Zeke
by David Lee
Chapter 4
The sounds of the birds, plus the urgent need to piss, awakened the campers at an early hour. They scrambled out of the warm sleeping bag and into the chill of an unusually cool June morning. Side by side, the boys pulled down their briefs and pointed their erections toward the same tree. When the flow started, they played at trying to mix their golden streams into one torrent.
Then, they crawled back into the sleeping bag to warm up again before dressing. Instinctively, they migrated toward the center with its promise of shared warmth. Zeke shuddered with dread and delight as his bare leg came in contact with Bryan's.
"I've been thinking a lot about Sunday," Zeke whispered.
"And?"
"Well, I guess it's okay. At least it's okay with me."
"Do you want to do it again sometime?" Bryan said hopefully.
"Yeah."
"Like when?"
"Like anytime."
"Like now?"
"Yeah," Zeke responded softly.
Turning toward each other, Zeke and Bryan each slipped a hand under the waistband of each other's underwear. What each found there was a hot, hard piece of young manhood beginning to form drops of sticky lubricant.
"We gotta be careful not to make a mess in Todd's bag. He'll know what we've been doing if he finds crusty spots."
Zeke giggled. For the first time since his sexual awakening, he was entering into the activity without feeling guilty. He had thought about the consequences and decided he could face whatever they were if he could face them with Bryan.
In consideration for Todd's property, the boys left their briefs on. Bryan suggested that he "pin" Zeke, and so the two ended up gently humping against each other with Bryan on top. This closeness brought with it a new level of intensity. It wasn't long before Bryan's moans of desire pushed Zeke to the edge. With an involuntary upward thrust, Zeke began emptying his load into his briefs. Bryan followed a split second later. In the excitement of the moment, Bryan wanted to kiss Zeke, but he held back thinking that it would be gay for sure. Zeke had said he would always be there for Bryan, but would kissing be too much? For his part, Zeke would have welcomed the kiss and responded in kind. However, the moment was lost when Bryan spoke.
"You've got dragon breath, Z."
"So do you, Bry."
Zeke reached up and pulled back the top bag and the boys got out, being careful not to spread the wetness. They decided to brush their teeth and get breakfast going, but not to finish dressing. Since they hadn't brought spare clothes, they would let the jizz dry in their briefs and clean up later at Bryan's house.
Across town, Douglas Newman was waking up from a restless night. Did he love her that much? Sure, she was fun and the sex was great, but did he want to spend the rest of his life with her? Maybe there wasn't much choice. Last night, Sheila had told him she was pregnant. Shit! He wasn't ready to be a father. He was too young. He had a lot of things to do. Why was this happening to him? Why couldn't he have been smarter?
It all happened recently when she had forgotten to take her pill. He had wanted her really badly and didn't have any rubbers on him. She assured him that once wasn't a problem. Shit! He should have listened to the little voice in his head. Was he being trapped? Damn! Why couldn't he have been satisfied with a blow job? Why had he needed to pump his seed into her?
He reached into his sleep shorts pulling out his woody. He began to pound it mercilessly – more from the need to release tension than for pleasure.
The day Zeke got his first real paycheck was a red letter day for sure. Though he was disappointed with how much of his money had been withheld for one reason or other, he was proud to have made some "real" money. Gran deposited it in her account and gave him the cash. He put it in a plastic bag and stashed it in the drawer with his underwear. He was going to save up until he decided what to do with his new-found fortune. Maybe he could get a new bicycle.
Gran was proud of Zeke. He had bounced back from his earlier moodiness and was his old self again. He was even looking forward to the visit from his cousin, Hunter. Gran was not thrilled at the prospect. Her older brother was such a pain in the neck (ass would be more appropriate, but Gran wouldn't even think the word). He liked to show off his wealth and didn't have much time for the family other than to show up once a year around the fourth of July. Well, she would endure as usual. There would be a large box of clothes for Zeke and she couldn't jeopardize that.
Bryan also saved his first paycheck. He didn't really need it. His allowance was more than adequate, but he felt that it might be needed sometime in the future. He did keep a little out to spend on treats from Dairy Queen. He planned to go there with Zeke next week.
The boys made a little unexpected money cleaning out the old shed for Zeke's grandmother. Bryan discovered a tin box with over $200 in it. He carried it into the house and gave it to her. She was so pleased at its sudden appearance that she handed both boys a five dollar bill as a reward. Later, she regretted being so generous since it could have gone in the offering plate; but it had been done already.
Zeke also found a small flask which he quickly slipped into the pocket of his baggy hiking shorts. He would check it out later. It might have some use. The bottle was flat and fit very well in his pocket. Perhaps it would be good for camping. Several other small items of interest, like a bag of marbles and such, never made it to the curb either.
