Mayfield Magic

 

Greetings and Welcome Back. Aiden’s welcome party has a big effect on some of the new Mayfield boys, as well as some of the “older timers”.

 

Your emails are always appreciated and answered.

 

 

CHAPTER 58-COUNTDOWN TO SCHOOL (2)

 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

 

<Vernon Wright>

 

9:30

 

Vernon did not want to get out of bed. He hated his new life and everybody who was a part of it, including his mom, dad, and little brother. “Well, maybe not my little brother, although he could be a bit more upset over being uprooted.’ Being thirteen had turned out to be a truly bad luck experience. He learned before his thirteenth birthday that his dad had a new job that would have them moving to a whole different part of the country. But that didn’t seem real until their house sold a week after his birthday, which was May 12.

 

For him that was unacceptable. He had lived in Rockford, Illinois his entire life. This was where his long-time friends lived, where four of his cousins lived, where both sets of grandparents lived, and where his girlfriend Sandy lived.

 

This was where he played sports. His current team was the Rockford Middle School Rams where he played second base, third base, and pitched. He would be playing for the Scrappers when summer league started and then for the Rockets when soccer started in the fall. Why would he want to live anywhere else?

 

He didn’t know what he would be doing about basketball after the big mess his season had been last winter. That happened before he turned thirteen, but the whole mess would be hitting him again this winter. That would be one of the few good things about moving. His dad was still upset with him about that. He tried to tell his dad, without success, that it was the coach’s fault that he quit the team. And that was even though his dad did agree with him that the coach was a shit show.

 

He and his family moved a week after school was out. His grandparents had taken turns looking after him and his eleven-year-old brother Warren while his parents had traveled to the mysterious state of Washington to find a house.

 

Vernon had done some research on the state of Washington and decided he wouldn’t like it. It rained a lot, it wasn’t flat like the area around Rockford, and it had too many trees. On top of that it hardly ever snowed there. What was winter without snow?

 

He’d had four really good friends. Most of his teammates didn’t like him because they were jealous of how good he was. Sandy Curtis, his girlfriend, was his best friend. They’d been going out together since the start of sixth grade. He’d been to third base with her often, but they hadn’t gone all the way. Sandy wanted to wait until they started high school, which was one of the few things they’d disagreed on. He wanted to “do it” now, but that was never going to happen. They’d come close a couple times when they made out naked on her bed and napped together wearing just their underwear.

 

His best friends were Harley Burgess, Lee Kennedy, and Anthony Porter. They were not only best friends, but they were also his jerk off buddies.

They jerked themselves off most of the time. He and Harley had done each other four times. He did it twice each with Lee and Anthony. The best time ever was when the four of them jerked off together. That happened twice and they didn’t touch each other. They also didn’t get naked. They figured that being naked and touching each other would mean they were having sex instead of simply jerking off.

 

The only jerk off buddy Vernon had now was the “Web Site”—his brother, Warren Webster Wright, who gave top notch hand jobs. He had taught Warren about jerking off in February just after his eleventh birthday. He had promised his brother a special treat for his birthday. He had promised it would be one that would feel good.

 

“Is this about playing with my wiener?” Warren had wondered, shocking his older brother. Vernon asked how he knew about playing with his dick. Warren told him he had heard some of the older boys talking about it a couple of times. “I played with mine a little, and it felt kind of good, but I don’t see what the big deal is.” Vernon then said he would teach him exactly what the big deal was.

 

On the Saturday afternoon after Warren’s birthday, they were home alone. Their parents had gone to visit friends. Vernon decided this was a good time to show his little brother what ‘playing with his wiener’ was all about. Vernon had no problem talking Warren into getting naked with him. He then masturbated Warren to his first orgasm (it was a dry one).  

 

Vernon then lubed his cock and showed Warren how to pleasure him. Warren loved seeing what his brother called his ‘love seed’ shoot out. The tween was hooked on jerking off with his brother. It hadn’t taken him long to talk friends into having what they called “you-know-what” sessions where he and his friends played with each other’s “watchamajiggies”.

 

As much as Vernon wanted to hang in bed forever and relive the good times he’d had in Rockford and think about the good times he was enjoying with his brother, he was hungry and had to pee. He got out of bed, pulled off his sleeping shirt and boxers, and headed to his bathroom, which was next to his bedroom.

 

While he was in the shower, he thought about the soccer team he’d been stuck with. It was the only thirteen and under travel team in Mayfield. It was just one more thing that irked him about where his parents had dragged him off to. One other thing about it was that the league rules in the podunk league allowed them to have two fourteen-year-olds on the roster. He knew that Trent was one of them. Vernon couldn’t figure out why a seventh grader and a little faggot were the team captains when Trent was the obvious choice to be a captain.

 

Added to that, the coach was an idiot. When the coach got on his case for not giving up the ball during his all too brief playing time in their first game, he gave what he considered a perfectly good response. “You’ve got this confused coach. Where I played last year, I was the guy everybody else gave the ball to, not the other way around. Nobody complained because we won and I led the team in goals.”

 

“On the Kickers, we play as a team,” Coach Paxton said quietly but firmly. “That means we all run our patterns and look for the guy who’s open when we have the ball.”

 

“Well then, just remind them that the new guy is their best player and he shouldn’t have to give it up when he can create his own shots.” Vernon could tell the coach wasn’t happy with what he had to say, but he didn’t care.

 

As for the other players, the best-looking one was the Nolan kid, who scored two goals in the game. Vernon thought he looked like an athlete, and for sure he played like one as his two goals proved.

 

He felt that the little blond runt who had one of the other two goals was obviously a total loser. ‘Sure he had two assists, but assists are a sissy stat for studs who weren’t good enough to create their own goals,’ he thought. ‘Team captain. I got no idea how that happened. That Nolan dude should be a team captain along with Trent, but I guess he wasn’t picked because he’s a newbie like me. I wonder if he would make a good jerk off partner. Damn, that was a stupid thought. Forget jerking off.’

 

As Vernon ate his cereal he thought about the invitation the blond dude had given him. He decided to tell the runt his parents changed their plans. He had the kid’s phone number and would call him as soon as he finished eating. Vernon thought going to the party might be the way for him to find a friend who could be a jerk off buddy. ‘Warren is a really awesome JO buddy,’ he thought,’ especially since everything he learned about jerking off he learned from me, but in the end he is my brother. As for girls, I’ll start meeting them after school starts.’

 

He picked up his phone, checked for the number the runt had given him, and called it.

 

<Miller Residence>

 

10:15

 

Aiden, Nolan, and Gordy were helping Larry, Phil, and Gordy’s mother get Aiden’s house ready for the upcoming welcome party. Nolan’s cousins, Shelby and Melanie, were also there. Since they were considered guests, they didn’t have to work. Since they were good kids, they helped where they could. With everybody working together it didn’t take long to have everything but the food ready. Aiden told everyone invited that the party would run from 11:30 until 4:30. The pool would be open and swimwear would be required.  Larry and Phil would get the burgers and hot dogs started at around noon.

