Piano Forte

CHAPTER 11

LEARNING CURVE    

 

 

<Austin>

 

After Ms Zimmer left, the boys went over their choices once again. Their young adolescent egos told them to pick William. Their common sense said to pick Austin. They battled it back and forth for almost ten minutes. But Rene Zimmer had said something that kept coming up in their conversation and was the main factor in making up their minds. Christian went to the office next door where Rene Zimmer was chatting with Dr. Boardman.

 

“We’ve made our decision,” Christian said, wondering if Ms Zimmer would accept the decision or overrule them, which she had the right to do.

 

“You can tell both Dr. Boardman and me. He is as much or more a part of this as I am.”

 

Christian acted as the spokesperson for him and Benny. “Well, we thought about what you said about this being a camp and it’s for people to learn. William would be great with us. I mean, really, he’s better at playing the piano than we are at playing the violin and cello, but Austin is a really good pianist and we’re all going to learn a lot together.” Plus, William could end up being an asshole to work with while Austin is a cool little dude and should be fun, Christian thought.

 

“I think you boys made a very mature decision. I could have lived with either William or Austin, but choosing Austin is more in the spirit of what the music camp is about.”

 

“I concur with Ms Zimmer,” Dr. Boardman said. “We will make sure you have a practice room when you need it and some time on the auditorium stage before your turn to perform.”

 

“Thank you. I guess we’d better tell William and Austin.”

 

“Ms Zimmer and I will take care of breaking the news to them. You may have made the decision, but it’s our job to take the heat for it.”

 

Christian and Benny both breathed a sigh of relief. They had not been looking forward to telling what they had decided. Now William and Austin wouldn’t blame them for the decision.

 

William and Austin were sitting in the auditorium, each absorbed in his own phone, both to keep from being bored and to help calm his nerves. Austin was nervous because he knew he was inexperienced and probably wouldn’t be picked, even though he badly wanted to be picked. William was nervous because everybody knew he was the pianist who would be picked for the trio and it would look bad in the unlikely event that he wasn’t. To make it worse, from what he heard he was certain that Austin would be picked if he wasn’t.

 

Dr. Boardman and Ms Zimmer came out on the stage with Christian and Benny just after eleven. Ms Zimmer thanked the campers for auditioning and for displaying a great deal of talent to be judged. “You were all so good, it made our choice very difficult. We generally don’t have competitions at our camp but, as you know, circumstances dictated otherwise. We will be calling you one at a time to meet us behind the curtain.”

 

It didn’t take long until just William and Austin were left. “Let’s go upstairs to the conference room,” Dr. Boardman said.

 

They went upstairs and sat at one of the two tables in the middle of the room. Dr. Boardman gave them a speech about both of them performing amazingly well and making their choice a difficult one, which sounded to Austin and William a lot like the speech Ms Zimmer had given in the auditorium.

 

“You are both extremely talented boys,” Boardman said. “We couldn’t go wrong picking either one of you. Since this is a learning camp rather than a recital, we have decided to go with Austin as the pianist for the trio. William, thank you for your good effort. I know there will be many opportunities to shine over the length of the camp. Austin, congratulations. This will be a great opportunity for you.”

 

William stood up with a look of hurt and anger on his face. He managed to focus his glare on Dr. Boardman, Ms Zimmer, Christian, and Benny. “You guys are all fucked. I was the best and you know I was the best. Austin never did this and he’s not good enough yet. He’s going to fuck this up and you’ll be really sorry you picked him.  I’m gonna make sure my dad knows about this,” he shouted angrily. He turned and stomped out of the room.

 

At the same time that he wanted to be happy, Austin was also worried. He couldn’t help but wonder how William would treat him later in the room. He wondered if he would be able to even live with him.

 

“Austin, I am very sorry about that. I assure you William will be dealt with. Now, I will let you meet with Christian, Benjamin, and Ms Zimmer to put together a practice and teaching schedule. I will be eager to hear your performance.” Because of the limited time available during each performance, they would only be playing one of the three movements; they agreed the third movement was the one they liked the most.

 

After going over the schedule for the rest of the week as well as trying to soothe Austin’s worries, Ms. Zimmer dismissed the campers. Christian and Benny stayed back after Austin left the room.

 

“One gigantic reason we didn’t pick William was the way he acted during auditions,” Christian said. “Benny and I knew we couldn’t work with somebody who lied and had a big ego. We wanted to have fun playing. When you told us about this being a camp and being on the trio was a learning experience, that kind of cinched our decision.”

