The Mayfield Episodes

 

EPISODE 15      

BROKEN BOYS (Part 4)

 

<Eddie Shaffer>

 

 

Eddie and Curt were both feeling down when they awoke. Eddie showered in Chase’s bathroom, making sure Chase saw him nude and noticed that even at twelve he had a few hairs and hanging balls. Ironically, Eddie had been thinking of shaving the ten or so little hairs in his pubic region. Some of the Johns who liked young boys were put off by the existence of pubic hair. But now, Eddie wanted Chase to see how grown up he was becoming, not that it made much difference. He felt that after his new family took him away to his new home, he would probably never see Chase again.

 

Curt and Logan showered together. They kissed and rubbed each other all over, enjoying the feel of each other’s wet, smooth skins. But they didn’t take things any further because Curt wasn’t in the mood for sex play.

 

The boys were dressed in t-shirts, underpants, and socks when they came downstairs to eat. Susan told them they would all have to be fully dressed by noon. The boys understood why and didn’t argue the point.

 

All the boys, except Curt, went to the basement rec room to play games until breakfast was ready. Curt walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Susan’s waist, giving her a big hug which she lovingly returned. It felt strange to be wearing just his underwear as they hugged. In his “old house” underwear was just that, something to be worn under the regular clothes, not something to parade around the house in. Curt had learned quickly that things were much different in the Miller household.

 

Susan’s heart almost broke as she hugged the lonely little boy who so desperately wanted a mother. She meant what she’d said to Troy the night before. As a mother, she had her mother eyes, and those eyes told her that the boys felt at home in their house after just one day. She had no doubt this was where they belonged. She was not surprised that Troy hadn’t agreed. She knew he was seeing things through his lawyer eyes and not through his father eyes.

 

“I’m going to have to let you go,” she told Curt, “or I’ll never get breakfast finished.”

 

Curt let go at the same time as Susan and backed away. She saw the wet streaks on his face as well as the wetness on her apron. She knew that she and Troy didn’t have the time to take care of two more boys, especially one who had been living a troubled life and one who wasn’t certain how to grieve for his lost parents.

 

“Nothing against Tyson and Darnell, who are a wonderful father-son team,” she had told Troy, “but they aren’t prepared to take on Curt and Eddie. A single boy is going to tax them, and those two boys need a mother.”

 

“We aren’t prepared, either,” Troy had responded. “Just for starters, next week Chase and Logan are in school and we work. Tyson has set things up for the boys in his house.”

 

“What if he becomes the temporary guardian for the week while we all discuss a final placement that is fair to those boys—meaning they will get what they need.”

 

Troy had said he would think about it, which meant he had already thought about it and come up with a no answer. Well, she thought, it’s a strategy that works with the kids, but doesn’t sit so well with me.

 

“Can I help you with something?” Curt asked. “I always helped my mom in the kitchen.”

 

“You can help me by setting the table for breakfast. I’ll show you where everything is, and you can put it all out.”

 

“Cool. My mom showed me how to set a table the right way.”

 

Susan prepared breakfast and Curt scurried around setting the table and doing other chores. Susan thought he looked genuinely happy being a mother’s helper. She felt sad that such a good, happy boy had been dealt so much bad luck so quickly.

 

Curt called everybody to breakfast when it was ready to be served. The meal was much quieter than those of the day before. It was apparent to the Millers that Curt and Eddie were depressed by yet another change coming into their lives; one they didn’t want.

 

After breakfast, three boys headed back downstairs. This time, Eddie stayed behind. “Did you enjoy your breakfast, Eddie?”

 

“Yeah, it was good.”

 

Susan wasn’t surprised that the hardened street kid was much more reserved than Curt had been. She was certain that he had little reason to trust adults.

 

“Is there something I can do for you?”

 

“I like you. You’re nice. And I like Chase and Logan and Troy…er…Mr. Miller. I wish I could stay here. Everybody keeps telling me what I should do, but nobody ever listens to me. It’s not fair.”

 

Susan was surprised by Eddie’s rant. He said much more than he usually did. She couldn’t disagree with him.

 

“Sometimes the world isn’t fair, Eddie, which I’m sure you’ve learned.”

 

“My dad put me in the hospital and when they said I could go back to live with him he made me not want to see him again. I don’t know what happened to my mom. I don’t want to say what I did to make money, but it was bad.” Susan knew what he had done and thought it was worse than bad, but she did not blame Eddie for that. “I had friends like Blue and Gil and now Curt, and now I have a place I like, and nobody wants me to stay.”

