Mayfield Titans

CHAPTER 41

LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27

 

<Larry and Aiden>

 

“It sucks that Marty and Rich could never make it for lasagna dinner before leaving,” Aiden grumped while eating breakfast with Larry.

 

“And a nice good morning to you too,” Larry said.

 

“I said good morning to you. Now I’m just saying I wish Marty could have had dinner here before he left. I mean it was going to be Marty and Rich and me and Nolan and you dad dudes.”

 

“He had a lot more going on than he had planned on and now he’s taking in the Arizona sun while we wonder if we’re going to get snow again. And, to his credit, he’s apologized more than once for skipping out.”

 

“I know,” Aiden said. “It’s just that I miss him.”

 

“You have Skyped with him, so it’s not like he’s fallen into a black hole.”

 

Aiden finished his cereal and took his dishes to the kitchen. As he rinsed them and loaded them into the dishwasher, Larry came in with his own. He set them down, wrapped his arms around Aiden, and gave him a hug from behind.

 

“What’s this about?” Aiden asked in surprise.

 

“It’s about how much I love you and how I often think I don’t hug you as much as I should.”

 

Aiden wasn’t sure he wanted a lot of hugs or even needed them, but the warm feeling that rushed through him said he did appreciate this surprise hug. “Thanks Pop, and I love you, too.”

 

“Now hurry up and take care of your teeth so you don’t miss your bus. I’ll see you after school.”

 

Aiden went upstairs to brush his teeth, make an attempt to get his hair to look like it was combed, and put his pants and shoes on. Because girls’ basketball turnouts had started and they had the gym scheduled for after school, the boys’ turnouts for the week would be in the evening. Because this was technically the girls’ season, they had the afternoon slot. Aiden would be taking the school bus home after school and either Larry or Phil would drive him to practice and back.

 

Larry made sure Aiden was early for practice—not that he could forget with the way Aiden was nagging him to get going so they wouldn’t be late. “My basketball gear is in my locker, so I need to have time to change,” Aiden reminded his Pop.

 

“No worries, son. Everything is under control,” Larry said.

 

“Tomorrow’s game is huge, and I really should be at practice extra early.”

 

“It’s all good. You’ll be there plenty early.”

 

“Yeah, but dad…” and so it went until Larry finally dropped Aiden off outside the middle school’s gym. Larry made sure not to get into the fact that the boys couldn’t take the floor until the girls had finished practicing. If Aiden wanted to wait around then he could wait around. He will probably have plenty of company, Larry thought as he watched Gordy race past him to catch up with Aiden.

 

Once again practice was more about being ready to play sound basketball than being a grueling, be-in-shape-to-play type practice. Having had a game on Friday, then a game on Monday, and now a game coming up the next day, all the players needed was touching a basketball in an organized practice and being reminded what to watch out for from the Coyotes.

 

Coach Randall mentioned that with Roland Barker off the team the big gun for Meadow Park was Nolan Moyer. Aiden felt a surge of pride at hearing his boyfriend’s name mentioned. “Moyer is a seventh grader, but he’s a strong, athletic kid. He shoots and passes well, plus he’s a smart player,” Coach Randall told his team. “Trent, I’m going to have you check him to start. He very much favors his right hand and doesn’t go left much, but if you give him an opening to his left, he knows what do to with it.” Coach Fitz had scouted Meadow Park on Friday when Nolan scored 17 points.

 

While the practice wasn’t intense, it was peppy and full of energy. Coach Randall felt his team was ready to play.

 

After getting home, Aiden did some reading and then prepared for bed. He said his gratitude prayers, crawled under his covers, and clung tightly to Horace while counting consecutive made free throws in his mind until he fell into a deep, restful sleep.

 

<Nolan>

 

Nolan wasn’t as dedicated to getting into a mental zone as Aiden was, but he understood the importance of being mentally ready. He had learned that not only from Aiden but from his dad as well. Paul Moyer had been a three-sport athlete at Olympia High School and a varsity baseball player at the University of Washington and understood what it took to play sports at a high level. He had worked hard as a parent to instruct his son on all the aspects of participating on a team and had a lot in common with Larry and Phil in that regard. All three fathers felt they had been as successful as possible installing the importance of the mental aspect of sports in their pubescent sons.

 

Nolan couldn’t believe that he and Aiden would be playing each other in a league tournament game that would send the winner to the championship game and end the season for the loser. But that’s the way the season was wrapping up.

 

“Mayfield is going to be keying on you after your game on Monday,” Paul told his son.

 

“I know. But the cool thing about Roland being gone is that there’s three of us who can be the top scorer any game and Victor could be too if everything went right for him. We have a way better team now even if our record doesn’t show it.

 

“And I’ll tell you this, dad. There is NO way they beat us by 29 points this time out, if they beat us at all. We were total crap that game.”