 

“Yep,” Benny said. “We’re going to have fun.”

 

Austin went from the conference room to practice room three. Austin found the two scorebooks Ms Zimmer had left for him on the back table. He was still dealing with conflicting emotions, ranging from happy and proud at being picked to angry with William for being such a sore loser and stealing the good feelings he should be having right then.

 

He adjusted his piano bench, sat at the baby grand, and started going through his warmups. His warmup was sloppy with poor fingering and poor timing. He felt uncomfortable sitting at the piano and decided to do what he often did at home when he felt the same way. He untied and pulled off his shoes, then took off his t-shirt. He removed his shorts and stopped there. At home he would have stripped naked but decided it wouldn’t be a good idea in the practice room. While it was highly unlikely somebody would walk in unannounced, there was the possibility of a teacher or somebody else knocking on the door to talk with him. When he practiced naked at home, his mother chalked it up to “artistic temperament” while James thought it was sexy. Here in school, the teachers would probably think he was a pervert. He thought that if he at least left his underpants on he could just say the room was too hot for him to be comfortable, even though all he had been wearing was a t-shirt and shorts.

 

He went through his warmups a second time with a great deal more skill and was pleased with himself. He then looked at the books Ms Zimmer had set out for him.  One had some practice pieces to improve fingering and the other was the score for the trio’s third movement which he had to learn. He decided to attack the score first, since it was just over two weeks before he, Christian, and Benny would be presenting the trio to the camp. To make his job even harder, Christian and Benny already knew the work.

 

Austin decided to play his parts on the first two pages, which would help him see what pages of the fingering book he would have to do. He was happy that Ms Zimmer and Dr. Boardman would be helping him. He was sure Christian and Benny would also assist him.

 

Just as he flipped the first page he was interrupted by a knock on the door. He felt a surge of panic as he quickly clambered off the bench to grab his shorts off the floor.

 

“May I come in, Austin?” Dr. Boardman asked.

 

“Just a sec,” Austin said as he almost fell on his ass while trying to yank on his shorts.

 

“I assume you’re decent,” Dr. Boardman said knowing full well he wasn’t. Since he heard the piano, Dr. Boardman knew that Austin wasn’t engaged in the quieter activity that boys often performed since he’d been on the Bainbridge faculty.

 

He opened the door and looked on in amusement as Austin struggled to pull on shorts while standing. “It would be a lot easier to put your shorts on if you were sitting down,” the teacher said in a bemused voice.

 

“I wasn’t naked or anything. I swear I was in my undies and I was hot and I practice better when I’m not wearing much and I’m really sorry and hope I’m not in trouble.” Austin was holding his shorts in his hand, his body flush with embarrassment.

 

“You can come up for air anytime,” Dr. Boardman chuckled. “Relax, Austin, you’re not in any kind of trouble. You’re not the first student or camper to practice in his underwear or less. I apologize for not waiting to get your permission to enter. Since I could hear you playing, I thought it would be okay.”

 

“It won’t ever happen again, I promise.”

 

“Austin, calm down. A student just this last school year practiced in the nude. To prevent somebody barging in on him we gave him a sign to post on the door. It said ‘Caution, nudist performing’. It worked. He had a pair of gym shorts next to him that he could don quickly. Whoever was visiting knew not to enter without clear permission. If you want to practice in your underwear it’s easy to work around.”

 

Austin breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Sometimes I practice naked at home.”

 

“Whatever works for you works for us. We just need to know what to work around and we also need to follow our own rules. Anyway, the reason I came is there is someone outside who wishes to talk to you, and I wanted to make sure you were okay with seeing him now.”

 

“Is it William?”

 

“You are a very perceptive young man. Yes, it is your roommate. He came to me to apologize for his outburst (which was so unlike him, Dr. Boardman thought) and I suggested he might want to apologize to you as well.”

 

“I need to get dressed.”

 

“He’s your roommate,” the teacher smiled. “I suspect that even in the short time you’ve lived together he’s seen you in your underwear. I’ll go summon him.”

 

Dr. Boardman turned away and left the room. He was impressed by what a fine-looking pubescent boy body Austin had. It was obvious he did more with his time than sit on a piano bench or a chair in the classroom.

 

Austin decided if he was going to have a serious discussion with his roommate he should at least put on his shorts. As he reached down for them, William entered the room and closed the door. He sat in one of the black chairs used for practice by the non-keyboard players.

