Tommy and Tanner Chapter 19
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. It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble.
The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without explicit authorization from me.
This is not my first attempt at writing fiction. My longer stories 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), and "Second Chance" (September 24, 2010) under "High School" and "Someone to Watch over Me" under "Beginnings" in the gay male section. There are a few short stories also: "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) under "High School", "Brazil Affair" (October 1, 2010) under "Beginnings" and "Seth's Gift" (October 10, 2010) under the Science Fiction/Fantasy category.
I am now listed on Nifty under the category of "Prolific Net Authors" which will make it easier for you to access earlier stories. Some of these stories are also posted at: www.storylover.us along with those of other writers that may interest you.
My only reward for contributing to Nifty is your emails. Please write if you like the story. Please include the name of the story in the title of your email because my email service sometimes puts them in the "spam" file.
Finally, thanks and hugs to Tom and David (boxerdude) who edit for me so that there are fewer mistakes! They not only proof-read, but make other valuable suggestions.
David (dlee169@hotmail.com)
Tommy and Tanner, Chapter 19
Tim took his brothers to church, making a detour along the way to pick up Ms. Cranston. She often came by cab, but Tim felt he should try to give her a ride when he could. Tuck gave up his seat in front without even being asked to. Tim thought maybe there was hope for the boy yet.
They arrived a bit early, assuming that it might take Dorothy a few minutes to get ready. Such was not the case, and she opened the door when she saw Tim bounding up the front steps.
"Please bring your brothers in to see my kitchen in progress," she requested.
The boys came in to admire the work that had been done. Their remarks were more than simply attempts to be polite. They were truly impressed with the gleaming new appliances and beautiful floor. Even Tuck commented on how nice it looked. By the time they were through with their short tour, Tim said they needed to load up if they didn't want to be late.
Lee had saved seats for the boys on one end of the pew and Teri had saved a place for Dorothy on the other. Peter and Lee moved toward the center so the boys wouldn't have to trip over them. Tanner, Tommy, Tuck, and Tim sat in that order beside Lee. Just before the organ prelude began, Tanner whispered very quietly in Lee's ear.
"Well, did you get some this weekend?"
"Yes, you cheeky boy; how about you?"
"Yup! It's really convenient for us, sleeping together in the same bed and all."
"Maybe we did that too."
"Way to go!" Tanner whispered, a little louder than he'd intended as he bumped fists with his uncle.
Fortunately the music covered his words.
Pastor Anna's sermon was on the subject of "Who is my neighbor?" She applied the parable of the "Good Samaritan" to people in contemporary times who are marginalized by society like the Samaritans had been in the time of Christ. When she illustrated her point by relating the story of a serviceman whose life had been spared in Iraq by the selfless sacrifice of a gay comrade, Tommy and Tanner looked at each other knowing the source of that tale. They both thought it was cool to have a gay guy held up as a role model in a sermon.
Once again, Lee felt it had been almost providential that he'd found this church through his search for his nephew. He was seriously considering inquiring about new members' classes.
After social hour, Tark and Teri took Dorothy home. Teri had a motive for it besides letting Tim out of that duty. She wanted Tark to see the results of her suggestions for Dorothy's kitchen.
Tark was well impressed and said so. On their way home from Dorothy's house, they again discussed how much they loved the place.
"I'm going to make an appointment this week to see a loan officer at the bank. With interest rates as low as they are, we might be able to handle buying it."
"I don't know, dear. We'll have another little mouth to feed and Tim will be in college next year. Perhaps we shouldn't think about it. I wasn't pushing you to buy it. I wanted you to see my ideas coming to life."
"Maybe you should quit teaching and become a decorator. You certainly have a gift for it."
"I'd enjoy it, but there's no job security and no pension down the road. And, I really do love working with kids."
The fall semester didn't begin until Wednesday for the students. The teachers had meetings on Monday and Tuesday, so the boys were left on their own for a couple of days.
On Monday, Andy came over on his bike to accompany Tommy and Tanner to the park. The guys got Tim to drive them to the Baker's home to pick up Brendon for a morning of playtime.
His mother met them at the door with lunches packed for all. She even had one for Tim, although he wasn't planning to stay the whole time. Brendon was very excited about going.
