Copyright © 2022-2024 DouglasDD. All Rights Reserved.
CHAPTER 32
FINAL DAY
MONDAY, AUGUST 3
<Michael’s bedroom>
Michael had set his alarm to sound at 7:00. The six boys tangled in his bed knew it would be way too early for them. But the Mayfield boys needed to be up that early in order to meet their morning schedule. They would need to get their gear together, say their good-byes, and be ready to board the team bus by 8:15. From there Rita Emerson would drive them to the Carlsbad resort where they would have breakfast in the dining room.
Those who didn’t shower at Michael’s house would shower at the resort and dress in shorts and their BaseBrawl championship t-shirts. They would gather their baggage, leave their rooms and be checked out and back on the bus by 9:30. They would then head for LEGOLAND with their ETA at 10:00. The next five hours would be all theirs after which they would meet, board the bus yet again, and ride to San Diego International Airport for their 6 p.m. flight home.
Michael had a setting on his alarm which allowed him to select music from a playlist. When it turned on the music was very quiet to start and the volume rose to a crescendo. As alarms went, it was a pleasant way to wake up.
When Aiden heard the quiet music in his foggy mind, he thought it was part of a dream, but as the volume rose, he realized he was waking to Michael’s alarm. He loved the quiet way in which it turned on; instead of being jolted awake he was nudged awake by the music. He realized he was squeezed between the bodies of Michael and Nolan. ‘What a great way to get woken up early,’ Aiden thought.
The six naked tweens and young teens squeezed together on Michael’s bed. Four of them (Aiden, Michael, Nolan, and Tim) had morning wood. It almost had Christian and Jaden wondering what was wrong with them as the boys pulled back the covers and bared themselves.
“Well, it looks like Christian and Jaden won’t have a hard time pissing,” Nolan pointed out. The two boys took the hint and headed to the bathroom to piss. The other four were right behind them. Soon everyone had taken care of business and the subject of showers was discussed.
Nolan, who had gone soft after pissing, said he would pass and take a shower at the hotel. Christian passed as well, saying he would shower after he returned home.
“Hey Aiden, how about you and me showering together,” Michael suggested.
“I’m game,” Aiden grinned. Both tweens still had erections.
Michael saw the look of disappointment on Tim’s face and invited him to join them for a three-way shower. “Thanks for the offer,” Tim said. He looked over at Jaden and said, “But I’d be happy to shower with Jaden since Aiden’s gonna have a bus to catch.” Jaden grinned.
The bathroom quickly emptied out except for Michael and Aiden. “Are you up for a good morning kiss?” Michael asked Aiden as he turned on the shower water.
“Sounds good,” Aiden replied. “A good morning kiss between the two of us should keep the demons away for the day.”
“Your answering in poetry tells me you’re a writer just like you said.” Aiden had shared his love of writing stories with Michael and the blue ribbons he had won for a couple of them at the Lewis County Fair during their time in the hot tub. Aiden had promised to email one of his short stories to Michael after he returned home.
The two new friends stepped into the shower and planted their lips together. Michael pushed his tongue into Aiden’s mouth. Aiden returned the pressure by pushing his erection against Michael’s. The boys kissed hard and humped hard and fast as the hot water of the shower washed over them. Even with the sex before falling asleep the night before, the two friends had been attracted to each other in numerous ways from the intellectual, to the psychological, to the creative, to the physical side of each other. All of that together had given them a spiritual bonding. They didn’t understand what that bonding meant, but they knew it was there.
Their pubescent cocks rubbing against each other gave them one more bonding and that was a bonding of young adolescent cum as they shot over each other’s groins. The cum was instantly rinsed off of them and down the drain. They looked silently into each other’s eyes knowing they had shared something special. They silently washed themselves and finished by washing each other’s backs and butts.
Michael shut off the water and they stepped out of the shower. “Thanks for being great, Aiden,” Michael said quietly as they dried themselves.
“Same to you, my friend,” Aiden responded. The boys headed to Michael’s bedroom, dressed and went downstairs. Michael broke away from the group, telling them he would meet them in a few minutes. Christian, Nolan, and Aiden went to where the Goats’ team bus was waiting.
<Novak Guest Room>
The alarm waking up the double set of twins was nowhere near as gentle as Michael’s alarm. When it popped on, it popped on loud, sending out a series of beeps.
Connor woke up squeezed in by the nude bodies of the two older twins, Lance and Lenny. He loved the feel of their warm bodies but hated the continuous beeping of the alarm. All four boys breathed a sigh of relief when Lenny figured out how to shut it off.
Before anybody could say anything there was a loud knock on the door followed by Carol’s voice telling them it was time to wake up and get out of bed. The adults didn’t have full confidence in the younger boys properly setting an alarm, not realizing both pairs set their alarms every school day morning.
“We’re awake!” Cooper yelled.