 

“I’m happy it’s a night game. Your mother and I are looking forward to watching it.”

 

“Are you going to sit with Aiden’s dads?” Nolan asked.

 

“I’m sure we’ll be chatting before and after the game, but during the game we will be all about the Meadow Park Coyotes and sit on their side, just like they will be staying on the Mayfield Titan side of the gym.”

 

Nolan had a restless night’s sleep. No matter who won, he wanted the game to be a good one for both teams and he had to work to keep the 41-12 loss out of his head.

 

 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28

 

<Aiden>

 

“You guys were so ready to run into the gym when our practice ended last night,” Kalie said as Aiden sat beside her on the bus.

 

“We have a big game today. Of course, we were ready,” Aiden reminded her.

 

“Are getting into your zone?”

 

“I worked on it when I got home from practice. I’ll do what I can at school, but it’s hard to do it there. Our bus doesn’t leave for the game until five-thirty. Dad made some stuff for me to warm up for dinner and then I’ll have some time to think.”

 

“I thought thinking gave you headaches.”

 

“It’s a different kind of thinking.”

 

“Ohhhkay, whatever you say.”

 

The two playoff games were scheduled at Centralia High School. The Titans’ game was the second one and was slated to start at seven-thirty. Kentburg and Monte would be playing the first game, which had a six o’clock tip-off time. The bus ride from Mayfield to Centralia High would take around forty-five minutes. Aiden was hoping they would be able to watch some of the first game before they had to go to the locker room to change.

 

The players were as quiet on the bus trip to Centralia as they had been noisy in practice the night before. They had their game faces on and were a focused group of players. Coach Randall considered that to be a good sign. It indicated that his players were keyed in mentally.

 

When the Titans arrived at the high school their bus was met by Mr. Butcher, a member of the tournament committee and the freshman football coach at the high school. After the bus emptied, he led the team into the gym. The entire JV team traveled on the bus with the varsity. Even though they wouldn’t be playing, they knew to keep their mouths shut on the bus ride to Centralia.  Only two regular JV players would be suiting up for the game: Lenny and Tanner. Both were sixth graders. Aiden and Gordy, two sometime JV players, also suited up varsity as they usually did. The rest of the JV players would be sitting in the bleachers where they planned to scream their lungs out.

 

When they entered the gym, they saw that Kentburg was leading Monte 25-14 with two minutes left in the half. “It looks like Kentburg is a little pissed off about getting beat by Monte during the season,” Everett remarked.

 

“That’s cool,” Max said. “Since they beat us in our game, they won’t be pissed at us and that makes it easier for us.”

 

“That works for me,” Barry grinned. “We can be pissed at them instead,”

 

Mr. Butcher had the Titans sit in the area of the bleachers that was roped off for them. As soon as the half ended, they would be able to use the boys’ locker room. Meadow Park was assigned to the girls’ locker room.

 

The teams went into the dressing room at the half with Kentburg leading 29-15. There was little doubt about which team would be playing Saturday afternoon.

 

Nolan and the Coyotes had watched the entire second quarter from their bleacher seats. They agreed that the Royals were playing with a lot more intensity than they had when they lost to the Coyotes in overtime.

 

“Whoever plays them on Saturday is gonna have to be on top of their game if Kentburg keeps playing like that,” Tim Carpenter, a tall, handsome eighth grader and a regular center for Meadow Park, said.

 

“It’s going to be us. Mayfield is going to be way overconfident after beating us so bad in league,” Victor said. “All we gotta do is take advantage of it.”

 

As soon as the Monte Bulldogs came out of the boys’ locker room for the second half, the Titan players picked up their gym bags and followed Mr. Butcher into the locker room. The Centralia coach was impressed by the focus being shown by the group of middle schoolers. If only I could get my freshmen this ready for a game, he thought.

 

The Titan starters were Trent and Barry at forward, Blake at center, and Scott and Everett at guard. Everyone except Blake was an eighth grader.

 

Meadow Park showed they were as ready as Mayfield to play the game. Even though he gave up a couple of inches to Blake, Tim won the opening tip and the Coyotes converted it into a quick basket by Nolan. Before the Titans could get settled in, they found themselves down 8-2 two minutes into the game. Nolan had six of Meadow Park’s first eight points. This group of Coyotes was not the same team the Titans had slaughtered two weeks earlier.

 

The early burst by the Coyotes didn’t faze the Titans, however. They had been in tough spots before during the season. They knew it was still early in the game and felt that Meadow Park had simply had an early hot streak, in particular Nolan. Trent, who was an outstanding defender, stepped up his game a notch and received excellent defensive help from his teammates. Nolan knew the game wasn’t going to be as easy as the first two minutes had been and started looking for open teammates to feed the ball to.