 

“Wanting you to stay and being allowed to let you stay aren’t the same things. You and Curt are good boys and deserve more than you’re getting. If the world was fair you could probably stay, but, like I said, sometimes it just isn’t fair.” Susan knew she was stretching the truth. She had to let Eddie know that he was loved and wanted while at the same time he was being told he had to leave.

 

“I wish you were my mom.”

 

“Oh, I’m a pretty strict mom. Just ask Chase and Logan.”

 

“Yeah, they told me. But I still wish it.”

 

Susan didn’t know where to go from there and was happy when Troy walked into the kitchen. “Is Eddie here to help with cleanup?” he asked.

 

“No, he is here to talk,” Susan replied.

 

“I’ll help if you want,” Eddie volunteered. Susan put him to work while wondering where the weekend soap opera was going to end up.

 

Tyson and Darnell arrived a few minutes after one o’clock, just in time for lunch. They were introduced to Eddie and Curt and then everybody sat at the table for lunch. Everyone was uncomfortable with the situation and the talk was formal. But, Darnell and Logan, who were sitting next to each other, managed to loosen things up some by telling bad jokes. Curt found himself liking Darnell, but Eddie wasn’t so sure.

 

After lunch the boys broke off into their own group. Curt caught up to Eddie in the upstairs rec room and reminded him he owed Darnell an apology.

 

“What are you, my mother?”  Eddie groused. Chase started to enter the room but stopped. It sounded to him that Eddie and Curt were arguing about something.

 

“No, I’m your friend. You said you were going to apologize, and I didn’t want you to forget. I mean, we are going to be living with them.”

 

“Don’t remind me.”

 

Eddie’s bitter tone frightened Curt momentarily. Curt had lost all his confidence living with his abusive uncle and then living in the encampment. But his almost two days in a comfortable home had fostered a return of his old assertiveness. “Well, if you don’t like it you can go back to the streets and live in a tent.” He was about to add a comment about going back to having sex with perverts, but Curt was not a person who tried to hurt someone he liked. To keep from saying more, he turned around and started to walk away.

 

“Wait!” Eddie shouted out. Curt stopped while at the same time Chase walked completely into the room. “I’m sorry. I’m so confused and lost and I feel like my dad’s going to walk in and hit me or something. I know that’s stupid because he don’t even know where I am, but it’s just how I feel.”

 

“Are you guys okay?” Chase asked.

 

“No,” Eddie replied. “I got to go do something.” He hurried out of the room.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“I told Eddie he should apologize to Darnell like he promised and that made him mad. I don’t like making Eddie mad, but it seems to be happening more and more,” Curt said.

 

“You guys need each other,” Chase said. “Maybe it’s your turn to apologize next.”

 

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

 

Eddie found Darnell in the basement playing ping pong with Logan. He stood and watched until Logan saw him. “Hi, Eddie. Do you want to play the winner? Darnell is ahead 9-5 and we’re playing to eleven.”

 

“Go finish your game,  then I need to talk to Darnell.”

 

Darnell quickly finished off Logan and then asked Eddie what he wanted. Logan left the room to give the two some privacy, but he hovered close enough to the entrance to overhear what they were saying.

 

“What’s up?” Darnell asked after Logan exited the room.

 

“I guess we’re gonna be kinda like brothers and so, well, I wanted to apologize,” Eddie said.

 

“For what?”

 

“For what I said to you after a baseball game last year when you were in Mayfield. It was pretty mean of me.”

 

“I guess what we have to do now is work to be good brothers.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“So, I accept your apology.” And if you ever call me that again, I’ll kick your sorry ass, Darnell thought. “And now I’m gonna kick your ass in ping pong.”

 

“You and whose army?”

 

“Let’s find out.”

 

Logan came back into the room with Curt who had just come downstairs. They sat on an old couch along the wall to watch.

 

While this was going on, the adults were chatting in the living room. The topic was Eddie and Curt and how they would react to being uprooted.

 

“They’ve been here just short of two days, but you’d think it was two years from how they’re carrying on,” Troy said.

 

“Damn, Troy, when did you become so cold hearted?” Tyson asked.

 

“How am I cold hearted? It’s true; they have no roots here and yet they think of this place like it was their home.”

 

“And maybe in two days, that’s what it’s become,” Tyson responded. While they were talking, Chase walked into the room and since nobody told him to leave, he sat next to his mother on the love seat. “Those boys have had their life uprooted numerous times,” Tyson went on. They are begging for stability. Have you seen your boys interact with Curtis and Edward?  They act like they’ve been friends forever, so why shouldn’t those boys feel at home here?”