Zeke and Bryan found a way to spend a little of their money when they accompanied Grace to the Goodwill store the following day. She was somewhat embarrassed to have Bryan go along. She hated for people to know where she bought most of her clothes. Bryan expressed excitement over some of the bargains, so Grace soon realized he would not look down on her for her shopping habits.
She found a couple of outfits that looked practically new. One was almost too dressy for church, but it was such a bargain that she decided to buy it if it fit. Maybe some occasion would arise for its use. With her trim figure, she looked good in most things she wore. She was a plain woman, but had a lively face and beautiful smile. Most people thought she was attractive; though she did not see it.
While Grace tried on the clothes, Zeke and Bryan headed toward the "active wear" section. Zeke spied some nylon running shorts in a men's small that he thought Bryan should get. Someone had cut the liner out and you could practically see through them. He quickly told Bryan about his second favorite shorts and both boys begin to sprout wood just thinking about them.
Zeke accompanied Bryan into the dressing room to check how they fit. He had Bryan bend down on one knee. That was the acid test. YES! Bryan's hardon stuck out far just enough that Zeke was sure it would still go below the hem in that position when it was soft.
"Kewl, you've got to get these so we can HANG OUT together! Zeke quipped.
Bryan stayed in the dressing room for a few minutes until he could will his errant cock to recede. Meanwhile, Zeke found a couple of pairs of small bikini briefs. They both had orange tags and items with that color were only a quarter that day. He grabbed them knowing he would like to see Bryan in one pair and him in the other. Then, he wondered how he would purchase them without Gran's seeing them. When Bryan came out, Zeke thrust the underwear into his hands along with some cash and asked him to buy them when he paid for his shorts. Zeke would distract Gran until Bryan's things were safely in a sack. Bryan blushed when he handed them to the clerk, but if she thought it unusual for a teen to buy skimpy underwear, she didn't say so. Bryan managed to relax a little.
Zeke didn't need to distract Grace because she was asking a young man who worked in the store about used computers. She was hoping they had one.
"No, we don't let people give them. They might be out of date." The young man informed her.
Gran was thinking – of course they're out of date, simpleton, why else would people get rid of them? Then she chastised herself for even putting him down in her mind. She knew he hadn't been blessed with anything near an average intelligence and was doing the best he could. At least he was a contributing member of society. Goodwill was doing a service by giving him purpose in life. Her attitude had been uncharitable at best. She would have to ask God's forgiveness!
In sunny southern California, Abraham Levi Zrudsky was planning his family's sojourn to the Midwest. It would be a chance to show off the new Escalade.
He hated the annual trip as much as he hated his name. His mother had been in some Old Testament Bible class when he was conceived and had pinned this unwieldy handle on him. In elementary school he had been called "Abie" by nearly everyone. By high school he had changed it to A.L. Now his West Coast friends knew him as Al. He liked that. His professional name was Jason Evergood. That was the image he wanted to project. Jason had a nice ring to it; and his work for the movie studios was "ever good!"
The latter part of the month of June was marked by a festival in Cosgrove. There were carnival rides, a food fair, and fireworks for a week leading up to Independence Day. Zeke and Bryan were eager to join in the fun; they could take Hunter with them. Zeke could even treat for a ride or two this time because he had some money!
Their day started with breakfast at Gran's. Then Al dropped the three teens downtown where the carnival rides were set up. He wouldn't be back to pick them up until around 5:00, so they had a full day ahead of them.
Hunter was excited about going on the rides with his cousin and Bryan, but it wouldn't be cool to admit it. After all, this wasn't Disneyland. Hunter yawned and tried to act bored, but the light in his eyes gave him away.
The boys had fun, but spent more money than they had planned to. They ate lunch at the park where the food booths were set up. Later, they ran into some friends from middle school. A couple of the girls, Heather and Melissa, fawned over Zeke and Bryan (well, mostly over Zeke) while basically ignoring Hunter. Bryan was used to this; Zeke always got more attention than he did. He didn't mind. Hunter, on the other hand, was pissed off. How could these chicks miss his cool clothes and spiked hair? He was a hot California stud!
Jealousy is an ugly thing. The thoughts in Hunter's head were not pretty. He was forming a plan to put Zeke down. It started with a few snide remarks and escalated to a full-blown verbal attack.
"I know some things about your mother."
"What?" Zeke asked.
"I know she was a whore and you're a bastard," said Hunter triumphantly.
"Who says?"
"Everyone."
"Yeah, and how would you know?"
"I heard Mom and Dad talking about it. They thought I was outside, so I stayed real quiet and heard it ALL!"
"Like what?"
Zeke wanted to know in spite of himself.
"Like your mother was in porn movies and no one knows which guy got her pregnant because she got fucked by so many. She tried to get rid of you. That's why you were born early. And that's why she died."
In a nanosecond, Hunter found himself on the ground with a split lip and blood spilling all over his new $60 shirt. Zeke took off on a dead run dodging through the crowd before Bryan could follow him.