 

“Hey, you look ready to give a recital right now,” William said. “I like your duds.”

 

“I feel more free when I practice if I don’t have many clothes on.” Or no clothes on at all, Austin thought.

 

“Anyway, I gotta say something about what I said awhile ago. I’m not good at this apologizing shit, but I suppose it doesn’t hurt to learn. But I was a complete asshole to everybody when Miss Z said you were the person they picked for the trio.”

 

“It did take some of the fun out of being picked, but I can understand why you were mad. I mean you’ve played with an orchestra and everything and I haven’t done anything, but I got picked.”

 

“It was more than that. I spent a lot of time before camp started, telling everybody you weren’t going to be any good on the piano, and then I find out you’re one of the best pianists here at camp, but sometimes I still start to think that your playing sucks. I mean, you’re one of the best musicians here. Period. I’m really sorry to spoil your fun, and that was part of why I figured I’d better apologize.”

 

Austin was more surprised by William’s apology than he had been by his outburst. He had to give his roommate credit for apologizing right away rather than letting him continue to feel bad about not getting picked.

 

William stood up and walked over to the piano. “Is that the score for the trio?”

 

“Yeah, Miss Z left it here for me. I was starting into it when Boardman knocked. We’re going to play the third movement.”

 

“And you were like you are now, wearing just your undies?”

 

“Exactly like now. Dr. B scared the shit out of me.”

“I like it when you cuss. Everybody knows I’m fourteen and should be cussing. But you don’t look like somebody who cusses. You look sweet and innocent, at least until you get into my bed with me and hump me. Then you look totally sexy.” William skimmed through the third movement. “This looks hard. You’ve got a lot of work to do.”

 

“I’m not scared of work. Miss Z gave me a practice book to help me too.”

 

“You’ll do great.”

 

“But what if I don’t? What if I prove to everybody that they should have picked you?”

 

“Well, first, I’m serious that you’re gonna be great. And second, if anybody gives you shit, I’ll tell them to go fuck themselves. And third, can I kiss you?”

 

“Okay, but just a quick one.”

 

William sat on the bench, leaned into Austin, and planted a wet, open-mouthed kiss on his roomie’s lips. Austin felt William’s tongue and let it enter his mouth and the two started kissing heavily. Austin felt himself getting hard and William saw the result as Austin’s briefs tented out. William rubbed Austin’s hard cock through the cotton briefs and broke the kiss.

 

“Nice,” he whispered. “Can you practice when you’ve got hard-on?”

 

“I came in my pants once without even touching my cock when I was practicing at my piano teacher’s house. I couldn’t believe it happened.”

 

“Hot. I’ve jerked off at the piano more than once, and a few of those times were in a school practice room.” William let go of Austin’s boner and stood up. “I know you need the time to get going, so I’m going to leave. But, my invitation to sleep with me is still open, and tonight would be a great night. See ya.” He left Austin sitting on the piano bench with a dick so hard it was pushing the waistband of his briefs away from his belly, his glans damp from precum.  

 

“I won’t get anything done if I don’t take care of this thing like now,” he said to himself. Not wanting to get caught naked, he stuck his hand inside of his briefs and started jerking off. It took just a couple of minutes for him to shoot his thin cum on his belly and on his briefs. After catching his breath, he pulled a handkerchief out of his shorts pocket and wiped his belly. He then put on his shorts to cover the mess he’d made on his underpants.

 

Austin went back to playing. From the difficulties he was having with the trio along with William’s behavior a few minutes earlier, Austin felt lost and confused. He unquestionably had a lot to learn in both areas.

 

<William>

 

William wondered what kind of weirdness had come over him over the past hour. First, he went off on two of the teachers and the boys in the trio because he hadn’t been picked. That part wasn’t weird, because he had been right to get royally pissed and everybody knew he was right. What had been weird was going back to apologize to the teachers. I never do shit like that, he thought.

 

He felt it got even weirder when he didn’t argue with them about apologizing to Austin, Christian, and Benny. Since Austin was in the building using practice room three. He went with Dr. Boardman and sat in a chair up the hall while the teacher went into the room to talk with Austin.