 

At just after 10:20 Aiden’s phone rang with its generic ringtone. That pretty much meant the call wasn’t from one of his friends or current teammates. He didn’t recognize the phone number and had no idea where the 779 area code was from.

 

“Hello, this is Aiden,” he answered politely in case the caller was an adult.

 

“Hey, Aiden, this is Vernon.”

 

Aiden was so surprised by who the caller was, he almost dropped his phone. “Hey, Vernon, this is a surprise.”

 

“Yeah, I figured it would be. My parents changed their mind and aren’t going anywhere. They said I could come to your party. They thought a welcome party for us newbies was a great idea.” He thought he’d done a good job of continuing his lie about his busy parents.

 

“This is great news, dude. The party starts at eleven thirty.”

 

“I heard you live out of town. Can I ride my bike there?”

 

Aiden told him that it shouldn’t be a problem. “This is a small town, after all, even if some of us live outside of it.  Where do you live?”

 

Vernon told him.

 

“Dang, we’re almost neighbors. Riding here will be a piece of cake. From the traffic light at Highway 12 and Lakeshore Drive a bike path starts that goes along Lakeshore  across the bridge. You’ll make a turn and go east, go past the State Park and you’ll be at my house. It’s very safe.”

 

“What happens if I come early?”

 

“Then you’ll have to wait longer to get your food.”

 

“Huh?” Vernon said. “You mean guys get punished for being early?  OH WAIT, don’t answer that. I think I get it. If I come to your house a half hour early, I have to wait around a half hour longer than the dudes who come on time. You’re just jerking my chain.”

 

“Something like that. I’ll see you when you get here. Call me if you have a problem.”

 

“Sounds like a plan. See you when you see me.”

 

The boys disconnected and Vernon stared at his phone. ‘Damn, captain runt treated me like I was a teammate he likes and that he really wants me to come to his party,’ he thought. ‘He must have really meant it when he invited me.’ For the first time since moving to the Mayfield “dump” he had a good feeling about being there.

 

The party ended up being a bit different than Aiden had originally planned. After talking with Lenny, Nolan, and Trent, it was decided to invite just players on the Kickers. That would give the new kids a better chance of getting to know their teammates and making quick friends with them. They would meet plenty of new classmates after school started.  Nolan’s cousins, Shelby and Melanie, were also invited. Kalie was invited to give Melanie a girl friend she could lean on for companionship.

 

The Kicker players were all invited, and all were able to attend. Those players who were not new to Mayfield or Mayfield sports were Gordy, Lance, Lenny, Trent, Miles, Mason, Grant, Rusty, and Riley. Aiden was also there, of course. The new players being welcomed were Nolan, Vernon, Titus Perry, Leif Johanson, and Joaquin Rodriquez.

 

Before leaving for Aiden’s, Vernon went to his father’s office. His father was sitting at his desk working at his computer. “Hey, dad. I decided to go to the lame team party after all.”

 

Edwin Wright looked up from the computer and beckoned his son to sit in the chair next to the desk. “You are planning to overwhelm them with your greatness, I take it,” Edwin said.

 

“Well, some of them were pissed off at me because they thought I was a ball hog.”

 

“Look, you had nothing to prove to your teammates on the Rockets because they knew you were the best. And those small-town boys on the Kickers aren’t half as good as those guys were. They’ll need you even more than the Rockets did when they play a team better than those yoyos you beat. Remember, son, some of your teammates on the Rockets thought you were selfish, too, but they also knew the way you played helped them to win.”

 

“Yeah, a couple of the guys didn’t like me, like I gave a shit. Just like you taught me, I did the things I needed to do for us to win.”

 

“And I helped deal with the envious parents for you. We made a good team, just like we will here. Those dudes on the Kickers are going to be in for a pleasant surprise when they get their championship trophies because they’ve got a star like you leading their team. The next game you’ll be playing full-time and they’ll be able to see what you have.”

 

“Thanks dad. You’re the best. But I still don’t know why we had to move.”

 

“Like I’ve told you, son, we didn’t HAVE to move. We moved because the company offered me a promotion and a big raise if I was willing to transfer here.” Edwin was given the general manager job at Cascade Car and Foundry which was opening its new assembly plant in Centralia. The company was a subsidiary of a large conglomerate that operated a car maintenance facility in Rockford.

 

“Well, I’m gonna ride to Aiden’s house. I guess he’s putting on the party because he’s a big-time team captain who wants to do stuff to make everybody like him, especially all of us new guys. I’ll tell you this, right now I don’t like him, but I think I will once I show him who the real boss is.”

 

“Good luck, son. You’re sure you know the way?”

 

“He gave me directions dad. It’s on the other side of the dam and is really close to us. And really, it’s gotta be, like, pretty hard to get lost in this little dumpy town.”

 

Edwin looked across his desk at his older son. He couldn’t help but admire how he had matured over the last year or so. He’d gone from a cute boy to a handsome teenager. He was growing from a young boy’s slender build to a hard muscled athletic build. He was proud of how his son was turning into a confident athlete; one who was a star player and had no problem letting everyone know he was the star and was to be respected as such. He loved his younger son, Warren, but the boy, while a talented athlete, wasn’t near the budding leader and star that Vernon was becoming. Warren was more into fitting in with his peers than in leading them.

 

Vernon walked out of the office wondering why his mom and dad couldn’t have bought a house in a bigger city like Centralia. He knew he would be happier there. ‘If nothing else, dad would be closer to work and I’d be on a team with players who I’m sure would have to be better players than the runts on the Kickers,’ he thought.

 

He pushed his bike out of the storage shed and was about to mount it when his eleven-year-old brother, Warren, came out of the back door of the house. “Where are you going bro?” he asked.

 

“One of the captains of the Kickers is having a party at his house so everybody can meet newbies like me,” Vernon answered.

 

“I don’t think anybody does anything like that in my league. But the guys on my team are pretty cool guys and I like hanging with them whenever I can.” Warren played in the recreation league which was lower key than the travel league the Kickers played in.

 

“I’ll bring back a cookie or something for you. I guess they’re having a barbecue, which is a good enough reason for me to go.”

 

“Oh, one more thing before you go.”

 

“Fire away,” Vernon said.

 

“I not only like hanging with them, I think some of them are gonna be you-know-what partners, like really soon. And I mean like REALLY soon, especially Skip who might come by this afternoon and who knows what might happen,” Warren babbled.

 

“Good luck. I know how much you like having a partner when you whack your pud. And I know how you had lots of friends. I think it’ll be harder for me to find one, but I don’t really plan on looking for one. I was getting tired of whacking off with Lee and those guys.  But as soon as school starts I’ll see what kind of girls they got here. I saw a couple of lookers in the stands when I was on the sidelines.”

