The Apprentice
by and © N Fourbois
Chapter 3
Eric got up from the meal table and walked into the living room.
"You get on with your dinner, Kieran, before it gets cold," he called out, but Kieran's curiosity got the better of him and he followed his uncle.
"No, thank you, the double-glazing is only eighteen months old. ... No, I don't need loft insulation. I live in a flat and there are several floors above me. ... (exasperated) No, my wife deals with that. If you leave me your number, I'll get her to ring you back."
«No, we don't do that because people ring back at the most inconvenient time.»
"Perhaps you now know how I feel," and he put the phone down. The pair got back to their Chinese. Kieran was watching the hands of the kitchen clock as they inexorably made their way towards nine o'clock. The telephone rang again. This time Eric looked at the caller ID. 'International'.
"Hallo. ... Ah, Sis, I've got hold of you at last. I don't want to alarm you..."
«You've managed to do that already, Eric. What's happened?»
"Don't get cross, but Kieran's been sent home from school - excluded."
«Did you hear that, Dean? Kieran's been excluded from school.»
«What for?» Eric heard faintly in the background.
"Can you put your phone on speaker?"
«Where's Kieran now?»
"Standing right beside me."
«Can I speak to him?»
"Certainly, Colleen, but I think I'd better tell you what he's supposed to have done before you blast him. Okay, ready? He was caught with his hand inside another boy's trousers."
«What? Picking his pocket?»
"No, Sis. Feeling his balls."
«I told you he was gay,» interrupted Dean.
«Shh! Listen to Eric.»
"He doesn't deny it, but it looks as if there's been a miscarriage of justice. The Headmaster found the whole affair so distasteful that he wouldn't investigate it properly. The other boy's being treated as if he's the victim when he in fact unzipped his own flies and told Kieran to put his hand inside. Also Kieran thinks it was a set up by the prefects to get him into trouble, but I haven't investigated that bit yet. Anyway, here's Kieran." Eric handed over the handset.
"Hi, Mum, hi, Dad."
«How are you feeling, luvvie?»
"All right. A little bit sore, more than a bit angry. I know I shouldn't have done it at school, but I don't think I've been fairly treated and it looks as if the other boy has got away with it scot free. And Mum, Dad, I've come out. I came out to Uncle Eric this lunchtime."
«You've done what?» said his father, a mixture of surprise and irritation in his voice.
"I've come out, I've made it official that I'm gay, queer, homosexual, a poofter..."
«Yes, Kieran, dear,» said his mother. «We know what 'coming out' means. Would you put Eric back on? ... Eric, do you think we ought to come home early?»
"I don't think so. It's happened and the Headman was in no mood to reverse his decision. I think, though, there are good grounds, if not for absolving Kieran fully, for making sure the other boy gets his just deserts. I'm happy to look after him until you get back, though he might get a bit bored during the day."
«Give us a little time to think this one through,» said Dean. «We'll ring back in an hour or so, before you go to bed. Could you put Kieran back on, please?»
"Your father wants a word with you."
«I'm sorry about what I said just now, son. I didn't think. It was a gut reaction. We still love you, come whatever, and we respect your decision to come out. Here's your mother.»
"Hi, Mum."
«Listen, dear. I don't want you to worry about this. We'll sort it out and find out the truth, don't you worry. Talk to you later.» Eric and Kieran shouted 'bye' over the phone and put the handset into its cradle.
They went back into the kitchen.
"Our meal's gone cold now."
"Don't worry, Kieran. We'll put it in the microwave and it'll be all right."
"That's a weight off my mind."
"What, that we can heat up the meal?"
"No, you dork, that Mum and Dad are onside."
"Thank you for calling me a dork." Kieran hugged his uncle and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You've given me that wibbly-wobbly feeling inside again.