 

“Darnell will do the same for them. I can see they are getting along fine with him,” Troy countered. 

 

“Curt is for sure,” Chase said. He waited for somebody to stop him from saying more. Since nobody did, he kept going. “I think Eddie went downstairs to make an apology to Darnell for the stuff he said last year or whenever it was.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that,” Tyson said. “Thank you for letting us know, Chase. I want to mention one more thing about why those boys feel at home here after two days.”

 

“Go for it,” Troy told him.

 

“Two words: Susan Miller.”

 

Troy looked at his wife. “She has been very positive with those boys.”

 

Tyson shook his head. “There’s more to it than that. She has offered them something they’ve been desperate for, even if most young adolescent boys would never admit to it. She’s given them two days of loving mothering.”

 

“I’ve just been available to them,” Susan said modestly, not wanting to step on her husband’s toes.

 

“You know as well as I do it’s more than availability. I could see it as soon as I walked into the room. They hover around you and look at you for approval, Curtis especially. Since I joined the Alliance, I’ve done a lot of research on homeless street kids and what their needs are. I see them being met right here. A strong father figure in Troy, a caring, but stern, mother figure for two boys who need one right now, and a big brother figure to mentor them in Chase.

 

“I'm sure there is a boy out there we’ll be able to give the right home to, but neither of these two boys are him.  but these two boys aren’t them. Forgive me if I’m out of line, but I think they are in the home they need right now. It shows in their behavior. Two days, two months, two years, sometimes the right karma hits at the right time and the rest is history.

 

“In nature, imprinting often happens rapidly,” Tyson went on. “As much as they do not wish to admit it, humans are nature’s creatures. What is happening here is more bonding than imprinting, but the idea is the same. The young want to have their need for parenting fulfilled, and with humans it is not just parents but family whom they bond with.”

 

Troy, Susan, and Chase had just been part of one of Professor Carr’s lectures. Troy and Susan knew where this was going while Chase sat entranced by what he was hearing.

 

“I truly believe the boys belong here and will be shortchanged living with Darnell and me. Oh, they will do fine because we will provide a loving, positive environment. But with you nourishing their humanity they will flourish here.”

 

“We aren’t prepared to take in those boys. Chase and Logan have school until Wednesday and Susan and I work,” Troy said. “Plus, we would need                          to complete new paperwork in order to be full-time foster parents. And most importantly, Chase and Logan have to be fully committed to having two foster brothers.”

 

“Thinking that we would be providing Curtis and Edward a new home, I have the week planned out. I can bring them back on Wednesday, which is when school ends for Chase and Logan.”

 

“That should work,” Troy said without enthusiasm.

 

“Dang, Dad,” Chase said, “it’s a good thing you’ve got a good secretary at work, or you’d miss most of your court dates. Forgive my dad, Mr. Carr, he acts like he’s on top of things but he’s more disorganized than his preteen son.” Not to mention his teen son, Susan thought as Chase continued. “My eighth-grade graduation is Wednesday and Logan has a baseball game Wednesday night. But Thursday works. I’ll be here anytime you need me,” Chase volunteered. “I guess that means I am committed.”

 

“You have to understand that Eddie has a rough history,” Troy cautioned. “He’s been good for two days, but he’s going to test his limits and dealing with that won’t be easy. In fact, it could get ugly. There is no guarantee he won’t run away when things don’t go his way. He’s done it in the past.”

 

“That could happen no matter where he goes, so maybe if he’s with people he likes he might hang around,” Chase said. Not for the first time that weekend, Troy and Susan were impressed with their older son’s maturity. He was growing up in ways they hadn’t noticed before.

 

“Are you sure about this?” Troy asked Tyson.

 

“I am. Darnell and I have talked this over and he feels if it’s the best thing to do, he’s all for it.”

 

“Well, dear,” Troy said to Susan. “I know from what you’ve told me that you’re all for this move.” He noted the tears in her eyes and walked over to her chair. He planted a quick kiss on her lips. “I love you, Susan. You are a remarkable woman and an even more fantastic mother.”

 

“How about bringing the boys back down on Friday,” Susan said. “Nobody has school and I’ve already asked for the day off to prepare for Logan’s party. We can use the week to prepare two bedrooms for them and they will be here in time for Logan’s family birthday dinner. That would be a great way for them to officially join the family. And Tyson, you and Darnell are welcome to join us for dinner.”