 

That’s when it got really weird. Austin had been practicing in nothing but a pair of briefs and Dr. Boardman acted like that wasn’t weird at all. William thought the whole thing was doubly weird. What was even weirder was that he meant what he said when he told Austin he was sorry; there was nothing fake about it. His dad had told him that he didn’t need to apologize for anything unless there was something to be gained from it, but his grandfather had said that a great artist needed a dose of humility and being willing to apologize for being wrong was a true act of humility.

 

For once, William decided to follow his grandfather’s dictate and discovered that it felt good. When you think about it, William thought, Gramps believed that knowing when to be humble and apologize helped to make an artist great and it was his name that was on the music building. He wondered how closely that was connected.

 

He checked the time and saw that the dining hall had just opened for lunch. His teen stomach told him that the lunch hall would be a good destination. As he left the music building and started the walk for the dormitory, he wondered if Austin had jerked off after he left—he certainly seemed horny enough. That thought got William’s dick stirring and he wondered if he should go to his room and jerk off before he ate. That thought was interrupted by his phone vibrating in his pocket; it was an incoming text.

 

The text was from Ms Zimmer. It read: “Stop by my office after you eat lunch.” William wondered what that was about. He thought he’d atoned for his behavior. He decided he’d have to eat and then find out—his dick would just have to wait.

 

William picked up a couple of chili dogs and some potato chips from the cafeteria line, a soda from the drink dispenser, and sat at an empty table. He didn’t sit alone for long; John Irish walked up to his table and sat next to William without asking. William didn’t care, he thought John was one of the sexiest boys in camp and was pleased John picked his table to eat his lunch. His thoughts instantly went to being in the swimming pool with John and how John found ways to feel his body.

 

William greeted the amazingly cute thirteen-year-old, “Hey, John, what’s up?”

 

“Nothing. I thought I’d sit with you so we can dis our little boy roommates,” John replied.

 

“Austin is turning out better than I thought.”

 

“Ned’s a nice kid, but he doesn’t know shit about sex. I want to do more than have sex with my right hand for four weeks.”

 

“I know what you mean.” William debated if he should tell John about his sexual adventure with Austin the night before but decided that for now it was none of his business. Once again, William amazed himself. A week ago, he would have told John how he seduced his innocent twelve-year-old roommate.

 

“It was cool being next to you in the swimming pool.” John wanted to know what William thought of being pawed by him. “I liked it. I know you did.”

 

Once again, William’s cock was stirring. “Yeah, being with you in the pool was fun,” William responded as he joined John in talking around what had really happened in the pool. But he knew how he could push things a bit without admitting to anything. “Austin told me that he and Ned thought us doing a roommate change a couple of nights during camp would be fun.”

 

“Oh, I like that idea and I bet you do, too.”

 

“Yep. Let’s talk to our roomies and see if we can pick a night. We just have to fool the pricktors, but if everybody is in a room and there’s only two to a room, I don’t think they’ll give a fuck.” Pricktors was the standard term for the older boys who were the dorm proctors.

 

“I’ll start on Ned tonight. Maybe our roomies can learn about sex together so we can have more fun with them at night.”

 

“You never know what’s going to happen,” William agreed.

 

“You mean like Ned having sex? That would be hilarious.”

 

The boys actually chatted about music as they finished their lunch. William checked the time and saw that he would have to hustle to avoid being late for his appointment with Miss Z. On the other hand, if he was late what was she going to do about it? This was camp, not school, and things were quite a bit looser.

 

He managed to arrive at the teacher’s office three minutes early. William hoped he made her wait for him even though he was still on time. That way he would have shown the teacher he had some power without getting in trouble.

 

William was surprised to see Cindy Becker sitting in the office. He thought the visit was going to be Ms Zimmer giving him more shit about his morning flareup. Cindy’s presence meant that this was going to be a meeting about music; maybe about his doing something with Cindy. William thought that wouldn’t be bad at all. Not only was she a sexy girl who was the same age as him, she was the third best pianist at camp. In William’s opinion, only he and Austin were better.

 

“Thank you for coming, William,” Ms Zimmer said sweetly. “I understand you and Cindy have met already.”

 

“We had dinner together,” William responded.

 

“Well, Cindy asked me about a piano project she would like to do for camp, a project which I loved. I told her if she could find a partner, I would be all for it and Dr. Boardman, George Baines, Michael Kerns, and I would be more than happy to help.”

