3 Friends

One more story that has been influenced by music. Songs that provide a tone, or a sense of the scenes that are depicted in the storyline. The first song in the opening scene, song 3 during Sid’s great loss, or songs 6 and 8 for the sex scenes, or song 7 dancing to the band, and of course, song 10 too. And at the end, the last scene, song 14. You may have other songs come to mind, those that have been your own influence over the years, and that is good, this recollection, this memory of how music influences all of us. So, if you have these songs in your collection, put them on, crank up the volume, and dance. Boldly, without fear.

1. “Song 2” by Blur (Blur in 1997, CD, Food)
2. “Everyday is Halloween” by Ministry (Released as a single with “All Day” as the A-side in 1984, Vinyl, Wax Trax!)
3. “Face of Wood” by Modern English (After The Snow, CD, 1982 4AD)
4. “Creep” by Radiohead (Pablo Honey, CD, 1992, Parlophone/EMI)
5. “Here Comes Your Man” by Pixies (Doolittle, CD, 1989, 4AD/Elecktra)
6. “Sister Ray” by The Velvet Underground (White Light/White Heat, Vinyl, 1968, Verve)
7. “Michael” by Franz Ferndinand (Franz Ferndinand, CD, 2004, Domino)
8. “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by The Stooges (The Stooges, Vinyl, 1969, Elektra)
9. “The Wet Spot” by Southern Culture on the Skids (Mojo Box, CD, 2003, Yep Roc Records)
10. “Dance This Mess Around” by The B-52’s (The B-52’s, Vinyl, 1979, Warner Bros.)
11. “Never Say Never” by Romeo Void (Benefactor, Vinyl, 1982, Columbia)
12. “A Town Called Malice” by The Jam (The Gift, Vinyl, 1981, Polydor)
13. “Bad Kids” by The Black Lips (Good Bad Not Evil, CD, 2007, Vice Records)
14. “Have Love, Will Travel” by The Sonics (!!!!Here Are The Sonics!!!!, Vinyl, 1965, Etiquette)

 It seemed the whole world was out of balance, until KC stepped onto his skateboard. The movement through space, with nothing but the board between him and solid earth. The way he could angle his feet, shift his balance, or bounce his weight all changed the way he moved, always precariously balanced in every way, except in his mind. He dropped into the bowl, arced around the opposite side and came back to the place he first entered. Then he watched the guy in the faded blue ballcap drop into it, racing to the other side, up, over the opposite edge, flip around and drop back into the bowl.

Pushing off, KC rolled over to the ledge, dropped off the long side and coasted across the wide flat area in the middle of the park. He coasted until at the bench sheltered by an oak tree. Glancing at his watch, it was nearly time, and he looked toward the parking lot in time to see ‘the bus’ pull in, honking its horn as it pulled up close to the fence. He waved, grabbed up his backpack and board, and headed toward the gate.

He could hear the rough running engine, then smell it, as he approached ‘the bus’, Sid’s Olds 98 that first saw the light of day back in 1982. The front fender was dented, a section of grill busted out and the silver paint was dull and faded. It ran rough, sat unlevel and none of the power windows worked, but the damn thing cranked nearly every time and stubbornly ran and ran.

Sid sat behind the wheel, tapping it to some song on the radio, opening the rear door revealed it to be Blur. Backpack tossed on the back seat, KC slid into the front and found himself bobbing his head in time with the song, right along with Sid. They backed up, turned around and headed toward the street.

“When do you have to go in?” KC asked Sid, referring to his job at the micro-brewery. The latest in a series that opened up in Belmont. He knew of five, and there were probably more.

“Six.”

“That gives us time to eat before you go in.”

“Pizza?”

“Sounds good. Chase still meeting us at my place?”

“Yep.”

KC smiled, for Sid seemed to be in in own world most of the time.

Sid slowed, then turned on Liberty Drive, the Oldsmobile leaning over on its chassis, then rocked like a boat on rough waters as Sid straightened then accelerated back to speed.

“This hot woman came in yesterday, dropping off her BMW. Man, she was…just fucking gorgeous,” said KC as he tapped the base beat on the dash.

“What’s wrong with her car?”

“Fuck, Sid. Is that what you want to know? I tell you this hot woman comes in, and…” KC looks over and sees Sid look at the road, then toward him with a questioning expression. “Someone sideswiped her. Messed up the front fender and passenger door.”

“Oh.”

“I think I’m going to ask her out when she comes back to get her car.”

“Really?”

“Yeah…really,” KC replied, unconvinced he would really do it. What woman would want to go out with a nineteen-year old guy who was living in what was once an office that overlooked a body shop? It was one room, with a shower in the corner, and for a bathroom he had to go downstairs to the original toilet room. He had a kitchenette consisting of a sink, a hot plate with two eyes and a small refrigerator that held leftovers from takeout.

KC had never had a chance. He struggled with school, for there was no support at home for him to learn. His mother left when he was twelve and his addict of a father was verbally abusive. As soon as he graduated from high school, still only seventeen, he left home, having talked Kenneth, his boss, into letting him live in the unused office on the mezzanine. He saved his money, refusing to buy a car, even though the lot had three that could have been easily repaired. Kenneth offered them cheap. He was used to his skateboard, and when the trip was longer, he brought out his bike. It would have left him alone except for his two best friends, Sid and Chase, never left him alone for long. They were always wanting to hang out, coming over at all hours, especially Chase, who was practically living on the streets, going from friend to friend, to crash on sofas or in guest rooms, and when that wasn’t possible, crashing in his car, hiding it somewhere in town where the police would not bother him. He had not been back to his home in two years, refusing to discuss it.

KC watched the street scenes pass, as Sid cut through town heading to the body shop. It seemed to be the same every time. The same groups of people hanging out on street corners, or sitting on front porches fanning gnats away, or mowing front yards, working on some truck or car in the driveway or doing a repair on their homes, trying to keep them held together. He glanced back at Sid, wondering where the two of them were heading in life. Would they still be doing this in five years? Ten? When would things change?

Pulling around behind the body shop and parking next to the wrecker, Sid nodded toward KC and the two of them climbed out. He lifted a cassette tape from the seat and slipped it in his pocket, then followed KC toward the door. KC got it unlocked when they heard another car pull in, seeing it was Chase in his 83 GTI. It looked rougher than the Olds but ran cleanly and the windows still worked.

“Hey guys,” Chase exclaimed as he climbed out, and slammed his door shut.

“Hey,” KC and Sid replied in unison. 

“Pizza okay with you?” KC asked as he stepped back, holding the gray metal door open.

“Always,” Chase replied, following Sid into the shop. KC went to a phone and called in an order while Sid and Chase went upstairs to his apartment. There were no curtains or blinds of any kind, two walls of the office overlooking the shop floor, and the two of them crashed on the sofa facing the windows. An old television sat on a crate, and Chase turned it on, then began to flip through channels as Sid watched KC on the phone. He could tell by his mannerisms when he was ordering the pizza, listening to the confirmation, then the total, and the verification of his address, explaining once again his living arrangement.

KC climbed the stair and entered the room, crashing into the old recliner that was his chair. The room was complete, with the three of them sitting around it. They had been friends since elementary school, and even though KC was a year older than Chase and Sid, the age difference never mattered to them, not even their early teen years when it was so obvious. They knew so much about each other, the good and the bad. The events that led them to this point in their lives, each struggling to find his own way. And he knew secrets the other two had been unable to share. He waited until they were ready, for it seemed the logical thing to do. But he had been questioning it, of late.

Secrets of such a personal nature. Something so intimate he knew it was difficult for them to admit it. Chase flipping through the channels, not stopping on any one for long, he knew was gay. He’d known for some time and wondered on many occasions if he should say something. Would it make it better between them to confess he knew? Should he let Chase continue to think it would make a difference to their friendship. He loved him, could admit it when the time called for it, and he meant it, for Chase, and Sid too, were brothers. Not in blood, obviously, but by every other measure.

Yes, he had been shocked when he found the pictures in Chase’s backpack. Most were attractive guys cut from sports magazines, but some were from porn magazines Chase had gotten his hands on. But by the time he had flipped to the last images, of boys naked, legs spread stroking their cocks, he was laughing.

Then there was Sid, the tall lanky bastard. What was he now? Six three? And when they met girls that didn’t know them, it was Sid with whom they flirted, with his black hair, dark brown eyes and natural tanned skin tone. Sid joked he had Native American blood and probably some other blood his ancestors wouldn’t admit. And KC knew Sid was the most experienced of the three of them. There had been the two girls in high school, and over the year since, there were two more, one from Harrisburg and one from Hawthorne. But there was also the boy from the concert in Atlanta. He had gone to the car to get another drink of the bourbon hidden under the seat and saw Sid with him in the back.