 

“I’m not quite sure we qualify as part of your family,” Tyson protested.

 

“Bullshit,” Troy said. “You’ve been like family since we were kids. And considering how far apart they live, Darnell has become a great friend of Chase and Logan.”

 

“Then we accept the invitation,” Tyson grinned.

 

“Logan will have to approve of the decision to keep Eddie and Curt here, of course, but I think that is a given. This was not quite what I had in mind two days ago when I treated two broken boys to lunch, but it almost looks like it was destined. Chase, go get the boys and bring them in. We have a lot to talk about.”

 

Chase herded the boys from the basement rec room to the living room. Troy, Darnell, and Tyson were waiting at the top of the stairs. Troy stopped the boys. He could see that Curt and Eddie were feeling down. “We need to have a quick chat with Logan and Chase, so Curt, you and Eddie just head into the living room and exchange recipes or something with Susan.”

 

“Huh?” Eddie asked.

 

“What he means is, just go and chat with mom,” Chase said. “Dealing with dad’s so-called sense of humor isn’t always easy.”

 

As confused as he was, Eddie hadn’t missed how Chase poked fun at his father. My dad would have whupped me if I said stuff like he does, he thought.

 

Eddie and Curt headed to the living room to sit with Susan while Troy took Logan aside. The rest of them sat at the dining room table.

 

“What’s going on?” Logan asked his dad.

 

“What’s going on is I need you to help me make a decision.” Logan looked at his father in anticipation; he had a good idea of what that decision was about. “How would you feel about Eddie and Curt staying with us long-term?”

 

“How long?”

 

“I couldn’t tell you for sure since there are a lot of factors involved. It could be for a couple of months, a couple of years, or until they grow up and go out on their own.”

 

“What does Chase think?”

 

“He told me what he thinks, and now I would like to know what you think.”

 

Logan was used to his father’s evasive answers, so he gave his opinion. “I like Curt a lot. I don’t know about Eddie, but I guess you and Chase can kick his ass if he gets too crazy.”

 

“You don’t think your mom kicks ass?”

 

“No way. But if I had a choice, I’d rather get my ass kicked by you than be in big trouble with her.” Troy had to stifle a laugh; he had to agree with his younger son. “Does that mean I’ll have two more brothers?”

 

“Pretty much.”

 

“Will they share the guest room?”

 

“They each have to have their own bedroom for us to be approved as their foster parents. But don’t worry, we’ll work something out.”

 

“Are Darnell and Mr. Carr okay with this?”

 

“It was their idea. Eddie and Curt are going to live short term with them until Friday then they’ll move in here.”

 

“They like it here. I think they will be happy, so I am going to say yes.”

 

“It’s going to change your life a great deal.”

 

“Like Mr. Baines keeps telling us, life is an adventure.” Mr. Baines was Logan’s fifth grade teacher.

 

Troy and Logan entered the dining room with Troy announcing Logan’s decision. Chase high-fived Logan as his brother sat in the chair next to him.

 

The decision had been made. They spent around ten minutes talking about the logistics of the week before returning to the living room. When Troy saw Eddie and Curt sitting to either side of Susan with her arms wrapped around the shoulders of the sad looking boys he began to think that taking in the boys wasn’t the worst thing they could do.

 

“Are you boys ready to go?” Tyson asked, knowing what the reply would be.

 

“No,” they answered in unison, their unbroken boy voices dragging out the word.

 

“What if we told you there will be a change in plans?”

 

Eddie and Curt both perked up. “What kind of change?” Eddie asked.

 

“Chase will tell you.” Troy and Tyson had decided on Chase explaining the change since he would be doing it on the boys’ level. They had discussed Logan doing it, but everyone agreed that because Chase was more assertive and verbal, he would be the better choice.

 

“We can tell you guys are tired of being moved around and not being listened to and all the rest of the bullshit. So, my mom and dad and Mr. Carr think it would be cool to switch things. You stay with Darnell and his dad for a few days and then come back and live with us for a while.”

 

The faces of both boys lit up like somebody had thrown a power switch. “How long of a while?” Curt asked.

 

“We’re hoping it’s a long, long while, but dad has to work on that with the people who decide on the bullshit stuff.”

 

“And we’ll get the same room and get to keep our clothes and everything?” Eddie asked. As much as he liked the surprise news, he was also skeptical of anything that sounded too good to be true. He thought of what his dad used to say: “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.”

 

It was time for Troy to step in. “You boys will each have your own room. That is a state requirement for providing a foster home.”