Tim ended up staying a while because Brendon took to him quickly and wanted him to play. Tim always seemed to have that effect on little kids. No doubt he'd make a great dad someday.
But, after about half an hour, he said he needed to head for the pool and he got Brendon interested in going down the slide with the other boys.
By the time Tim came back for his passengers, Brendon was still full of energy, but the older boys were nearly worn out from all the activities despite having taken turns entertaining him.
The following afternoon, Andy, Tommy, and Tanner accompanied Brendon to the pool. Jennifer drove them and stayed in the parking lot long enough to make sure Brendon wasn't going to freak out. He seemed to be fine, so she left when he waved to her through the chain-link fence.
As he had been the day before, Brendon was full of piss and vinegar. The boys channeled his energy into swimming laps. They helped him with his strokes because he was eager to improve rather than just to play around. They were impressed by his attention span and determination.
"You're going to be a great swimmer in high school if you keep this up," Tanner told him. "In fact, I'm gonna talk to your mom about the Y programs. If you get a head start, you'll kick butt!"
The other two guys agreed. Brendon was on cloud nine.
When it came time to shower and change, the older boys weren't sure how to handle being nude together with the young boy. They wondered if he would have flash-backs, but decided to go ahead and do what they normally did without making a big deal out of it. They hoped he'd be as comfortable as they were around their friends and brothers.
As they were showering, Brendon checked each of them out unabashedly. It was kind of difficult remaining completely soft when someone was looking that closely at their junk, but they managed.
"Wow, you guys have big penises!" Brendon exclaimed. "Mine is really little."
"That's how it is with everyone when they're your age," Andy explained. "Look at how much smaller your hands are than ours. When you grow to be as big as we are, you'll grow all over. Your hands, feet, and even your penis will be bigger."
"That's cool," Brendon said. "I hope mine gets as big as my dad's."
"It probably will," Tommy said, remembering how impressed he'd been with his father's when he was Brendon's age and knowing he must be nearing his father's size now.
When Jennifer took the boys home, she left Brendon inside the car with the AC on for a couple of minutes, out of earshot, to ask them how things had gone. They said he was fine and briefly told her about the conversation in the showers so that she would know they weren't doing anything untoward with her son. She smiled about Brendon's assessment of his father's equipment, saying that it was true, and then she blushed from the realization she'd been so frank with the teens. They loved her openness and her embarrassment.
When the first day of the term arrived, everyone at school looked happy and raring to go for another year. Well, almost everyone. Mason Frey was very leery of how he would be received. Although his name hadn't been published in the newspaper about lascivious acts with a child, he was certain that everyone knew. No doubt Tommy, Tanner, and Andy had told the world.
The three boys had actually been very tight-lipped, but Mason didn't know that. His paranoia kept him on edge. He was relieved that the first day was only a half-day because he dreaded facing other students in the cafeteria where things were more causal than in the classroom and there weren't many adults around to prevent verbal asides.
As Mason was heading for the bike rack, he met the trio that he'd been blaming for his presumed notoriety. When they saw him, they neither ignored him nor greeted him as a long lost buddy. Their "hellos" were polite, but brief. Mason breathed a sigh of relief. At least they weren't taunting him. He would discuss the encounter with his therapist later in the afternoon when his mother took him for his appointment.
Mason was looking forward to his session because he really liked his counselor and it was at a facility in another town so that no one would be likely to see him going there.
"Mr. Ratliff, you're 4:30 appointment is here," the receptionist announced.
Lee came out to greet Mason and his mother.
"Mrs. Frey, Mason and I will spend the first 45 minutes or so together and then we'll invite you in and see what he is willing to share and what you have to contribute."
"That's fine. I trust you to do what is best. I don't think I could add much."
Mason spent several minutes talking about things in general, avoiding what he wanted to say. Finally, he took a deep breath and opened up.
"I was molested by a babysitter when I was about Brendon's age. At the time, I didn't know it was a bad thing. The guy began by doing things to me that felt good – play wrestling, tickling, and stuff like that." Mason began. "But later, he forced me to do things I didn't want to do. He said he'd kill me if I told and I believed him," he began to sob. "I can't believe I tried to force that little boy to do the same things. I wish I could die!"