While Eric and Kieran sat chatting in the living room, in front of a television programme neither of them was watching, a little snag occurred to Eric. When he bought his flat he knew that ideally it was really only suited to one person, although he did put a bed in the spare room. It was all he could afford, but being a chartered accountant he fully understood the importance and urgency of getting onto the property ladder. While redecorating, he removed some of the doors to make the flat more open plan and less claustrophobic. Fortunately he had stored the doors, rather than dumping them, for the time would come when he would be moving out into a larger property. He might be a chartered accountant, but as far as salary was concerned, he had not yet started to earn the big money his profession promised, as shown by the ancient car he was running. Replacing that was his next priority because it was getting to the stage where it cost him more to keep it safe and legal on the road than to take out a loan on a new one, or rather a new second hand one. His gym membership was one of the few luxuries in his life. Feeding Kieran was not a problem for Eric since Colleen and Dean had left him a sum of money to cover such contingencies, though this particular one hadn't been envisaged. Kieran had a similar fund to tide him over, which had been budgeted on meals and buying anything that needed urgent replacement. Otherwise he was expected to survive on his normal pocket money.
However, back to the little snag that had occurred to Eric. It wasn't the lack of doors, although that indirectly impinged upon it; it was the fact that he went to bed naked. He didn't even own a pair of pyjamas, even for the eventuality that he might end up in hospital, or have an accident as his mother used to say. He could sleep in his underclothes, he supposed, but that would be too uncomfortable, too restrictive and hot, verging on the unhygienic.
"Kieran, just one little thing I ought to mention. Can you cope with the fact that I sleep naked?"
"Why should that affect me?"
"Well, I don't own any nightclothes, not even a dressing gown and as you can see there's no door on my bedroom."
"If you can cope, Eric, so can I. I didn't exactly run out of the changing room screaming at the gym this evening, and I have to manage in the school changing rooms and behave myself where I'm surrounded... er... was surrounded by some pretty fanciable hunks. What do you do when you have guests, then?"
"Well... those guests are usually... what shall I say?... they're usually dates and they don't wear nightclothes either." Kieran giggled. At that moment the telephone rang again. Eric saw 'International' on the caller ID screen. "Hi, Sis." He wouldn't be caught out twice in one evening and even cold callers were taught that they would be more unwelcome than usual if they phoned at a quarter past ten at night.
«Eric, it's us again. Can we have a talk with Kieran, please?»
"Kieran, it's for you. Your mum." He handed him the phone, then went out into the kitchen to do the washing up. Ten minutes later he heard Kieran call out.
"Eric, it's Mum. She wants to talk to you."
"Okay, just coming. ... Hi, Sis."
«We've just had a talk with Kieran and with your help this is what we'd like to do. Kieran feels that he has been treated unfairly. He doesn't deny what he's done and he realises that it was silly to do it at school, but he doesn't see why the other boy shouldn't be suspended as well. We'd like you to write to the school governors, copy to the Headmaster, saying that we do not accept his decision and as soon as we get home, we wish to appeal. We are going to take Kieran away from the school anyway, but they don't need to know that yet. Otherwise they won't take the appeal seriously. Kieran's in agreement with this, and we'll apply to the College. If they don't take him, we'll have to think of something else, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I know this is a burden on you, little brother, but can you make sure he keeps out of trouble until we get home?»
"Okay, Colleen, I think I've got all that. I've got quite a bit of work on at the moment, but I'll do my best."
«We thought you would. We'll put a cheque in the post tomorrow in case the finances get a bit tight.»
"Thanks, that will help, what with the mortgage and the car on its last wheels."
«If you need us, we've arranged for e-mails to come through to my mobile and I'll keep it switched on when I can. Speak to you soon. Can you put Kieran back on, please?» Kieran said good night to his parents and ended the call.
"So, Kieran, are you content with he arrangements so far?"
"I think it will be better than going back there. I'll find out who my real friends are because we'll still hang out, but if they don't want to know me now, I'm sure I'll make new ones."
"I hear the College is very gay friendly. One of my colleagues sends her sons there. I just hope that your mum and dad don't make the application too soon because St Sergius will get a request for reports and then the cat will be out of the bag. I'll mention that when we next speak. They can't do much until they get home anyway."