 

“So, could me and Curt still stay together in the same room if we wanted to?”

 

“Yes, you can,” Susan said, surprising Troy for what seemed like the one-hundredth time that weekend. Is this the same lady who freaks out because Chase and his boyfriend sleep together as well as Chase and Logan? he thought.

 

“You will have to share a room when you stay with us. We haven’t had time to set up another room since we only just found out about you on Friday,” Tyson said.

 

Eddie and Curt gave Susan a fresh hug. “Can we call you mom, now?” Curt asked.

 

“Nothing would please me more,” Susan said.

 

“And that makes Mr. Miller, dad,” Eddie said.

 

“And it makes me and Chase your brothers,” Logan reminded them.

 

“Well, I hope you’re not as good as Darnell is in ping pong,” Eddie said with a sly grin. Darnell had kicked his ass 11-4 in their earlier game.

 

And so, just a little more than 48 hours after treating two dirty, homeless street kids to lunch, Troy found himself the father of two more boys. That night, when Susan asked him if he would do the same thing if he could do it over, Troy didn’t hesitate to say he would. Of course, how the two boys developed after their return would have a lot to do with keeping the regrets away.

 

After a dinner of a tossed salad, meat loaf, mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli, with peach cobbler for dessert, Eddie and Curt went upstairs and grabbed their new travel bags. After heartfelt hugs were exchanged between them and the four Millers, they left with Tyson and Darnell, sad that they were leaving, but happy they would be coming back.

 

 

Eddie and Curt were happy that Bellingham wasn’t going to be their long-term home. Their first two days there were beyond boring. The only good thing about the stay was that they liked their hosts, especially Darnell. They thought Tyson was an okay temporary father, but felt he lectured too much about everything.

 

Darnell was so nice and so helpful that even Eddie found himself liking him. In fact, he liked Darnell so much he apologized about the things he’d said the year before for the second time.

 

The evenings weren’t so bad. Darnell had a lot of cool games for them to play. The dress code was stricter than at the Miller’s house. If they were outside of the bedroom then they needed more on than just underwear, unless they were going to the bathroom.

 

Eddie and Curt had to share a bedroom and a bed, which didn’t bother them at all. Because of the short notice, Tyson wasn’t going to be able to convert the spare room to a bedroom until the next week. Now that Eddie and Curt would be staying temporarily the spare room could remain a spare room.

 

“I really like Darnell,” Curt said as he and Eddie cuddled up naked in bed Sunday night.

 

“Me too. I’m even more sorry I was mean to him,” Eddie said.

 

“I think Darnell has forgiven you.”

 

“Yeah, I guess.” Eddie switched moods and asked Curt if he wanted a blow job. Curt was good with it and returned the favor after he dribbled his drops of boy cum into Eddie’s mouth.

 

On Monday they had to hang around Tyson’s office on campus for an hour during the morning. They had lunch in the staff cafeteria and then Tyson gave them a quick campus tour before going to their temporary home.

 

After dinner the boys sat in Darnell’s room. They were pleased that the rules were at least loose enough that they could sit in their underwear in his room. Eddie and Curt were delighted they had new underpants to wear. Eddie liked how Darnell’s white briefs contrasted with his dark skin. He thought Darnell looked sexy and wanted to see what he looked like naked. Eddie shook his head, wondering where that thought came from. 

 

On Tuesday morning, Tyson let them explore the main campus areas he had shown them the day before. Eddie was awestruck by the college environment. It was something far grander than Lakeside Elementary school or even Mayfield High School. They met at Tyson’s office. Once again, he took them to the staff cafeteria for lunch and then to their temporary home without the tour in between.

 

Tuesday had been Darnell’s last day of school for the year and he was home when Tyson arrived with Eddie and Curt. The boys played in Darnell’s backyard when he came home and also explored the neighborhood. At dinner Tyson reminded the boys that he had a lot going on Wednesday and wouldn’t be back until late in the evening.

 

“I’m trusting you boys to be good.” He looked directly at Eddie. “And that means all of you?” he said gently, but authoritatively.

 

“Me? I’m always good,” Eddie said with feigned innocence.

 

“You can sleep in tomorrow. I believe you are all intelligent enough to figure out breakfast tomorrow. I will make sandwiches for lunch; they will be in the fridge. I will also do what I hardly ever do and leave money for pizza for dinner.”

 

“What do you mean hardly ever do?” Darnell said. “Saying that you NEVER do it would be more accurate.”

 

“There have been a couple of times.” Tyson winked at the boys.

