his bag down on the ground and reached into it. He pulled out his hand with something concealed, then handed the backpack to Danny and said, "Here, put this on!"
"Why've I gotta carry your bag, ya lazy langer?" Danny pouted, smirking slightly at the use of the insult he had learned from the other boy.
"You'll see," Chris said as he waited for Danny to slip the bag over both shoulders. "Well... you'll see eventually, but not for a few minutes!" He held up a blindfold as he grinned.
"I'm really not in the mood for this," Danny sighed.
"It's not what you think. Get your mind out of the gutter!" Chris admonished him.
Danny shrugged and said, "It's you! The gutter is where my mind automatically starts!"
"Fair," Chris shrugged. "Now shut up and let me put this on!" he said as he started to blindfold Danny. Once it was securely in place, he stood in front of Danny, backed up against him and said, "Hop on!"
"Oh my god," Danny giggled as he did as he was told, laughing more as Chris hiked him up to give him a piggyback. "What the hell are we doing?" he demanded.
"Be quiet and hold on!" Chris said firmly as he started walking.
Curious as Danny was, he didn't peek as he bounced along on his best friend's back. He had kept a rough idea of direction at first but soon had absolutely no idea where they were or where they were going. A couple of minutes in, he could hear Chris wheezing a little and offered, "I can walk if I'm too heavy for you!"
"Nope, I can make it, we're nearly there anyway!" Chris said firmly.
"Hmm, okay," Danny hummed, still not convinced that whatever Chris had planned was actually of interest to him.
Eventually they came to a stop and Chris placed Danny down on the soft ground, but instructed, "Don't move yet!"
Danny stood patiently as he felt the backpack being pulled off before he heard Chris busying himself with something. "I'd say there's a fifty-fifty chance of you being naked when I take this off," he said, smirking as he gestured to the blindfold.
"Nope!" Chris said back bluntly. "Here," he said, guiding Danny a few steps forward before pushing him down to kneel and then lay.
Danny was absolutely confused as he felt a blanket beneath him. He flinched a little as he felt Chris touch his ear, but realised he was just having an earbud poked in and allowed him to do it. Suddenly the blindfold was yanked off and Danny was blinded by the sudden burst of light. He raised his hand to shield his eyes, though they quickly acclimated as he looked round.
"Me, you, the lake and listening to music!" Chris said proudly as they lay together on a blanket on the lakeside.
"Oh my god, we haven't done this in SO long!" Danny exclaimed happily as he looked round at the lake. Something else took him a moment to register, but the smile dropped and he stared at Chris in astonishment. "Wait, we... you... you have to..." He looked back at the path. "You have to come through the woods to get here!" he said in shock. "Chris you... you came into the woods!"
Chris gulped slightly and nodded. "Yeah," he said with a timid smile. "Technically it was just walking on a set path through the woods and I'm totally not ready by a LONG way to properly go into the woods and I'm kinda totally losing my mind right now, but... I knew this'd make you happy!"
"You... you did that... for me?" Danny asked, his eyes watering.
"I'd do anything for you!" Chris said back, casually stroking Danny's arm.
They stared at each other for a long moment.
"Okay, we need to start listening to music before I start crying again!" Danny said, blushing a little.
Chris slipped an arm around Danny's shoulder and cuddled up to him as he said quietly, "You can cry if that's what you need!"
"Ha, I shot a load over him!" Mikey sniggered as he sat beside Nicky on the bench, watching some of the others taking shots at the basket. He nodded over at Anthony Hall as he said it.
"What?" Nicky asked, confused by the sudden proclamation. "Like, you jerked off thinking about him?"
"Eww, no," Mikey scoffed. "I mean at the party. I was just... ya know... doing my thing and he was there in front of me when I shot. I recognise the legs!"
"You recognise the..." Nicky started, a little surprised, but stopped, shaking his head, "Fair enough. That was... definitely an interesting night! You heard James talking about it. The whole thing basically blew his mind!"