 

“You aren’t getting tired of whacking our watchamajiggies with me are you?” Warren asked, his voice filled with trepidation.

 

“No way do I get tired of doing it with you. You’re my bro and that says it all.  So how about after I get home from the party we have a practice session so you’ll be ready for you-know-whating your dickies with your new friends.” Vernon was trying to get Warren to simplify his code and thought changing dickies for watchamajiggies would be a good start. Warren liked to use code for things like masturbation and penises in case his parents could hear him.

 

“Yuck to girls. You can’t do you-know-what to them because they don’t have a watchamajiggy. But, yeah, I’ll be ready to do some practice with you. But I’m kinda hoping that if Skip comes over we end up doing it. But, hey, that means I’ll get practice to be ready to do you-know-what with you.” Vernon tried to tell him he wasn’t fooling anybody, but Warren said you can’t be too careful when you’re talking about stuff like that.

 

Vernon hopped on his bike and set off for Aiden’s house. He had the directions Aiden had given him over the phone in his right pants pocket and was certain he wouldn’t get lost. It was a small town, after all, and Aiden lived on the other side of the dam which wasn’t far away.

 

 When he got to the junction of Highway 12 and Lakeshore Road, Vernon turned left on Lakeshore Road and onto the bridge crossing the west end of Lake Mayfield. He was impressed by the wide bicycle and walking path. He looked left toward the Mayfield Dam. His house had a view of the west, or downriver, side of the dam. This was the first time he had gotten a long look at the east side of the dam. All he could see was the dam from the spillway, up. It wasn’t nearly as impressive as the west side, which stood 500 feet above the level of the Cowlitz River.

 

When he got to Aiden’s house, he rode across the street and into the driveway. He couldn’t believe that the runt lived in a big house on the lake. His fathers were teachers, after all. He dismounted his bike and leaned it against the side of the garage.

 

He saw Aiden come down the front steps of the house. “Hey, Vernon, welcome to the party. You’re the first one here.”

 

“For real?”

 

“For absolutely real. Come on into the house and meet my dads.”

 

“One of your dads is the head baseball coach at the high school, right?”

 

“That’s right—Coach Sanders.”

 

“Okay, I’m ready to meet them.”

 

Vernon going up the steps and into Aiden’s house was a move that neither he nor Aiden realized would become a life changing move for Vernon. When he had told his dad he was going to Aiden’s party, he hadn’t bothered to mention that Aiden was the son of Coach Sanders and another guy who was also a coach.

 

It was an intentional oversight since he knew his dad’s vehement dislike of gays and gay marriage. But he wanted to meet his teammates away from the pitch and get to learn what they were like. It would also be a way to let everyone know how good he was and for them to realize he was the best player on the Kickers. To do that, he had to go to Aiden’s house, something he was sure his father wouldn’t let him do if he knew Aiden had two dads who were coaches.

 

He remembered his dad saying, “There’s no way you’re going to play for a faggot coach. I’m going to be looking into his being the ex-Mayfield baseball coach by the time you get to high school.”

 

Larry and Phil were waiting in the living room to introduce themselves to Vernon. “Hi, Vernon. I’m Larry Sanders. Welcome to our house.” He held out his hand and Vernon reluctantly shook it. Larry noted that it was a very weak handshake. Vernon looked down at his hand like touching a gay guy would turn it into a claw or something. He then went through the same routine with Phil.

 

“Aiden tells us that you’re from Illinois,” Larry said.

 

“Yeah, I’m from Rockford. My soccer team was the Rockets and I was the best player on the team. I led us in goals last year.” Larry caught Aiden, who was standing behind Vernon, rolling his eyes. What he didn’t mention was that the team had finished in fourth place in a ten-team league.

 

“Did you forget to bring swimming trunks?” Aiden asked Vernon. He had told Vernon that swimming was one of the things he could do during the party.

 

“I’ve got them on under my shorts. I’ve got a towel in my bike pack. And before you ask, I plan on going home commando.” Aiden nodded, knowing there was no way he would ride his bike without at least the minimal protection a pair of underpants would give his nuts.

 

The playing of Beethoven’s Fifth brought the introductions to a close. “What was THAT?” Vernon asked as Aiden opened the door for Trent and Titus.

 

“That was our doorbell playing Beethoven,” Aiden replied. Vernon wondered if that Beethoven dude was a faggot and that was why Aiden’s family used it as their doorbell melody. He had heard the melody before somewhere, but he couldn’t remember where. All he knew was that he thought it was a stupid way for a doorbell to sound.

 

“Hey, guys, come on in,” Aiden said. “Good to see you, Titus. I hope this helps everybody get to know you better and for you to get to know them.”

 

“Thanks for having this welcoming party,” Titus grinned. “Oh, I see Vern is here too.”

 

“My name is Vernon,” Vernon said icily.

 

“Oh, sorry Vernon.” He walked over to Vernon and held out his fist. “It’s good to see another newbie.  Glad you could make it.” Vernon reluctantly bumped fists. He wondered what the newbie had to be happy about when he should be pissed off for being forced to live in a new place.

 

“I didn’t think I could, but things changed,” Vernon said grumpily. He was beginning to wish he hadn’t changed his mind. “Where do you come from?” Vernon asked, not that he really cared.

 

“Aiden told me that after everybody got here, we’d all get a chance to share where we’re from and what sports we play so we wouldn’t have to say the same things over and over.”

 

“I didn’t know Vernon was coming and he just got here, so I didn’t have a chance to tell him,” Aiden said. “Like Titus said, this way you don’t have to say the big stuff over and over. If there’s other stuff you want to share with some of your teammates, that’s up to you. Peeps might ask you questions after you give your intro. This quick little talk you give should just be about where you’re from and the sports you play and maybe how your team or teams have done.”

 

“I can live with that,” Vernon said. A big reason Vernon liked the idea was that it would give him a platform to tell his new teammates how good he was. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.

 

The boys talked about the Kickers’ first game and about how they hoped the team would play in their upcoming game for the next ten minutes. The chat was interrupted by another rendition of the opening to Beethoven’s Fifth.

 

“Damn, how many times am I going to have to listen to that?” Vernon said.

 

“As many times as it takes to get everybody into the house,” Aiden responded.

 

A group of four was at the door. “Hey, guys,” Aiden said as Lenny, Lance, Miles, and Mason walked in.

 

“The fun guys are here,” Mason said. “Oh, and we have two newbies. Hey, Vern and Titus, good to see you here. I hope we’ll be getting to see more of you.”

 

“My name is Vernon,” Vernon snarled.

 

Aiden shook his head when the double meaning of what Mason had just said hit him. ‘Leave it to Mason make things almost sound sexy,’ he thought. ‘And I hope Vernon quits being so sensitive about his name. It’s hard to make friends when you’re snarling at them for an innocent mistake.’

