Power Games

The afternoon goes slowly as I wash off the cum and end up wash my body and spend the afternoon just working on the furniture in the backyard. I don’t really bother thinking about Tash or anything and just let the afternoon go as I keep building new things.

My afternoon’s plans are cut short as the weather closes in and I go back inside and just surf the net for a while looking at things and keeping up to date with what is going in the Election campaign with my family and see my brothers smarmy grin as he stands behind Dad at a range of different promises. I close my laptop lid as it frustrates me when there is a knock on my door and I see Adam standing in the rain.

“Adam bro, come in what couldn’t wait for the rain?” I say as he comes inside dripping wet as I grab him my towel and he dries his wet shirt that clings to his body. “I just came around to check on you that’s all, see if your ok and everything” he says as he looks around and in particular towards the roof.

“Yeah, I’m fine went to the gym and had a sparring session with Danny at the gym” Adam laughs as he hears me talk about the sparring session “So he finally got someone to fall for his tricks and get in the ring with him” he says as I have a confused look on my face.

“Danny was a semi-pro boxer and used to win plenty of fights before he became a Dad and everyone knows not to spar with him at the gym because he gets back into the mood and let’s rip” Adam explains to me with a smirk on his face “So you survived him beating you?”.

I look at Adam “Actually it wasn’t that bad the boxing part it was the part where he took me lifting and then told me that he was going to pick me up every morning for the foreseeable future so we can work out together” I say as Adam nods impressed. “Danny obviously sees something in you at the gym because he doesn’t lift with anyone, he doesn’t even try to get me lifting with him which tells me that he likes you a lot”.

“What is his story because he seems friendly at the same time he doesn’t come across that much of a people person and really just not interested in talking to people” I say to Adam who sits nodding “Yeah that’s just Danny you know, he’s always been like that even since we were kids, he had a group of friends that were close but otherwise it took a while to get him to open up to people which I have never been able to work out”.

Sitting down on the couch I nod as I try to get to know about Danny a bit more “What about his wife Tash?”. Adam looks at me confused “How do you know about Tash and why the question about her?” he says looking at me a bit worried.

“Nothing major, just Danny wouldn’t let me drive home from the Gym and by the way I assume it’s you I’ve got to thank for bringing my car home and he had to drop something off to her and she just didn’t really appreciate my appearance”.

Adam nods and looks visibly relieved that was all the question about and nothing major “Yeah Tash is a really sweet girl, we were friends as kids before she moved with her family down to Grantham when her Dad got a new job and went to school down there and then she split her time back up here and Grantham before marrying Danny” I sit there taking the information, realising that my possibility of knowing Tash is more likely and thinking about why she looks familiar.

The rest of the afternoon, Adam and I just chat away about various things whilst we wait for the rain to pass through. The rain doesn’t abate but Adam does invite me around for dinner which I gratefully accept because I know a proper cooked meal will be good.

I grab my jacket to put on and we dart across the wet front yard and head into Adam’s place as he starts to cook dinner “You happy to eat anything I cook Isaac?” he says to me as I sit at his dining table “Yeah I’m not a fussy eater honestly” I reply as he starts cooking.

I get up and take a good look at the photos that Adam has around his living room, there are plenty of his family and a few of him with Danny and another stranger that I don’t know, “Looks like you’ve got plenty of photos out here” I say calling out as Adam walks in “Yeah, all good times really” he says as I look at a photo with Adam, Danny and two other people I don’t recognise”.

"That’s Mitch our other mate, he’s the town lawyer but a bit like you gets himself into trouble living up to the expectations of his father who was the town lawyer before he got sick and retired to sunnier climates and then Mitch got lumped with everything” he says as he heads back to the kitchen.

I follow him back and we just chat about general things, Adam trying to avoid touching on the subject of my family carefully, changing the topics anytime he feels that it gets to close “We can talk about what happened Adam, I’m not going to run away from it” I say as he looks a bit unsure. “I’m ok with it but I can see from your face that you don’t want to know”.

