The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long, Chapter 34
Warning:
This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction between males of similar age. If the reading or possessing this material 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.
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I have written several other stories. My longer ones on Nifty include: "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004), "Jacob and Jacques" (May 30, 2004), "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Tales from Bentonville" (November 16, 2008), "Second Chance" (September 24, 2010), and "Tommy and Tanner (October 21, 2012)under "High School" and "Someone to Watch over Me" under "Beginnings" in the gay male section.
My short stories include: "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 22, 2004 under "Camping", "Of Angels and Dragons" (November 8, 2008) under "Camping", "A Christmas Tale" (December 22, 2009), "Wyatt's Thanksgiving" (November 20, 2012)under "High School", "Brazil Affair" (October 1, 2010), "A Technological Christmas" (December 23, 2011), and "Patrick's Christmas (December 19, 2012) under "Beginnings," I have one story in the Sci Fi/Fantasy category called, "Seth's Gift" (October 10, 2010).
"Banana Splits" was added under "adult friendships" (September 17,1013).
You can easily access most of my tales by going to the "Author" button in Nifty's home page and scrolling down to David Lee. Some of these stories are also posted at: www.storylover.us and www.saberpeak.com.
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David (dlee169@hotmail.com)
The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long, Chapter 34
The new week brought new, as well as continuing, responsibilities and challenges. Davy and Jon went over to help Cade on the house before he had to return to school mid week to get his room ready for the opening of the fall term and also attend district pre-service meetings.
Bradon went to help Micah and his mother arrange things in their new house. Since she was pregnant, everyone was concerned about not letting her lift anything too heavy. Bradon saw it as a way to be with his boyfriend and also make a favorable impression on Micah's parents.
Joe and Mark had some mowing jobs to catch up on and also spent part of the day keeping Todd company while Jim was at work. All in all, Monday was a busy day.
Todd went back to work part-time, beginning on Tuesday morning. He was greeted warmly by everyone at headquarters. They were surprised and quite pleased to see him back so soon.
Right after lunch, he had a follow-up appointment with his doctors who were also very pleased with his progress. One of them suggested he might begin some swimming and other mild physical activities on a limited basis, but wanted him to avoid anything strenuous like playing ball or water skiing.
When Todd admitted that he'd been up on skis, he got some flak from one of the team members, but another one disagreed just as strongly. Given the fact that he'd not taken any spills and that his balance had improved dramatically, they all agreed it probably helped him a great deal.
By the time he got home from the hospital, he was ready for a nap. He sat down in a recliner in the family room and slept so soundly that he nearly missed hearing the doorbell.
With no one else around, he had to answer it. He rose from the chair thinking that if it turned out to be someone soliciting funds, he was going to be upset! However, the man on the porch was none other than Jim's father.
"Dad, this is a pleasant surprise!"
(As the two men embraced, Todd momentarily felt the loss of his own father, something he usually kept out of mind. His tears betrayed those emotions.)
"Are you okay?" Matthew asked.
"Yeah, it just that you remind me of the dad I lost a long time ago, kinda bitter-sweet. When did you get back into the country?"
"That's all a bit hazy with the jetlag I'm feeling. It was in the wee hours this morning, probably around 3:00, when we touched down at O'Hare. Customs wasn't bad, but I had to spend a lot of `quality time' in Concourse C because several flights were cancelled due to fog."
"Come on in! I'm a fine host leaving my father-in-law standing outside."
"I will as soon as I pay the cab fare. I was afraid to send the driver away in case you were both at work and I'd need to crash at a motel. I tried to leave messages on the answering machine, but you must not have gotten them."
"Oops, I forgot to check it when I came in. Our new one doesn't have an annoying beep and I don't always remember," Todd admitted.
A couple of minutes later, Matthew returned, lugging two huge suitcases into the foyer.
"Todd, you look tired. Are you feeling okay?"
"Well, I'm working half-time until I recuperate completely."
"What happened? Did you catch a bug?"
"I took a bullet in the head when Jim and I were trying to arrest a guy who'd been beating up his girlfriend. She turned on us unexpectedly, I guess. I don't remember anything about it, and might not ever, which could be a good thing."
"Why didn't anyone tell me? I would have dropped everything and come to help."