 

“Only in your dreams, dad. Only in your dreams.” Then Darnell looked at Eddie and Curt and said, “Well, there might have been that one time.”

 

The three boys weren’t as good on Wednesday as Tyson would have hoped for. They were disappointed to see that it was raining, although the weather forecasts had predicted it. They played games and watched television until lunch as they got to know each other better. They also followed a loose dress code, wearing just their underpants. All three wanted to get rid of those, too, but were reluctant to be the one to suggest it.

 

Around noon they went to the kitchen and picked up the sandwiches and fruit plates Tyson had prepared. They sat in the kitchen watching the TV on the back counter and eating their lunches.

 

“What do you want me to do with that bottle?” Curt asked Eddie while they were picking up their sandwiches and fruit in the kitchen.

 

“What bottle?” Eddie asked.

 

“You know, the one from Gil.”

 

“Shit, I forgot all about that. Well, we’re sure as fuck not taking it with us back to our new home, so, it looks like we empty it out and toss the bottle.”

 

“What kind of bottle?” Darnell asked.

 

“Whiskey.”

 

“For real? Where did you get that?”

 

“This old black dude named Gil at the homeless encampment gave me and my old friend Blue whiskey to drink. Usually he drank it with us and we’d just get a good buzz and sometimes we took it to our dumpy tent and drank it and got wasted.”

 

“Did you drink it with him, too?” Darnell asked Curt.

 

“I kept saying no. I didn’t want to drink that shit or smoke weed or nothing like that,” Curt said. “Other than some tastes of wine my ‘rents let me have I never drank alcohol. I didn’t have much of that wine either, it tasted nasty.”

 

“I told Curt he wouldn’t feel so bad about what was going on if he got wasted. I know when I get wasted I forget about all the bullshit stuff. Well, I forgot most of the time.”

 

“My dad doesn’t drink alcohol and I never even tasted it.” He looked at Eddie. “Are you going to dump it down the toilet or something?”

 

“Or dump it down my throat,” Eddie giggled.

 

“But what if my dad catches you?”

 

“I’ll be asleep by the time he gets home. Besides, there’s no way I can drink that whole bottle so most of will go down the toilet or sink or whatever anyway. You guys can have a taste if you want.”

 

“Maybe after we have pizza, so the pizza guy doesn’t see us all drunk,” Darnell giggled. “I wonder what being drunk is like.”

 

“You can find out tonight,” Eddie grinned. Since they were talking about doing something nasty, Eddie decided it was time to break the ice on getting naked. He badly wanted to see Darnell naked while he had the chance. “We should take our underpants off,” he said simply.

 

“Oh, yeah, and then this would be like Aiden’s house. We get naked a lot there.”

 

Eddie bristled at hearing Aiden’s name but said nothing. He continued to set the tone by pulling his underpants off. He was pleased to see Darnell drop his right after him. He looked at Curt and asked if he was going to join them.

 

“Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry, I was thinking about something.” Curt quickly got naked as well.

 

Eddie stared at Darnell. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but when Darnell got naked he looked like every other naked boy he’d seen except his skin was darker.

 

“Do you guys jerk off?” Darnell inquired as he fondled himself.

 

“Who doesn’t?” Eddie asked. Curt nodded his assent.

 

“Want to go to my room and do it?” Darnell picked up his black boxer shorts and led them to his bedroom. His bed was still unmade, which was unusual for him, but since his dad wasn’t there to check on him, he had decided to live dangerously.

 

It wasn’t the first time Eddie and Curt had been in Darnell’s room, but it was the first time they’d seen his bed messed up. By the time he flopped on his bed, Darnell had made himself hard.

 

Eddie and Curt lay to either side of him and got themselves hard too. “Do you shoot?” Eddie asked.

 

“Yeah, do you guys? Well, I guess Eddie does because he has hair.”

 

“Yeah, I shoot.” And pervy men really like tasting it, he thought as he stepped up his pace.

 

“I do a little,” Curt said. “It’s like water…way different from Eddie’s.”

 

“We’re about the same,” Eddie said. “I’ve seen guys who shoot real cum and you and me aren’t even close to that.”

 

“Mine isn’t either,” Darnell confessed.

 

“Can I do yours?” Eddie asked Darnell.

 

“Go for it,” Darnell replied with a grin.

 

Darnell let go of his four inches of twelve-year-old cock. “You’ve got some pubes,” Eddie said as he started to work on Darnell. Curt watched them with great interest. Nobody thought about the irony in Eddie calling Darnell a nasty name a year ago and now jerking him off like he was a long-lost friend, which maybe he was.