And those were the ones he knew about.

“Pizza here by five?” asked Sid.

“If not a little sooner,” KC replied.

“Sweet,” Chase added, and he got up going to the kitchenette. “What do you have to drink?”

“There’s some soda,” said KC. “Pull down some glasses and pour us some over ice.”

“Okay.”

Sid had been gone for a couple of hours, leaving KC and Chase alone, the two battling it out in a video game, one of the second-hand ones KC found at the thrift store. The battled each other over and over, KC smiling at each loss, amazed at how the quiet Chase was so aggressive in the game.

“Are you going to crash here tonight?” asked KC.

“If it’s okay.”

“Sure.”

They played later than they should have, with KC needing to get to bed so he could get up in time for work, knowing it was impossible to oversleep over the shop. Coming back up from using the bathroom, he found Chase on the sofa, a blanket over his legs, pulled up to his waist. Stripped to his boxers, KC climbed into bed, shutting off the lamp. The room was cast into dark shadow, a security light in the shop shining through the windows. He heard Chase move around, saw his silhouette when he sat up.

“Can’t sleep?” asked KC.

“No.”

“What’s wrong?” KC knew there was something troubling Chase more than their usual list of hardships and grievances. He had seen it for the last year, how Chase seemed to be turning inward more and more.

“Nothing,” came a whispered reply.

“Chase…I know something is troubling you. I want you to know you can tell me. Anything. It may seem like a big deal, but…I assure you nothing could be big enough to ruin our friendship.”

Chase lay down, dropping out of sight again, but KC heard him shifting around on the sofa. Then the room was quiet for so long, KC assumed he had fallen asleep.

“What if it is something that makes me different?” came a hushed reply.

KC knew what Chase was referring, and hoped for his sake, he could just say it.

“I don’t know if I can say it,” Chase whispered, just loud enough for KC to hear.

“Just say it. It’ll be okay.”

Chase was quiet for nearly a minute, a long minute that seemed so much longer.

“Do you know already?”

“Maybe.”

“Ask me.”

KC sat up, looking at the back of the sofa, the black silhouette between him and the glass wall.

“Are you gay?”

“Yes.”

“It’s okay, you know.”

“You’re okay with it?”

“Why wouldn’t I be.”

“Don’t tell Sid.”

“Chase…you should tell him. I know he will feel the same.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I know him, just as I know you. We’re friends, and you being gay is just a part of who you are. And Chase?”

“Yes?”

“It’s time you began to live your life.”

“I know.”

“We can talk tomorrow, but right now, my ass has to get some sleep,” said KC and he heard Chase chuckle in relief, then settle down.

“Thanks, KC,” Chase whispered, then fell silent.

Sid got home late, the clock on the mantel showing 2:48 A.M. He eased through the living room, careful not to bump into anything for it was stuffed with old furniture and trinkets, with walls covered in photographs. All the things important to his grandmother. He was the youngest of the grandchildren, and the one considered the biggest failure, since his father left and then his mother too, leaving him in the care of his grandmother. Despite the assumptions, he paid rent, and even helped with the bills, even though his grandmother argued with him over it. His job at the Micro-brewery paid well, the best he had ever made, and he knew he could afford to get his own place, but after living with his grandmother for four years, he felt obligated to stick around, and help her. She had taken care of him when he needed it, and now that her health was failing, and she struggled to maintain the house, he couldn’t bring himself to leave her. She was the only family he really had, and she needed him now.

He slipped into the bathroom and took a shower, then eased into his bedroom, towel around his waist. Door left partially open, so he could hear if his grandmother called out during the night, he tossed the towel over a chair and pulled open a drawer for clean boxers. When he stood, he was facing himself. Staring at his reflection, he frowned at the skinny body, appearing worse with his height. He wished he was more muscular, had the body like Mike at the brewery, or even KC. But when he looked at his face, he smiled at the memory of all the times KC called him ‘pretty boy’, meant as an insult, of course, but he knew he was attractive. He was reminded of it constantly, by women at the brewery flirting with him.

And in the past, he pursued so many of them, had his fun, then slipped out to come home. But of late, ever since the concert in Atlanta, he had considered other options. Laying on his bed, feeling the fatigue of every muscle, he lay still, staring up at the ceiling. Reaching over, he turned off the lamp, putting his room into dark shadow. There was a silvery glow in the room, from the moonlight coming through the window. He never closed the blinds to the window facing the street, preferring to let the light come in. Moonlight at night, then in early morning, the light of the sun. Staring up at the reflections on the ceiling, moving with the flutter of leaves outside, he thought of it, his physical attractions. To girls and boys, and he wondered which would give him the greatest happiness. He thought of that little blonde headed boy in Atlanta and what it felt like to have his naked body against his own, as they had fumbled around in the back seat of his car.

But as he considered his attractions, moving beyond the mere physical, one person came to mind. And he frowned, thinking it could never be.

The rain beat down on the metal roof like marbles. It was so loud KC and Chase gave up watching television and sat silent, listening to it rain. Sid was at work and the two of them were hanging out, keeping each other company.

“You should have seen this woman who came in this morning, dropping off her Focus. Jesus, she was hot,” KC uttered, breaking the silence of the room, after the rain finally slowed.

“I’ll take your word for it,” Chase replied, smiling at KC, glad he could be honest in his own feelings.

KC grinned, shaking his head. He slid down until his head rested on the top of the sofa’s back, legs stretched out in front of him. “I don’t know why I consider them. No woman is going to want to go out with a loser who lives…”

“You’re not a loser,” Chase interrupted.

“But I am. Look around you.”

“Please don’t say that.”

KC realized what Chase was trying to say. He was more stable than him, and in a roundabout way, he was criticizing him as well as himself.

“I’m sorry. It’s just…” laughing nervously, “I get so horny and…”

KC fell silent, and Chase shifted around on the sofa, legs crossed, facing him.

“What are you looking at?” asked KC

“You.”

“Don’t.”

“I’ll help you out, and you don’t have to do anything.”

“What?! No…no.”

“Why not?”

“Chase…it’s crossing some line. I can’t do that.”

“KC, it’s not a big deal. Just lay back and close your eyes,” Chase whispered, reaching out, touching him on the leg.

KC flinched, pulled away, but he didn’t look over, keeping his eyes focused on the black television screen.  Chase reached out again and touched him.

“Come on, let me. I want to do it.”

“But Chase…I’m not gay and…”

“I know. I’m not asking you to do something in return. Just close your eyes and relax.”

“Chase,” KC whispered, but he didn’t pull away when he felt Chase touch his thigh, the fingers moving over it until down between his legs, just below his crotch. Despite his protestations, he was getting hard.

“Close your eyes,” Chase whispered, and KC did as he was asked.

Chase touched him, fingers manipulating his cock. KC tried not to respond, telling himself if he didn’t, Chase would stop. But he couldn’t keep up the ruse. He was unable to focus on the fact it was another guy, one that was his friend. Maybe it being a friend dulled his ability to reject it, allowed him to respond, despite what he told himself. He felt Chase move off the sofa then brush against his left leg, and he knew Chase was on the floor. Fingers worked his cock, made it grow more erect. Then there was the tug on his belt, the undoing of his jeans, and the tug to pull them open. He felt the air hit is cock, it free at last. He felt his hardness, knowing his cock stood up between his thighs. Then he felt a hand take him, slowly stroking up and down. The rub over the head made him shutter. Then he shuddered more when he felt the warm breath blow over the head, then the touch of tongue and lips. He felt the way they moved along his cock, from head to base, at times hot exhales blown into his pubic hair and tongue dragging over his tightening sac. The lips traveled up to the head then closed around it, and he fought the urge to push up as he felt his cock engulfed in the hot slick mouth.

Then everything was like a dream; nothing real. His entire focus was on the feel of that mouth on his cock, the way it moved on it. He felt the lips move along the shaft. He felt the tongue manipulate the head. He clutched at the edge of the sofa as that mouth took his cock, nearly every inch.

Too wound up, too horny to hold back for long, KC felt it, the surge of release build and build. He shuddered, pushed upward with his hips and filled that mouth with his load. He jerked with every ejaculation until spent, and he fell still as he felt Chase ease back on the sofa.

He opened his eyes and saw his wet cock going flaccid. Glancing over, he felt himself flush red, embarrassed at being so weak to his emotions and desires. He pulled his jeans into place and zipped up, not sure what to say.

“Relax KC. It was just a blowjob,” Chase uttered, picking up the remote. “Now that the rain has stopped, let’s watch some television.”

KC glanced over and saw Chase was as before.

“Don’t tell Sid,” KC whispered.

“Why? You afraid he’ll want a blowjob too?” Chase replied, struggling not to laugh.