"And now the only thing blowing him is David!" Mikey smirked.
"Oh my god," Nicky said, grinning as he shook his head. "Can you believe those two?"
"Believe they're together? Yes. Believe they took this fucking long, no way!" Mikey laughed. The sound stopped abruptly as he looked at Nicky and asked, "Wait, you're not upset that they're together and we're not, are you?"
Nicky couldn't help chuckling at the bluntness, but that was Mikey. "No," he said, shaking his head. "As much as I wanted to be with you... I'm kinda glad we're not!"
"Rude!" Mikey scowled.
Nicky laughed again and said, "No, I mean... I'm not saying I'm glad we're not together, I'm just... glad I know where we stand, that's all!"
"Less rude," Mikey nodded.
"Kinda takes the pressure off a bit," Nicky said with a shrug.
"And it means you can start looking for someone else to date," Mikey suggested.
Nicky nodded and replied, "And so can you!"
Mikey shook his head emphatically. "No way. I'm not doing that again. At least... not anytime soon. I got my mates to hang out with for company, I've got you, Danny and Chris if I want sex stuff, dating just... feels like stress I don't need!"
Nicky nodded his understanding, but thought for a moment and asked, "Do you... feel stressed a lot?"
Mikey almost snapped back at Nicky to mind his own business, purely out of habit when it came to anyone asking about his feelings, but he managed to hold back as he thought for a moment. "Not as much as I used to," he admitted, "But yeah, sometimes."
"You... seemed stressed at the party," Nicky said cautiously. He knew talking about things like this could be problematic with Mikey, whose mood could often be on a hair-trigger, but as the conversation was already on the subject, he figured it was safe to bring it up.
Mikey seemed to shrink inwards a little at the comment.
"You... said a lot of things I didn't really understand," Nicky admitted.
"I was just drunk," Mikey shrugged dismissively.
"Mmm-huh," Nicky hummed softly. "You... talked about someone a lot, you only called him him' but... it sounded like he' was... causing you some issues," he explained.
Mikey didn't respond beside his gaze briefly flicking away for a moment.
"Mikey, is... is Snuffles back?" Nicky asked, voicing a concern that had been growing even before the party.
Mikey winced at the mention of his former imaginary friend, remained silent for a few moments and said, "No. No he's not. Definitely not. He left in year seven and he's gone forever!"
"Okay," Nicky said with a nod. "Is there... anyone else you'd like to tell me about?"
Mikey stared up at Nicky in silence for several seconds before he eventually shook his head and said, "No."
Nicky cursed himself for the wording of his own question. Did Mikey mean there WAS nobody else, or that he just didn't want to tell him about anyone else?
"Can we go have sex?" Mikey asked with his usual bluntness. "Can we even still do that?"
The request caught Nicky completely off guard, resulting in a blank stare for a few moments followed by laughter. "Yes. Yes we can!" Nicky said happily. "Come on, before they drag us into another match," he said, gesturing away from the court. "In here," he said as they reached the doorway to one of the storage areas.
"Can we still kiss and stuff?" Mikey asked curiously as he turned to face Nicky.
Nicky reached out to stroke Mikey's cheek, then ran his fingers through the soft ginger hair as he said, "You don't need to keep asking this stuff. We can still do everything we used to. Nothing's changed!"
"Good!" Mikey said as he reached up with both hands to grab Nicky by the back of his neck and pull him down into an excitable kiss. It lasted just a few seconds before he pulled back then gave Nicky a gentle shove, toppling him back onto a pile of crash mats. He eagerly jumped on and resumed kissing the other boy, grinding their crotches together as their excitement grew. "When you wank someone else off, does it feel, like, ridiculously tiny?"
"Not the words I'd use," Nicky frowned. "It definitely feels noticeably different but... I don't really think about the size, cos I know I'm the one that's... unusual, not everyone else!"
"I think I know how that feels," Mikey said with a gentle sigh.
"What?" Nicky asked softly, taking Mikey's hand.