"Um, that's exactly why we didn't let you know. Helping villages get a clean water supply is much more important. It's likely to save hundreds of lives, especially those of little children, and by the time you'd have gotten here I'd have been out of the hospital. Besides, you know how difficult it's been to communicate."
"That's true, but I've spent the past few weeks relaxing in Paris on my way home. I could have skipped that at least."
"We were probably at the lake and not home then anyway, and you deserved your vacation time. It seems like you've been in Africa forever."
"It has been a long time; so long that I missed a lot of important things like your wedding. I hated that, but I loved feeling that I was making a difference over there. Sadly, I may not get to go back. In light of more kidnappings in Somalia and the attacks on Westerners in other regions, the charity is seriously considering pulling out permanently."
"You can make a difference at home if you can't return. There are places locally that need volunteers too. Jim and I would love to have you near. I know Jon will be excited to have you around too."
"He has his own life and friends; he won't want to be bothered with an old man."
"I respectfully, and strongly, disagree! They can never have too many grandparents. Mom can vouch for that."
"I'm sure she has them charmed. By the way, how is Melba? I haven't heard from her in about a month. I'll bet she was afraid to write to me lest she slip and tell what had been going on."
"She's as active and feisty as ever," Todd laughed. "She was here for about two weeks helping Jim with my care."
"She's a fine woman I'm glad she could be with you. I, on the other hand, feel like I've neglected you boys."
"You haven't, but speaking of neglecting, I should have shown you to the guest room so you can rest. I know how exhausting travel through several time zones can be and then being stuck in an airport for hours when you're close to home."
"Thanks, Todd. I could do with a nap."
Once Matthew was settled in the bedroom, he stripped to his underwear, crawled under the sheet, and fell fast asleep.
"Honey, I'm home," Jim called as he came in the back door. "I stopped at Target and picked up two roasted chickens and a bucket each of coleslaw and potato salad. We might not have to cook for a couple of days. It's enough to have leftovers for tomorrow, I think."
"Maybe not," Todd said. "We have a visitor who's in the guest room sleeping off jetlag from Africa by way of Europe."
"Dad?!"
"You guessed it in one."
"Awesome! How is he?"
"Other than being travel-weary, he looks great."
"Was he pissed that we didn't tell him?"
"No, just sad that he was half a world away when we could have used his help. You know how much he loves you."
"I guess I should have told him regardless of how many problems it would have made for him. I hope I haven't hurt him. I love him as much as I love you."
"No, I'm not hurt beyond repair," Matthew said. "And I'm pleased to hear that you care for me that much."
He had come down the hall so quietly that neither man had heard him. Jim hurried over to embrace his dad, and the two hugged for several minutes with tears streaming down their cheeks.
"I guess jetlag makes me more emotional than usual," Matthew grinned, wiping his eyes.
"You're just an old softie, and you know it." Jim countered. "And don't think of changing because I love you like you are."
Jim filled his father in on recent events while he put the chicken in the oven to keep it warm until the boys arrived for dinner. Todd wanted to help, so he stood at the counter tearing lettuce and shredding carrots for their salad. They had pretty well brought Matthew up to speed when Jon and Davy burst through the back door after having spent the day helping Cade.
"What's for dinner, Pops, I'm starving," Jon exclaimed as he entered the kitchen. "Wow, Grandpa Matt!"
Matthew exchanged hugs with both boys. He was elated to find that they were still as uninhibited and affectionate as little kids. He'd seen many young men go through a stage in high school when they were "too cool" to show their emotions. In fact, he'd been that way for a while, himself, though Jim never had.
The boys pitched in to set the table and soon they were enjoying their meal together. Grandpa Matt entertained them with stories of his adventures in Africa as they ate.
Bradon, Davy, and Jon had signed up to help with freshman orientation. They cleared it with the sponsors to bring Micah along, even though he was new to the school and couldn't do too much to guide the new ninth-graders.
He'd already had the grand tour during his spring break, but this was an opportunity for him to get a better feel for the place while hanging around with his friends. Davy and Jon rode their bicycles, but Bradon picked up Micah in the small sedan his parents had bought him for his 16th birthday.
Willa and Jenna were part of the orientation team and so was Megan. Megan kept her distance from the two girls and also stayed away from Bradon. She did notice that Micah seemed to be Bradon's shadow and that put her in a grumpy mood. Despite the fact that Bradon had had sex with her, she suspected he was attracted to guys – Micah in particular. Such a waste of two perfectly hot looking guys!