“You ass,” said KC, making the two of them bust out laughing.

The phone rang, and KC struggled to wake up, reaching out blindly, trying to locate it on the table by his bed. He raised his head and saw he was further away from it than he realized, and slid over and picked up his phone, glancing at the screen before answering it. It was only a little after six. And it was a Sunday morning, so he frowned, wondering why Chase was calling him so early.

“Chase, this better be good.”

“KC…” Chase stammered, “I’m coming over to pick you up. Get up and dressed.”

“What is it?”

“Sid called and…his grandmother…,” Chase exclaimed, and KC knew it was something bad.

“What happened?”

“I’ll be there in about five minutes,” Chase replied and hung up.

KC jumped out of bed, ran downstairs to the bathroom, then back up, where he jumped in the shower.  He had sat up late and didn’t bother to shower before bed. Chase and Sid had worked the night before, Sid at the brewery and Chase doing an inventory of the grocery store. As he pulled on jeans, he heard Chase knocking on the door at the back of the shop.

“I’m coming!” KC yelled out of the door to his apartment, the sound of his voice echoing in the quiet shop. He pulled out one of his nicer shirts and frantically buttoned it, then grabbed up his shoes, ran by the old dresser and got socks. With them in his hands, he raced down the stair and to the back door where Chase was pacing back and forth by his car.

“Let’s go,” KC exclaimed as he ran to the passenger door and Chase slid behind the wheel.

Chase drove through town as fast as he dared, while KC got his shoes on.

“How bad?” KC asked.

“Bad.”

“Chase! Tell me before we get there.”

Chase seemed to grow paler, both hands on the steering wheel, his grip tightened until knuckles turned white. He was shaking and a tear trickled down his cheek.

“She died sometime during the night. Sid found her this morning.”

“Fuck,” KC uttered and fell back in the seat and closed his eyes.

On Chesterfield Avenue, Chase slowed as they neared the small house, with its metal awnings over the windows and the porch with a swing on one end, and two chairs with a small white table between them. Sid’s Olds sat in the drive and behind it, an ambulance. As they pulled to the curb, the ambulance pulled slowly away. Without its emergency lights on, it looked so sad, KC and Chase sat in the car and watched it drive away. When it turned, they looked at the front of the house and saw Sid standing on the porch with an aunt and uncle.

“Let’s go,” said Chase, opening his door.

They crossed the street and came up to the porch, overhearing the aunt, her tone ugly.

“You need to pack up and get out. You’ve taken advantage long enough. We expect you to be gone by the end of the day.”

“What the fuck!” KC exclaimed. “Seriously? Sid, go inside and ignore her.”

“KC…it’s okay. I’ll pack up.”

“No. You’ve been taking care of her. Paying rent and helping with her expenses. Fuck this bitch.”

“KC!” Chase exclaimed.

“No. Enough is enough. Sid, you should be grieving and preparing for the funeral. Not this. All of this selfish, greedy shit can wait until after the funeral.”

The aunt and uncle bristled at the reference calling them out for their greed, and they stepped back.

“Very well, we’ll wait until after the funeral and discuss it then.”

The aunt and uncle descended the stair and went to their cars. Sid watched them until they were gone, then he cried.

Chase ran up and hugged him, arms tight around the skinny body that towered over his own, and KC could hear Sid let go, crying louder.

It would be mid-afternoon before the guys could get Sid to eat something. They sat around the dining table, its surface polished to a high sheen, eating slowly in silence. As Chase took their plates to the kitchen and put the take-out boxes in the trash, Sid sat back, face blank of all emotion with eyes red from crying.

“Will you guys stay with me?” Sid asked.

“Of course,” Chase replied, coming back into the dining room and sitting next to him.

“Yes; whatever you need,” KC added.

That night, the house quiet, with no television or radio playing. They got ready for bed, everyone moving around numb and exhausted. No one would take the bed in the master bedroom. KC wondered what the sleeping arrangements would be, since there was another guest bedroom and the sofa was large enough for one of them to sleep on. Sid came out of the bathroom dressed in a t-shirt and gym shorts, drying his hair with the towel.

“Hey guys…will you…”

“What is it? Just ask,” said Chase.

“Will you guys sleep with me? Can we just pile up in the bed like we did when we were kids?”

“Sure,” Chase replied, looking over at KC, nodding his head, looking for agreement.

KC nodded and followed the two of them to Sid’s bedroom. It was a queen bed, and Sid climbed on first moving to the middle. Chase went around to the opposite side, easing along the narrow space between it and the wall, and eased down next to him, as KC did the same from the other side.

Come morning, KC woke first, and smiled when he saw how Sid and Chase were snuggled up together. He wondered if anything could ever develop between them.

The funeral was three days later, and the family gathered at the aunt’s house, all but Sid, who was told not to come. So, Sid went to his grandmother’s house where KC and Chase sat with him. KC and Chase had picked up food from the diner on Central Avenue, and they sat around the old wood dining table eating in silence.

“They’re having the will read in the morning,” Sid uttered.

“Already? Damn.”

“What do you think will happen?”

“I don’t know. Grandmother never talked about it. I assume Aunt Ellen and Uncle Rob will get the house and will probably sell it as fast as they can.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Chase.

“I don’t know.”

“You can crash at my place if you need to. Chase too. I don’t know why he refuses to just move in.”

“KC,” Chase whispers, making him stop.

“Will you guys go with me? The others hate me, and I don’t want to be there alone.”

“Yes,” KC replied.

“I have to work, but KC will be better for this than I. Okay?” asked Chase.

“Okay,” Sid replied.

The attorney’s office was old, dusty with a huge desk that took up far too much of the room. Behind it was bookshelves packed with leather bound volumes and in front were two armchairs. Along the wall, behind the armchairs, an old sofa, one that seemed so out of place among the red leather chairs and dark wood paneling.

The aunt and uncle sat in the armchairs and their spouses were on the sofa. There were two of their children there, and in the corner, standing at the door, was Sid and KC.

The attorney read the will, all the preliminaries up front, then began to go through the assets. There were two stock portfolios and a savings account that were split between the aunt and uncle. There was property in town, the old building that the family’s business had been located, and two other parcels, one undeveloped and the other ground leased to a drug store, all of which went to the aunt and uncle. Then the attorney cleared his throat and looked toward Sid.

“The house at 325 Chesterfield, with all of its furniture, will go to Robert Sidney Branston. The photos on the wall are to stay with the house, but the photograph albums will be taken apart and photos divided among the children, Sid taking his mother’s share. The assets in the checking account and in the savings account, number such and such, will go to Sid as well.”

“What?” Sid whispered and he saw the others look at him with anger.

“No, this isn’t right,” Sid’s aunt exclaimed.

“It’s final. And I wouldn’t contest it, if I were you,” said the attorney, as he placed the original documents into the folder and picked up the copies for each family member. “She instructed me to represent Sid if any of you contested the will.”

Sid sat on the sofa, still stunned the house was now his, along with enough finances to help him get on his feet. Chase was in the kitchen making sandwiches and KC was at work. He stared around the room until his eyes fell on the photograph albums. They lined the two bottom shelves of a bookcase, the upper shelves full of trinkets, framed photos, and a pitcher that had belonged to his great-great grandmother.

He moved to the bookshelf and picked up the pitcher, taking the note inside it out. He read it again, the brief description of its purchase, and how it was used over the years. It was something Sid didn’t feel he could take care of. It was too fragile, had too much history, and he carried it to the dining table and sat it next to the bowl holding artificial fruit.

“What are you doing?” Chase asked, setting a plate down in front of him. A ham sandwich and chips neatly arranged on it.

“I don’t know.”

“That pitcher…it’s important?”

“Yes…” Sid replied, then he looked up at Chase. “Will you help me do something?”

“Sure. What is it?”

“There are things in the house that I should let my aunt and uncle have. I know it won’t help, for they wanted the house.”

“To sell for the money.”

“I know, but if I give them those things that might mean more to them than it does to me, then maybe…”

“They won’t hate you? Fat chance.”

“I know, but…Chase, I can’t take care of all of this. It’s not me.”

“I get it. And yes, I’ll help.”

Sid and Chase ate lunch, then Sid went around the house, pulling out items for them to box up. The clock on the mantel, the pitcher, a set of old dishes he never saw his grandmother use, some old clothes she had kept boxed up, a shotgun and rifle that had been his grandfather’s, and trinkets he knew were gifts from his aunt and uncle. Then he pulled out the photograph albums and went through them, pulling out all the photographs that he was in, some of his grandmother over the years, a couple of his mother and father (although he hesitated to take them, but knew his aunt and uncle would destroy them), and a few of ancestors that went back generations. In the end, he had taken so few, he felt guilty about it, but knew his aunt and uncle would still think he took too much.