"Nothing, never mind," Mikey replied dismissively. "I'm gonna wank you off."
"Fine by me," Nicky said as he raised his hands and interlinked his fingers behind his head.
Mikey hummed happily as he saw a narrow band of flesh appear as Nicky's basketball shirt rode up. He reached down to caress it, lifting the shirt a little more to reveal the flat stomach. "Hnnh, due for a shave?" he asked as he saw the trail of short hair running from Nicky's navel down into his shorts.
"I'm... actually thinking I might stop," Nicky said, blushing a little.
"Oh?" Mikey enquired curiously, letting both hands idly caress the stomach.
"Well... I started shaving cos I was... ya know, the freaky kid who already had hair but I'm working hard to get past that," Nicky explained. He was now a full year into therapy and his progress had been significant. "But I also kinda shaved for the diving, but I'm thinking of quitting!"
"What? No. You can't! Not again!" Mikey insisted, looking anxious. "It's not Angel again is it? Or someone else? If anyone's picking on you, just tell me who and I'll kick their arses!"
"Hey, down boy, no arse kicking required," Nicky replied, letting out a slight moan as Mikey's hand reached inside his shorts and underwear to grasp his massive erection. "I just... feel like I've taken it as far as I can," he explained. "Being as tall as I am, it's becoming a real hindrance, and so is..." he paused to look at his dick as Mikey pulled it out, "That! Hard to make a small splash when you got a third arm on your front!" He giggled at his own comment.
"But you love diving!" Mikey said sadly.
"I don't know if I do," Nicky shrugged. "I do enjoy it, and I'm not saying I'll never dive again, but... I dunno, I feel like I'm a totally different person than the shy, neurotic mess that started here in year seven. It kinda feels right to leave a few things behind with him!"
"Diving's kinda like your version of Snuffles!" Mikey said with a grin as he gripped both hands around the monstrous boner.
"I guess so," Nicky said with a wry grin.
"Well... if it's what you want, then... I give you my approval!" Mikey said confidently.
"I wasn't really asking for it, but thank you anyway," Nicky smirked.
Mikey suddenly grinned as he said, "We should pick a new thing to do together!"
"I'd like that!" Nicky said, reaching out to stroke Mikey's arm. "But for now... we should probably finish doing THIS together before we get caught!"
"Good point!" Mikey nodded, stroking the large dick quickly with both hands.
"Ah yeah, that's it!" Nicky said, closing his eyes as he let Mikey pleasure him.
"Can you take your shirt off?" Mikey asked hopefully. "I know you don't like..." The comment was cut off by Nicky quickly pulling off his top. "Fuck!" he muttered happily as he looked at the slender body. He couldn't help smiling at the absolute lack of reluctance. Nicky was right, he really had come a long way.
As Nicky's excitement grew, his cock began to leak copious amounts of pre-cum, which gradually worked their way down the head and into Mikey's grasp as he continued wanking eagerly, changing both the feeling and the sound of the strokes. Both boys giggled a little at the wet slurping noise it caused.
"Mikey, I'm close!" Nicky eventually gasped.
"Okay," Mikey nodded as he stared at the half-naked body beneath him. He stroked a little longer until he felt the tell-tale signs of imminent release. Just as the first shot erupted, Mikey leaned down and took the bulbous head into his mouth, taking the entire load and swallowing it down in big gulps.
"Jesus!" Nicky gasped at both the sight and sensation, whimpering his way through the release.
As Mikey swallowed the final drops he sat back up, smiling proudly.
"I... never said you had to do that," Nicky said, knowing Mikey really wasn't a fan of swallowing.
"I know," Mikey nodded. "I don't do things cos I'm told to do them. I do them cos I want to, and I wanted to make you happy!"
"Oh you certainly did that!" Nicky said contentedly as he sat up and gave his best friend a kiss, noting happily the slight taste of spunk on his breath.