Lenny pulled back the covers and hopped out of bed, proudly displaying his morning wood. “And I’m out of bed!” he added.
“How much time do we have?” Lance asked.
Lenny checked the alarm clock and said they had about an hour.
“Coolio. Then I got time to get me this!” Lance scooted over a few inches and planted a kiss on Cooper’s lips while sticking his finger into Cooper’s warm, moist ass.
As Lance made out with Cooper, Lenny sat on the bed, grabbed the lube, rubbed some on his rock hard four-inch cock, and lubed up Connor. A minute later Lance and Lenny were side by side fucking Cooper and Connor. The grunts, moans, squawks, and cries indicated that both sets of horny twins were enjoying their unplanned sexcapade.
As Lenny fucked Connor, Cooper could see he was in a good position to jerk off his twin brother as they were both being fucked. Lenny came first, shooting into Connor’s hot, tight little ass. Connor came within seconds as the double stimulation of Lenny’s cock in his ass and Cooper’s hand jerking his cock was almost more than his eleven-year-old body and psyche could handle. He came with a screech, his dry cum being one of the best orgasms of his young life.
With his brother now satisfied, Cooper removed his hand from Connor’s cock, closed his eyes, and gave Lance his full attention for the next minute and a half. His dry cum was so intense, he swore he saw stars. Lance pulled his cock out of Cooper’s ass and shot his light pubescent cum over Cooper’s belly and crotch.
After the quartet finally recovered, Connor was the first to speak. “That was the totally awesomest most radical best ever,” he rasped.
“TWIN POWER!” Cooper called out with more power behind his voice. “We gotta do it again and switch places.”
“TWIN POWER!” Lenny echoed. “And you guys are right—our morning bye-bye sex was dope. But me and Lance gotta dress now and get ready to get on the bus.”
“I wish you could just stay here for the day.”
“We can’t, but you know what?”
“What?”
“I just know we’re going to have more times together.”
“TWIN POWER!” Lance and Connor shouted simultaneously.
Lenny stood up and walked to the middle of the room. He signaled the other three to join him. “Make a circle,” he instructed.
After a few adjustments the four naked boys stood with their arms around each other’s shoulders. Lenny had his right arm around Cooper’s left shoulder and his left around Lance; Lance had his right arm around Lenny and his left around Connor; Connor his right around Lenny and left around Cooper; and Cooper had his right around Connor and his left around Lenny’s right shoulder.
“Now we’re going to do a happy dance,” Lenny said. "With the help of Lance, who knew where his twin was coming from, Lenny showed the Kendall twins what do with their feet. It didn’t take long for the four to stick their feet into the circle and move them in and out and side to side, laughing hysterically as they did their little dance.
“I know, let’s do this dance just before you guys get on the bus,” Cooper suggested.
“Only, we’d better be dressed,” Lance giggled.
“I’ll try to remember that,” Lenny grinned. The boys let go of one another and got to work getting dressed and making sure Lenny and Lance had everything they had unpacked back in their equipment bags. Lenny and Lance said they would shower at the hotel before they checked out.
<Meijer Kitchen>
Larry and Phil had spent the evening at the Meijer’s, chatting with Lars and Zach as well as Eric and Kevin on topics such as being in a gay marriage, having adopted sons and how they changed their lives and made them better. The dynamics shifted throughout the evening as the men often split up to observe and chat with the boys. As the party came to a close, Eric and Kevin said they would be returning to the resort while Larry and Phil decided to sit and talk some more and spend the night in the Meijer guest room.
The next morning, they sat at the kitchen table with Lars and Zach, enjoying coffee and pastries and continuing their conversations from the night before.
“I’m not surprised to see Larry latch on to the strawberry donut,” Lars grinned. Larry had a mouthful of donut and said nothing.
“The man has great self-control, until the donuts come out, the strawberry filled ones in particular,” Phil said. “But he can be forgiven, since it is officially his birthday today.”
“And a fantastic Happy Birthday to you, Larry.”
“And Happy Birthday from me, as well,” Zach said.
“And thanks for making sure there was a strawberry donut available this morning,” Larry said after swallowing.
“I suppose we should sing Happy Birthday,” Phil suggested.
“Please don’t.”
The men broke out into laughter and talk made its way to what the rest of the of summer held for them.
Michael quietly entered the kitchen and stopped to hear what the laughter was about. He didn’t find out, but he did learn some interesting information.
“I think with us having kids, the summer ends when school starts, which is August 19th for us,” Lars said.
“We don’t start until the Thursday after Labor Day. Because Labor Day falls on the latest possible date, school doesn’t start until Thursday, September 10,” Larry pointed out. “My report back date is Wednesday the 26th. I will be helping some with football as a volunteer assistant, but it won’t be on a set schedule. Phil, Aiden, and I, along with Nolan and his parents, have a twelve-day trip planned after we return home from this trip.”