For the rest of the day, they packed up everything, until the dining room was stacked with boxes.

“I’ll call my aunt and get them to come get this stuff.”

Chase stretched his arms up and out, twisting his back, and he saw Sid do the same, long arms stretching up until they nearly touched the ceiling. Then he saw the t-shirt ride up, revealing a line of stomach. The skin looked smooth, darker than his own, and he let his eyes trail along the waistband of the jeans. Sid’s arm fell to his side and Chase looked up, seeing him staring back, questioningly, eyebrows arched upward. He turned and went to the bathroom, where he sat on the side of the tub, breathing hard.

Sid came in with their take-out, bar-be-cue from The Shack out on Murphy Road, and they sat around the table digging in. KC had called earlier, telling them he was working late to get a car ready for painting the next day. It left Sid and Chase alone during the evening for the first time since the funeral.

“Are you going to call your aunt in the morning?” asked Chase.

“Yep. Need to get it over with. If I call in the morning, that will give them time to make arrangements for the weekend to come get it. I’m going to put everything on the porch, so they can’t come in.”

“You think they’ll try something?”

Sid nodded.

It was just getting dark outside, when they finished. Chase started cleaning up the table and Sid went into the kitchen, running soapy water in one basin of the sink.

“Here are the plates and utensils,” said Chase, sitting everything down next to the sink.

“Can you bag up the garbage and take it out?”

“Sure.”

Sid washed the few dishes, rinsed, then set them to dry as Chase went around the house emptying all the garbage cans. As Sid wiped down the table then countertop, Chase came in from taking out the trash.

“You want to watch television?” asked Chase.

“Okay.”

Chase flipped through the channels until he came to an old Sci-Fi flick that was one of Sid’s favorites, and he settled down to watch. Looking over, he saw Sid do the same. The opening credits rolled across the screen then the opening scene began.

“This is one of my favorites,” Sid whispered.

“I know.”

During commercials they ran to the bathroom, or one of them went for drinks and snacks in the kitchen. By the time the final credits began, the coffee table was covered in soda bottles, a half-eaten bag of chips, and two candy wrappers. Chase stood up and reached for the empty bottles, prepared to clean off the coffee table. Sid kicked him, lightly, just enough to throw him off balance for a minute, then laughed.

“Hey, watch it.”

“Or what?” Sid replied, grinning up at Chase.

“Or I’ll beat your ass,” Chase exclaimed, his tone jovial, as he lunged at Sid.

Sid rolled off the sofa and cut around the coffee table. Chase blocked his escape and soon they were holding the other by the arms, trying to force them to the floor. They hadn’t horsed around like this since they were fourteen, when they had wrestled to the point of exhaustion. Chase wasn’t big enough to fight off Sid. With longer arms and legs, and six-inch advantage in height, Sid soon had had him going down on the rug. Chase tried to fight him off, attempting to roll to the left, then the right, but Sid pinned him to the floor, arms held over his head. Sid let his full body weight (even if it was only 150 pounds) hold Chase down.  They were sweating, the edge of their hair wet, and rivulets trickling down Sid’s face as he hovered over Chase.

“Say uncle,” Sid whispered, the fight gone out of him. He was breathing hard and felt his heart pounding in his chest. But it was different this time.

“No,” Chase whispered back, and he lay still, staring up, letting Sid hold him down.

They stared at each other for a long time, both breathing hard. Then Sid kissed Chase, lips pressed together in a long lingering kiss. When he raised his head, there was a questioning stare. Sid was unsure if Chase was accepting.

“Was it okay?” Sid whispered.

“Yes,” Chase replied.

Sid pushed on the wrists, holding Chase down, as he leaned back to him, kissing the skinny neck, up to the ear, tonguing it until Chase cried out. Moving his lips along the smooth skin of the jaw, Sid kissed him again, this time tongues dueling, their initial hesitation gone. Letting go of Chase’s wrists, Sid slid one hand down the skinny torso until it was at the hem of the t-shirt and slipped it underneath and pushed up. The undulating stomach, then the flat chest came into view and he moved down to it, kissing the sternum, then the right nipple, tonguing it, then sucking on it. Then he nipped it lightly with his teeth, making Chase cry out.

“Sid,” Chase uttered breathlessly, as he felt fingers exploring his crotch, manipulating his growing erection. Then he felt the kisses move down his chest, over his stomach until they ran along the waistband of his jeans.

“You want me to stop?” Sid whispered.

“Nooooo,” Chase replied, tugging his shirt off and falling back down, with arms spread out. “Keep going…please.”

Sid moved his mouth over the bulge, mouthed along its length, feeling an upward push by Chase. He pulled at the front of the jeans, rougher than he intended, slipping the button free. He tugged down the zipper, impatient to get them off. Sitting up with their eyes locked together, he slid jeans and boxers down the skinny legs and off. He tossed them aside as he looked down Sid’s body. The flat chest, stomach, the small fan of hair over a hard cock, and a loose sac that hung down between the thighs, with the two orbs fighting for space. The cock looked out of proportion to the small frame, a man’s cock, thick and long enough to surprise. And Sid moved to it, holding it up, stroking it, then tonguing the head. Chase cried out, pushing up with his hips, and Sid held his mouth over it, letting it piston through his lips, until Chase tired. Then he took control.

Sid moved his head up and down until he felt Chase become rock hard, cock flexing in his mouth. He knew he had him at the very edge, and he sat up, breathing hard, and wanting more. He stood and with eyes watching his every move, he picked Chase up and headed toward the bed they had been sharing. The bed they pretended to sleep together in just to keep Sid company. The bed they snuggled together in their sleep dreaming of things sexual in nature.

With an arm around Sid’s neck, Chase let himself be carried to the bedroom, watching him, seeing the determined focus in the dark brown eyes.

“Sid?”

“Shhhh…not now,” Sid replied, pushing the door open with his foot and moving to the unmade bed. He dropped Chase onto it roughly, the two of them giggling as Chase bounced up and down. Then Sid removed his clothes. The shirt was tossed behind him, landing at the door. He undid his jeans and worked each foot free, tossing them into the corner. As he took his boxers, he locked eyes with Chase, and they stared at each other as he pushed the boxers down and stepped out of them, kicking them to the side.

Chase rotated his body to Sid, as he moved on the bed on his knees. Legs came to his shoulders, and Sid dragged Chase closer, until the legs pressed against his chest.

“Do it. Fuck me,” Chase uttered as he lay back, hands clutching at the bed. “Sid. Fuck me.”

Sid stroked his cock to full erection. The long shaft protruding out of his fist when he slammed it down against his abdomen. Chase watched, inpatient with desire. He wanted Sid inside him. He wanted to feel the penetration, even it if hurt. He wanted to feel Sid push into his depths.

He wanted Sid.

And Sid wanted Chase in ways he didn’t understand. He fingered him, bore one, then two fingers into the tight, little opening. He wondered if Chase could really take him, but he saw the pleading stare, then the fingers that dug into his thighs, urging him on. He put his leaking cock to the tight opening and pushed. Chase shuddered, then cried out, as Sid felt the squeeze on the head of his cock. Almost painful, for it was so tight, but he pushed slowly inward, feeling the grip on the head, then along the shaft, as Chase took inch after inch. He pushed halfway in, then began a slow fuck. Inward an inch or so, then a tug outward, slowly building up his pace.

Chase clutched at the bed and stared at Sid as he felt the penetration. The push inward, going deeper and deeper, until he felt Sid bumping against his ass.

“Fuck…fuck me,” Chase uttered.

Sid took each leg behind the knee and spread them as he moved over the prone body. He eased down, hips continuously working his cock within Chase, until they were kissing.

“Chase,” Sid exclaimed as he rose and began to fuck harder, faster, driving into Chase’s depths.

The old bed rocked, squeaked in rhythm to their fuck, as Sid piston cock inside of him. Then he was jammed all the way in, shuddering with release.

Sid slipped free and moved down between Chase’s legs. He took the hard, leaking cock in hand, stroking it slowly, feeling every inch slide through his fingers. Once wet, he licked them clean, tasting this part of Chase. Then he took him in his mouth and slowly moved his lips along the length of the hard cock. Pushing down as far as he could go, then moving up until the flared head was on his tongue, he swirled it around the head, making Chase shiver.

“OH, Sid…I’m going to…”

Sid felt the cock flex, thicken on his tongue, then jerk with ejaculation after ejaculation until his mouth was full of cum, and he swallowed until only the spent cock was left in it.

Sid moved up next to Chase, both on their backs, breathing hard.

“Damn, that was…” Sid whispered, letting his voice trail off.

“Sid?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you gay?”