The evening by the lake had been most enjoyable for both Chris and Danny. For Chris, once he had gotten over the initial shock of what he had done, knowing he had faced his fear a little more had felt like a wonderfully momentous achievement and knowing he had done it FOR Danny just made it feel even better. For Danny, it was nice to just get away from the enduring depression and emptiness that had engulfed him over the last week.
"Can we do this again," Danny requested as they began to get ready to head back. "Soon!"
"As often as you like!" Chris said sweetly as he folded up the blanket to slip back into his backpack. He stretched a little and said, "But maybe without the piggyback. You are a LOT heavier than you look!"
"It's all muscle, I swear," Danny grinned.
"Oh I know, I've seen you naked, remember," Chris joked back.
Danny chuckled, but quickly looked pensive as he said, "Is it... okay for us to spend so much time together. I know... you've got someone else now!"
"Not someone else!" Chris insisted. "Someone extra. I can manage a best friend and a boyfriend at the same time!"
"Good, I... I don't wanna mess up any more relationships," Danny said timidly. Before Chris could question it, he gestured to the path and said, "Come on, let's get back before it gets too dark. You gonna be okay walking back?"
"I hope so, unless I wanna live by the lake," Chris joked.
"Doesn't sound the worst idea," Danny sniggered. "I love it here!" he said, staring out over the water.
Chris sighed as he watched Danny and said, "Yeah, I... love it too!" before looking away guiltily.
Danny smiled round at his friend and held out a hand. Chris gratefully held it as they started through the woods. As they walked, Danny occasionally winced a little as he felt Chris' grip occasionally tighten, but he didn't let the pain show. He could endure it if it would help support Chris. Thankfully, the well-walked path wasn't overly long and soon enough they emerged on the other side.
They took a slight detour so they could enter the back of the ornamental gardens, as Danny knew how much Chris liked them and it just felt like a pleasant end to a lovely evening. As always, Danny listened intently as Chris recited his almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the various plants on display.
As they neared the main path that ran between the Sports Complex and Home Building, they let out a synchronised sigh as they heard familiar raised voices. Chris gave Danny a questioning look, silently asking is he wanted to hold back, but Danny shook his head and they walked on towards the sound of Adrian and Kyle's argument.
"OH MY GOD," Adrian snapped angrily. "You can't still be bitching about that. I didn't even do it!
"Yeah, right," Kyle snapped back at him. "Everyone knows. It's hardly a big secret!"
"Just cos everyone thinks something, that doesn't make it true, you twat!" Adrian snarled furiously.
"Just cos you deny it doesn't make it untrue, dickhead!" Kyle argued back.
"Fuck's sake, why are you even talking to me?" Adrian demanded. "You made it clear we've got nothing left to say. Just... move on already!"
"You fucking move on. You're the one who can't stop lying about it!" Kyle said angrily.
By now they had drawn a small crowd of students who were stopping on their way home for the evening, none of whom were making any attempt to intervene in the slanging match.
"Lying about what? I've told you the truth about EVERYTHING. You're just freaking paranoid!" Adrian yelled.
"I'M NOT!" Kyle snarled. "You were only ever with me because you couldn't be with the person you ACTUALLY wanted!"
"Bullshit!" Adrian barked. "Out of your exes, I'm the only one who actually WANTED to be with you!"
"What's that supposed to mean, you lying cunt?" Kyle demanded.
"I was with you cos I liked you!" Adrian said, sounding genuinely upset. "I don't see you shouting at Chris like this. He's the one who wanted to be with someone else. He even admitted it! He said he regretted ever going out with you!"
"What?" Kyle asked, looking suddenly deflated as he took a step back.
"We should go," Danny whispered, glancing at Chris. They were at the back of the crowd and nobody seemed to have noticed their presence yet.
"No!" Chris said, pulling away, moving through the small crowd. He was furious to have had his secrets shared like that, and a little confused as to how Adrian even knew it anyway.