 

Eddie thought about asking Darnell if he could suck him, then decided not to because he wanted to watch Darnell shoot his white cum on his dark stomach. He didn’t have to wait long for that to happen. Darnell’s orgasm was all it took to send Curt over the top, or onto the sheets in this case.

 

“Sorry, Darnell, I came on your sheets,” Curt said.

 

“Not the first time that’s happened on this bed,” Darnell said as he came down from an intense cum.

 

“Does your cum taste good?” Eddie asked Darnell.

 

“I think so.”

 

Eddie leaned in and licked Darnell’s belly to see for himself. “Yeah, it’s really good,” Eddie said, smacking his lips. “I left a little on his chest if you want to check it out,” he told Curt.

 

“You can finish it. Maybe he’ll let me give him a blow job later.”

 

“It’s cool with me,” Darnell grinned as Eddie finished licking him up.

 

“I need to get off,” Eddie said. “I want to rub off on Darnell, if he’ll let me.”

 

“Go for it.”

 

Eddie got on top of Darnell and started humping. His chest and belly were still sticky with cum even after being licked up. Eddie started humping his new friend. He thought about kissing him but wasn’t sure if a white kid was supposed to kiss a black kid. It never occurred to him that he was all but fucking the black kid and that his thinking was a bit inconsistent. Eddie came quicker than he wanted to, but it felt incredible.

 

Damn, I just had sex with a black kid. My dad would break both of my arms if he ever knew, not that he’d ever know. Shit, I might not ever see the bastard again, which would make me really happy.

 

The boys showered in the master bedroom’s walk-in shower. They popped boners again but other than suggestively washing themselves they did nothing with them, at least until they finished their shower and went into the living room.

 

“I’m gonna do what I said,” Curt told Eddie and Darnell, and he went down on Darnell’s hard tween cock. It didn’t take long for Darnell to fill Curt’s mouth. They finished round two with Curt and Eddie going into a sixty-nine.

 

“I guess we would have done okay living here,” Curt said as they lay naked on the living room carpet. “I know I wouldn’t have hated it, anyway,” he grinned.

 

“Yeah, Darnell is cool. I hope we get to see each other again after you and me go back to Seattle,” he told Curt.

 

“Won’t be a problem,” Darnell said. “I go down to Seattle and to Mayfield a lot.”

 

The boys went back to their morning routine of playing games, watching television, and chatting. They stayed naked until dinner time came. Eddie was the only one who was willing to be naked when the pizza arrived, but he finally agreed it probably wasn’t a good idea. Darnell put a t-shirt and gym shorts on to let the delivery girl in and to pay for the pizza. Eddie and Curt put their underpants on but stayed out of sight. All three boys were happy they did things the way they did, especially when the delivery person turned out to be a female.

 

They enjoyed pizza and RC Cola. There were plenty of soft drinks in the refrigerator, so they didn’t have to order any with the pizza. Eddie finally opened the whiskey bottle, took a swig, and poured some into his glass of pop. Darnell and Curt each took a sip out of the bottle and concluded they would rather drink the worst cough syrup ever invented than what was in the bottle.

 

“Try putting it in with your RC,” Eddie suggested. “You won’t taste it as much.”

 

“The best way not to taste it is not to drink it,” Curt said as he tried to wash the taste out of his mouth.”

 

“Well, at least you tried it.”

 

Darnell poured a little bit into his cola and sipped it. He thought it still tasted like shit, but it felt good going down his throat and he even got a light-headed feeling. He was afraid of where this was going, poured his drink down the sink, filled his glass with cola and went back to eating pizza.

 

“Are you going to get drunk?” Curt asked Eddie.

 

“Not if you’re not. I already have a little buzz going. I mean, I didn’t want Gil’s present to go to waste.” He picked up the bottle, walked to the kitchen sink, and poured it down the drain, thinking what a big waste of booze that was. As soon as the bottle was empty, Eddie regretted his action. Sure, he  was a little buzzed, but what he really wanted was to get wasted; this might have been his last opportunity to do so for a long time.

 

The boys ended up going to bed before Tyson got home. Eddie squeezed into Darnell’s double bed and slept with him while Curt enjoyed sleeping alone for once. Eddie decided to see if a white boy kissing a black boy was okay and pecked Darnell on the lips. Apparently, it was. The two boys were soon Frenching and dry humping and cumming all over each other.