“I…don’t know.”

Chase lay disappointed, not understanding what Sid meant by his answer, wanting desperately for an answer he could relate. Sid looked over and realized Chase looked upset.

“Chase, are you gay?”

Chase nodded his head.

“Have you been with anyone before?”

“No,” came a soft barely audible whisper.

“I have. I mean, you know about most of the girls, but I’ve been with a couple of guys too.”

“You have?”

“Yes. I don’t know what that makes me. Bi-sexual, I guess. Sometimes I see someone and just want to be with them, regardless of their sex.”

“Which do you prefer?”

“I don’t know that I prefer one over the other.”

Chase didn’t respond, instead stared up at the ceiling, not sure what to admit. Should he tell Sid he was the one that he thought about late at night? Should he tell Sid he looks at him differently than he does KC?

Sensing something was off with Chase, Sid rolled to his side, propping his head up so he could look down on him. “Do you like me? More than a friend?”

“What if I said yes.”

Sid tried to smile, but he felt conflicted about his feelings. Those that said the person he settled into a relationship should be female, not male. But he also felt a closeness to Chase he hadn’t felt toward anyone else.

“Let’s get some sleep,” said Sid as he lay next to Chase and held him in his arms, not sure if it was the right thing to do.

Chase was up early, for he had a shift at the grocery store, the first since the funeral. He eased out of bed, letting Sid sleep, and showered, got dressed and eased out. All morning he would struggle to focus on every task. He would stutter and act confused when a customer asked a question, and his manager assumed he was still upset about his friend’s grandmother passing away. Everyone in the area knew her and knew Chase and KC were friends of Sid. But it was the conversation with Sid that had him rattled. They had had sex, and he had confessed to him he was gay and liked him. And Sid hadn’t responded. Maybe he just needed to give Sid some time, let him work through what it was he wanted. He found himself saying the word, quietly, to himself when stocking shelves. Bi-sexual. What did it really mean? Could Sid have a relationship with a guy instead of a girl, or was it merely about sex?

When he got back to Sid’s place, Sid was gone, and knew he had a shift at the brewery, but that didn’t start until three. It felt ominous that Sid wasn’t there. He pulled out his cellphone and brought up Sid’s number, then slid it away and brought up KC’s.

“Hey, what’s up?” KC asked.

“Nothing really. Have you seen Sid today?”

“Yes. He came by and we had lunch together, then he said something about running errands before his shift. Why?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m here at his house and was just wondering.”

“While I’m thinking about it, there is a party tonight. Sid said he would come by once he got off from work. You want to go?”

Chase considered it, started to say yes, but then he thought about the situation between Sid and him, and wondered if they really did need some space.

“I’m beat and don’t feel like going to a party. I’ll just hang out here.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

Sid left work at eleven, tossing his apron into his locker in the stockroom, clocking out, then easing out the back door. He drove straight to the shop, picking up KC, and headed to the party.

“Is Chase meeting us there?” asked Sid.

“No, he said he didn’t feel like a party and would just hang out at your place.”

“Oh,” Sid replied, the disappointment evident in his tone.

KC heard it and wondered if something had happened. Chase had sounded odd on the phone and now Sid did too. He looked over at him whenever streetlights or headlights from oncoming cars illuminated his face.

“Something wrong?”

“What? No.”

“You sure?”

Sid exhaled heavily, sounding tired. “Can I tell you something?”

“You know you can.”

“You know Chase is gay, right?”

“Yes.”

“Did you know…I’m bi-sexual?”

“Honestly? Yes.”

“You did?”

“I saw you with a boy when we went to that concert in Atlanta.”

Sid chuckled, shaking his head.

“You know, this changes nothing between us, right?” asked KC.

“But maybe it does.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sid and I…”

“You guys messed around, and now things are a bit odd between you?”

“Yes. I don’t know…I mean…I like Chase. Even in that way, but…”

“Is it the relationship you want for the long term?”

“Something like that.”

“And I know he likes you. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. It’s different.”

“What am I going to do?”

“Why not go to this party and hang out and try not to dwell on it. Let yourself process it. I think you know what you want. You just need to remove any doubt.”

Sid didn’t reply, just slowed down to make the turn into the old neighborhood where the party was happening.

Chase paced the house. He cleaned the kitchen, the bathroom, then vacuumed the rug in the living room. He turned on the television, flipping through the channels until he came to a teen romance. A silly, mediocre drama of teen love, and he sat watching it, making too many comparisons while wondering what Sid was doing at the party. When the credits finally rolled across the screen, he wiped his eyes and headed to the bathroom.

With the shower running hot enough to steam up the small bathroom, Chase stepped into the tub and let the water cascade down his body. He leaned his head underneath the spray and watched the water run from his long hair as it hung around his face. Then he leaned forward until pressing his forehead against the tile wall. He was frustrated, angry with himself for not going to the party. He wanted to be there with the guys. He wanted to be there with Sid.

Sid. Hovering over him, cock pushing into his depths. The memory of the sensations. The fullness of Sid’s cock inside him. The way it moved inside of him. The feel of hands on his body. Lips against his own. Chase opened his eyes, watching the water swirl around the drain before disappearing into it.

Dried off, he tossed the towel over the curtain rod, and walked naked to the guest bedroom. He pulled out a pair of boxers and slipped them on. He reached for a t-shirt, how he had never gone without one, always intimidated to let KC and Sid see him without it. Then he didn’t bother, for Sid had seen him. All of him, naked, taking his fuck. He climbed into the guest bed, assuming Sid might bring someone home and he didn’t want an awkward situation where they found him in Sid’s bed.

Tossing and turning, he could not fall asleep, and knew there was no way he would until Sid came home.

Sid followed KC into the house, where every room seemed to be full of people, drinking and smoking and talking far too loudly. They went through the living, dining, until in the crowded kitchen.

“Hey KC,” said a woman with long red hair.

“Sharon! Jesus, I’ve not seen you since graduation. How have you been?”

“I’m good. You still working at that shop?”

“Yep, and still living above it,” KC replied, sheepishly.

Sharon laughed, then touched KC on the arm, “hey, we’ve all had some rough times.”

“OH?”

“That asshole I dated in high school, the one I married right after graduation. He left me two months later.”

“Damn, I didn’t know that. Everything work out for you? I mean…”

“Did I divorce the bastard? Yep,” Sharon replied, laughing.

“What are you doing now?”

“I’ve taken a job at the plant.”

“They were laying off people. How did you get a job there?”

“I’m in the office, and they needed someone to help with communication with the other plants, most of which are now overseas. Enough about work. You buy this girl a drink?”

KC laughed, reaching into the case of beer he had been able to buy, despite his age, and pulled one out for her. He had liked Sharon all through high school, but she had always been with Benjamin. He fought not to grin too much, as she led him toward the backyard.

“Hey, I’ll catch up with you later,” KC whispered to Sid.

“I hope not,” Sid jokingly replied, “I hope you are too busy.”

Sid watched them go out the back door, then he pulled out a beer from the case and headed back toward the living room. It was crowded, a group sitting around cutting up far too loudly for him, so he cut into the short hall, and saw a group in the front bedroom, a couple of them old classmates.

“Hey John…Rick,” said Sid as he moved into the dimly lit room, everyone sitting on the bed.

“Sid! Hey man, I’m sorry about your grandmother,” John replied.

“Thanks.”

“Come on, sit…sit,” added Rick, patting the bed next to him.

It put Sid between Rick and a girl he didn’t know. She had short black hair and when he eased down on the bed, trying to fold up his tall body to fit into the small space, he saw her smile at him.

“I’m Sid.”

“Jessica.”

“So, how do you know these guys?”

“We’re at the community college together.”

“Oh.”

“Are you going to college?”

“No,” Sid replied, seeing the look, one of disappointment. But he looked at Jessica again, seeing how she was pretty. He looked at her long fingers holding a drink, the lips with their light red lipstick and eyes lined just enough to notice it. Then he saw Chase. He saw the lean body lying prone before him, naked, cock hard. Hard because of him.

“Sid…Sid…”

“I’m sorry, what is it?”

“Jesus, where were you?” asked John.

“So, who’s baby, do you think it is?” asked Rick.

“What?” Sid replied, still confused about what they were talking about, and suddenly he didn’t want to be there. He slid back and climbed off the bed, “I need to hit the bathroom.”

Sid walked back to the living room and stood in the corner. He appeared to be listening to the room’s conversations, but the only thing he could think about was Chase being alone at his house. What did it mean, for him to think of Chase in a way that was considered out of the norm by so many? What would everyone at the party say if he said he liked Chase. Would they be surprised, or would it confirm some rumor. He was sure there were rumors, for there had been in high school. He pushed off the wall and headed to the backyard.