"Mason, look at me! I feel you're not telling the whole story. Having been molested might be the cause of why you did it to someone else, but this better not be a ploy to get off easy. I can tell that you're holding something back and I want the truth."
"They'll k-k-kill me," Mason continued to cry.
"Who will kill you?"
"My m-mom and dad."
"If you need to be taken from your home and put into a safe environment, it can be arranged. We have to get to the bottom of this in order for you to heal. Now please tell me."
"It was my uncle Lonny, Dad's brother. They'll never believe me because he has a girlfriend and a kid."
"Wait a minute, you told me you were an only grandchild on either side of the family. Something isn't adding up."
"I'm not lying. He had the kid with another girlfriend and my grandparents refuse to accept the girl as part of the family. She's also half Hispanic and my grandfather is very prejudiced about race."
"Okay, do you have any proof? If you do, that would help convince your parents."
"I have a couple of old fashioned Polaroid pictures that he took. One of them shows me, uh, giving him oral sex."
"That might not prove a lot because how would anyone know it's him?"
"He has a birthmark on his right thigh that looks like a PFC stripe."
"Whew! That's a very lucky fluke. But, how did you happen to end up with them? I'd think he'd have been smart enough to have destroyed them or kept them hidden."
"He took a bunch and I slipped two of them under the throw rug. He thought there were more, but I convinced him that he had them all. I wanted to keep some for souvenirs. I know that's weird, but after a while I kinda liked what we were doing and I'd feel him up the minute we were alone. I wanted to make him feel good because he said he loved me. I'm so warped!"
"I know it sounds twisted, but it's not uncommon. It's like when people who've been held captive for a long time begin to bond with their captors. You're not weird."
"Thanks. Can I have a hug?"
"Of course," Lee said, giving Mason a shoulder squeeze, being careful not to be too intimate.
"I suppose I have to tell my parents..."
"Eventually, but I'd like to have you bring the photos next time so that we can keep them safe. What if your father denied that his brother could do such a thing and tore up the evidence?"
"You're right; he could do that. He's always made excuses for Lonny, even insisting that Maria couldn't be Lonny's child regardless of the paternity test."
"So, what will we discuss when your mother comes in? We don't want to reveal any of this until the evidence is safe. Since we've already run your session into the time allotted for her, I can probably put her off until next time. Do you think that would work?"
"Definitely. She'll be happy that she doesn't have to face reality yet. You saw how she wasn't eager to participate."
When Lee made his apologies to Mason's mother, she seemed relieved that he'd used up all the time with her son. On the way home, she didn't ask Mason what had been discussed. He knew her well – she'd be happy to remain with her head buried in the sand.
"It was kinda strange running into Mason today." Tommy said as the boys were getting ready for bed. "I thought maybe he'd be in reform school or something."
"I think they try to rehabilitate kids in regular society these days, unless they murdered someone. He's not a vicious criminal." Tanner observed.
"He certainly has some redeeming qualities." Tommy grinned.
"Does he give better head than I do?"
"I'm not saying that, but he is good. Ask about anyone on the basketball team. You're way better because you love me and only me."
"Yeah I do. Would you like a demonstration to see if I'm still number one?"
"Could we maybe practice on each other?" Tommy said, licking his lips.
"Mais oui, mon ami!"
"Oh I love it when you speak French to me. How about doing some `Frenching'?"
"Certainment!"
Talking ceased as the boys explored each other's mouth with their tongues while rubbing their naked bodies together. As horny as both were, they would accomplish their mission without losing too much sleep, but a lot of cum, of course.
On Thursday afternoon, Tuck came bouncing into the counselors' office to talk to Mr. Parker about changing one of his classes. He was determined not to take the home economics part of the electives rotation. He was fine with art, music, and computer, but the woman who was supposed to teach them simple cooking and sewing was an idiot as far as he was concerned. She had spent the first full day of class showing a video on kitchen safety followed by having each student go to the electric range and practice turning it on and off. Tucker had helped with countless meals, and while not as proficient in the kitchen as his brothers, had once cooked the major part of dinner by himself.
"Hi Ms. Thompson. May I talk to Mr. Parker if he's not busy?"
"Didn't you know that he doesn't work here anymore?"
"Why? What happened? He didn't get fired did he?"