Adam nods “Look, Isaac, I think you are a nice guy deep down and you’ve showed it to me and Danny but I know that there is more to the story and well I don’t want to let it cloud my judgement of you because I know that it will get worse than what I know and I don’t want that”. I nod and appreciate the point of view that Adam has but a bit of me is unsure about his attitude “It might end up coming out one day then what would happen then?”.

A defeated look goes across Adam’s face “Well then I guess we deal with that if it happens and you make sure that it never comes out then” he says to me very matter of fact as we sit there and eat in silence for a while “Looking forward to the first shift down the mine tomorrow afternoon?” he says breaking the awkward silence.

“Not really but it is what it is then isn’t it” I say to him just answering him as we eat “I don’t know what to expect because I haven’t really worked before ever and especially something like mining”. Adam nods “You’ll be able to manage it because you’re resilient and you want to prove yourself and I expect that you aren’t going to let anything prove you wrong” he says to me giving me that sense of encouragement.

I head back to my place and just go straight to bed for an early night but I can’t just shake this feeling of doom about everything coming out especially knowing a bit more about Tash and that she went to school in Grantham. I struggle to get to sleep thinking that I’m going to fail at the one big thing that I’ve got to do.

The next morning, Danny texts me to let me know that he can’t make it to the gym this morning because that Tash isn’t feeling well and he needs to take the kids to school. I go for a walk around town before going to pick up my new work clothes. The high vis orange is something that is nothing like I’ve ever worn and I put it on with the boots they gave me and I get in my car and drive out to the mine.

My 10-hour shift feels like it goes for about 10 days as I work on very basics going through the tutorials and lessons on safety before I start working. During my shift nobody talks to me and it’s really down heartening because for all I try nobody bothers to reply to my attempts to start the conversation.

I sit in the car for quite a while, feeling defeated that I struggled to get my head around the work and the fact nobody wanted anything to do with me and feeling like I was the joke of the group there tonight. Eventually, I drive home and get there and head inside, fumbling with my keys trying to get in.

I go straight to bed exhausted and really wish that I could just go back to my apartment and college the next day. The next few days are a bit the same really with just 10-hour lonely shifts where I feel like I’m the punching bag for people that don’t want me around them and the town, but I just try and buck up my ideas to try and get people talking to me.

Trying to come up with something, I invite Adam and Danny around to come up with a plan to try and get people around even if it’s just to talk with each other and I’m there organising everything. Adam comes around first and Danny comes a bit later on “Look, I’m not having much luck other than you two in trying to convince people to get talking to me so I was thinking about organising like a party or something and you two could help me” I ask as both of them look a bit unconvinced by my plans.

“You sure this is a good idea because if people know that you are setting it up and then nobody will bother turning up” Adam says as Danny nods in agreement before adding “We tolerate you man, but even with our hard work it’s tough to convince people on what we see in you” he says a bit worried “Plus you don’t need to make a show about it because people will come around to you in time”.

“I know that, but just work this week has been pretty depressing given that nobody has spoken to me other than basic things and even then it’s been with some sort of crack and it’s pushing me to breaking point” I say genuinely getting upset by the fact that I can’t be social.

Danny still looks worried about the idea but Adam gets his phone out “How about rather than having a party for many people, we organise a few of our mates to come round and we can have a Barbeque with our friends, family and a few other people just so they can get to know you” I nod thinking the idea sounds pretty good. “That sounds good but I don’t have anything to set it up like that”.

Adam steps in “We’ll fix it all up and Danny can organise getting some tables and chairs and the Barbeque and we can make this a team effort” Danny shakes his head at Adam “Yeah I’ll do all the hard work again for you Master Adam” he says with a smirk on his face as Adam punches his arm.

“This isn’t for me again remember you idiot, it’s for Isaac because he’s proven himself so far here and he deserves it for falling into your con act about Boxing training” Adam says laughing before Danny replies “Hey I didn’t con him into anything, I just gave him the suggestion to let out his frustration boxing and he agreed with me then agreed to come lifting… and anyways, don’t think Isaac doesn’t like it because he’s always waiting for me every morning”.

I sit there smiling as Adam and Danny bring me into their best friend bickering and even if the barbecue doesn’t come off, I’ll still have Adam and Danny as allies going forward for a while.