 

The Titans came back to take an 11-10 lead at the end of the quarter and went into the locker room at the half leading 19-16. Trent had held Nolan to two points after his early burst.

 

The third quarter belonged to the Titans who showed the Coyotes that they were the better team. Their stifling man-to-man held the Coyotes to five points in the quarter and the Titans had a 29-21 lead when the buzzer ended the period.

 

The Coyotes made a small run to start the fourth quarter thanks to two 12-footers by Nolan off screens, cutting the lead to 29-25. After that the game belonged to the Titans who ran off six straight points on their way to a 40-32 win. The Titans would be facing the Kentburg Royals for the Seamount League Middle School championship on Saturday.

 

Nolan led the Coyotes with 15 points and in rebounds with seven. Aiden had four points, five assists, three steals, and a turnover. Aiden and Nolan had agreed ahead of time they wouldn’t wait for each other after the game since they each had to catch a bus. They also agreed to wait until the next evening to have a Skype chat.

 

Aiden was pleased to get a text from Nolan, however. He read as he took his seat next to Gordy on the bus. “congrats. great game Sweets and kick some Kentburg ass.”

 

Gordy and Aiden weren’t surprised when a masturbation session broke out in the back seats. The eighth graders had started a tradition after a winning game—it was beat your meat time.

 

Part of the new tradition was that Everett would be the one to start the jerk off session. That suited his teammates, who seemed more eager to be followers than instigators. The bus had barely pulled out of the parking lot when Everett opened his Dockers and dropped them to his ankles. He pointed to the bulge in his boxers and grinned. “Everybody ready for action?”

 

Trent, who was seated in the window seat to Everett’s left, yanked his pants and boxer shorts to his ankles and then pulled them off. “Too bad nobody in the eighth grade except for me is okay with sucking cock,” Trent said, “because a blow job sounds real good right about now.”

 

“You could always suck your own cock,” Max said. Max was sitting in the middle of the bus-width backseat.

 

“Yeah, like anyone can do that,” Everett sneered.

 

“It would be easy to find out.” Max had unzipped and pulled down his pants as he talked.

 

“How?” Trent asked.

 

“Try it yourself. Either you can or you can’t.”

 

“We could make it a contest,” Everett said. “We take a video of ourselves to prove we did it. The first person to show it to me…no, not me since I want to try it. Well, yeah, the first person to show it to me will get a hand job from me and if I’m first I’ll show it to…”

 

“…me,” Aiden volunteered.

 

“Yeah, to the cute little seventh grader.” Aiden cringed at being called cute. “And if I’m first you’re going to give me a hand job?”

 

“That was the prize,” Aiden pointed out.

 

“Not a blow job? I mean, we all know you give them.”

 

“If you want a blow job, then have Mason do it.”

“Okay, it’s cool. And I promise if somebody comes to me before I come to you saying they did it, then they’ll win if they have it on their phone,” Everett said.

 

“All Aiden has to do is look at the time stamp, Everett,” Trent told him.

 

“Oh, yeah, I’m such a dork. In fact, how about we use the time stamp to determine the winner. That way it doesn’t get all goofy trying to figure out whose video to look at first.”

 

“How about saying we have until Monday to do it so everybody can be sure to get it done,” Aiden suggested.

 

“That sounds fair. And anybody on the team, varsity or JV can do it,” Everett said. “So spread the word, you have to show me the video by the end of the day on Monday. And you have to suck it all the way, not just lick it. You’ve gotta stick it in your mouth for a second.”

 

“Are you going to try it, Aiden?” Trent asked.

 

“Nope. I’ve tried it, and I can get close, but I can’t quite touch it. But I bet by the time I’m thirteen the next year’s eighth graders might want to have a new contest.”

 

All the talk of the self-fellatio contest had made the eighth graders rock hard, not to mention the two seventh graders sitting in front of them. Barry left Scott’s side and slid into the back seat with Everett, Trent, Max, and Tucker. Tucker had been quiet, but his pants and briefs were down at his ankles. He had been playing with his five-inch teen cock and was ready for some serious action.

 

“Aren’t you joining them?” Gordy asked Aiden.

 

“Not this time,” Aiden replied,

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because I don’t want to.”

 

“That’s a pretty good reason,” Gordy grinned.

 

Trent was the first to shoot, followed by Everett, Barry, Tucker, and Max. A few rows toward the front, Mason squirted a couple of clear drops for Muddy to see. Mason was proud that he had crossed another milepost on the road of puberty and that his big boy boyfriend had a chance to witness it. He soon witnessed Muddy shoot a good sized load of thick teen cum.

 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29

 

<Aiden>

 

“Great game you guys played last night,” Kalie told Aiden after he took his aisle seat next to her.

 

“I saw that you were there. Did you go with your dad?” Aiden asked.