"Yeah, he said he wished he'd never started seeing you. He wishes he'd asked Danny out instead!" Adrian said angrily. Ever since their break-up, he had felt like Kyle's verbal and emotional punching bag, taking all of the anger and frustration that was dished out his way, but he finally had a chance to inflict some pain back the other way... yet the moment he said the hurtful things, he just felt... dirty.
"He... he... wouldn't..." Kyle mumbled, jaw quivering.
Realising he had massively over-stepped, Adrian looked inordinately remorseful. "Kyle, I... I'm sorry..." he stuttered, but it was too late, the damage was done.
Kyle turned and ran.
Adrian looked round at the disapproving crowd but froze as his eyes fell on Chris.
The crowd seemed to act with a collective consciousness. The argument between the two exes has been guiltily entertaining, but what they had just witnessed... and what seemed about to follow... that pushed even their questionable taste into uncomfortable territory and they hurried along, dispersing quickly.
"Ch... Chris..." Adrian stuttered, then froze again as he saw Danny a few paces behind him as the crowd vanished.
"How... how could you..." Chris started, looking absolutely appalled. His brow began to furrow as he asked, "How do you even... know..." He stopped and turned to look at Danny as the realisation struck him. He had only ever told that particular secret to one person. He had said it Danny, when they were trapped underground, a conversation Danny claimed had been lost in the haze of his near-death. "You... you said you didn't remember what we said down there!" he said shakily.
"Chris, I... I didn't..." Danny stammered.
"But you... you do, and you've... been telling other people about it?" Chris said in disbelief. He looked round in the direction of the Home Building and said, "I need to go find Kyle!"
Adrian started, "Chris, I didn't..."
"DON'T!" Chris snapped furiously, pointing at the other boy as he seethed. "Just... don't!" He gave them both one final look of disgust before hurrying on to try and find his ex-boyfriend.
"Danny, I'm sorry," Adrian said as he moved closer. "I... didn't mean to, I was just... angry!"
Danny stared for a moment, then started laughing as he shook his head, sounding almost hysterical.
"D... Danny?" Adrian enquired cautiously.
"Of course," Danny continued laughing as he shook his head. "Why wouldn't you? I mean... it's another thing for the whole school to... to hate me for and... take the piss about. Why wouldn't you just blurt it out like that?! It's perfect. It's just... fucking... perfect!"
"I'm sorry," Adrian sniffed.
Danny just continued shaking his head as he turned and walked away. Today had felt like one of the worst of his life, yet somehow it had still managed to find a way to get even worse!
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Please note that there will be NO new chapter next week. Chapter 42 will be posted in 2 WEEKS.
If you have any questions or comments, my email is always open at matterotica@hotmail.co.uk. Alternatively, I can be found on patreon where I also post my stories, along with bonus content and exclusives, at patreon.com/matterotica
If you wish to read any of my other stories, please see below for links
The Kingswood Saga
Tales from Kingswood (Book 1)– https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/tales-from-kingswood/
Half-Term at Kingswood (Book 1 bonus story) – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/half-term-at-kingswood/
The Kingswood Eight (Book 2) - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/the-kingswood-eight/
A Very Kingswood Easter (Book 2 bonus story) - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/a-very-kingswood-easter/
The Benny Saga (in reading order)
Benny Takes Control – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/benny-takes-control/
The Dangers of Desire – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/the-dangers-of-desire/
Benny's House – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/bennys-house/
Other Series
Possession – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/sf-fantasy/possession-series/
Jack Hamilton – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/jack-hamilton/
Phil's Naked Adventures – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/phils-naked-adventures/
One-shots
The Art of Seduction – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/the-art-of-seduction
Jake's Exposure – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/jakes-exposure
Becoming an Internet Master – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/becoming-an-internet-master
Brian's Big Mistake – http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/brians-big-mistake
And Then It Got Worse – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/masturbation/and-then-it-got-worse
Missed Opportunity – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/missed-opportunity
There's a Naked Alfie in the Garden - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/theres-a-naked-alfie-in-the-garden