“Wow. Is this a jumping from the frying pan into the fire kind of trip?”
“I’d say it’s more jumping from the frying pan into a relaxing spa kind of trip. This was planned long before the Goats found their way to the BaseBrawl.” Michael was giving Larry his full attention. “I’ve told you how much Aiden and Nolan love trains. Phil and I have an affinity for them as well. We’ll be riding on a set of private rail cars that were original cars on the ‘California Zephyr.’ They date back to 1948.”
“Will this be an entire train?”
“No. The owners operate three cars which will be coupled to Amtrak trains for the duration of the trip. We’ll be riding from Seattle to Chicago, then Chicago to Emeryville, the San Francisco station, and finally Emeryville to Los Angeles. We’ll then ride the ‘Coast Starlight’ home to Centralia.” Michael was fascinated by what he was hearing. He had to ask Aiden about this when he went out to say his good-byes, which had to be before the bus pulled out.
Phil, who had been fiddling with his phone, told Lars and Zach he had some pictures of the cars. He set his phone on the table and his two friends took a look.
“Beautiful,” Zach said. “I like those atriums on top.”
“They’re known as domes in the railroad world—these domes were called Vista-Domes and aptly so.” Zach and Lars noted that two of the three cars had a dome.
“How long will you be in Los Angeles?” Lars asked.
“Our schedule calls for two days there; the 15th and the 16th,” Phil replied.
“We’re going to have to make plans to meet up during our time there,” Larry said.
Michael left the kitchen in a hurry. He absolutely HAD to talk to Aiden. Michael’s visit had been unobtrusive, but the noise of his departure focused the attention of the four men on the boy’s retreating rear end.
“As Lars likes to say, little pitchers have big ears,” Zach said. “I have a feeling he and Aiden will be making plans for those two days real soon.”
“If we’re lucky, they might even keep us informed of their plans,” Larry chuckled. “Although Aiden is a good communicator, especially for a young adolescent.”
“I have to say the same about Michael,” Lars said.
“Let’s step out and watch the drama that will be surrounding the Goats’ departure.”
The four men left the kitchen to observe the new friends saying their good-byes.
<The Front Sidewalk>
Aiden and Nolan were the first to get to the bus. They were accompanied by Michael, Christian, Jaden, and Tim. “You East Harbor guys were all so great for the whole tournament,” Aiden said, fighting back tears. “Thanks so much for adopting us.”
“What about me?” Tim asked.
“You were great after we beat your team,” Nolan grinned. “You did have two RBI against us you know.”
“Well, I was happy to adopt you guys once we were eliminated. All I gotta say now is, YARD GOATS—GOOGLE IT!”
Nolan gave Tim a long, tight, hug. “I’m gonna want your sweet ass some day, you know,” he whispered into Tim’s ear.
“It’ll be all yours, big boy,” Tim whispered back.
“You better make it up to Mayfield,” Aiden told Michael as they shared a long hug as well.
“I’ll be working on it,” Michael said. “I should know more when you guys come down to LA on that train trip of yours.”
“How do you know about the train trip?” Aiden asked after they broke their hug.
“Oh, I know how to sneak around a house when I need to. So let’s say your dads told me all about it, even if they didn’t know it.” Aiden and Michael traded a quick kiss. Aiden turned and stepped toward the bus. He turned at the door, gave Michael a wave, and then boarded the bus. Nolan followed him on board.
Mason and Emmett came next. Mason gave Michael his second good-bye hug of the morning. “Are you coming down for the recording session?” Michael asked.
As much as Mason wanted to do the session, he hadn’t totally made up his mind yet. “You’ll know tonight. I gotta talk to somebody about it first and then if I decide yes, I have to hope my mother isn’t wackier than usual.”
Michael knew that deep down Mason really wanted to come back to record. From what he had learned about Mason, he was certain that the “person” he wanted to talk to was Aiden. Michael had no doubt in his mind that Aiden would try to convince Mason not to pass up his big opportunity. ‘From what I’ve seen of Aiden I know that is what he will do,’ he thought. ‘But, what if I’m wrong?’
Emmett interrupted his thoughts by giving him a hug of his own. “Thanks for having the party for us.”
“You’re welcome, Emmett,” Michael responded. “Have a great time at the park and enjoy the flight home.”
“I can’t wait to get home,” Emmett said as he envisioned sex with the twins’ sister Brenda and/or with his sister Wendy.
Ronnie came next. He would be riding to the hotel with the Goats and going to LEGOLAND with them. The coaches would turn him over to his parents before leaving for the airport. He felt good about himself as he learned he didn’t need to have Scott playing babysitter anymore. After last night he would be able to tell Scott he was twelve years old and didn’t need to have his cousin “sheltering” him.
Cal came up to the bus looking self-satisfied. As soon as he boarded the bus and saw Aiden and Nolan, he broke into a shit-eating grin. Aiden decided to find out if that grin meant what he thought it meant. “You look like you had fun.”