 

“Yep. We should have rooter buses for big games, like the high school does.”

 

“My Pop says that the big shots think middle school kids aren’t old enough to have a rooter bus without lots of extra supervision, which is expensive. I think the big shots are full of kaka and that we’re old enough to be trusted to go to a game without our parents or somebody taking us.”

 

“Maybe that will change when the school becomes a junior high.”

 

“Maybe. Who knows what they’re gonna do then,” Aiden said.

 

“Still, it’s not right.”

 

Aiden couldn’t find a good reason to disagree with her other than his Pop saying a rooter bus wasn’t a good idea, so he let the subject drop.

 

The only talk Aiden heard about the self-blowjob challenge was something he brought up with Muddy. He asked Muddy at lunch if he had heard about the challenge. Muddy said he hadn’t, but he sucked himself off a lot.

 

“Mason has seen me do it,” Muddy said. “Is there something for winning?”

 

“Everett says he will give the winner a hand job. But you have to show him a video on your phone.”

 

“Muddy does not do porn. Maybe you and Mason tell Everett you saw me do it, but he has to let me fuck his ass. Hand jobs are for little kids.”

 

“But I haven’t seen you do it, so I can’t be a witness.”

 

“Then you will have to watch me do it soon even if I don’t win anything. Then you can say, ‘I saw Muddy suck himself’.”

 

Aiden thought it over for few seconds and said, “How about you show me after basketball is over. Just a friend showing a friend. We haven’t done anything together in a long time.” 

 

Muddy held out his fist for Aiden to bump. “It is a deal. You and me together.”

 

Mason had been close enough to hear the conversation. “Watching Muddy do that is pretty awesome. I wonder if anybody else on the basketball team can do it, or if he’s the only one.”

 

“I guess so far nobody has shown up with a video.”

 

“I think nobody ever will,” Mason said. “Muddy has a big dick and he’s in really good shape. Besides, who wants to show something like that in school?”

 

“I dunno. Everett and Max are kind of wild that way.”

 

“Me too, but I sure don’t want a video of me like that in school. I’d take it to Everett’s house and show him there.”

 

“Probably a good idea,” Aiden said. “But if somebody did that, they might as well just suck themselves in front of him.”

 

After Aiden finished his lunch, he noticed Alex Guerrero sitting by himself in a far corner of the lunchroom. Aiden started over to him to say something friendly to him. Before Aiden could open his mouth, Alex glared at him and said, “Go fuck yourself, Miller. I don’t wanna talk to you and I don’t want nobody’s help.”

 

“I’ll talk to you anytime you want somebody to talk to.”

 

“Get fucked,” Alex snarled. Aiden shrugged and walked away, figuring there was only so much he could do.

 

Aiden rode the bus home after school. He would return to school later for an evening practice. The practice that evening was much more intense than the last two practices. With two practices between playoff games, Coach Randall wanted to keep his team at a high pitch for Saturday’s game.

 

After Aiden got home, he met with Nolan on Skype. He had finished his homework right after school, so he had time to chat. Since that challenge about self-sucking had come up, Aiden wondered if Nolan could suck himself. While his cock wasn’t as big as Muddy’s, Aiden thought that Nolan might be more flexible than Muddy. He compared Nolan’s build to Trent as they both could stretch themselves out; Muddy was a lot tighter and couldn’t stretch well.

 

When Aiden brought up the subject Nolan gave it some thought. “You know, I’ve never tried, but I bet I can do it.”

 

“Do you want to try it now?”

 

“Nope. I want to save it for Saturday night when you spend the night. That way, if I can’t reach my dick to suck it, you’ll be right there to finish me off.”

 

“I like how you think, Sugar Butt,” Aiden giggled.

 

“Sugar Butt?”

 

“Yep, because you’ve got such a sweet ass. Night, night.”

 

“Good night Sweety Crack.”

 

“Sweety Crack?” Aiden questioned too late—Nolan had already disconnected.

 

Aiden had logged off Skype and was ready to disconnect when his phone vibrated. He checked and saw he had a text from Marty requesting that he log into Skype. “I’ll wait for fifteen minutes—otherwise I’ll email you the news,” Marty’s text read.

 

News? What kind of news? Aiden wondered as he hastily logged back in to to Skype. He saw the visage of his big bro wearing a wide grin, so he knew the news was good.

 

Aiden and Marty exchanged greetings before Marty went into his news. “I’m flying into Portland tomorrow. Rich will pick me up at the airport.”

 

“Wow, this is huge news. I thought you were training and stuff.”

 

“I am, but it’s all voluntary, so I’m taking the weekend off to watch a certain little bro play in a league championship basketball game. And also, to enjoy a certain ex-coach’s famous lasagna, so see if your sweetheart is available to join us for the meal.”