 

Damn, Eddie thought, I’ve jerked Darnell off, eaten his cum, showered with him, kissed him, cum all over him twice and he’s cummed all over me. His cum tasted like any boy’s and he even tried drinking whiskey and said he got a little buzz and now I’m gonna sleep with him. He thought about what some of his teachers and other adults said. Maybe they’re right. Maybe you got to look at people for what they’re like inside not by what color their skin is.

 

Eddie wondered if Darnell thought about what he was like inside. I hope he thinks I’m as cool as I think he is. I know he must have hated me for a long time. He fell asleep next to a boy who had become a new friend.

 

 

Tyson Carr was enjoying his oatmeal breakfast as he  let the boys sleep in again. They had been asleep when he arrived a little after ten-thirty, but he knew energetic pubescent boys needed plenty of sleep. He had given both bedrooms a quick check and was surprised to see Eddie and Darnell sleeping together. It wasn’t that he was surprised to see his son sleeping with a boy since that wasn’t an unusual event. What surprised him was that it was Eddie, who had apparently shown his prejudices more than once; racial to Darnell and sexual orientation to Aiden. It was like they had virtually kissed and made up, since he knew there was no way the two of them would ever kiss.

 

He had a momentary regret about sending Eddie and Curt, especially Curt, back to Troy and his family, but he knew in the long run it was for the best. He simply didn’t have the room or the time to deal with three boys. He had always respected Troy, but that respect increased ten-fold when he realized the sacrifices he and Susan would be making, not to mention Chase and Logan, to give Eddie and Curt a home. He regretted calling Troy cold when he picked up the boys, but he hadn’t meant it the way it came out. He had apologized later and Troy, being the kind of man he was, readily accepted.

 

Tyson had left a note for Darnell, giving him a small list of chores to complete and telling him to make it a good day. He wondered what kind of influence, if any, his temporary charges were having on his son. In Curt’s case, both boys had lost their mother so it was likely Darnell had more of an influence on Curt. At least Darnell had the semblance of a family, but what happened to Curt was simply tragic. He thought for sure he was going to find Curt and Darnell sleeping together considering what they had in common.

 

Eddie, on the other hand, was a classic bad boy and he could see him leading Darnell down a dark street or two if he had become a permanent ward. Darnell was a good boy, but Tyson felt he could be easily led if left to his own devices.

 

When the boys settled in at the Miller residence, Tyson could not see Eddie leading Chase anywhere and he knew Chase would protect Logan like a wild beast. He couldn’t help but wonder how much fur would fly before Eddie came to realize he was never going to best a strong personality like Chase Miller.

 

The boys rose about an hour after Tyson left for the university. They had cereal for breakfast and worked together to complete the chores list. Eddie complained about having a bit of a hangover. Darnell said he felt good.

 

“Yeah, because you just had a little bit mixed up with your Coke,” Eddie said. “Did you even get a buzz?”

 

“I felt something. I mean I got a little dizzy.”

 

“That’s a buzz. But you have to get drunk to have a hangover, and I was drunk. It felt good. I wish I could thank Gil for the booze. I’m really sorry now that I poured it all out or I could’ve gotten totally wasted.” He thought for a moment and said, “But then you and me probably wouldn’t have messed around together.”

 

Tyson was going to come home from work after one o’clock. He said he would take the boys out to lunch and to a movie. The boys hopped into the shower a little after eleven-thirty. After showering Eddie decided there was one more thing he wanted to do with Darnell before he and Curt went back to Seattle. Darnell didn’t have a problem with his idea when Eddie broached it.

 

Eddie figured that since kissing a black boy was okay then sucking his dick must be too. After all, Curt liked it. The boys went back to Darnell’s bedroom and Eddie gave him a blow job. Having a black cock in his mouth was no different than having anybody else’s. He liked sucking Darnell way better than big hairy things a lot of the Johns had when he was working the streets. Darnell’s cock was a nice sized one for a twelve-year-old, but it was still a boy cock. Darnell then returned the favor while Curt left his mark on Darnell’s sheets one more time.

 

“As soon as you guys leave, I’m changing those suckers,” Darnell giggled.

 

That night, Curt slept with Darnell. They didn’t have sex but talked late into the night about what their mothers were like and how much they missed them. This time, instead of leaving cum on Darnell’s sheets Curt left the dampness of shed tears mixed with Darnell’s.

 

On Sunday, after returning home from Seattle, Darnell went to bed with his father. He shared the Thursday night talk he had with Curt about their moms. He didn’t cry, but he felt a deep sadness that cuddling with his father helped assuage.

 

Next: Happy Birthday, Logan