KC and Sharon were sitting on the porch at the far end, facing away from everyone else, talking amongst themselves. Sid saw them laugh, Sharon lean over close to KC, then the two of them laugh again. He eased up behind them, almost afraid to disturb them.

“Hey, KC,” Sid whispered.

KC and Sharon turned toward him.

“Sid? Hey, how are you?” Sharon asked.

“I’m good. And you?”

“I’m good, too.”

“What’s up, Sid?” KC asked, and Sid saw the concerned expression, knowing KC wasn’t one to be fooled.

“I’m not really up for this and…”

KC smiled, and Sid knew he understood. “Take off. I’ll get a ride with someone. Go on, get out of here.”

“Thanks KC. It’s nice to see you again Sharon,” Sid replied, taking a few steps backward, before turning to walk away.

Chase heard ‘the bus’ pull into the drive and shut off. He heard the footsteps across the front porch, the unlocking of the door and the squeak as it was pushed open. He heard the footsteps cross the living and dining rooms and come into the hall. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, he was surprised Sid was home already, for it was only a little after midnight. He listened, the house suddenly silent again, and wondered what Sid was doing. It had sounded like he was in the hall, then nothing.

“Sid?” Chase called out, keeping his voice down.

“Can I come in?”

“Yes.”

The bedroom door pushed open and Sid stood in the doorway. Chase sat up, leaning back against the headboard, looking at the dark silhouette, knowing it was looking back. He wanted to turn on a light but was afraid this was some kind of dream, and Sid would disappear when it came on.

“Was the party a bust…or something?”

“It was good.”

“Why are you home so early?”

“I…couldn’t stop thinking about last night and…you.”

“Oh.”

“Chase; I want you. I want…whatever it could be.”

“Sid, I would like that.”

“Can I sleep with you?”

“I’ll be angry if you don’t.”

Chase heard Sid chuckle, then watched him move into the small bedroom. Sid seemed to fill it, every nook and cranny. The shirt was unbuttoned, then slipped off the narrow shoulders allowing it to drop into the shadows along the floor. The jeans were undone, and everything worked down, then kicked off into the black in the corner of the room. There was enough light from a streetlight filtering in to see the dark silhouette move to the bed, pulling the cover back leaving Chase uncovered. The naked body moved over him, drew close, then lips pressed against his own.

Chase reached up and felt the warm chest as hands tugged on his boxers. He raised his ass and let them slip from his hips. Naked, hands were suddenly on him, touching him everywhere. Along his neck, down his chest and stomach, up along a leg, around his cock, then toying with it, making him hard. Raking his hand down the flat chest, over the stomach, he soon felt the growing cock hanging down. He let it fill his hand, then he stroked it until it was rock hard.

Sid moved down on the bed next to Chase, lying on his back. He pulled Chase to move on top, to straddle his waist. Chase knew what to do, and he rocked his hips back and forth, rubbing his ass along the cock pinned beneath him. He moved on it until Sid was shuddering with the manipulation.

“Fuck…Chase…”

Chase rose, took Sid in hand, and eased back down. The cock pushed at his tight opening, and he let his body carry him down, feeling it penetrate his tightness. Then he rode Sid. Slowly, moving up enough to sense every inch move through his tight opening. Soon hands were on his thighs, fingers digging into the flesh, as he increased his pace. The bed began to rock and squeak, and Sid’s moans grew louder. He rode Sid faster, moving up and down until the muscles in his thighs burned. And yet it wasn’t enough. He wanted more, and leaning back until resting on his hands, he found he could move his ass easier, faster, up and down nearly every inch of Sid’s cock. He worked it up and down with a furious pace, his own cock flopping around, with the wet head smacking his abdomen. Hands held his ankles, as he worked himself on Sid. He wanted to give him the pleasure. To give himself to him, to take him, all the way. He wanted to push Sid to the point of release and have him fill his body. Taking his own cock in hand, he stroked it with the same urgency. He wanted to show Sid how much he was aroused by him. How he couldn’t control himself. He moved roughly up and down and the bed squeaked in rhythm to his pace. The sound of their fuck filled the room. The bed, Sid’s moans and cries, and his own, the utterances of ‘fuck’ over and over.

Chase couldn’t hold back, and he came. He felt his cock flex in his fist, and cum rain down on his arm, abdomen, then around his hand. His whole body shuddered with his ejaculation, and he felt his opening spasm around the cock he was riding roughly. The hands tightened on his ankles and Sid shoved upward, crying out, and knew he was coming too.

Sid didn’t go soft. He was still hard, still aroused, wanting Chase again. He rolled Chase to his side, got him on knees and elbows and entered him again, feeling the slick hole take him easily. He held the narrow waist and fucked. Hard, fast, his entire body straining with his exertions.

“Fuck…fuck me, Sid…fuck me…” Chase uttered, as he let Sid hold him in place and push into his depths, over and over,  until his own cock responded, growing hard as it flopped back and forth between his thighs.

Sid pulled Chase up on his knees, held him around the neck, feeling the hot body against his own. They moved slickly against each other, both breathing hard. He slid his other hand down the chest, stomach, until he had Chase in hand. He stroked the slick cock, making Chase work his hips. Pushing forward, thrusting cock through his fist, them pushing back, taking every inch of his own cock.

Sid was so aroused, more than he had been in a long time, and he thrust into Chase’s depths and came again, shuddering with every ejaculation. He worked his spurting cock inside of him until he was finally spent. Then he eased Chase forward, off his cock, and down on the bed on his back. He moved down on him, took the slick hard cock in his mouth, tasting the previous load, wanting the next. He sucked Chase until his mouth was filled with cock, then cum. He felt every flex with each ejaculation, as wad after wad hit the back of his throat then his tongue.

“Please…stop!” Chase cried out, as Sid milked his cock of its last drop. Then he grew bold, pushing Chase’s legs up and out, spreading him open, and he licked over the tightened sac, down until he was licking up his own load.

KC kissed Sharon goodbye and watched her climb into her Explorer and pull away. He closed the metal door, slamming it so it would properly latch, and went back to his place overlooking the shop. He glanced at his watch and saw it was nearly two in the afternoon, and he began to make plans. He would get some sleep, some real sleep, for Sharon and he had messed around more than sleep since they came in at three that morning. Then he would clean up and prepare for their first date. Sharon was going to pick him up at eight for a late dinner then go back to her place. 

He moved across the room to the rolling clothes rack and shifted shirt after shirt over, looking for one that would be appropriate for their date. He pulled out two, holding them up, then chose the dark blue one, hanging it on the end to easily retrieve later. He moved to the bed and started to undress, when he realized there had been no phone calls from Sid or Chase. He thought of the conversation the night before with Sid and what he knew of Chase’s infatuation with him. He pulled up Chase’s number and hit send. It rang, and rang and rang, until voicemail picked up.

“Hey, it’s just me. Calling to see how you’re doing. Call me.”

It was odd Chase didn’t pick up. His phone was always on him. He pulled up Sid and hit send and listened to it ring and ring and ring, then the message about the voicemail box being full, and the call ended. He wondered if something happened between them last night. Sid was a little drunk, but nothing extreme, but he worried there may have been an argument last night. One where Chase got really hurt.  Grabbing up his bicycle, he made his way out.

The ride was less than three miles, and he was soon coasting down the street then up the sidewalk. He propped his bike against the porch and eased up to the front door. He could hear music playing inside and sitting in the drive was ‘The Bus’, Sid’s Olds, and at the curb sat Chase’s GTI. By all evidence, the two of them should be there. He knocked, then knocked again, growing concerned. He took out the key Sid had given him, and slowly unlocked the door, then eased it open. Some nineties electronic music filled the house, but there was no other sound. He eased across the living room, looking through the kitchen, seeing dirty plates and glasses on the counter. In the hall, he looked from Sid’s room back to the guest room. Not sure why, he headed to the guest room first. The door was ajar, just enough to see the lights were off. He assumed it was empty and pushed the door open to make sure.

“KC!”

KC came up short and froze. Chase was on the bed, leaning up against the headboard, bound to it at both wrists. But what he noticed first was Chase was naked, and there was something white flaking off his chest and his cock lay flaccid, and the nipples looked red from being manipulated.

“Chase?!”

“What are you doing here?”

“I was…I’ll go,” KC stammered, backing out of the room, pulling the door closed. Then he opened it again, sticking his head into the room, curiosity getting the best of him. “Where’s Sid?”

“He’s taking a bath.”

“OH. I’ll go now.”