 

“I just got done talking to him. I’ll call him back after we’re done. This is amazing. You’re really coming all the way up here to watch our game on Saturday?”

 

“Well, seeing my husband, not to mention my little brother and my mom and dad is an added bonus,” Marty grinned. “Until Spring Training starts I am free to come and go as I please.

 

They chatted for another ten minutes before Marty ended the chat. Aiden called Nolan about Monday dinner. Nolan asked his mom, who approved since Marty was going to provide before and after dinner transportation.

 

When Aiden said his evening gratitude prayer, he was amazed by how much he had to be grateful for. He was also amazed that he found himself wondering if Marty could suck himself.

 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30

 

<Aiden>

 

Aiden’s day at school was a blur. His mind was focused on Saturday afternoon’s game and he had difficulty focusing on classwork or even on what his friends were saying. Practice was like the two previous day-before-the-game practices—more about concentration than intensity. Thursday’s practice had been the intense one.

 

At the end of practice, Coach Randall told the team he would be going with his regular lineup of Scott and Everett at guard, Trent and Barry at forward, and Blake at center. Aiden and Max knew they would be the first players to come off the bench. Lance and Muddy would be the two JV players getting the opportunity to suit up for a league tournament game this time.

 

Aiden had chats with Marty, Nolan, Blake, and Gordy, either on Skype or on the phone, before heading to bed. As soon as he pulled the covers over himself, Aiden realized he was too keyed up to sleep.

 

He rose from his bed, pulled on his briefs, grabbed Horace, and went to his dads’ room. He no longer had to wear underpants when he slept with them, but it seemed like the right thing to do that night. It was the first time in almost two months he had gone to their bed to sleep. Larry and Phil were thankful they always kept spare boxers close by, just in case.

 

Aiden snuggled between the two men whom he loved so much and felt a relaxing glow come over him. He was asleep before he knew it.

 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31  

 

Breakfast was pancakes, which Aiden thought was the perfect breakfast for the early afternoon game. Lunch was another mound of carbs, this time in the guise of linguine. It was an early and moderately portioned lunch since the team bus was scheduled to leave the school at 12:15.

 

As the bus pulled away from the school, Aiden detected a restlessness that he hadn’t felt on Wednesday. The same stirring wasn’t lost on Coach Randall or Coach Meeker. The air of quiet confidence the team had against Meadow Park wasn’t quite there for Kentburg. Even though Mayfield had won the regular season and was the top seed in the tournament, it wasn’t lost on the Titan players that their lone loss had been to Kentburg and that many saw them as the underdogs. Coach Randall hadn’t sensed that uneasiness in practice the day before, but he could sense it now. He had to decide whether to let it ride or rattle some cages in his pregame talk.

 

When they arrived at the school, they were again met by Coach Butcher, who guided them to the boys’ locker room. After changing into their uniforms, the boys sat on the benches by the chalkboard and listened as Coach Randall let them know emphatically that they were as good as or better than Kentburg if they played with intensity, concentrated every second, and executed on the floor. “Do what you know,” was how Coach Randall put it. Aiden often heard that same directive from his Pop.

 

The game was worthy of a league championship game. Kentburg used their physical advantage to intimidate the Titans some and held a 12-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. One of the adjustments Coach Randall made was to run the number 2 zone offense, which used the crosscourt pass as a key weapon. The coach also implored the team to step up the intensity on the defensive end and to do a better job of boxing out on the boards.

 

A quick result on offense was Scott and Aiden getting open off the crosscourt pass and hitting some outside shots. Two baskets for Scott and one for Aiden along with a put back for Blake, plus the Titan’s intensity on defense, allowed them to run off seven straight points to take a 13-12 lead. They went into the locker room at the half leading 17-16.

 

The second half was nip and tuck with no team opening a lead bigger than four points. The Titans led 26-24 at the end of the third quarter. The game had drawn a large crowd of students, faculty, and fans from each of the two rival towns. The gym was over half full, which was a good-sized crowd in the large high school gym, and the crowd was extremely noisy. It was bedlam throughout the fourth quarter.

 

With a minute to go in the game, the score was tied at 36-36. With thirty seconds to go, Alvin Barnes of Kentburg was fouled on a shot. He missed both of his free throws and Trent cleared the rebound of the second miss. Mayfield took a time out to set up a play.

 

The instructions to the team were for them to run their number four offense, which was geared to running down the clock and to call another timeout with ten seconds left. The timeout would be their last one, but they never got a chance to take it. Everett, who should have held the ball and asked for a time-out, made an ill-advised pass to Trent that was a little off target. However, the Kentburg defender fouled Trent when he tried to intercept it. With ten seconds left, Trent would be going to the line shooting a one-and-one.