 

George Baines had just graduated from Bainbridge and would be working as a camp counselor starting Sunday. The seven camp counselors were all Bainbridge grads who were either in college or, like George, were going to start in the fall and were different from the proctors. The proctors were high school students whose primary job was supervising the dorms but were available to provide help with musical or other problems as well. The counselors didn’t start until the second week because the campers would be in a routine of sorts by then. Michael Kerns was a visiting piano teacher.

 

“So, what is it she wants us to do?” Maybe it’s fucking next to a piano, William thought. I could handle that okay.

 

“I’ll let Cindy explain,” Ms Zimmer replied.

 

“I want to learn to play some piano four-hand, but I need a partner to do that. Have you ever done it?” Piano four-hand was a work for two pianists to be performed on the same piano.

 

What haven’t I done? William thought. He played with his grandfather whenever they saw each other. While he played a little with his father, it was his grandfather who taught him the tricks of performing the music. William wished he could play more four-hand with his father, but he always seemed to be “busy”. 

 

“I’ve done it, and yeah, I’ll be your partner.”

 

Cindy’s brilliant smile lit up the room. “Thank you, William. Playing with the best in camp is going to be really special,” she said enthusiastically.

 

Ms Zimmer grinned and nodded, wondering if Cindy was intentionally kissing William’s ass or if she came across her exuberance naturally. “We appear to have a done deal. Did you have any idea of what you would like to try?” she said.

 

“I was thinking of some Schubert.”

 

“I think I know the pieces you’re talking about. Schubert can be difficult.”

 

“Difficult doesn’t bother me none,” William said.

 

“Or me,” Cindy added.

 

“Let’s set up Studio B for you tomorrow. Whichever work you choose, it will be longer than the time you have for practicing and performing. I would suggest you pick one part of the piece to work on.”

 

“Cindy and I will let you know what we have tomorrow.”

 

“Very good. And you both know the rules about a boy and girl practicing alone together. The door must stay open at all times.”  Studio B wasn’t one of the practice rooms that were open to students. It was used as a recording studio as well as for practice. It was on the other side of the building from the practice rooms and was well insulated. Even with the door open, the noise coming out of the room would be minimal. The room could also be seen from the state-of-the art recording studio. Campers would be given the opportunity to cut their own CDs the last week of camp.

 

William was amused by the rule that required him and Cindy to practice in Studio B. He knew how much sex went on in the practice rooms between boys or between girls, not to mention the occasional time when a mixed couple broke the rule and practiced in a closed-door practice room. Of course, there were times when they did more than play music, which he could attest to from personal experience. When it came to sex any self-respecting fourteen-year-old boy or girl can find ways to beat the system.

 

<Austin>

 

Austin met Ned for lunch. Both had chili dogs, which were the favorite lunch of the day, on their tray.

 

“Congrats on being in the trio,” Ned said after they sat at a table. “I hear William got a little mad.”

 

“William got a lot mad, but he apologized too,” Austin told him. “Let’s see, I have a practice room at three, so we can work on our little flute thing. And if we leave a little early, we can get some swimming in before dinner. I can’t believe how many things I’ve got to work on all of a sudden. This music camp thing is hard work.”

 

“That’s why we need to get into the pool.” Ned took a bite of chili dog and then said. “Let’s leave the room a half-hour early. We’re going really good on it and we have a couple of weeks before it’s our turn to play.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Austin said. “I’ve got my swimming trunks in my locker at the pool, so I’ll be ready to go fast.”

 

“Me too.”

 

After lunch, Austin had a private meeting with Michael Kearns, a guest teacher, who was a graduate student in piano at the Berkshire Institute and a winner of the Texas Youth Piano Competition. This was Michael’s first day at the camp. Austin played a couple of pieces he knew well. Michael complimented Austin on his technique and especially on his wonderful touch on the keys.

 

“I want you to learn something that is very quiet and subdued. From what I’ve seen and heard about you it is well within your ability technically, so you can use it to concentrate on refining your touch.”

 

Michael gave Austin a scorebook for a work entitled Spanish Dance No 2, “Oriental”, by the Spanish composer Enrique Granados. Austin had heard of Granados because James had played a couple of his works on his guitar. He was excited to be able to learn a work by the same composer. He looked over the first couple of pages and saw that it was going to be a challenge, but something he knew he could play. At the end of the meeting, Austin and Michael made an appointment for their next meeting and Austin left to meet with Ned.

 

Michael walked over to Dr. Boardman’s office and walked in when he saw he was available. “Thank you for assigning me to Austin,” Michael told the teacher. “I can’t believe the boy is twelve. His playing is brilliant, if a bit unrefined at times.”