“Yeah, I did. Those East Harbor dudes are sexy critters, that’s for sure,” Cal said.
“And, did you…”
“I did and I didn’t but, well, you see…,” Cal leaned into Aiden, who was sitting in a seat and said quietly, “I got an experienced mouth but I still got my virginity—for now.”
“Was blowing a cock better than blowing a trumpet?” Nolan asked.
“Dude, you’ve got a nasty mind. I’ll let you guess—for now.”
Cal walked two more rows back and sat in a seat on the other side of the bus. He wanted to say more to Aiden and Nolan but decided it would have to wait for a better place. Emmett, Ronnie, and Skip boarding the bus confirmed that he had made the right decision—for now.
What semblance of order existed in front of the house ended when the two sets of twins bounced out of the house. Lenny and Lance not only thanked the East Harbor Boys for the great party, but they also took the time to thank Lars, Zach, and Carol, who were hiding in the background.
The Hazen twins then set down their baggage on the sidewalk and created their happy dance circle. “Ready, go,” Lenny called out. The boys started their moves, yelling out, “TWIN POWER, TWIN POWER, TWIN POWER,” a dozen times before Lenny called on them to stop. The Hazen twins traded hugs and kisses with the Kendall twins, picked up their bags, and boarded the bus, working hard not to cry. The Kendall twins didn’t bother to hide their emotions as they dripped tears of happiness mixed with some
sadness.
Riley came out of the house with Isaac. He gave his new friend a big hug and thanked him for helping make his day a perfect one. He saw Grant come out of the house and waited for him.
“Sit with me,” Riley told his friend and teammate.
“Sitting with you is exactly what I had planned,” Grant grinned.
Most of the boys were on the bus when Gordy, who had been chatting with some East Harbor boys, climbed aboard. He immediately heard shouts of “Happy Birthday Gordy!” coming from the East Harbor boys behind him. He turned and waved to his new friends.
He sat behind Aiden and Nolan and tapped Aiden on his shoulder. “Kalie texted me and said she can’t wait until I get home. She invited me to her house for a birthday lunch tomorrow.”
“Are you going to go?” Aiden asked, knowing it was a dumb question.
“Yep. I even know which undies I’m gonna wear.”
“Why bother wearing undies at all?” Nolan smirked.
“That’s in case her mom’s at home. She doesn’t mind us stripping down to our underwear for lunch, but no farther.” He paused for a moment. “At least not then,” he giggled.
Everybody who was supposed to be on the bus was now on the bus. Before Mrs. Emerson could start the bus, the boys all stood, faced Gordy, and sang him a hearty “Happy Birthday.” The boys then crowded around the windows on the right side of the bus, opening them so they could yell their farewells to their new friends. The East Harbor boys yelled their good-byes and waved at the Goat players who waved back. The Mayfield players grinned when they heard two familiar voices coming from outside yell out, “LET’S GO GOATS…YARD GOATS YARD GOATS…GOOGLE IT!”
As soon as they were out of sight of the house, they retook their seats before Mrs. Emmerson yelled at them to sit down.
<Carlsbad Resort>
Six boys spent the night at the hotel and all six woke up early so they could be showered and packed when they joined their teammates arriving from East Harbor.
Of the boys who spent the night at the resort, Scott and Miles were the first to wake up. Scott had set his phone alarm for 7:30. “Good morning, Miles,” Scott grinned as Miles fought to wake up.
“Are you always this chipper in the morning?” Miles finally asked.
“I try. I might as well start the day right.”
“Starting the day right means rolling over and sleeping a while longer,” Miles yawned.
Scott pulled back the covers and rose from the bed. “Let’s shower,” he said.
“You mean together? Isn’t that gay?”
“You mean you’ve never showered with another guy?”
“Yeah, but he was gay. You and me aren’t gay.”
“That didn’t stop us from jerking off together and then kissing and humping,” Scott pointed out.
“But we both kinda got extra horny,” Miles said.
“And now we’re both kind of extra covered with dry cum.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
The two young teens were soon standing under a stream of hot water. They washed each other’s backs, asses, and erections. Miles squeaked when Scott eased a finger up his ass but didn’t protest.
“You liked?” Scott asked as he tickled Miles’s sweet spot.
“I did and if we don’t quit, I’m gonna be squirting.”
“We wouldn’t want that to happen, now would we?” Scott reached around Miles and gave his cock a few quick jerks, causing Miles to squeak again as he shot his young teen cum into the tub. Scott then jerked himself off, finishing the erotic part of the shower.
After finishing the entire shower, they dried off and dressed. “I had fun,” Scott said.
“I guess we saw each other way differently. I sure didn’t expect three cums with you when we decided to come to my room and talk,” Miles said.
“I didn’t have a problem with it. Did you?”
“No way. I’d have no problem doing it again.”