 

“Glad you new guys are here,” Lenny said. He bumped fists with Vernon and Titus. Vernon held out his fist reluctantly. He had no use for a seventh-grade captain on what was essentially a seventh and eighth grade team. If he had been on this team when the captains were picked, he knew that he would have made a big fuss over it and pushed to have only eighth graders eligible to be elected.

 

Aiden noted that so far everyone had been early. Everyone was sitting in the waiting room. Aiden checked the time and saw it was 11:15. He figured everyone would be showing up within minutes since the start time was 11:30. On that thought, Beethoven rang again. Aiden and Lenny jumped up and sped to the front door to give a captains’ welcome. Nolan was at the door with his cousins Shelby and Melanie. Gordy and Kalie entered behind them.

 

“I thought girls weren’t coming,” Vernon said after the introductions were made.

 

“We decided to make an exception since Nolan’s cousins are visiting from out of town and Nolan wanted to come to the party,” Aiden explained.

 

“Kalie’s here to keep Melanie company,” Nolan said. Nolan and Gordy had introduced the girls to each other before the group of four left Nolan’s house and walked to Aiden’s.

 

Over the next few minutes Grant, Riley, and Rusty arrived along with newbies Leif Johanson, Elwood Lively, and Joaquin Rodriguez.

 

<The Newbies>

 

Since everyone coming, except for Vernon, had carried a gym bag or a backpack, Aiden was certain they were all prepared for swimming. He gave the newbies a tour of the house. The emphasis of the tour was the basement. The games room got everybody’s attention, as did the fact that there were showers down there and a back room with chairs and a couch. He showed them the changing room next to the showers. They all but drooled over the pool and the hot tub. The other boys in the group to have a swimming pool were Nolan, Vernon, Leif, and Trent. Only Nolan had a hot tub as well.

 

After the tour, Aiden asked everybody to take a seat somewhere on the pool deck to listen to the newbies introduce themselves. He set six cards, ace through six, face down on the one of the tables.

 

“Ace goes first, then deuce, and so forth to six,” Aiden said. “Now we’ll all get to know something about each new person. Please, let’s keep it short, guys. My dads and Gordon’s mom are busy getting lunch ready and the pool would love to have some guys jump in and make big splashes. Plus, Nolan and I are ready to take on all comers in ping-pong with games going to eleven points.”

 

After sitting down, Vernon pulled off his Rockford Rockets t-shirt. He wanted everyone to see right away who the real stud on the team was. As Aiden made his announcement Vernon decided that he didn’t appreciate Aiden’s bossiness. ‘Just because he’s a team captain and is the host of this so-called party doesn't mean he runs the world,’ he thought. ‘But for now I either live with it or go home.’

 

“You six new guys know that all the rest of us go to Mayfield Middle School, and we’ve all played soccer since we were in elementary school,” Aiden said. “So now, pick your cards.”

 

The six newbies each picked a card and looked to see what they had. They let everyone know what number card they’d drawn as they returned to their seats.

 

Vernon had drawn the ace and started things off. “Hey, guys, you all know by now my name is Vernon and you’re all figuring out that’s what I want to be called. I got no clue who this Vern dude is. I’m going to be in eighth grade at Mayfield Middle School.  I’m from Rockford, Illinois. I moved here because my dad got a manager job at the new train factory in Centralia. Last year I played for the Rockets where I was their best player and top goal scorer. Our team made the playoffs and won thirteen games out of eighteen”. He bent his right arm to show off his bicep. “As you guys can see, I keep in shape and have a good body. I know the Kickers are going to have a good season. And I know you’re all gonna learn real quick that I’m the best player on the team.” He sat down and was surprised he wasn’t met with cheers and applause. His dad was right; these guys wouldn’t know a good player if he kicked them in the shins.

 

Joaquin had drawn the two and spoke next. “I’m Joaquin Rodriquez and I’m going into eighth grade. I’m from Sacramento, California, where my dad was a high school teacher. He got his master’s degree last spring and got a job teaching Spanish at the Centralia College campus in Kentburg. I played for the Kings last year. We only won half of our fourteen games, but I had great friends on the team and will miss them all. Thanks to Aiden for putting on this party. That was really cool of you, Aiden.”

 

Joaquin sat down and Leif, who had drawn the three, stood up. “I’m Leif, and before we moved we lived in Seattle where my dad worked for Cascade Car making train cars. Now he’s working for Cascade in Centralia where Vernon’s dad works and my mom will be teaching second grade here in Mayfield at Lakeshore Elementary. I’m going to be in eighth grade. I played for the Green Lake Orcas last year and we went 16-2 and won our league championship. I was mostly a defender and midfielder. Thanks for the party, Aiden—this is really awesome.”

 

Elwood then stood up and introduced himself. Elwood had thick, curly black hair that hung down to his shoulders. “I am twelve and going into seventh grade,” he said shyly. “I was born here in Mayfield and left with my parents when I was six and we lived in Santa Monica, California.” Aiden wished he would talk a bit louder. But he didn’t want to rattle him, so he kept his mouth shut. “I moved here this summer to live with my aunt and uncle because…well, because. I’ve played soccer since fourth grade and played a lot of games as a keeper. You guys can call me Woody if you want. Thanks for the party, Aiden.”  Elwood sat down amidst cheers and claps. Most of the players knew he was living with his aunt and uncle who were longtime residents of Mayfield, but they didn’t know why he wasn’t living with his parents.

 

Nolan was next. He stood and pulled off his Mayfield Kickers t-shirt. He didn’t say anything, but nobody missed the fact that Nolan’s torso and arms were buffer than Vernon’s. All of the returning players on the team knew Nolan, even if he was new to Mayfield. He and Aiden had been tight since they were in sixth grade and they knew him as a competitor since they were all in elementary school. “Hey, dudes. All of you but the other four newbies know me, so I’ll try to keep it short. I lived in Meadow Park, which is near Centralia, until this summer. Now, instead of playing against the Mayfield dudes I’m playing for them. My dad switched his job from one in Centralia to one in Kentburg. For you dudes who don’t know, my dad is a county judge. One last thing. Aiden and I are tight. All of the Mayfield dudes know we’re more than just tight, we’re boyfriends. Aiden agreed I’d be the one to out us in my little speech. And today you’re all getting a sample of how awesome Aiden’s parties are, and he’ll have more, both big and small. Thanks for another great one, Aiden. And thanks to Coach Sanders, Coach Miller, and Mrs. Lansing, who is Gordy’s mom, for all their work in helping this be another great Aiden party.” Nolan then put his shirt back on and sat next to Aiden.

 

‘Well, fuck a duck,’ Vernon thought. ‘I’m not only finding out that we’ve got a seventh-grade captain but that we also have a faggot captain. I bet Aiden’s queer dads fucked both him and Nolan since they were little which is why they’re gay. I can’t wait until dad learns about this because he’s gonna hit the ceiling for sure. And damn, how can Nolan be a faggot? Next to me he’s the best player on the team plus he’s a total hunk and sissy faggots are never hunks.’