Sharon pulled into the parking lot, parking as near the front as she could. Beside her sat KC and in back, Sid and Chase. They had drove into Atlanta to hear a band play. One that had a garage sound, with influences from punk and goth. They had dressed for the occasion, digging out clothes they wore with less frequency. Even Sharon dressed in a tight black dress, getting into the role. KC wore a simple black t-shirt and jeans. Chase wore a dark green military style shirt with black jeans, and Sid wore a black jacket over a mesh shirt and black pants.

After waiting in line to get in, they moved through the dark interior until they were standing with the crowd, waiting for the bands to come on stage. The first band came out and went through a set that took nearly an hour, then a few guys came on stage taking away instruments then bringing out others, getting it set up. KC and Sharon went out to the patio area in back to wait, while Sid led Chase to the bar for sodas. They watched the others move around, checking out the various style of dress and getting a feel of the people.

“You think we’re the only ones here?” Chase asked, keeping his voice down.

Sid knew what he meant and was wondering the same thing. “It seems that way, but…you’d think not.”

“You think anyone will mess with us?”

“Here? No way.”

KC and Sharon strolled up after a few minutes, KC ordering a couple of drinks for them.

“I can’t wait for the band to come on,” said Sharon.

“Me too,” Sid replied as Chase nodded in agreement. “I’ve not heard a band play in a few months. I miss the live shows.”

“I’ve not been in a long time too,” she replied, taking the soda KC was holding out.

“Hey, the band is coming on stage,” said Chase, motioning toward it.

They moved out to join the crowd that was forming in front of it. Line after line of people stood, eagerly waiting on the band to begin. There was the checking of instruments, the talking back and forth between the members of the band, then the lights were dimmed on the stage as the lead singer came to the microphone. A guitar began, then the drums. The lights came up quickly, like an explosion, and the song began.

People began to dance in front of the stage. They bounced on their feet or moved around with arms out. Soon KC and Sharon were among the throng. Sid and Chase watched, noticing it was all couples or guys dancing by themselves. They wanted to dance, to be out among the others, to be a part of this moment. But they didn’t want to be the ones that were different. The old prejudices heard over the years made them leery to join in. But standing at the side, they rocked on their feet, moved their hands in small ways, and bobbed their heads up and down. But it wasn’t satisfactory.

“Fuck it, come on,” said Sid, taking Chase by the hand and pulling him out into the throng. They began to dance together, to respond to the other. Sid moved behind Chase and mimicked his movements, the two in unison. And they watched the response of others.

There were nods of the head, smiles, and one girl walked by them, her boyfriend in tow, and touched Chase’s arm as she whispered something to him.

“What did she say?” Sid asked as he saw Chase blush.

“She…said we were cute.”

Sid laughed, and danced closer to Chase. The song ended and the next began. It started slowly, each instrument building up until the lights were strobing and the music was loud and fast. They danced with wild abandon, moving around each other. Then they saw others. Two guys to their right, and two girls at the edge of the crowd. More guys came out alone but after a while were dancing with each other. The imaginary lines of sexuality blurred, and the crowd grew bigger, more carefree.

After a breakfast at an all-night diner, they headed back home, KC behind the wheel. They were sweaty, tired, and sated. As they came into town, Sid sat up, leaning forward.

“You guys want to crash at the house?”

KC looked over at Sharon, “it’s up to you.”

“Sure. I’m so tired I can hardly move. You really don’t mind?”

“No. You can have your choice of spare bedrooms.”

Over the last month, Sid finally reworked his grandmother’s bedroom making it their own. Chase had made it official, moving the last of his stuff in weeks ago. They went room to room, setting up the house for the two of them, and the guest bedrooms, one for KC when he wanted to crash at their place, which was with less frequency, now that he was serious about Sharon.

KC pulled in behind the Jeep Cherokee, a 2001 model, the last year of what Sid called the good ones. The Bus sat in front of it, Sid not having the heart to get rid of it. It had been his grandparent’s car, the last one his grandfather had bought, and when he had passed away in 1991, his grandmother refused to trade it, saying it was a fine car. It kept running, going through the years showing more and more age to its paint and interior. When Sid had to move in with her, over time, it became his car. At the curb, sat a used Ford Focus, a car Sid helped Chase buy, since no bank would even talk to him about a small loan.

Climbing out, they made their way up on the porch and inside. KC and Sharon to the front bedroom, and Sid and Chase to the back one. The four of them were exhausted. They took turns showering, KC and Sharon first, then Sid and Chase. In short order, the four were in bed, Sharon in KC’s arms and Chase in Sid’s. The house fell into darkness with the last two lamps turned off. A calm silence settled over the house, one that the early morning light a couple of hours later would do nothing to diminish.

Chase’s phone rang and Sid picked it up, since Chase was in the bathroom.

“Hello?”

“Is this Chase Carlson?”

“No, but can I ask who’s calling?”

“Santiago Barrera. I’m with Red Space Productions.”

“Okay…just a minute.”

Sid ran to the bathroom door, hearing Chase washing his hands. He pulled it open and held out the phone.

“This is a Mr. Barrera with some Red Space Productions. He asked for you.”

“Really?” Chase replied, taking the phone. “Hello?

Sid listened to Chase’s side of the conversation, curious about what the phone call was about?

“Yes…I did…really?

“I did, but that was months ago.

“You got three of them: wow. You really think so?

“Yes, yes…that email address is still good.

“I’ll look for your email.

“Move?

“I…maybe? What kind of payment…I see.

“Yes, I look forward to discussing it further.”

Chase ended the call and looked at Sid dumbfounded.

“Well, who the hell was that?” asked Sid.

“He’s with a film company, one that focuses on small indie films.”

“And why is he calling you?”

“He…got some of my stories.”

“Huh? What stories?”

“Back in high school I began to write, and I admit most were garbage, but right before graduation, I…”

“And?”

“I got a bit more serious about it, writing these stories about guys meeting each other.”

“You never mentioned this.”

“I was embarrassed about it. I didn’t think they were any good. But I just kept writing, until I had all these stories saved up. Then one night at KC’s place, he asleep, I used his laptop to find publishers to send some of them. I was feeling desperate and thought why not take a chance. But I got rejection after rejection a couple of weeks later. Most were even form letters, so I forgot about it.”

“So, this production company got them?”

“They got three of them. Someone at the publisher sent them over to a friend at some production company and they bounced around for a few months, until this Barrera guy got them.”

“And what does he want?”

“He wants to talk about rewriting them into a film script. And…”

“And?”

“And maybe work with them reviewing scripts and creating more.”

“Wow. Seriously? That is incredible.”

“But Sid, he wants me to move to California.”

Sid froze, realizing the implication. Chase wanted this, more than he was letting on, but it would require him to move. He struggled to gather his thoughts, then he remembered how his grandmother would question things, always practical in her approach.

“How much will they pay you? You can’t move out there on some commission, waiting for a movie that may or may not get made.”

“I know. He said there was an opening at a subsidiary of their production company, and they wanted to talk to me about it.”

“Where would you have to move?”

Chase flinched at the way Sid asked, noticing he referred to only him moving. “Somewhere near LA.”

“When will they make an offer?”

“He’s going to send me some information, and they want to do an interview. One of those face to face, online things, and mentioned sometime the end of next week.”

“Oh, wow,” Sid replied, putting his hands on top of his head, and spinning around in place.

“Sid, this could be big for me, but…”

“You have to pursue it. I mean…damn, Chase, this is the biggest thing to happen to any of us.”

“But.”

“But nothing.”

“Sid,” Chase whispered, his voice so low, Sid barely heard him, but it captured his attention, for he heard the tone of it. “Would you come with me?”

Sid looked around the room, a place so familiar, so safe from the outside world, then he looked at Chase.

“I…”

“I understand if you can’t leave, but please think about it.”

“Chase, there’s nothing to think about. It’s scary as fuck, but…of course I will come with you.”

They moved around the house on pins and needles. Nothing seemed real the rest of the day. The phone call became like a distant memory, vague, at times not seeming real. Sid took Chase to the diner in town, the two of them sitting by the front window, watching scenes of town pass by. They talked around the topic, skirted it in every way. Sid was dying to know about the writings Chase had done, but he didn’t want to ask, knowing where the conversation would lead. Instead he told of KC’s plan for his date that night with Sharon, taking her to Atlanta for dinner and see a movie she was interested in.

Chase listened, asking questions at times, glad Sid was avoiding the topic. He didn’t know what to say, still unsure it was real, and if so, there was still an interview next week that he may not do well on, thus ending the whole episode.

After dinner, they rode around in Sid’s Cherokee, cruising around town to old haunts and the new places that attracted young people like themselves. The coffee shop in the Eastway Plaza, the tavern out on Mills Road if you were old enough to get in, and the late-night diner out by the freeway. Places young people hung out, gathered to be seen and to see others. But none of it appealed to Sid or Chase. They didn’t feel connected with any of the people they saw, especially the boys from their high school, riding around in trucks with Confederate Battle Flags and their racism.