"No, the district had to make budget cuts and he would have been laid off, but Mrs. Freeman at Coolidge decided to take early retirement, so they moved him to high school."
"When did this happen? I saw him Sunday and he didn't say anything?"
"He didn't know it then. He was probably agonizing about the possibility of not having a job. How well do you know him?"
"Pretty well. We belong to the same church and he's our uncle's friend."
"Tell me," she said in a conspiratorial tone, "is he gay like I suspect?"
"He's never discussed his sexual orientation with me, and I for one feel that it's his business and no one else's either way."
"Tucker Torrance, please come in and tell me what you need." Ms. Jones called from the small inner office. "You've been assigned to me since Mr. Parker left."
Tuck went into the office and Ms. Jones closed the door quickly. She had a big grin on her face.
"I should probably chide you for verging on dissing your elders in that little scene out there, but I won't because you did what needed to be done. Peter and I have discussed his orientation, but I'm not going to gossip and that secretary out there shouldn't either. Just like you said, it's no one's business! You put her in her place rather smoothly without using any bad words or yelling or whatever. I'm not sure she even knew she was being chastised. You'll make a great politician or diplomat someday. The world needs people like you who aren't afraid to speak up against prejudice and do it in a way that won't cause a backlash."
"Thanks," Tuck grinned. "I wish my brothers could hear you say that. They think I'll never become civilized."
"Well, they're all perceptive boys, but they're wrong in this case. I'm proud of you!"
"Thanks again! Since you know about Mr. Parker, I guess I can tell you that he's dating our uncle – well Tanner's uncle actually, but we've adopted him like we did Tanner."
"Oh, you're talking about the boy I knew as John Leads. Yes, I was aware that your parents had adopted him, but I'd heard he had no living relatives."
"Everyone thought that, but Lee is his dad's brother and they were separated as children when their family was split up. He found us this summer and he's really cool!"
"Thanks for trusting me with those bits of information. I'm delighted to know that Peter's found someone. I hope it works out. He's such a sweet man!
Now what was it you wanted to see me about?"
"It's about that stupid cooking class! I know how to turn on a frig, uh sorry, darn stove without wasting a whole class period when I could be doing something more constructive like picking my nose. Can you rescue me?"
"Hmm, you're not the first to complain and I will, despite your review of Mrs. Logan's teaching abilities. You're good with computers aren't you?"
"Yeah, I could've tested out of the class, but I like it."
"How `bout I make you an office helper during that period and give you credit for it? I think you can be trusted to enter data into the computer and help ease the secretaries' work load. I remember the brownies you baked last year, so I can vouch for your cooking skills."
"I think I can bring you some this week," Tuck smiled.
"Are you bribing me?" Ms. Jones asked, with a twinkle in her eye.
"No ma'am. Like any good politician, I'm rewarding my supporters."
"Get out of here before you talk me into letting you out of all your classes!"
The first week of school literally flew by. By the following Wednesday, summer was a fading memory as students plunged into their new term. Everyone looked a bit more mature than they had the previous year. A number of the sophomore boys had grown several inches taller over the summer. Some had lost the last vestiges of baby fat and were beginning to show muscle definition.
The girls hadn't changed as much since puberty tended to hit them earlier than their male counterparts. Tanner thought that Sibyl's bust-line was fuller than it had been, but it didn't hold any particular interest for him. He felt like "been there; done that" instead of lusting or even having any curiosity.
Tommy and Tanner were still a duo, but now were often part of a trio with Andy along side. The three of them had more in common than orientation. They had kempo instruction, several classes in common, cross country, and being Brendon's big brothers as well.
After school, on that second Wednesday, Mason ran into all three as they headed for the bike racks. He was again relieved that the boys maintained a rather neutral attitude toward him. He was aware that they disapproved of his conduct with Brendon and had made statements to the police about what they saw him doing, but he also noticed that they were still keeping silent about the incident. It gave him a little hope that he might have a normal life without having to be shipped off to live with his grandparents.
He went to his appointment with Mr. Ratliff feeling pretty good. He had the photos in his backpack and was ready to face his demons. He needed to be cured so that he wouldn't hurt children.
"How do you feel today, Mason," Lee asked the boy.