“Ditto. I’ll see you in the dining room.” Scott left for his bedroom.
<Trent and Mac>
While the sex between Scott and Miles was spontaneous, the sex between Trent and Mac had been planned. They showered together, but the shower was chaste. They enjoyed washing and touching each other, but they considered the sex they’d had the night before to be the perfect finale to the trip.
“I wonder who won our bet?” Mac asked. He was referring to the bet he and Trent had made on whether or not Calvin would lose his virginity.
“Let’s see if my phone has any clues,” Trent said. He checked his texts and found one from Aiden. “No clues, but Aiden texted that they’re on their way, so we should find out soon. “
<Reserved Dining Room>
The Goats were happy to be together as a team. They exchanged a lot of pats on the backs, high fives, fist bumps, and hugs. They sat at their tables and chatted about the prior day. From the three tension filled elimination games, to the last out of the championship game, to the awards ceremony, to the championship party with the East Harbor boys, there was plenty to talk about. But they also managed to find time to talk about their upcoming time at LEGOLAND and what they planned on doing there.
Trent and Mac managed to corner Calvin after breakfast. “So, how is your cherry this morning?” Mac asked. Trent grinned in amusement. As usual, Mac was much more direct than Trent would have been which made Trent pleased that Mac elected to ask about Calvin’s sexual status.
“I don’t remember how you two dudes bet, but I can tell you that the only dick put into my body entered into my mouth.”
“I guess that means you’re still a virgin,” Trent said.
“It means I’m still a butt virgin.”
“Does that mean you’ve done a girl?”
“Well, no. But I’ve come closer than with a guy. Anyway, who’s paying who?”
“Mac owes me three cents,” Trent replied. “Or more if he doesn’t have those three pennies on him.”
Mac dipped into his right shorts pocket, pulled out some change, counted out three cents, and dropped the money into Trent’s outstretched hand. “Losing these bets is a royal pain in the ass,” Mac said.
“Which is why I don’t make bets I know I won’t win.”
“You mean you’ve never lost one of those three penny bets to Mac?” Cal asked Trent.
“Not yet. But this is our fifth bet, which makes my undefeated record against him an official stat according to our rules.”
“Yeah, but you aren’t doing so great against Jackson,” Mac pointed out.
“Maybe not, but I’m learning about betting by beating you, so I’m going to turn it around against big brother real soon.”
“Pitchers,” Mac said disgustedly. “You guys have some pretty big egos. It’s a good thing you’ve got catchers like me to keep you in line.”
“My catcher at Clark Pass is a wuss when it comes to keeping me in line,” Calvin said.
Trent checked the time. “I’d love to argue this to death, but we better get out of the room and to the bus.”
Trent and Mac were the last ones to check out with Coach Hallion. Coach Hallion wanted to tell his son that he should have been the first, but since he wasn’t late, he decided to let it ride and let him enjoy the day.
After everyone was on the bus, Coach Hallion told the team he had a few announcements to make. “I guess this is my last meeting with you guys,” he said.
“Until next year for some of us,” Aiden told him. “Most of us coming back would love to play for you again.”
“And some of us who won’t be back wish we could play another year for you,” Mac said.
“And with that out of the way, here are the rules for the day.” James went into the times, the rules, and how they would get their meal money.
The team bus left Carlsbad Resort, the home of the BaseBrawl Champion Yard Goats for the last week. It was time to enjoy five hours of fun before starting their trip home.
10:00 am
<LEGOLAND>
The boys had to stay in groups of at least three during their stay in the park. They were allowed to make their own groups and could shift between groups during their time at the park as long as they were with at least two other boys at all times. They had five regular groups (Max, Muddy, Mac, Trent) (Emmett, Skip, Ronnie, Trent) (Aiden, Nolan, Mason, Gordy) (Lance, Lenny, Grant, Riley) (Rusty, Scott, Miles, Calvin).
While the groups sometimes combined, all of the boys but Trent stayed with their original groups. Trent spent much of his time with the younger kids, acting as big brother/captain. But he also spent time with the older boys. He shifted when the groups met in places like Land of Adventure or Explorer Island so he could spend some time with Mac. The two groups met up at the Burger Stop for lunch and Trent spent all of his time with the younger boys after they ate. Mac understood his best friend’s “Mother Hen” instinct.
The Goats spent their time on rides, at exhibits, in places where they could build things, and any other location that intrigued them. Nolan and Aiden were particularly big on those exhibits where they learned new techniques with LEGOS. Mason and Gordy, who were close friends, enjoyed the rides, but weren’t real keen on building with LEGOS.
Aiden’s group decided to have lunch at the Land of Adventure Food Court. Before arriving there, Mason told Aiden that they needed to talk.
“I won’t take up much of your time. We can talk just during lunch since we’ll be sitting around anyway,” Mason told Aiden. “I know you love the LEGOS but I’ve wanted to talk to you before we got to the airport and, well, we’ll be leaving for there in a couple of hours. So, I’m sorry about wanting to be serious.”
