From bullies to buddies

From Bulies to Buddies Part One.

In my last year at high school I was the youngest. Slim scrawny eighteen I weighed about 8 stone. Not ugly boyish cute I looked younger than I was. I had a couple of puppy love girlfriends kissing cuddling holding hands nothing serious. From the age of about 14 I was curious about boys but never acted on it. I used to watch the athletic guys when we would change and wondered what it would be like to fool around with them. Being from a different country all be it on the same island I was bullied a bit getting chased at break times if I was caught I was roughed up abit got in to fights after school even a few failed attempts to give me swirlies. I had his my affectation with boys quite well no one every questioned me about it and by our final year at high school even the bulling had eased off. However this one lad still tried it on from time to time. James about 6" 2 he was half a foot taller than me we both played football for our school but he was into martial arts as well he had a slim figure nice tight six pack developing into an eight pack. When he decided to fight some one he usually destroyed them he had even been in trouble with the police a few times when he had gone too far most of his victims never got up that was probably my mistake. The few times we had fights he would kick my ass but at the end I would stand up and say my turn at which he would walk off but I could always tell he was pissed off at me.

I had never looked at James in a way that I would do anything with him besides he always had girlfriend's and was never too far from his sidekicks Glen and Tom which was another reason he never lost a fight on the very few occasions someone tried to fight back these two would jump in and restrain his victim. One afternoon we had football practice after school hours our school was also a sports center so stayed open late. We were in a practice match and I went to clear a shot of the line and hit my head off the goalpost blood started pouring from my head. Our coach finished the practice and took me to the first aid room after about half an hour I was patched up and went to the locker room feeling a bit light headed on my way I bumped into the coach who asked how I was and if I needed a lift home. I said I was OK even though I was still light headed and he said one of the boys had stayed back to walk with me as he lived close to me. So I thanked him and went to the showers to wash and change. Once I had finished and changed I headed outside and James was stood waiting for me.

He was alone as Tom and Glen didn't make the football team Tom was as tall as James and athletic himself but only tried for the team cause James did but he really wasn't interested so wasn't gutted when he didn't make it. Glen was the lapdog type not tall short and a bit dumpy not fat but had a bit of weight behind him he had strong arms though if he grabbed you chances are you wouldn't get away. "That was some whack" James said "yeah hurt like hell" I replied. "You ok?"

"Yeah I'll be fine no need to wait"

"It's OK your close to me" James replied.

We lived about a mile and a half away but never walked together even though he hadn't done anything to me in a few months I was always uneasy around James so I kept insisting I was OK and he could go on ahead he was having none of it . I started to feel light headed and staggered a bit which James caught me and said" I am not leaving you know". " OK" I agreed.

"Your one tough cookie that blow would have put a few in hospital"

"Not too sure I shouldn't be " I said

We had to cross a playing field with woods on the other side and I was very uneasy about entering the woods with James as he had attacked me a couple of times in them and in my state I wasn't sure he wouldn't try again and this time I wouldn't get up but I was in no state to do anything about it. I followed him in making small talk he was being nice which made me even more suspicious he told me that he admired the way I can take a beating and still get up. We came to a fork in the woods I started to go right towards where we lived he headed left stopped looked at me and said "where you going dude?" " home" I replied.

"Quicker this way buddy" James nodded.

"Never been that way"

"Trust me"

Yeah right I thought but still a bit away from home and not fully recovered if I was to collapse on my own in the woods I may not be found for ages and god knows what state I would be in be in by that time. If James was to jump me and run off at least he would know where I was and if he had a heart it may play on him so I followed. We moved deeper into the woods I had never been that way I used to go straight through the woods to avoid James and his mate jumping me. As we went further I got more nervous and quieter James picked up on this "don'worry".

" why not James? We have quite a past".

"Yeah I know but we are in the middle of the woods if I was going to kick your ass the state your in I could have done it easily by now".

This didn't make me any easier but I had already had that thought so I seen the logic behind it and I could see a sunny clearing coming up so started to hope it was the end of the trail. I was wrong it was a small grassed clearing looked slightly overgrown with an old rickety picnic bench in the middle surrounded by woods and laid across the top of the bench was a lad topless toned in tight black shorts it was Tom my heart sunk James  turned to me with a devilish grin.