 

Titus was the sixth final newbie. “Hey, guys, my name is Titus Perry. I’m from Auburn, Washington, until this summer when I moved to Mayfield. My mom grew up in Mayfield and wanted to come back and live in a small town. She worked for Boeing as an office supervisor and got the job of office manager in the new train car assembly plant in Centralia. My dad is a teacher and will be teaching science at Mayfield High. Some of you probably figured out from your schedules that you’ll be having Mr. Perry for biology or chemistry. You all know I play soccer, but I also play basketball and baseball. Baseball is my best sport. I play outfield, first base, and pitcher. Most of you have probably figured out that I’m a lefty. A big thanks to Aiden and his dads for having this party for us. Last thing is, it’s been awesome getting to know Mason who is, like, a famous singer.”

 

“He is?” Vernon and Leif asked almost simultaneously.

 

“If he’s famous, how come we never heard of him?” Vernon asked.

 

“Think ‘At the Majestic’,” Titus said.

 

“You mean he’s THAT Mason?” Joaquin asked.

 

“That’s me,” Mason grinned.

 

And with that it was announced that lunch was ready to be served. The party was ready to begin for real. The arrival of Jeffrey and Sammy meant the pool would be open after lunch. Sammy was sixteen and a junior in high school while Jeffrey was nineteen and would be starting his sophomore year in college.

 

Everybody noticed that the only newbie who didn’t thank Aiden for having the party was Vernon, which didn’t help his already shaky standing with his new teammates. Some noticed that Nolan and Titus also thanked Aiden’s dads. Trent decided he could correct that oversight. “I’m sure all of the Kickers are thankful for all the work and, yeah, all of the money Aiden’s dads put into this party. So, I’m sure I’m speaking for everyone by thanking Aiden and his dads along with Gordy’s mom who makes the baddest cookies in Mayfield.”

 

That led to a round of cheers and applause from the Kickers as well as the three other guests.

 

By quarter after one everyone had finished eating their lunch and munching on cookies. Gordy’s mother, Flo, had baked two-dozen chocolate chip, two-dozen oatmeal raisin, two-dozen snickerdoodles, two-dozen sugar cookies, and a dozen peanut butter cookies. Aiden quickly grabbed two chocolate chip cookies and a snickerdoodle while studiously avoiding the peanut butter cookies.

 

After eating, Jeffrey and Sammy gathered the group together and went over the rules and protocols of the Miller pool.  “You newbies may have heard rumors of crotch and ass grabbing going on in the pool,” Sammy said. “Well, they’re true. BUT, before you start screaming, I want to tell you that it will only happen if you’re okay with it. Everybody is very good about that, or they will find themselves not being invited to Aiden’s parties as well as some other parties. So, if somebody you don’t know very well asks if it’s okay, just say yes or no and don’t worry about it. Any questions?”

 

Titus raised his hand. Sammy pointed to him and he said, “Can you change your mind during the party?”

 

“Yep. It’s your body and nobody messes with it without your permission.”

 

“You can touch me all you want, just don’t touch any of my cookies,” Leif said, and the meeting ended to a round of laughter.

 

Aiden and Lenny quickly got games going, Sammy and Jeffrey took their places by the pool, Flo laid out some snacks, and Phil made sure there was plenty of lemonade available. Everyone changed into their swimsuits.

 

Jeffery casually adjusted his package as he and Sammy sat down. "Holy shit," he whispered to his brother as some of the boys jumped into the pool. "I swear Nolan gets fucking hotter looking every time I see him."

 

"Cool your tool, bro," Sammy replied. "He's thirteen."

 

"I know, I know, I know," Jeffery said with a grin. "I'm just sayin' he's a hunk now - put five years on him and that dude is gonna be a Stud with a capital S."

 

"No argument from me. And I'm sure you wouldn't get one from Aiden, either.

 

The games were loosely organized as the pool became more and more inviting on the warm late summer day. Vernon and Trent got locked into a game of ping pong to eleven points. With the score tied at 9-9 Vernon slammed a serve to Trent that bounced hard off the table and past Trent, making the score 10-9.

 

“Nice shot, Vern,” Trent grinned.

 

“My name is Vernon,” Vernon said icily as he grabbed the ball that Trent had tossed his way.

 

“Whatever you say, Vern.”

 

Vernon glared at Trent, bounced the ball and got ready to serve. “What was the score again?” Vernon asked.

 

“Nine to ten.”

 

“And who’s ahead?”

 

“You are, Vern.”

 

Aiden had overheard the entire exchange and wondered if he should put on his captain’s togs and calm the situation down. He knew that Trent was not easily intimidated and decided to wait and see how it played out.

 

Trent won the next point after a spirited volley making the score 10-10. But Vernon got his act together and won the next two points for a closely played 12-10 win.

 

Trent walked around the table and held out his hand. “Nice game, Vernon.”

 

Vernon, who was ready for a fist bump, grabbed Trent’s hand and gave him a firm handshake. “Thanks, dude. I’ll tell you this—you are one ballsy mother fucker and can be my friend anytime.” He held out his fist, which Trent bumped.

 

“Well, friend, whatever you want to be called is good with me,” Trent said.

 

Vernon nodded, wondering if there was a way Trent could call him Vern without everyone else wanting to do it.

 

 ‘Best I quit trying to be a jerk and make him feel part of the team,’ Trent thought. At the same time, Trent figured it might be a good idea to call Vernon what he wanted to be called.

 

Aiden wasn’t exactly sure of what he had just witnessed, but he couldn’t help but have the feeling this was something that would help the Kickers. “So, are you two going to be friends on top of being teammates?” he asked.

 

“Only if Trent is willing to jump into the pool with his new friend Vern and enjoy cooling down from our sweaty game of ping pong,” Vernon said. Trent grinned and the new friends jumped into the pool and enjoyed seeing who could dunk who. Aiden nodded with approval and went to find Nolan.

 

“I’m gonna dunk your ass,” Trent yelled as he and Vernon broke surface.

 

“In your dreams,” Vernon yelled back.

 

The two of them grappled, their smooth bodies sliding as they pushed down on each other trading dunks. Vernon was surprised at how evenly matched he and Trent were; he thought Nolan was the only person on the Kickers who matched him physically. But Trent did have a solid looking torso and strong arms.

 

The two screeched and hollered like a couple of elementary school kids. Vernon couldn’t remember ever having this much fun with a teammate in Rockford, or with anybody else for that matter. He had wrestling around fun, but it wasn’t like the unbridled fun he was having with Trent. What surprised him the most, however, was that the physical contact with Trent had given him a boner. When Trent’s body pushed against his crotch the feeling was heavenly. ‘Fuck, when did wrestling with a dude ever give me a hard on?’ Vernon thought. ‘Whatever, I’m having fun and what he doesn’t know won’t hurt anybody.’