“You’ve been kind of antsy all morning. And even yesterday at the party. I could see something was on your mind, Mason. You’re one of my very best friends and I’m here for you no matter where we are. I don’t want you to ever be afraid to talk to me,” Aiden said.
The four boys found an open table and were soon munching on their lunches. “There’s not much extra room here, so we can do this a few different ways. We could…”
“…it’s okay if Nolan and Gordy listen in since they’re two of my very best friends,” Mason said. “But, no offense guys, I want just me and Aiden to talk until I’m done. And please don’t tell anybody until after I’ve talked to Aiden and my mom.”
“Mum’s the word,” Nolan said. “Right, Gordy?”
“Right,” Gordy agreed.
“This will be quick, I promise,” Mason told them. “Here’s the deal. Michael and the At The Majestic guys want me to come back to East Harbor and make a recording. And I mean, they want me to come back tomorrow.”
“Cool, but why can’t you do it at home and send it to them?”
“Because…well, because…you see…because…”
“Just spit it out Mason. Nobody’s gonna bite you. Just tell us want you want to say,” Aiden said.
“Okay, you see they want me to sing with the band and are going to pay me to make the recording so it will be, like, a professional recording which is why I have to come back to record it.”
“For real?” Aiden, Gordy, and Nolan shouted out together.
“For totally real.”
“So, what’s your problem that you need to talk about.”
“I don’t know if want to do it. I don’t know if I’m good enough. I’m afraid I’ll fuck it all up. I’m scared. I won’t even have enough time to get good enough before I got back to East Harbor. I don’t know what to do.”
“Here’s what I have to say.” Aiden said. “You know how I had to work during the day before I was supposed to pitch, to get myself in a perfect zone. One thing I learned playing in the Championship Game when I didn’t have time to get into a zone was all I have to do is deal with a pitch at a time and to have fun pitching.
“The thing I’ve learned and keep finding to be true for me is to not take myself too damn seriously. Baseball is fun. I will do better when I have fun than if I get myself all worked up and get scared because I might not be good enough. I mean, just look at what the Bulldogs did to me the first time I pitched against them. I went into that game scared shitless. On Sunday I just pitched a pitch at a time and did way better. Plus, I had fun.”
“But that’s you and baseball. This is me and singing. What should I do?”
Nolan was a hundred percent certain of what his boyfriend was going to say. Gordy had a pretty good idea of what Aiden’s answer would be too. Aiden didn’t disappoint them.
“Tell them you’re going to do it. I mean, you love to sing, you have fun singing, you’re an awesome singer, and you like the guys in the band, so quit being serious. And do what you know you love to do. Think about when you went on stage at the pre-tournament festival. All you did was get on the stage and sing and you were dope. You had a huge smile and you fucking had fun. You didn’t worry about all those guys in the audience, you did what you loved and had fun. Just like me in the championship game.”
“So, I should just sing and don’t be serious and scared. I should be me and have fun.”
“Yep. Just do it. You’ll never be sorry you went down there and did the recording—but I guarantee that you’ll be really sorry if you don’t.”
Mason turned to his two other friends. “What do you think guys?”
“I think Aiden’s got it down,” Nolan said. “I’ve seen the dude who takes himself too damn seriously and the dude who just pitches. Sure, he’s serious, but he’s having fun at the same time. I understand cuz it’s what I try to do.”
“How about you Gordy?”
“What Nolan said. Aiden’s right. And remember, Aiden, Nolan, and I are really proud of you. We’ll be with you all the way,” Gordy replied. “And you know what, dude? They wouldn’t ask you to sing unless they knew you could do it - and do it big time.”
“Stand up, Aiden,” Mason said.
Aiden stood up and looked eye-to-eye with his friend. Mason stepped up to Aiden and hugged him. “I love you Aiden. Thanks. I’m gonna sing and not be Mister Serious. I’m gonna be calling my mom and telling her I want do it bad.”
Nolan stood up and said, “Now, how about we go see what that LEGO Ferrari Build a Race is all about.” Gordy stood up as well.
Mason gave each of them a hug. “I’m the luckiest boy in the world to have friends like you guys. I love you all.”
It wasn’t long ago that life for Mason consisted of getting constantly bullied by the tough boys in third grade. The end to his misery started when Aiden came to Mayfield to live as a foster child with Larry and Phil. Aiden didn’t like what he saw happening to the little blond boy who seemed like a really nice kid. When Aiden showed the tough guys that he was tougher than they were, the bullying ended and Mason became his friend. And now Mason was going to go to California to record his own album. What was happening to Mason was nothing short of a miracle.
The boys tossed out their garbage and headed out to enjoy the fun of LEGOLAND for another hour and a half. That time went by instantly. All of the groups met at the park entrance before the set time. They all agreed that five hours wasn’t nearly enough time to explore the park.