Several upperclassmen were stationed in the halls to assist the freshmen in finding their classrooms after schedules were passed out in homerooms. During that time, Micah went around on his own to check out where his classes would be held so he'd not be lost on the first day of school.
Many students helped with the games and other activities which were set up to help kids from the various feeder schools get acquainted with one another so they could feel comfortable with them.
All of the clubs had tables set up in the hallway to advertise their offerings too.
Dr. Campbell's philosophy fit perfectly with that of Dr. Pilchard and the district in general. They all believed that students tended to achieve more, and exhibit better behavior when they were involved in constructive school activities. Knowing that not all kids were comfortable competing in team sports, she promoted a variety of things they could do to become connected with their school and classmates.
This year, along with Cade's husband, Harrison, she was sponsoring a martial arts club. For the demonstrations, she had enlisted the help of Jon, Davy, Joe, Bradon, Mark, and Chandler who all dressed up in their karate outfits (traditionally known as GIs) to help generate interest.
The demonstration was held right after the games ended and it drew a surprisingly large crowd. Evidently the exhibition of their skills was impressive, because a number of freshmen signed up to participate. Time would tell how many of them actually carried through, but it was encouraging.
After a quick change, the team of Davy, Jon, Nate, and Bradon (with Micah, by default), helped Cade greet the new kids who were interested in joining the swim team. They answered questions and promised to show the newbies the ropes in the pool and locker room when practice began later in the fall.
Davy and Jon were also responsible for serving the hotdogs and brats from the grill for the picnic, so they got to see just about every new freshman who attended. When Spence's brother, Eddy, came through the food line with a couple of his buddies, the guys removed a plastic glove temporarily and gave him high-fives.
"Hey Little Bro, it's great to see you up here this year. You know we told Spence we'd look after you, so be sure to tell us if you catch any crap from anyone." Davy said.
"No one's gonna mess with our friends and get away with it," Jon added.
"Thanks, guys," Eddy beamed. "It's nice to know I have older brothers in this place. These are my home boys, Jack and Paul. I hope you'll watch out for them too."
"We will," Davy and Jon agreed, as they bumped fists with them.
When they had found a spot at a picnic table to eat, Jack and Paul exclaimed how cool it was to get acquainted with upperclassmen. They were impressed that Eddy knew a couple of big guys.
Neither Davy nor Jon would have considered themselves to be "big" guys. They weren't hulks like some of the kids who played defense on the football team, but compared to the incoming crop of freshmen boys, they did look impressive. In the past couple of years, their bodies had developed a lot through sports, karate, weightlifting, and the natural effect of teen hormones. Their defined muscles and tufts of underarm hair showed off rather nicely in the sleeveless Ts they wore.
Like a lot of ordinary guys, they really didn't know how good they looked to others. While they always dressed to appear their best, they hadn't worn the skin-tight microfiber shirts like some guys do when they're trying to impress the world about how hot they are.
Further down the food line, Micah had been pressed into service alongside Bradon because some people who had signed up to work had failed to show. He was happy to participate. It made him feel like part of the establishment.
After all of the freshmen had been served, the volunteers got to eat as well. The main servers stayed at their stations until the rest of their peers went through the line. Thus, Bradon and Micah were still side by side when Megan came to get her food.
"Congratulations on finding a lover, Bradon," she said snidely.
"Thanks, Megan," he replied, sweetly. "I'm glad you don't hold grudges. Micah and I are very much in love. I hope you'll be able to move on and find someone too. There are several pretty freshman girls..."
Willa and Jenna were close enough to hear the exchange and were having a difficult time holding back their laughter. A couple of other students couldn't control their mirth. They were cracking up after seeing how deftly Bradon had dealt with the girl. The other kids didn't care whether or not Bradon and Micah were a couple. They were impressed with his quick, smart-ass response.
Whereas the summer had flown by quickly and school was starting with a bang, the days leading up to Jon's and Davy's 16th birthdays seemed to drag
At a meeting with the four dads about their party, they told their families that they wanted a joint celebration with their closest buds somewhere between September 8 and September 15. It would cut down on the cooking and baking, and they would both be inviting the same set of friends anyway.
Everyone agreed that it was a great plan.