"A lot better. See this picture? I hadn't looked at it for a long time. It used to make me feel sexy, but now it makes me sick. That fucking bastard took away my childhood! But now that I've stared at that problem head-on, I do feel better. I think I can beat this thing."
"This photo is incriminating. That birthmark should be proof positive of who was doing this to you. It makes me sick too. I want Dr. Chandler to be in on this."
Lee picked up the phone to have the receptionist check on Dr. Chandler's availability. Within a couple of minutes, the chief psychiatrist was viewing the pictures with Mason and Lee.
"We need to make several copies of these and we need to contact the authorities. I hope we can get this man locked up. If not, we can certainly make his life Hell and do our best to see that he doesn't molest other boys."
"Do you think we should discuss this with Mason's mother at this time?" Lee asked.
"I do. Let me call her in."
When his mother came into the room, Mason was suddenly very uncomfortable. He didn't know how she would react. He wondered if he'd have a home to go to when the session was finished.
"Mrs. Frey, we have some photos that we want you to view. I must warn you that they will be upsetting. Not knowing what your reaction will be, I will show you copies so that the originals will remain safe for a police investigation."
Brenda Frey's eyes widened in fear of what this could be.
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "That's Lonny and you. He's making you do what they're accusing you of doing!"
"He did it to me and I tried to do it to Brendon and would have if my friends hadn't stopped me. It's awful that Dad was going to take a swing at Tark because the boys did the right thing."
"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry! I should have known Lonny might try something nasty. He's always been rotten and the family's covered up for him or ignored his behavior. I'll talk to Dad and we'll get to the bottom of this."
"Thanks Mom. I was afraid you'd hate me."
"Why would I do that? You are precious to me. I can understand why you might abuse a boy like you'd been abused. We have to admit what you've done and continue treatment with Mr. Ratliff until you're cured."
"That may not be possible," Lee said. "Mason, which boys you were talking about when you said your dad had a run-in with Tark?" Lee asked, anticipating the answer.
"Their names are Andy, Tommy, and Tanner." Mason answered.
"Dr. Chandler, I'm afraid I will have to withdraw from being Mason's counselor due to a possible conflict of interest. I don't want to do something unethical."
"Whatever do you mean?" the doctor asked.
"Tanner Torrance is my nephew."
"I don't want you to stop seeing my son," Brenda said. "You have no idea how much better he's seemed since coming to you. He's evidently been living with a terrible secret for several years and you've exposed it. You're a lifesaver."
"I know that Lee would keep everything confidential, but he and I will discuss the implications of this before he sees Mason again. I'll probably run it past my lawyer to get her opinion too." Dr. Chandler said. "If we don't get an answer by next week, I will take the appointment if that's okay with you, Mason. I understand that you've bonded with Mr. Ratliff and I will do my best not to jeopardize your progress."
"He's the one I want to see," Mason insisted. "But I'll talk to you if he isn't allowed to. I'm sure you're okay too."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Dr. Chandler smiled. "I'll do my very best by you if you can't continue with Mr. Ratliff."
"Pray for us," Brenda said as they were leaving. "I dread how Darrel will take this news about his brother. He's always defended and protected him, like the rest of the family. Lonny has never had to be responsible for anything he's done, including fathering a child out of wedlock."
"In this state, the statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse doesn't run out until at least 10 years after the victim has turned 18 and it can be extended, depending on certain circumstances. Your brother-in-law isn't going to get off with a slap on the wrist this time!" the doctor vowed.
Author's notes: Thanks to all who emailed since last posting: Ott H, Anthony L, Blake J, Bill T, Roger L, Bill K, Walt S, Rutabaga, Mark H, Bert H, Wayne, KT, Don R, Tom A, Ethan T, Jim C, Jim W, Bob Z, Hans S, Hal J (#94), Paul R,John McD, Tom R (#95), Paul F, Tony W, Douglas and Lawrence, Dennis A, and Vann D.
As you can see, there are a couple of new names on the list. It's remarkable to me that I've had 95 new responders since last fall.
Mea Culpa! I messed up on the title of Hans's story "A Rock and a Hard Place." This is the correct one. In my mind, I added the "Between" part.
Thoughts and prayers for people going through floods and forest fires as well as those in wars and other disasters.
David