“Five hours is hardly enough time to eat,” Mac grinned.
“You’d better be careful,” Trent said. “Fat catchers have a hard time behind the plate.”
“With the control you have, any catcher would have a hard time behind the plate.”
“You will pay for that,” Trent said as he gave Mac a playful punch on his left shoulder.
“I could have ridden that big Technic Roller Coaster a couple of times,” Calvin said.
“The way you were screaming your lungs out the first time you would probably have had to get a new voice for a second time,” Miles laughed.
“All I know is, I’d do the whole park again if I could,” Nolan said.
“Did any of you get any comments on your championship t-shirts?” Eric asked.
“We did,” Aiden volunteered. “We ran into four San Antonio players who congratulated us on winning the championship. They said they were rooting for us all day yesterday.” Aiden’s group was Aiden, Nolan, Mason, and Gordy.
“A couple of girls asked us what a BaseBrawl was,” Mac said. “They wondered if it was more like boxing or football. When we told them it was baseball, they said, ‘BOOORING,’ and turned around and left. Max’s group was made up of Max, Muddy, Mac, and Trent.
“They were pretty hot, and I wanted to follow them,” Max said.
“But it wasn’t to be,” Trent added.
Eric and Coach Hallion herded the boys to the team bus which they boarded for the last time. Rita wasted no time getting them on I-5 and off to San Diego.
<San Diego International Airport>
The Goats were in the Alaska Airlines waiting area by five o’clock. They were greeted by Larry and Phil who had gone to the airport early and purchased sandwiches with potato salad along with soft drinks at an airport restaurant for the boys to munch on.
The boys sat together in the far reaches of the waiting area and ate what would, in essence, be their dinner. “Hey, Cal, how come you didn’t bring your trumpet to toot the way for us?” Mac asked.
“I figured I needed to toot our way to Cali since nobody knew who we were,” Cal answered. “Now, coming home, we got our t-shirts on to advertise that we’re the greatest, so I don’t need to make a lot of noise about it. Besides, I was getting tired of lugging it around.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Too bad we don’t have the Kendall twins to make noise for us,” Lenny said. “They’re the best.”
Some of the passengers entering the waiting area did notice their t-shirts. The championship shirts notwithstanding, it was difficult to miss seventeen teen and tween boys seated in one section of the waiting area (Skip and Ronnie would be returning on different flights). For some of the passengers a large group of boys that age traveling together could only mean trouble with a capital T.
After Mason and Aiden finished their sandwiches, Mason nodded to Aiden who gave him a thumbs up. Aiden knew that Mason was ready to call his mother and get her take on his sudden good fortune. He hadn’t heard from her one way or the other, but on the flip side, she hadn’t heard from him either. They went to an empty row of seats where Mason would make what he and Aiden hoped would be a short, but positive call.
Mason punched in his mom’s number and was happy when she answered it almost instantly. “Hello, Mason,” Madeline Johnson said with a smile in her voice.
“Hi, mom. I want to tell you something but I gotta be quick,” Mason said. Aiden could only hear Mason’s half of the conversation.
“Where are you?
“At the airport.”
“I know this is about you making an album and a video and you’re going to tell me if you’re going to do it or not. I got the feeling from your texts you’re not sure you want to do it.”
“I’m sure now. I want to do it. I was scared I wasn’t good enough, but I talked to Aiden, and he told me not be scared. He told me that since I love to sing I should go out and sing my best and not be scared because if I wasn’t good enough to do it the At The Majestic guys wouldn’t ask me to do it.” Madeline waited for her son to come up for air. “So, what do you think?” he finally asked.
“What I want to know is how do THEY know that you’re good enough?”
“Because I sang with them on stage during the tournament festival and I think I did okay. Right Aiden?”
Aiden leaned over Mason so he could talk into the phone. “He did more than okay Mrs. Johnson, he was dope…I mean he was awesome. Everybody loved him.”
“Well, I have the contract in front of me. All I have to do is e-sign it and send it off to Mr. Cooper, the lawyer,” Madeline said.
“Thanks mom. You’re the best and I won’t let you down when I go there. I’m gonna not take myself too serious and have fun and sing my very best,” Mason told his mom.
Madeline Johnson wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing, but one of the things she had seen in her son was how he had become more outgoing and confident since hanging out with Aiden, Gordy, Nolan, and the other boys he played sports with. She had learned not to stand in his way and to let him be himself and had never seen him happier. “I can’t wait for you to come home. I missed you so much, Mason. Call me when your bus gets close to the school. I want to be there to pick you up and will tell you what you need to be ready for tomorrow.”