 

Vernon was having a blast grappling with Trent in the pool. Something changed when Trent tried to turn Vernon and accidentally grabbed his crotch. He quickly pulled away but not until after feeling Vernon’s hard on. ‘Well, I got one, too,’ he thought.

 

The Kickers were getting a kick, so to speak, out of watching the two teammates’ surprise dunking match when Vernon screeched, “HEY, I thought that was a bigtime no-no!”

 

“Sorry about that,” Trent said before Vernon could say anything more. “It happens when you mess around in the pool. Trust me it was an accident.”

 

Vernon wanted to create a major scene, but he didn’t want to screw up the most fun he’d had since he moved to Mayfield. He swallowed his pride even as his ego told him to put Trent in his place. “Hey, I think I came close to grabbing you a couple of times.”

 

“You did once.”

 

“I did? How come you didn’t say anything?”

 

“How about we get out of the pool and talk it over where we don’t have an audience,” Trent said.

 

Vernon looked around and saw seven of his teammates looking on. “You guys having fun?” he called out as he and Trent moved to where it was shallow enough for him to stand.

 

“Tons of fun,” Aiden said. “Welcome to the team, Vernon.” He was pleased that Trent’s accidental crotch grab didn’t set Vernon off. It appeared that his new teammate might be cooler than he thought.

 

Vernon and Trent climbed out of the pool, grabbed towels from the towel rack, and dried themselves off. “Where’s a private place to talk?” Vernon asked.

 

“The backroom is where peeps go to talk and do…um…do other things,” Trent said.

 

“Other things? What other things?”

 

“Figure it out.”

 

Trent was pleased to see that the door to the infamous backroom was open and the room was unoccupied. He led Vernon into the room and shut the door. “The idea is that if the door is shut you knock before you go in. But that doesn't always happen. People just get excited and forget. Anyway, let’s sit and talk about what happened in the pool.”

 

Trent plopped himself on the couch and Vernon sat a couple of feet away from him.  Trent was surprised that Vernon had sat so close to him; he’d expected his teammate and new friend to either park himself on the couch or in a separate chair.

 

Trent came right to the point. “I could tell that you were upset after I accidentally grabbed your dick.”

 

“I don’t know if I was upset. I was more surprised than upset. I think one thing that kept me from being upset was that I’d accidentally grabbed yours a little before you grabbed mine. I just didn’t want to admit it in front of everybody out by the pool. I think the thing that really got to me is I was scared that you would know I had a boner and might start giving me shit about it.”

 

“What kind of shit?” Trent asked.

 

“You know, something like, ‘How come you had a boner wrestling with me? Are you gay or something?’”

 

“Couldn’t you tell I had a boner when you grabbed my cock?”

 

“All I know is I had a quick grab of your dick,” Vernon said. “I could feel it but it was hard to tell through your swim shorts if it was hard or not.”

 

“What if you had a chance to touch my hard cock through my swim shorts right now? Then we both could say we touched each other’s boners.”

 

“You make it sound like it’s a big deal.”

 

“Well, we did say we were friends. And because of that I think you should have the chance to grab my boner.”

 

“For how long?”

 

“For as long as you want,” Trent smirked.

 

Vernon wasn’t sure how to react to Trent’s statement. He barely knew the dude and now he wanted to do a jerk off with him in a room that didn’t have a locked door. But for some reason the idea of the two of them showing off their cocks to each other or maybe even getting naked together appealed to him. ‘Maybe it’s something we can do a couple of weeks from now after we get to know each other better,’ Vernon thought. ‘But for now I’ll do what we just talked about.’

 

Vernon scooted close to Trent and dropped his left hand on Trent’s crotch. He squeezed his teammate’s hard cock. He was impressed by the size and wondered how much hair he had. He jerked it a couple of times and then let go.

 

“Okay, we’re even,” Vernon said.

 

“Squeeze me again and I might spooge,” Trent grinned.

 

“That’s the only squeeze you’re getting. This is all secret between us, right?”

 

“Right.”

 

“Then I want to tell you something that will be just between you and me.” He took a deep breath and said, “Maybe we can jerk off together once we get to know each other and in a private place. Not that I’m gay, or anything, but you Mayfield dudes seem real loose about this stuff and I want to see what it’s like. And well, we are kind of becoming friends.”

 

“Sounds good to me. I’m not gay, either, but I like messing around with guys. Pick the right ones and it’s a blast,” Trent said.

 

“Like in a blast of cum?”

 

“Hey, that wasn’t bad. Now, since you grabbed me intentionally once I want to do it to you. Then, let’s head back out and join the group. We’re gonna have to go home soon.”

 

“Go for it,” Vernon said. “But keep your hand out of my swimming trunks.”

 

Trent grabbed Vernon’s cock and just like Vernon and done to his cock, he gave it a few jerks.

 

“Whoa, stop or I will be blasting.”

 

Trent did as requested. “Okay, now I’m gonna give you my permission to grope me at the right times.”

 

“And you got my permission, too,” Vernon said. “But, what’s the right time?”

 

“A time not in public somewhere unless other guys are doing it, too.”

 

“Okay. And you’ve got my permission to grope me and to call me Vern at the right times.”

 

“It’s going to be hard not to make a slip on that one.”

 

“If you slip, you slip,” Vernon said. “I’ll just call you a loser and we’ll go from there.”

 

“Let’s get out of here before peeps start thinking we’re doing some serious stuff back here.”

 

"Oh, by the way, just between you and me," Vernon said with a grin, "I still think having a doorbell that plays that Beethoven dude is lame."

 

"To each his own," Trent smiled as they bumped fists.

 

The boys rose from the couch, adjusted their swimsuits the best they could to hide their boners, and went out to join the team. Their return netted them a couple of “Welcome backs” and a few looks, but nothing off color.

 

Trent liked that Vern was actually a nice guy once you got to know him. Vernon wondered if befriending Trent the way he did was what he really wanted to do. It might get peeps to think he was some kind of nice guy. He decided to worry about that later. Right now, he wanted to go home and have his tween brother give him one of his expert hand jobs.

 

While Trent and Vernon were getting to know each other, Kalie and Melanie were also hitting it off. They decided to sit in the hot tub and get to know each other better. They were both wearing two-piece swimsuits. Their topic was, of course, boys. Kalie admitted that she had made out naked with Gordy as well as a couple other boys. Melanie admitted that she had been naked with a couple of boys, too. Neither one admitted to having gone all the way with a boy, although Kalie had enjoyed intercourse with Gordy. In Melanie’s case it was true; she had gotten no further than second base.

 

“Have you ever touched another girl’s boobs?” Kalie asked.

 

“No, but I’ve had boys touch mine. Have you?” Melanie responded.

 

“Yeah. I’ve kissed other girls too.”

 

“Isn’t that, like gay?”

 

“It is if you’re a lesbo or something. We do it just to make each other feel good. Want to mess around some?”

 

“Here?”