 

Trent hit the first shot of the one-and-one, giving the Titans a 37-36 lead, but missed the second. The Kentburg center cleared the rebound and shot an outlet pass to Keith Barnett who was near the half-court line. He immediately asked for a timeout, which was granted with seven seconds left.

 

The Titans came out with a man harassing the inbounds passer, eighth grader Parker Stevens, and the other four defenders denying the ball to their opponent. The Royals were running a set side out of bounds play which they had practiced a lot. That practice paid off when a screen freed the pass receiver. Parker raced toward the basket, made a quick V cut back and received the ball, turned, and fired as the buzzer sounded.

 

Aiden knew he saw daylight between the shooter and the ball before the buzzer sounded and could only hope the shot missed. It didn’t. And in an instant the Seamount Middle School Boys Basketball Championship belonged to the Kentburg Royals by a final of 38-37. Parker was mobbed by his teammates as the Royals celebrated their victory.

 

The Mayfield boys gave the Royals sincere, if not heartfelt, handshakes and fist bumps and then retired to the locker room where the tears flowed. They had been a tick of the clock away from the championship.

 

Coach Randall gave the team a talk telling them how great their season had been, how great they had been to coach, and reminded them that they were still the regular season champions. Randall did his best to sound upbeat and sincere and the boys understood that, but they also understood that the “real” champion was the team that won the tournament.

 

Nobody bothered to shower. Everyone just wanted to get on the bus and go home. When Aiden walked into the gym he met with his dads, Nolan, and Nolan’s father. Marty and Rich were waiting there as well.

 

“Thanks for coming, Marty,” Aiden said as his big brother gave him a hug.

 

“Tough loss bro. You guys played well.”

 

“We needed to be a little better. I guess it’s time to start thinking baseball.”

 

“Rich and I are going to see our families now. I know your dads and your boyfriend will take good care of you.”

 

“Thanks. I love you bro.”

 

“I love you, too, sport.”

 

Aiden walked over to Nolan, who read Aiden’s tear stained face instantly. “You haven’t said a word about it, but I know you want to be with your teammates on that bus, because if it was me, that’s what I’d want do to.”

 

Aiden nodded, relieved that Nolan wouldn’t think badly of him doing just that. “Sorry,” he muttered.

 

“Nothing to be sorry for, dude. I’ve been thinking about this all day and thought that win or lose you’d want to finish on that bus with your teammates.” He gave Aiden a quick peck on this right cheek. “Now get your ass on that bus and we’ll make up for this soon.”

“Mayfield schools have Wednesday off because it’s a teacher workday,” Larry piped up. “And since it’s a statewide workshop day, I’m willing to bet you …”

 

“Yes, we do!” Nolan grinned as he anticipated Aiden’s question.

 

“See ya then,” Aiden called out as he raced for the bus. Since his pop had brought up the subject, Aiden was positive that the overnight visit had already been approved by both sets of parents.

 

The bus was just starting to load when Aiden got in line behind Barry. “I thought you were spending the night with your boyfriend,” Barry said as Aiden came up behind him.

 

“Nolan and I agreed that the best place for me to be tonight was on the bus with my teammates,” Aiden responded.

 

“Well, I apologize for the things I was thinking about you, then.”

 

“I don’t blame you for thinking them. Even if we won, it would have been wrong for me to not ride the bus.”

 

“Everybody on the team thinks the same way, even the JV players.” Barry started to step up into the bus; instead he turned around and gave Aiden a tight hug. “I used to think you were a prick and I was starting to think that tonight. But you’re one fucking awesome dude.” He let go of Aiden and stepped up into the bus.

 

Mrs. Emerson was their driver, which the boys learned was something special. Having her sitting in her seat giving you a smile and an encouraging comment was almost like going home to grandmother after falling down and skinning your knee—you knew that everything was going to be okay.

 

The bus ride on the way home wasn’t silent, but it had a quietness to it that everyone understood. Aiden sat next to Barry. Barry leaned against him and Aiden put his arm around his shoulder.

 

“That was it for me,” Barry said in a voice that was almost a whisper. “The end of middle school hoops. Funny, I didn’t want to play this year, but my dad talked me into it and I was ready to hate it. It ended up being one of the most awesome things I ever did.”

 

“Well, you did have a pretty awesome year.”

 

“You mean WE had a pretty awesome year.” The two said little until the bus reached Mayfield town line. The chatter on the bus had been minimal, but Aiden and Barry weren’t the only players holding each other. The Mayfield Titans were a team filled with love for each other that night. Aiden was grateful that Nolan had read his mind and sent him off on the bus. He was sad the team lost but gratified that he was handling it with his teammates.

 

“I wish I didn’t have to let you go for the rest of the night,” Barry said as the bus approached the school.

 

“Do you want to spend the night?” Aiden asked. He had no idea where that idea came from, but he knew it was the right thing to ask.