"Are they gay?"
"Who?"
"Your colleague's sons."
"I don't know. She's never mentioned it. Still, I wonder. Why is she interested?" Eric got up and switched the television set off. He didn't believe in 'stand-by', out of safety grounds and for environmental reasons. "It's time you went to bed. Then I can go. Some of us have to go to work in the morning. And you'd better find yourself something to do, connected with your schoolwork preferably. You're not on holiday, young man."
Eric was completely knackered. Kieran's troubles had come completely out of the blue and in order to deal with them he had to learn, and learn quickly, how to juggle work and family affairs. At one time there would have some opprobrium attached to being suspended, but from what he had heard from his nephew and from seeing the way his Headmaster had reacted he had nothing but sympathy for the boy. Thank goodness his sister and brother-in-law had reacted sensibly. He'd expected it of Colleen; his brother-in-law could have jumped either way. Eric said goodnight to Kieran, waited until he was settled and went to bed himself. He stripped off all his clothes and crawled under the duvet. No sooner had he switched out the light and his head had hit the pillow than he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.
In the spare room, however, Kieran was in a different state of mind. He had got through the day, suspension apart, relatively unscathed, and yet that cloud had a silver lining. He might not have to return to St Sergius's. Although loyal to the establishment, he realised deep down that it was mediocre and he now had the chance of going somewhere better. His mind dwelt on the atrocious act he was caught committing in the toilet cubicle, and what might have happened if he had been left undisturbed with the boy. He'd had an eye on him for some time, found him rather attractive, but now he had learnt the lesson that the lad was a wimp, lacked moral fibre, hadn't had the guts to own up to his part in the affair, preferring to act the innocent party. With all this on his mind Kieran lay in bed, unable to get off to sleep, fantasising about getting the other kid's clothing down and having his wicked way, at the same time ensuring that his partner in crime enjoyed the experience. After all, Kieran was no stranger to the art of sex with other boys, though technically he was still a front and back virgin. Would he have tossed him off or sucked him? Tossed him off probably. There's so little room in those cubicles that you can't get into anything resembling a comfortable position for a BJ. While these fantasies were going through his mind, one hand was fondling his balls, the other, gently at first, rubbing his dick. He shot his load across his stomach and chest. Instead of cleaning up he spread the warm sticky issue and rubbed it into his nipples, while licking his fingers from time to time. Normally a hearty session with Madam Palm and her five little helpers would send him off to sleep immediately after, even that wasn't working this time. He didn't know how he felt, certainly relieved that he wasn't in trouble with his mum and dad - apparently, happy that he was finally out, peeved, to say the least, at the injustice he felt. As he thought the day over, his mind came back to the session in the gym and dwelt on the athletic appearance of his uncle working out in his lycra gym kit. 'I must get something like that. Now that I've come out, it won't matter if someone says it makes me look gay.' The thoughts went chasing through his brain, but no sleep came. He got up for a pee, peered through the doorframe of his uncle's room, where he saw that he was fast asleep, and went back to bed. Still no sleep came. He played with himself again, but this time instead of shooting his load it just dribbled down the shaft and mingled with his pubes. He tried to clean it up with a tissue, but only managed to soak up what was on his skin. The spunk in his hair would have to stay there until it congealed and he'd have to wash it out with soap in the shower in the morning.
Sleep had abandoned him. Kieran wondered what it would be like now he was out. Would he go to gay clubs? Then he remembered that he wasn't eighteen yet and wouldn't be allowed in. Could he have a boy friend and take him home for the weekend? Would Mum let him share his room or would she freak at the idea? He thought back to Orlando in Domino's. He had his number on the back of that card in his wallet. How did he know? Had he been earwigging? Do I even dare ring him up? If not, why did he give it to me? There was a clock ticking somewhere in the flat. He hadn't even noticed it before, but now he had, it was slow and ponderous, slowing down time itself.
"I can't stand this any more," he shouted out into the dark and pulled the duvet off himself and the bed.
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