 

“I thought you would be good for him,” Boardman said. “Austin is a receptive student. As good as he is now, he could easily be the most improved musician in camp by the time the four weeks are over.”

 

As much as Austin enjoyed his time with Michael and with Ned in the practice room, his hour in the swimming pool was the highlight of his afternoon. His body had been screaming for movement and he and Ned enjoyed being as active as they could. The lifeguard did have to blow his whistle a couple of times to calm down their roughhousing, but that was more because of the crowded conditions in the pool than because the boys were doing something too far out of line.

 

Austin enjoyed the contact of his wet naked skin against Ned’s. His cocklet went soft to hard to soft to hard more than once. He and Ned both got a kick out of watching Vern Richards, a thirteen-year-old trumpet player making out with Shannon Walker, a clarinetist, who was also thirteen. When his hand slide inside of the bra on her bikini, the lifeguard blew his whistle and told them to “get a room.” The lifeguards were employees of the County Parks Department hired by the camp.

 

“I wonder if he would blow his whistle if I put my hand on your chest and played with your boobs,” Austin said.

 

“I don’t have boobs, I just have nipples,” Ned protested.

 

“Same idea. Want me to try?”

 

“Go ahead. Just don’t try to put your hands into my shorts.”

 

Austin started to rub a finger around Ned’s right nipple, sending shudders through his friend. “Dang, I didn’t know that felt so good,” Ned said. “I thought it only felt good on girls. My sister keeps saying how her friend makes her boobs feel good.”

 

“I bet it doesn’t feel as good as this.” Austin moved his hand underwater and to Ned’s crotch, giving his junk a quick feel.

 

“Ohhhh,” Ned said in surprise.

 

“They are not IN your shorts,” Austin pointed out.

 

“I guess we do have to find a way to spend the night together so I can learn stuff from you.”

 

“William said he’d talk to John about it,” Austin said as he felt Ned’s little cock grow hard as he continued to fondle it. “I guess I’d better stop before the lifeguard becomes suspicious.”

 

Ned thought about feeling Austin’s cock, but knew Austin was right. He gave the pool side a push and swam away laughing as soon as Austin let go of his boner.

 

Ned and Austin had dinner with William and John. By the time their meal was over, they’d made plans to do their first roommate switch on Friday night.

 

“That way we don’t have to worry about getting up early for classes,” William pointed out. While there were planned activities over the weekends, the ones on the first Saturday didn’t start until ten in the morning. As soon as the final plan was agreed to, Ned and Austin looked at each other and grinned.

 

Austin’s evening was spent playing a pickup four-square game on the school playfield where he made a couple of casual friends.  He then went to the auditorium to hear students who wanted to or were assigned to perform. He was hot and sweaty, but reasonably certain he didn’t smell bad.

 

One of the students was a violinist whose name was Titus Hayden. Austin had seen him briefly around the dorms and the campus and thought he was cute. Watching him perform enhanced Austin’s opinion. The boy had bright blond hair and looked really young, about ten or eleven. Austin remembered that the minimum age for a camper was eleven which meant he couldn’t be ten. Ms Zimmer accompanied him on the piano.

 

Two things Austin noted about him other than his blondness, his beautiful clear face, and his slim body: was that he sounded good, way better than Oliver in fact, and that he had stage presence. While Austin didn’t think of it in those terms, he could feel how the little blond lit up the stage by being on it. Austin wanted to have the same presence for himself.

 

After the performances were finished, Austin waited outside of the main entrance to the auditorium hoping to meet Titus. At home, Austin had a lot of friends, which was something he missed at camp. He knew it was early and he also knew he wouldn’t make more friends if he didn’t do his part. His thoughts were interrupted when he spotted the blond boy with a violin case leaving the auditorium; it was Titus.

 

He stepped up beside Titus and introduced himself. “Oh, hi,” Titus said. “I’ve seen you around. You play the piano, right?”

 

“Yep.” The boys stepped outside of the music building and into the cool night. “You played really good tonight.”

 

“Thanks. That was one of the three pieces I had to pick to get ready for camp. It was hard playing with somebody I only practiced with a couple of times, but Miss Z is good. Next time I have to have a camper accompany me.”

 

“The dining hall is open for snacks if you want to get something with me.”