 

“My mom would never let me. And what will your dads say?”

 

“Ask your mom and I know my dads will say yes.”

 

After exiting the bus, Aiden saw Larry and asked. He received the answer he expected. Yes. Larry understood the need for companionship on a night like this one, especially for Aiden who had given up a night of being hugged and loved by his boyfriend to be on a what had to have been a gloomy bus ride. Knowing the shaky history between Aiden and Barry, Larry was surprised that Barry was the teammate Aiden asked to spend the night. Or could it have been the other way around? They were both headstrong boys.

 

Larry knew that Barry’s parents, especially his mother, kept him on a tight rein. He accompanied Barry to where his parents were waiting to drive him home. Before Barry could ask about spending the night with Aiden, Larry took Barry’s parents aside.

 

“The boys need the comfort of a teammate tonight,” Larry told them. “I think it’s special that Barry and Aiden want to comfort each other considering they have never been close.”

 

“I understand,” Barry’s father said. “I can remember some rough losses back in my high school days.” He looked at his wife, who nodded. As a result, Barry got into the backseat of the Accord with Aiden.

 

“Anybody for a before bed snack?” Larry asked.

 

“Pie at the Mayfield Café?” Aiden grinned.

 

“Barry?”

 

“Yes, thank you. It sounds good,” Barry answered.

 

“Call your dad and tell him where we’re going so he can meet us,” Larry told Aiden.

 

The pie was good, the ice cream was good, learning from Larry and Phil that they weren’t the first ones to suffer the kind of crushing loss they had suffered that evening—all of that made them feel more human.

 

“That was the end of Titan basketball for me,” Barry said, more to himself that to Aiden and his dads. “It’s funny…I wasn’t going to turn out but my dad kind of kicked my ass and told me to do it. Um…sorry about saying ass,” Barry told Larry and Phil.

 

“We’ve heard the word before,” Phil said. “Believe it or not, Aiden has been known to say it.”

 

“Yeah, but only when I talk about Horace being a stuffed ass,” Aiden grinned.

 

“Anyway, I’m really glad I did it,” Barry went on. “It was the best time of my life.”

 

“You had a great year,” Aiden told him. The conversation was almost a duplicate of the one he and Barry had on the bus.

 

“WE had a great year. You guys are going to have a good team next year. I mean, the JV only lost two games. There’s going to be you and Blake, who played a lot of varsity coming back. Muddy, Gordy, the twins, Tanner, who’s going to be tall like Blake, and Emmett who’s quicker than snot. You’ll be really good.”

 

“That’s a long way off. Right now, it’s time to start thinking baseball,” Aiden said. Aiden liked playing basketball and was surprised he had become a good player. But baseball was the sport he loved, and he was already counting down the days to the first turnout in March.

 

“That’s never really been my sport,” Barry lamented.

 

“You played when you were a kid, though.”

 

“I wasn’t very good.”

 

“Well, remember you didn’t want to play basketball this year and look what happened.”

 

“I’m better at basketball.”

 

“Well, think about this, Barry. In school ball and summer ball and rec ball we keep coming close to championships but never seem to win one. Maybe baseball will be our breakout season and you could be part of it.”

 

“I’ll think about it. I promise.”

 

Larry and Phil stayed silent but followed the conversation with interest. What intrigued them most was how Aiden took charge of the conversation between Barry and himself. Anybody who didn’t know the two boys would probably not have thought that Aiden was a year younger and a grade lower than Barry. They wondered if Barry would show up for practice when turnouts started.

 

After arriving at Aiden’s home, Aiden and Barry chatted some more with Phil and Larry before retiring to Aiden’s bedroom. Once again Phil and Larry were impressed with Barry. He had matured quite a bit from when he was an elementary school bully running around with the wrong crowd, as well as becoming a follower of Peter Astor in Peter’s bad old days.

 

They knew Barry’s parents had clamped down hard on him, and as much as he may have resented it at the time he followed the path they had laid out for him. His being appointed temporary captain of the basketball team when Scott was hurt showed how much he had progressed.

 

And on what was a rough night for Barry and Aiden, Barry had sat with Larry and Phil not as a young teen punk but rather as a poised young man who was comfortable talking with adults and who had become comfortable with who he was.

 

“I think our poised young boys are a bit unsettled tonight, though,” Larry said and told Phil why.

 

“I can take care of that,” Phil grinned. “My pickup is poised and ready to go, but I’ll call first.”

 

Upstairs in Aiden’s bedroom, Aiden and Barry sat on the bed and talked some more. Barry was surprised how open he was being with a boy he had once despised. Aiden’s phone rang with Nolan’s ringtone. “Do you mind if I talk to Nolan for a couple of minutes?” he asked Barry. “I promise I’ll be quick.”

 

“I don’t mind; go ahead.”