"You ignorant, dumb-shit, fucking, son-of-a-bitch!"
Bryan hurled most of the nasty words he knew at Hunter in one string.
"If anyone's a bastard, you are!"
Hunter was still on the ground crying. A security guard came to see what was going on, but left after finding out it was a fight between a couple of boys – cousins at that. It happened every year. The kid would heal; no serious harm done.
Bryan walked back to Gran's with Hunter. He supposed he couldn't leave the kid alone in a strange town when he wasn't sure of his way back. Besides, it gave him the opportunity to chew him out some more.
"Why did you have to mess him up? You have everything. He has nothing. He doesn't deserve to be treated like dirt! You are such a dumb shit!"
"Well, everything I said is true," whined Hunter.
"I don't give a rat's ass if it is. You had no business saying it. Didn't your mother teach you anything?"
Bryan was on a roll. Everything he had ever heard an adult use to berate a naughty child came spilling out of his mouth.
When they got to Gran's, there was no Zeke. After Bryan explained to her in detail what had been said, she was as furious as he had been. Al came running from the next room to find out why his son was being dressed down.
They all wondered where Zeke could have gone, but Al said there was no reason to worry. He was certain Zeke would come home by dinner time. Bryan was not so sure. He'd never seen his friend in such an emotional state. He ran home to get his bicycle to go search.
Once home, he realized that the woods might be the logical place to look, so he hurried over. Dropping the bike at the entrance, he ran toward their favorite spot. He called Zeke's name, but there was no response. Scrambling through some bushes, he nearly tripped over the small form. There was Zeke lying very still with an empty flask at his side.
Bryan had smelled whiskey before, so he knew what Zeke had consumed. In school, they had learned about alcohol poisoning. Zeke was pretty small. He wondered if the flask had contained enough alcohol kill him. Bryan knew he had to do something. He prayed aloud as he went into action.
"Please God, don't let him die. I love him so much. I don't ever want to lose him. Please let him be okay. Please help me know what to do."
Bryan found his mind suddenly clearing; he was recalling everything he'd learned. The first thing he did was to turn Zeke on his side. The instructor had said drunken people can choke to death on their own vomit. At least he could prevent that. Almost immediately, Zeke began to wretch. It was like a big hand was squeezing his guts. He must have puked everything he had eaten all day. Bryan himself nearly upchucked from the sounds and the smell, especially when some landed on him. But he pulled himself together and held Zeke's head so he wouldn't choke.
Next, Bryan pulled off his T-shirt and wet it in the creek. He used it like a wash cloth to clean Zeke and himself up as best he could. Zeke was coming around by the time Bryan finished. His face was ashen and his eyes were glazed, but he was alive and breathing.
Then Zeke began to sob. He cried for himself. He cried for his loss of innocence in knowing what his biological parents were like. In the midst of it, he threw up one more time. This time he didn't get it on himself or his bud.
Leaving his beautiful mountain bike where he'd dropped it, Bryan half carried his buddy home. The first thing he did was to get them into the pool house shower. Once they were clean, he grabbed a couple of big towels to cover their nakedness and started to walk Zeke up to his room. Bryan's mother came running from the kitchen when they got to the bottom step.
"Where have you two been? Grace Ann is frantic and you've been swim ..?"
When she saw the pallor of Zeke's face, she stopped in mid sentence.
"What can I do to help?"
"I'm going to get him dressed in a pair of my shorts. You could pick up our clothes from the pool house and throw them in the washer if you want. He puked a lot."
"Okay, I'll do that. Then I'll make some tea and toast and see if he can tolerate it."
Soon, a groggy-feeling Zeke was sitting at the kitchen table sipping warm tea while Mary called Grace Ann to let her know that Zeke was safe. Mary asked if Zeke could stay for the night. She told her that she felt it would be good for his emotional wellbeing to be with Bryan. She didn't mention his intoxicated condition. Grace consented easily because she needed time to compose herself before she faced Zeke.
The rest of Bryan's family assisted as they could. Todd volunteered to retrieve Bryan's bike. Brad was concerned that maybe Zeke should go to the emergency room. Mary said she was sure he would be okay.
"His head will feel like the Unidome in the morning, but he'll survive. As much as he threw up, there can't be a lot left in his system. I remember another young man in college who was once in the same condition."
"Yeah, but I was a lot bigger. . . Oops!"
"Da-a-ad!" Bryan and Todd said in chorus.
An hour later, Bryan had stripped Zeke and himself down to their underwear and was holding his best friend in his double bed. Zeke needed to be held to help keep the room from spinning. Just before he fell into an uneasy sleep, Zeke asked what had been on his mind since Bryan had found him in the woods.
"Did you really mean it?"
"Did I mean what?"
"That you love me?"
"You heard that?"
"Yeah, it was like a dream, but I'm sure I heard you say it."
"Yeah, Zeke, I really do.
"Kewl!"
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