 

Titus thought that was a good idea, so they went to the dining hall together. Austin got a couple of chocolate chip cookies and a hot chocolate while Titus got a bowl of vanilla ice cream. They sat at a table and got to know each other.

 

Austin learned that Titus lived in Lynwood, Washington, which was just north of Seattle. He just finished fifth grade at a private elementary school and would be a sixth grader at the Bainbridge Academy in the fall. He had a brother who was fourteen and a star basketball player. His brother took piano lessons, but he wasn’t a serious musician.  He also had a sister who was twelve and played violin as well.

 

“I’m only ten,” Titus confessed, “but they let me come to camp because my birthday is this Saturday and because I’m going to go to school here.”

 

After Austin told about himself, Titus asked him if he was willing to be his accompanist.  “I have two projects going and that doesn’t count the solo stuff I have to do, or I’d say yes. But there is a meeting for all of the piano players tomorrow and I will ask if anybody wants to accompany you.”

 

“Thanks, Austin. I can tell you’re going to be a good friend. I’m kind of shy about making friends, especially since I’m younger than anybody here.”

 

“That’s hard for me to believe. I mean when you’re on stage you acted like the most confident person in the school.”

 

“That’s different. It’s just me and my violin there, just like my violin teacher says. But when I saw you around the school and heard you play on Sunday, I thought about talking to you since you looked young like me. But I was scared you wouldn’t like me.”

 

“Well, I like you and I want to be your friend.”

 

Titus grinned and told Austin he wanted to be his friend, too. They bumped fists and agreed to meet for breakfast.

 

“Then you can meet Ned and have another friend. Ned is really cool.” Austin wondered if Titus was as shy about sex stuff as Ned was. He decided he needed to figure out a way to find out.

 

Austin learned that Titus’s roommate, Carlos Lopez, was twelve and played the clarinet. “He’s a nice roommate, but he’s always hanging out with the girls, so I never see him much.” Austin told Titus he met Carlos playing four-square after dinner.

 

“He’s pretty big about playing sports and stuff like that, like my brother is. I don’t play ballgames that much. I like swimming and running. “

 

After finishing their snacks, Austin and Titus walked across the courtyard to the dorm. Titus told Austin he was in Room 312.

 

“That’s right below my room,” Austin told him. They skipped the elevator and walked up the stairs together. They said good-bye with a fist bump and Austin continued up one more flight to his room. He was happy that he had made a new friend, someone more than the ones he met on the playground, like Carlos. So far, they would be kids he could at least say hi to. He could tell that Titus was going to be different; he was going to be a close friend.

 

William wasn’t in the room when Austin entered it. He stripped naked and washed his face and took care of his teeth. He smelled his underarms because he had been active. He thought they smelled a little, but not enough to shower, so he washed them and felt ready for bed, except for one thing.

 

The one thing was taking care of the boner that had taunted him when he looked into the bathroom mirror. He dropped onto his bed and started to masturbate. He thought it was nice to be able to do it and not worry about William walking in. Now that they’d messed around together, he didn’t have to hide what he was doing.

 

Austin moaned with pleasure as he shot a few clear drops of boy cum onto his belly and pubic region. He heard William at the door just seconds after his orgasm.

 

“Hey, roomie,” William grinned as he looked over his naked roommate. “I see you took care of business. It’s great we don’t have to hide that shit from each other.” He walked over to Austin’s bed, scooped the cum off his belly with his right index finger, and stuck the finger into his mouth. “Damn you taste good. We’re going to have to start talking blow jobs soon.”

 

William quickly stripped, revealing his own hardon. “You should be proud you got me hard since I learned this clarinet player named Carlos Lopez knows how to jerk a guy off.”

 

“Whoa, where did you meet him?” Austin decided this wasn’t the time to tell William he knew Carlos’s roommate, Titus.

 

“Playing volleyball in the gym. We did it behind the brush by the pond. He’s only twelve, but he’s got a real nest of pubic hair and a bigger dick than I do. Plus, he’s got a talented hand and did a great job getting me off.”

 

William took care of his evening toilet. When he came back into the room, he saw that Austin had dropped off to sleep. He figured Carlos did a good enough job of getting him off that he didn’t need Austin. He turned out the light, gave himself a quick hand job, thinking of the big, uncut, cock Carlos had and what it would be like to suck it.

 

The roommates were each pleased to have made a new friend. William, because Carlos was very sexy and a nice person. Austin, because Titus was a really nice person, not to mention cute.

 

Next: Moonlight Challenge