 

Aiden was quick. He told Nolan about Barry being with him in his room. “We’re both dressed,” Barry heard Aiden say, “but I doubt we’ll go to bed wearing our school clothes.”

 

Nolan told Aiden he had managed to lick the head of his cock. “I think with a little work I can get it into my mouth.”

 

“Awesome. I can’t wait to see you do it. Can I tell Barry?” Nolan said he was okay with it.

 

“Good night, Nolan. I love you.” Nolan expressed his love and they broke the connection.

 

“It must be awesome having a friend like that,” Barry said. “When you told Nolan you loved him I could tell for the first time what having a special friend is like.”

 

“You’re not looking for a boyfriend, are you?” Aiden asked.

 

“No, but Vanessa Shermann and I have been kinda going out together. I want a special friend like you have, but I just want it to be a girl.”

 

“Good luck. You’re a good guy and deserve to have a special friend.”

 

“This is so awesome, being in your room like this to spend the night. It takes away some of the hurt of losing that game like we did. And just think, we used to hate each other. Hell, I was pretty pissed at you tonight, even.”

 

“But you didn’t hate me, right?”

 

“I didn’t hate you. I was just pissed. Now I’m not pissed.” Barry scooted over close to Aiden and put his right arm around his shoulder. “We probably should get out of our school clothes. I was so shook when we got off the bus, I kinda didn’t think. I didn’t bring clean underwear and a clean shirt, or sleep pants, or even a toothbrush.”

 

“I don’t think anything I wear is going to fit you, but there are spare toothbrushes here.”

 

Before Barry could respond, they heard Phil’s voice calling out. The boys headed downstairs and found Phil with Barry’s backpack, holding clothes, toiletries, and school supplies.

 

“Wow, you went all the way to my house to get these?” Barry asked in surprise.

 

“This was all pretty last minute, so why not? You boys earned some extra service tonight.” Barry couldn’t believe how amazing the night had turned out.

 

“Okay dad and thanks for everything.” The boys headed back up the stairs.

 

“What was it Nolan told you that you could tell me?” Barry asked as he and Aiden started undressing.

 

“That he was able to lick his cock.”

 

“Wow, that’s pretty awesome. I might have to try it sometime.”

 

After they were stripped to their underpants (dark blue boxers with white trim for Barry, yellow briefs with blue trim for Aiden) they headed to the bathroom together, silently agreeing they had nothing to hide from each other.

 

“Is it okay if we just sleep together in our underpants?” Barry asked.

 

“It’s fine with me.”

 

They tucked themselves under the covers and scooted together so they touched. “That last shot was just a total bummer,” Barry uttered for what seemed like the one hundredth time. Aiden turned and wrapped his arm around Barry’s torso. Barry squeezed Aiden tight. “I never knew I cared this much about playing sports until I played with this team of Titans. You’re all awesome players and friends.”

 

Aiden rubbed Barry’s back and enjoyed the feel of his warm skin. Aiden and Barry had snuggled together as two friends and teammates just wanting to comfort each other. Neither one had made sex a priority, and yet Aiden couldn’t help but notice the bulge in Barry’s boxers and his own forming erection as Barry lay against him.

 

Barry rubbed his cloth covered cock lightly along Aiden’s thigh. Barry was almost five feet ten inches tall compared to Aiden’s five feet four inches. Because of the almost six-inch difference in their height, it was hard for their bodies to line up. The adolescent boys had somehow gone from comforting each other to being horny. As Aiden felt Barry’s hardness slowly humping his leg, he shifted so it was rubbing along his own erection.

 

As Barry humped the front of Aiden’s briefs, his five inches worked its way out of his boxers, and he was now humping through one layer of cloth instead of two. Aiden wiggled his briefs below his balls and there were now no layers of cloth. Barry placed his lips on Aiden’s and Aiden’s tongue sought Barry’s mouth. The kiss became passionate, almost a wrestling match, and the boys grunted and moaned until Barry shot his thick cream over Aiden’s crotch and belly. That sent Aiden over the top and he shot out his own light cum.

 

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting that,” Barry rasped.

 

“Me either.”

 

“Were you okay with it? I mean I never asked and it, like, just happened.”

 

“I guess we needed it,” Aiden said.

 

“Yeah, more than we thought. And damn, you kiss good. Vanessa could take lessons from you. The whole thing was, like, great—the kiss, the cum, and hell, all of you. Almost makes me wish I was gay.”

 

“I don’t care about you being gay or not,” Aiden responded. “I’m just glad you’re my friend, cumming or not.”

 

The fourteen-year-old and the twelve-year-old never lost contact with each other. They pulled off their underpants, cuddled again, and fell asleep in each other’s arms happy that they had found a special way to ease the pain of their loss.

 

Next: Responsibilities