After Mason and his mom disconnected, Mason and Aiden stood up. As Mason looked at the person he loved more than anybody in the world besides his mom, he felt a wave of depression wash over him. The biggest negative to his adventure was not having someone he could talk with, someone he could confide in and who could make him feel better when he felt down. Outside of maybe Michael he didn’t know anybody well enough to say anything to besides “hi” and “good-bye.
He also had an idea pop into his head about a song he would love to put on the album. He wanted to record “The Impossible Dream” so that even after his voice changes, he would have it forever in the voice he sang it with at the BaseBrawl. He wondered who he could ask, and if they would even let him do it.
He took a deep breath and looked straight at his friend. “Thanks for being my best friend, Aiden,” Mason said.
“And thanks for being mine,” Aiden responded sincerely. “You’re a special person in my life.”
“Must be my wicked BJs,” Mason said as his natural impishness returned. Aiden laughed all the way to where their teammates were sitting.
<Homeward Journey>
The Goats were ready when their boarding group was called. They lined up together with Coach Hallion and Eric in the lead and Larry and Phil bringing up the rear. Kevin had taken a midmorning flight back to Portland. The agent checking the boarding passes asked Larry what the t-shirts were about. She grinned when he told her. “I’m willing to bet the flight attendants make an announcement to that effect,” she grinned.
Mary Jane, the flight attendant who had greeted them at the door as they boarded the 737, noted the boys were wearing identical t-shirts. She would make sure someone inquired about the shirts as soon as all of the passengers were seated. She was amused that two of the players had even more in common than just their t-shirts since they were obviously identical twins.
When most of the passengers had boarded, she went back to the economy cabin and walked up to the section seating the two boys who had a lifetime of experience dealing with being identical.
“I see you’re all wearing identical t-shirts,” she said to Lance, who was sitting in the aisle seat. Lenny had the center seat and Riley sat at the window. “They look like they have something to do with baseball.”
“We were the tournament champions in the SoCal BaseBrawl tournament,” Lance informed her.
“It was a thirteen and under baseball tournament,” Lenny added.
“And Lenny and me aren’t even thirteen yet.”
“But we are under thirteen.”
“And we won the tournament championship,” Lance continued.
“Our team is the Mayfield Yard Goats.”
Not wanting to be left out of the conversation, Riley spoke up. “That’s Mayfield in Washington.”
“Goodness, I must say you boys did a top-notch job of sports reporting,” Mary Jane said. “I will be sure to announce the good news to the passengers.”
“Thank you,” Lance and Lenny said simultaneously.
Mary Jane was the mother of two boys who were fourteen and twelve. They were a vivacious pair, but she couldn’t recall them doing a back-and-forth-chat like the twins had just done.
“Oh, and I’m Lance and he’s Lenny,” Lance told the flight attendant honestly.
“I’ll be sure to remember that,” Mary Jane grinned.
Sure enough, in her welcoming announcement, Mary Jane welcomed the Goats. “I would like to announce that we have some celebrities on board our flight. The group of boys wearing matching t-shirts are flying home to Mayfield, Washington, as the champions of the thirteen and under Southern California BaseBrawl tournament. Let’s give these intrepid young men a quick round of applause.”
After the passengers did so, Lenny, Lance, and Riley yelled out, “GO YARD GOATS!” to another round of applause. Things then calmed down and the flight attendants went through their preflight spiel.
The flight to Portland was routine. For the most part the Goats sat quietly, drank their sodas, or napped. They perked up again as the jet made its approach to Portland International Airport.
After going through baggage claim they hauled their luggage out to the pickup area where their bus was waiting for them. The Goats sat in their seats in quiet anticipation, almost willing the bus to find a way to get to Mayfield instantly. The noise level went up when the bus left Interstate 5 and started east on Highway 12. Home was almost within their reach.
It was close to ten-thirty PM when the bus pulled into the Mayfield Middle School bus loading zone. The crowd waiting for them was bigger than the boys had anticipated. It consisted not only of parents ready to pick up their sons but also of a dozen or so interested Mayfield citizens who came to welcome the champion Yard Goats home.
The team quickly agreed that the co-captains should be the first to step off the bus. A loud cheer went up when Trent and Scott made their appearance and grew even louder when they went down on their knees and kissed the sidewalk. The last boys off the bus were Lenny and Lance who chanted, “WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! GO YARD GOATS! GO YARD GOATS! YARD GOATS! GOOGLE IT!”
Most of the parents and greeters weren’t sure what it all meant, but they were sure what Champion Yard Goats meant and cheered again. Then everybody went to work helping get the luggage off the bus, claiming their luggage, hugging their parents, heading for home. They were on their home turf, and it felt good.
Next: Home Turf
Author’s Note: I would like to acknowledge Og Madino for the “never give up theme.” The theme was the heart of his wonderful book, “The Twelfth Angel”, a story of Timothy Noble, an eleven-year-old boy, who was the twelfth player of twelve picked for his team and how he inspired those around him, including me. Also, thanks to reader John for recommending this book to me.