 

“Follow me upstairs,” Kalie said. “If nobody is in the guest room we can do it there.”

 

Melanie followed Kalie up two flights of stairs to the upstairs bedrooms. Shelby and Nolan both saw the two leave the basement. Kalie led Melanie into the guest room which wasn’t occupied. Kalie quickly took off her swimsuit and stood naked in front of Melanie.

 

“Do I have to take mine off?” Melanie asked.

 

“Nope. You heard what the rules are here.”

 

“Well, in that case, here I go.” Within seconds Melanie was naked as well.

 

“You  like you weren’t going to get naked,” Kalie said.

 

“I wasn’t going to if I had to, but since I don’t have to, let’s mess around together.”

 

“That’s what the boys say, and it works for me.”

 

The girls dropped onto the bed and spent time feeling and kissing each other’s pubescent breasts, French kissing, and rubbing each other’s pubic areas until they each had an orgasm. “Wow, that was so cool, Kalie. Now I won’t feel so bad when Shelby and Nolan mess around tonight, since I’ve had my fun.”

 

“You mean they won’t let you join them?” Kalie asked.

 

“No, they’ve planned this for, like, a long time. But they do have to let me get naked with them before they get all nasty. I don’t care whether or not they see me naked, but I know I want to see them naked.”

 

“Yep. Nolan is a hunk and your brother is hot. In fact, so are you.”

 

“Thanks for being here to give me company. You’ve become, like, a friend.”

 

“Yep. We’re now BFFs. Maybe you can come over to my house after you show off your stuff to Nolan and your brother. I don’t live very far from them.”

 

“Let’s exchange phone numbers and I’ll call you if it’s something I can do,” Melanie said. She thought about adding “and if it’s something I want to do” but thought better of it.

 

“Now, let’s get our swimsuits on and go back to the basement before everybody wonders where we’ve disappeared to.”

 

While this was happening upstairs, a lot was happening in the basement and in the pool area. Mason was looking at Elwood. Mason thought Elwood was mega cute . He decided he wanted to get to know him. He looked the newbie over as his teammates played, swam, and kept themselves amused. Elwood had appeared to be a shy loner at soccer practice. Mason could identify with that since he had been a shy loner himself until Aiden came had come into his life. He decided to see if Elwood wanted to be his friend. He finally went up on the deck and looked down at the goings-on in the pool area. Elwood was wearing nothing but a pair of board shorts.

 

Mason thought Elwood looked lonely and decided to go down the stairs and chat with him. Mason was sure that Elwood was looking for a friend but didn’t know how to go about finding one. As he started for the stairs, he saw Aiden stop at Elwood’s seat and say something to him. Elwood shook his head. Aiden nodded, turned, and walked away.  Mason continued to where Elwood was sitting. As he approached the new Kicker, he held out his fist for a fist bump. Elwood had the lounge chair set to the upright position and could easily reach Mason’s fist.

 

Elwood grinned and quickly traded a fist bump with Mason. “How’s it hanging, Woody?” Mason asked. He had to let out a snort when the double meaning of what he asked hit him.

 

“Hey, Mason. I’m trying to remember everybody’s name. It’s not easy to do when you’ve only had a couple of practices and a game to get to know everyone.”

 

“And a game isn’t the best place to get to know somebody. You should walk around the party and talk to peeps to help you get to know peeps better.”

 

“I know, but I get nervous. I have a problem walking up to just chat with somebody,” Elwood said. 

 

“How about if we walk and talk together. Then I can help you out some. I mean, I know how you feel cuz I was that way too until I got into, like, third or fourth grade. Aiden became my friend and helped me out a lot.” Mason took hold of Elwood’s arm and gave it a light tug. Elwood took the hint and stood up.  Mason loved the way Elwood's thick dark curls bounced around his shoulders as he moved his head.

 

“Thanks, Mason. This is really cool of you. Aren’t you, like, a big-time star singer with ATM?”

 

“I like to sing, but I wouldn’t call me a big-time star singer,” Mason shrugged. “I mean, I like all the attention and stuff. And I like the peeps in the band, like Michael, and I like my BFF Alejandro. But even though I’m not a very good player I also like playing soccer and baseball and hanging out with my Mayfield homies. Sometimes I think I like playing sports and going to school and hanging with them better than the so-called big-time shit.”

 

Elwood didn’t know that Mason’s little speech was longer than usual for him. “Thanks, Mason. I didn’t have a lot of friends where I lived; at least not on my soccer and baseball teams. My best friend was Dominic, who lived a couple of houses away from me.” Elwood paused for a minute, shook his head like he was trying to knock something out of it, and then said, “Thanks again for trying to help me. You and Aiden are both really cool.”

 

Mason wasn’t used to having praise lavished on him by somebody he barely knew for just being himself. ““Well, you’re really cool, too,” Mason said. “How about you and me being friends.”

 

“Yeah, sure, that would be totally rad.” Elwood couldn’t believe that a big singing star who’d been on national television wanted to be his friend. But he seemed genuinely friendly, and after his experiences in California Elwood was more than willing to be friends with his bubbly teammate.

 

“Let’s take a dip into the pool,” Mason said. The two boys slid in. Mason paddled over to Miles and Elwood followed.

 

“Who’s this dude?” Mason asked Elwood.

 

“That dude is Miles,” Elwood responded.

 

“See? I knew you could remember names.”

 

“I didn’t say I couldn’t remember names. I just can’t remember all of the names. I remember Miles because he talks to me during practice.”

 

“I talk to Woody at practice because he’s a cool dude and awesome ball handler and I wanted the newbie to be my friend,” Miles said. 

 

“And here comes Lenny,” Elwood said as Lenny swam up to them. “At least I think it’s Lenny. It’s awful hard to tell between him and Lance.”

 

“Hey, Woody,” Lenny said. “It looks like you’re making friends. I’m Lenny in case you couldn’t tell.”

 

“Mason and Miles have come to me and said they wanted to be my friend,” he told Lenny. “Lenny’s been helping me a lot with being a keeper,” Elwood told Mason and Miles.

 

“A team’s gotta have more than one good keeper,” Lenny said.

 

“It looks like you’ve got three friends on the Kickers now,” Mason said. "Me, Miles, and Lenny.”

 

Before anybody could respond, Aiden waded over to the little group. “It looks like you’re getting to know people,” Aiden said.

 

“Yeah, thanks to you and this awesome party,” Elwood said. “My soccer team last year only had a couple of parties and one of those was after the season ended. Nobody ever tried to talk to me and, well, um…, I guess that I’m kinda like, sorta shy. Aiden’s talked to me about getting up and meeting peeps,” Elwood informed his new friends. “I met one still sitting down,” he grinned.

 

“You’re kinda like really shy,” Aiden said. “But I figured that was because you’re a newbie, which is why I decided to have this welcome party.”

 

“Well, it looks like it’s working,” Nolan said. He had snuck into the group at the end of the pool while everyone was chattering.