"Um, Dad, while we're on the subject of turning 16," Davy said, "Jon and I think we've saved up enough money to buy the Camry off of you guys, if you're still willing to sell it.
Since we're almost the same as married, we'd like to share our ride like we do everything else."
"Sorry, but we're not selling it to you."
"But, I thought..."
"We checked the Blue Book price on it and Jon's dads want to pay us half of what it's worth and together we'll GIVE it to you both as your combined birthday present."
"Awesome!" the boys exclaimed in chorus.
"Now we'll have money for gas and insurance." Jon added.
"We're happy to do it. Just don't forget haul this kid to school in bad weather," Brent grinned, inclining his head toward Joe.
"We could never forget our little bro!" Davy insisted.
On Jon's birthday, Todd rode with the boys to the Department of Motor Vehicles so Jon could take the test to get his license. He passed the written quiz without missing a single question, and didn't have to take a road test because his number didn't come up on the "lottery" system they used.
After having his picture taken, he waited a few minutes before a machine spit out his license, still warm from the laminating process.
"Jeez! I think it's worse than my passport photo. I don't know why they won't let us smile for these."
"It's probably because an officer wouldn't recognize you if you were looking happy when he had just pulled you over and was in the process of giving you a citation," Todd suggested.
"I s'pose that's true. Anyway, do I get to drive home?"
"You drove here didn't you?"
"Yeah, but that was with you beside me. This time, you get the back seat and Davy gets to ride up front."
"Okay, I guess fathers will always take a back seat to lovers," Todd lamented.
"I can wait until later to ride in front," Davy offered. "It might be uncomfortable for you in the back of the Solara."
"I'll be fine," Todd smiled. "It's Jon's special day and he gets to call the shots."
"Hmm, in that case, I think I'll have a scotch on the rocks before dinner."
"Sorry, you can call' the shots, but not drink' them," Todd joked.
"Okay, Papasan, I'll be good and do as you say," Jon said as he put his hands together and made an exaggerated bow.
"Lord, what did I do to deserve a son like this?" Todd sighed with eyes turned heavenward.
"I think you must have shot a particularly special fucking load," Jon responded with a toothy grin.
Todd laughed so hard that he couldn't scold his cheeky offspring for the sexual reference.
The two families, including "G-Matt", as the boys had dubbed Matthew, had a fine dinner to mark Jon's birthday. Brent and Brock hosted it because they wanted to give Todd a break now that he was back to work.
They cooked chicken Bruschetta with sides of pasta and zucchini. They had also whipped up a small chocolate cake topped with the numbers one and six.
After serving it, the men handed the boys the title to the Camry registered in both of their names.
"I assume you don't mind receiving the car tonight," Brock said, looking at his son.
"It's fine with me!" Davy enthused. "We'll probably wait to drive it to school until I get my license next week because Jon can't legally take more than one kid who isn't related to him and we can't leave Joe out."
"You guys can go alone," Joe insisted. "Mark's coming over in the morning and we're gonna ride our bikes to school. Really, that was already in the works."
"Are you sure?" Jon asked. "We can wait."
"I'm sure."
The combined party for their school friends was a stag affair held on the weekend so that Wyatt and Jesse could attend. The lake gang, Bradon, Micah, Mark, and Joe made up the rest of the small guest list. The boys had contemplated having Eddy and Chandler, but decided to limit it to couples.
On their invitations, the boys had stipulated that the only presents allowed were gag gifts. No one was allowed to spend over $2.00 and homemade items were encouraged.
They received a few toy cars in honor of becoming drivers, a pair of hand strung necklaces with "SWEET 16" worked into the design, a used Malibu Barbie Doll, and two real gags. The gags, which they opened last, were from Wyatt and Jesse who were incorrigible punsters and who feigned innocence when everyone broke into laughter.
"You know we take everything literally," Wyatt insisted. "Besides you guys may want these to shut each other up when you're studying for a big test like we are this weekend."
"Or doing something kinky," Joe speculated in a stage whisper to Davy.
He was just loud enough that everyone heard it and laughed even harder.
"Joseph Brent Mason!" Brent exclaimed, trying to keep a straight face. "Watch the innuendo."
"I'm sorry; I didn't think it would offend anyone here."
"It was pretty cool, actually," Davy defended him. "It takes a sharp mind to come up with something like that without missing a beat."