At nine-thirty-five, Sid pulled into the drive by his home and shut off the engine.

“We’re home.”

It sounded funny to say it. ‘Home’; such a comforting word, one of security and place. A place safe, outside the reach of prying eyes. He led Chase inside, and as soon as the door was closed, he moved on him. He wanted him. He wanted to feel him against his own body, to hear his words during their intimacy, to feel his hands move over him. He tugged off Chase’s shirt, then his own. He worked his jeans loose and watched him remove his own. They stripped naked before every getting through the living room, and he led Chase down the hall to their bedroom.

Chase laid back on the bed and raised his legs to Sid’s shoulders.

“Fuck me,” Chase uttered.

Sid slowly entered him, eased inward then began a slow fuck, working deeper and deeper with every push, until his abdomen was bumping against Chase’s ass.

There were times they had rough, playful sex. Experimentation with light bondage and some fetish play, something KC had discovered by accident one afternoon. Other times, usually late at night, there was sex that was intimate and unhurried. Sex that went on for a long time, until their orgasms were almost painful. Then, like now, there were times it was almost desperate. A need for the other that drove them to be aggressive. Chase with his pleading and begging to be fucked harder and Sid struggling to control his pace.

Sid took each ankle and spread Chase before him as he pushed into his depths. He hammered his cock into him, abdomen smacking against ass, and it made Chase cry out, his voice reverberating in the room.

“Fuck…Sid…fuck me…fuck me, harder,” Chase begged, as Sid rocked him on the bed. The bed moved with their fuck, squeaked in rhythm to it. It reflected their pace, this urgency to their fuck, that spurned them on.

Sid pulled out, flipped Chase’s legs over, and moved over him, sinking his cock back into the loosened hole, and began to fuck again. He drove inward hard, and worked his hips with a fast pace, then slowed, barely moving, letting Chase feel every inch that slipped through his tight opening.

“Chase,” Sid uttered as he moved down on top of him, feeling the heat of his body, the slickness of the sweaty skin against his own. He moved over him, thrusting cock into his depths, while kissing the back of his neck, the side of it, and up around the left ear. Chase turned to him and they kissed roughly, tongue moving around the other.

“Sid, let me get on my knees,” Chase uttered, and Sid slid out of him, getting up on his own.

Sid watched the lean body move, skin glistening in the dim light, until it was before him, down on elbows and knees. The ass was spread open, and he moved to it, sinking into its depths in one push. He knew what Chase wanted in this position, and he held the narrow waist and fucked. Fucked hard, the sound of their bodies smacking together echoing in the room. Chase cried out, dropping down until shoulders rested on the bed, with Sid rocking him back and forth while driving cock into his depths.

Sid fucked till he was so close. Right at the very limits of his ability to hold back, and he pushed in all the way, filled Chase with his cock and held it still, feeling it flex within the heat of the body. He leaned over, took Chase around the neck and pulled him upright, the lean body stretched back, cock sticking out hard as a rock, and he began to slow fuck, to ease his cock outward, then back in, letting Chase feel every inch. He nipped the right ear, then whispered, “I need you”.

“Sid,” Chase uttered as he ran his hands down each thigh then dug fingers into the firm muscle of them, feeling their flex. His own cock bobbed up and down with their fuck and drooled from the slit. Sid reached around and took it, roughly stroking it and rubbing his hand around the slick head. Chase shuddered, and began to work his hips, pushing back on Sid’s cock, then pushing his own through the slick fist that encircled it. He worked his body against Sid, undulating in his embrace, until he couldn’t hold back. Cum shot from his cock, raining down on the bed as his opening spasm around Sid’s cock.

Sid felt it, the flexing cock spewing its load, and the ass that moved with urgency on his own. He tightened his hold on Chase and shoved into his depths, over and over, until beyond the point of no return, and he filled him with his load.

KC was checking the fit of a bumper when one of the guys came over.

“Hey, Sid wants to talk to you.”

“Sid? Okay.” KC was surprised for the guys typically never bothered him at work. He climbed to his feet and headed toward the back door, knowing there is where Sid would be waiting. The door was open to allow for some air movement, for the shop was hot, with outside temperatures in the nineties. He saw Sid step into view then back out. When he stepped out, he saw the Cherokee sitting across the rear lot under the shade of a tree. Sid was pacing back and forth, stopping when he saw him approach.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“I’m not sure where to begin.”

“How about at the beginning?”

Sid smiled, shaking his head. “Not sure that will make any more sense. Did you know Chase has been writing stories?”

“I’ve seen him writing in those cheap notebooks, but never thought much about it.”

“Well, he has been doing it for some time, ever since eleventh grade. And one night, while staying with you, he used your laptop to send some to publishers.”

“Seriously? So, you’re telling me there is someone wanting to publish his stories?”

“Not exactly. It seems they got into the hands of a production company.”

“A production company? I don’t follow.”

“Film. A company that produces movies.”

“OH, wow.”

“Yes, oh wow. And now they want to look at producing two or three movies based on some of his stories, and…”

“And? Come on, out with it.”

“They want him to move to LA and help rewrite the stories into scripts for movies, and work on some other ones too.”

“Oh…OH, and…you’re going too.”

“If he gets the job, yes.”

“What about your house,” KC asked.

“That is what I want to talk to you about. KC, you have got to get out of this shop. I know it is so easy to stay here, right above where you work, but…you’re dating Sharon now, and she’s not going to want to live here.”

“I know.”

“I’ve looked at what my grandmother left me and there is enough money for me to get us to LA, set up, and provide us a cushion. I don’t need the house, or any money from selling it. In fact, I don’t want to sell it.”

“So, you want me to move into it and take care of it, in case you come back?”

“No, I want to give it to you. I can’t afford to keep it and live elsewhere, and not wanting to sell, that leaves me only one option. I’ll sign the deed over and leave it to you. I know you’re making a decent salary here and can easily afford it’s upkeep.”

“What?”

“You heard me. We should know by next week if Chase gets the job, and if he does, then things will happen fast. Don’t turn me down. I want you to have it. It’ll be like it is staying in my family.”

“What about your family? They will not like this.”

“Fuck them. It’s not their house. Besides, my grandmother left a letter they don’t know about. She told me to sell it and move. But since she left me money too, I don’t need to sell it.”

“Sid…I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything until we know for sure Chase gets the job.” Sid turned and walked back to his Cherokee, and KC watched him pull away before going back inside.

It was early morning, an hour before KC had to be at the shop. He stood on the sidewalk, wanting to wave one more time, but knew Sid and Chase were too far down the street, the Cherokee and Focus so small in the distance they were just dots of color. He wondered how long it would take the two of them to drive all the way across the country, since they were taking both cars, and would be unable to take turns behind the wheel. It had been six weeks since that phone call telling Chase he had the job. Six weeks that found Sid rushing around to get everything in order and Chase growing more anxious with every passing day.

The company found them an apartment, one not too far out of town, and Chase was to report to work in two weeks. Sid had been looking at job listings, wondering if he could find anything that paid enough. KC had tried to calm them, make each remember the opportunity that lay before them. He had come over the two days prior, taking them off, to help them pack up, and go through the house one last time. There were some things in the house he was to ship to Sid after they got settled, and there had been more boxed up items Sid’s aunt and uncle were to come on Saturday to get. Sid was making the house KC’s, removing the personal trinkets and family photos from it.

The house was his. Something KC still couldn’t wrap his head around. He had gone back in after they had loaded up everything and walked through the quietness of each room. It shook him, made him feel a sadness he hadn’t felt in a long time. His closest friends were leaving, and it would be some time before they would meet again.  He had stood in the living room, looking out at Sid and Chase, and called Sharon. She seemed to be expecting his call, asking him if they were on the road. He had explained how they were outside about to take off and he was in the house, and would she come over tonight and stay with him. He didn’t want to be alone.

Now he stood on the sidewalk, looking down the street as others in the neighborhood headed to work, Sid and Chase long gone. He held his hand open and looked at the keys for the house, knowing the papers on the dining table made it now his. He smiled, the first time that morning and headed down the walk to the front porch. He eased into the quiet house and looked around the room. He thought of Sid and Sharon sitting on the porch three days prior, talking about how she should repaint the house and make some modifications, and he chuckled at the memory of the debate on colors that ensued.

He checked the back door, looked in each room one more time, then went out the front, locking the door behind him. He ambled down the steps and over to the drive. He climbed into ‘the bus’ and laughed when the motor fired up the first time. He eased out into the street, wondering what he could get for the car, Sid telling him to sell it, then wondering if he, like Sid, had the heart to do so.