 

“Hey, Sugar Bear. Where did you come from?” Aiden said.

 

“From saying a few words with Vernon and then with my cousin Shelby. Vernon is kind of stuck up, but you know how cool Shelby is. Your dads said one of them would give us a ride to my house when we were ready. Well, we’ve decided we’re ready, so I came to thank my Sweet Cakes and tell him good night before my cousins and I go to my house to have some fun. So, good night, guys, and I’ll see you all at practice on Tuesday.”

 

Aiden and Nolan got out of the pool together and went into the basement. They shared a long kiss which caused a pair of instant hardons.

 

“Aiden and Nolan, sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” Lance sang out as he came out of the back of the game room.

 

“We know you’re all jealous and shit, but hey, we get to do what we want to do,” Nolan said.

 

“Jealous my ass. I got Grant and Lenny taking good care of me.”

 

“That works for us,” Aiden said.

 

Grant took off his glasses, walked up next to Lance and planted a big kiss on his lips. “You are so sexy,” he said to his boyfriend.

 

 “Lance and Grant sitting in a tree…,” Aiden started to sing.

 

Lance planted seven quick kisses all around Grant’s face. “There’s a kiss for each letter in kissing. Now, me and Grant are gonna leave for Grant’s house for some fun with kissing and a whole lot more.”

 

“Thanks for the party, Aiden,” Grant said.

 

“Yeah, thanks big time,” Lance said. He gave Aiden a kiss on his lips and headed off with Grant.

 

Shelby and Melanie came up to Nolan and Aiden. “Coach Miller says he’s ready if we are,” Shelby told Nolan. He turned to Aiden. “Happy Birthday, Aiden. And thanks for letting us come to your party. We had a good time.”

 

“You’re welcome,” Aiden said. “When are the ‘rents expected home?”

 

“Well, they went to Olympia for dinner with friends of my parents, a play at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, and snacks and drinks or whatever after the play,” Nolan answered. “Big time stuff. They figure to be home at around eleven or eleven-thirty. And before you ask, The Judge will be the designated driver.”

 

“And how come you need a ride home when you practically live next door?”

 

“Oh, the ride isn’t for me. It’s a treat for my cousins, who are my guests. Plus, almost next door around here means, like a mile or so away, which I know you know.”

 

Nolan and his cousins met with Phil in the living room. Fifteen minutes later they were on their way to Nolan’s house.

 

Back at the pool, Elwood and Mason sat at one of the picnic tables. Mason’s phone buzzed; it was his mother. He listened to what she had to say, told his mother he would get dinner without a problem, and disconnected. “That was my mom,” he told Elwood. “She’s gotta work late and told me I could either get a microwave dinner out of the freezer for dinner, or I could see if I could sponge off of one of my friends. Only she didn’t say sponge; she’s actually nicer than that.”

 

 Elwood thought for a moment and then said, “If we’re gonna be friends, maybe you might be able to have dinner at my house. I mean, only if you want to. I’ll be cool if you say you don’t want to. Elwood felt he had taken a big risk in asking Mason to dinner. ‘After all, Mason is a big star and I’m a little nobody.’ His heart was thumping as he waited for Mason to turn down his invitation.

 

“I think that would be perfect,” Mason grinned.

 

“I totally know how that goes. I gotta ask my aunt, but she said she would be cool with it if I brought a teammate home for dinner after the party, so I’m positive she’ll say yes.” But Elwood couldn’t help wondering if his aunt only made that offer because she knew he would be too shy to invite somebody to dinner.

 

 Elwood’s aunt was quite pleased that he was bringing a friend home for dinner. She wondered what kind of boy it was. She knew that from his short time on the team that Elwood liked his teammates. But she also knew that her nephew had a difficult time making friends.

 

“Do you think we should shower?” Elwood asked.

 

“Might as well. I brought a towel, clothes, and undies since that’s what you usually do at an Aiden party even if you don’t always need to,” Mason said.

 

“I did the same thing. My aunt dropped me off here and I know she’ll pick us up. Not that I live very far away, although it’s farther than I thought it would be. I didn’t know that Aiden didn’t live in the town.”

 

“I rode here with Miles and the twins. Miles’ mom drove us. So, I think your aunt would be the best for us to ride with,” Mason said.

 

Elwood had been shown where the changing room was when he arrived. Aiden told him this was the best place for him to leave his gym bag. “You can change anywhere in the basement, but this is the best place. The girls were told they could change and shower upstairs in my bathroom,” Aiden had told him.

 

Outside of public showers, he had only seen one boy totally naked. That had been his neighbor, Dominic.  And in the showers, he had kept his goods hidden as well as he could and tried his best not to stare at other boys. That had been difficult to do, but he felt he had succeeded fairly well. Mason, on the other hand, was more than willing to let other boys see him naked and he loved seeing them naked.

 

Elwood covered his package with his hands as he and Mason walked into the shower. Mason was showing him all he had, which caused Elwood’s hairless cock to stir slightly. He didn’t know why it seemed important, but Elwood noted that Mason had scattered wisps of hairs in his pubic region.

 

“You can drop your hands, Woody. We’re all boys here,” Mason said.

 

Elwood proceeded to drop his hands and show his pubescent cock and tight balls. It made him think of Dominic, which made his cock start to stir even more. He quickly squirted body wash in his hands, washed his torso and legs, and shut down his shower. He grabbed his towel, dried himself, wrapped it around his waist, and stepped into the changing room, where Titus and Leif were undressing. Woody was glad he had taken the precaution of wrapping his towel around himself. He was also glad he was able to see Titus and Leif naked. He could see that, like Mason, they had scattered pubic hair. He felt embarrassed by the fact that he was the only one of the four who was hairless.

 

After Elwood and Mason were dressed, Elwood followed Mason around the house to say goodbye to the partiers who were still there. Elwood was surprised to find Aiden and Gordy naked in the hot tub. Aiden apologized to Elwood, saying that the hot tub was often open territory for nudity. Elwood thought that Aiden was gorgeous in the nude. In fact, he was gorgeous anywhere. He said goodbye to both boys, thanked Aiden for the party and for helping him make new friends and headed back upstairs with Mason.

 

The boys thanked Larry, Phil, and Gordy’s mother for the food and for their hard work. As they waited in the driveway for Elwood’s aunt, Mason thought about how cute Elwood was. It wasn’t that long ago that he would have done everything to get the new boy’s cock in his mouth before the end of the party. But it just didn’t seem right to do that with his new friend. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try to get Elwood’s cock in his mouth sometime the near future. He figured that there was no reason that the near future couldn’t start that evening. And he totally loved Elwood's long dark curls brushing his shoulders.

 

He had the question in his mind that he wanted to ask that evening. It was simply, “Hey, Woody, have you ever gotten naked with a guy and kind of, you know, messed around a little?”

 

Mason’s question was going to be another life-changing event connected to the welcome party.

 

Next: Friends and Games