"I guess most of us here are old enough to allude to things like that and it was done in a heartbeat," Brent grinned. "But it's not entirely appropriate for young ears."
"Hey, I'm the youngest one here, but I'm not entirely stupid," Joe spoke up. "I know what kinds of things some of you probably do, and I'm not judging anyone."
"Okay, it's my turn to apologize," Brent said. "I didn't mean to make you feel like a little boy, Son. You are a sophomore in high school after all. I need to treat you like an adult."
"Thanks," Joe grinned. I know I'm not an adult, but I'm not a little boy either. I guess that makes me a smart-ass teenager."
The number of guys staying for the sleepover shrank when Wyatt and Jesse left around 9:45. They felt a little old to participate, and they really DID have a big test early in the next week so they needed to study.
The boys continued the party in the downstairs apartment where they got into a game of strip poker. Joe's luck was running hot and he still had on his underwear and one sock when everyone else was naked.
As a prize for winning, the guys gave him a big banana, which he promptly stuffed in his briefs and then strutted around entertaining his buds.
When it came time to settle down to sleep, Jon and Davy gave up their bed for Bradon and Micah, choosing to sleep upstairs in the guest room next to Joe's bedroom.
"You don't need to do that for us," Bradon remarked. "You're the birthday boys."
"It's okay," Davy insisted. "Jon and I get to sleep down here a lot and you guys don't have much opportunity to share a bed with no one else around. Down here, you can make as much noise as you want without worrying that someone will hear you."
"That sounds like a deal!" Micah exclaimed. "We'll accept your hospitality!"
Turning 16, and being able to drive, is a rite of passage for many American males. Davy and Jon were happy that their families let them milk it for all it was worth. Bradon's and Micah's birthdays had passed with little fanfare. Davy's and Jon's were akin to royal events.
Davy's official birthday was marked by another family dinner. This one had a surprise element in that Melba came to help host it. Davy grinned when he saw the large cake she had decorated in his honor.
"Hey Grandma Melba, you are awesome! Did you drive the distance just for me?"
"Well, truth be told, I wanted to check on my son again, and I'm taking Matthew with me because there is a charity I'm trying to get him involved in. They're doing a water project in the Southwest, and he's got the knowledge and experience to help get it off the ground."
"But, you live in Indiana and that's not even close," Jon said.
"We're driving to New Mexico together next week. I volunteered to provide the transportation because he hasn't purchased a car since coming back from Nigeria."
"Hmmm, am I going to have a combined set of grandparents?" Jon teased.
"Do I meddle in your affairs?" Melba asked, cocking her left eyebrow.
"Yes," Jon smirked. "And now it's become an affair?"
"Now Jon, don't make this into something it isn't. We are simply two mature individuals who are going to spend time together doing work we both believe in. We aren't sharing a bed!"
"But you could end up at the altar someday. G-Matt is a really great guy."
"'Whatever', as you kids say. We are planning to date some."
The bantering between grandma and grandson ceased when they heard Matthew's voice in the next room. Melba and he had talked about going together when he came back to the States, but she didn't know if he'd told anyone else, so she quickly swore the boys to secrecy.
The meal was scrumptious and the dessert satisfying, but the boys still found an excuse to go to Dairy Queen around 8:00 so Davy could use his new license to transport both his brother and boyfriend. He knew at least someone from school was likely to see him behind the wheel.
Ah yes, 16 is indeed a sweet birthday.
Author's notes: Thanks for the responses I've received since last posting. The list includes: Ch. 33: Roger L, Bill T, Walter Sz, Ott H, Tony M, Tom A, Jim W, Bill K, Scott W, Paul R, Wayne, Mendy D, Trish R, Walt S, RC, JM, Bill C and Ryan T.
Trish R would like t say thanks to those who have kept her Mom in their thoughts and prayers. Her mother got released from the hospital recently and is home for the holidays!
Here is something to give to the man who has everything:
http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/archive/segment/robot-handjobs-are-the-future-and-the-future-is-coming/5283e961fe34444eb70002bd?cn=tbla
Also, if you wrote to me recently and I didn't respond, I may have deleted you email without opening it as I often do when there is nothing in the subject line and it's an address I don't recognize. Please write again WITH "Metamorphosis" in the subject line and I will respond.