FLIP TRIP

After swimming Jeff asks if he can take a shower with Sean. Startled, he firmly replies, “Of course not!”

“Oh, come on!” Jeff pleads.

Jeff’s radiant eyes melt his heart. Realizing he wants to too, “No one can know. Can you keep a secret?”

“What’s the big deal? But, yeah I can keep a tight lid on it.”

Having second thoughts, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah! Now get your bizatch moving,” tough words said in a caring tone.

Taking off his bikini in front of Jeff in his bathroom seemed so different from shedding his clothes at Black’s Beach. It felt so natural there, but so clandestine here. Jeff senses his troubled mind so he hugs Sean and finds words that soothe his soul. In the shower they talk cheerfully. To Sean’s surprise, Jeff makes no effort to touch him or to be touched. He feels relieved, yet disappointed.

After drying himself, Sean lays down on his bed, pondering these events. He almost didn’t realize that Jeff snuggled up next to him. Breaking out of his trance he wryly says, “What are you doing in my bed, Mister? And naked, no less.”

Cleverly, “Anything you want me to.”

“Well, now you’re fishing for love. In the shower you made no effort.”

“No. You didn’t look ready.”

“How can this ten-year old be so sensitive to my needs?” Sean wonders in amazement. He turns toward Jeff, embraces him and kisses him on the cheek.

“Wow! You never did that before, Sean.”

Worried, “Was it OK?”

“OK? No way! Absolutely precious. Thank you.” With these words he climbs on Sean’s stomach, then slowly moves to kiss him on his right cheek, then left cheek, back and forth. As he does so, Sean places his hands on Jeff’s buttocks, then gently massages them.

“This is heaven,” they say simultaneously, then laugh at the coincident.

“Hey, I never squeezed your buns ever.” Jeff spins around like he was stuck to Sean’s stomach, reaches around each hip to his tush. He lies down, resting his head on Sean’s thighs with his chin against his jewels. They squeeze each other’s butt in harmony.

When Jeff gets up he starts chitchatting with Sean’s penis, flapping it around as if he’s being answered. This totally amazes Sean—such spontaneity. He manages to slide his hand in to cup Jeff’s boyhood. But soon Jeff turns again, moving up to straddle Sean’s face: “Now you talk to Junior.”

Laughing uncomfortably, “I don’t know how.”

“Come on now,” flapping his penis against Sean’s nose. Sean turns his head, so Jeff rests his jewels on his cheek.

Abruptly, “Watch out! I might bite them off!”

Jeff jumps off him, almost in tears, “You scared me!”

“That’s a first,” Sean responds as he moves gently to massage Jeff’s jewels.

“Thanks, Sean. That makes me feel a ton better.” They continue to cuddle without thought of time. Their love for each other deepens by the moment. Then the doorbell rings, snapping them back to this universe. Sean quickly gets dressed, instructing Jeff to do the same, and to act like he had just taken a nap, which should come natural at the moment.

Sean answers the door to the beckoning eyes of Rachel. Fortunately he realized it probably would be her when he opened the door. By the time they catch up to Jeff, he had played several computer games. No one had to explain anything. In fact, she praised Sean for his amazing influence in Jeff’s life—less back talk, better grades at school, more friendly, he’s just been so much happier.

16

BREATHE OR SEETHE

“Hi Alex. So you’re the first one here for the game.”

Abruptly, “OK, coach. What’s going on between you and Jeff?”

Startled, but quick to think, “What’s wrong with Jeff?”

Enviously, “Nothing! What’s going on between you and Jeff?”

Gently, “Maybe you better tell me. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Hi Sean. Hi Alex,” arriving teammates say, ending this awkward moment.

Sean goes out of his way to praise Fred and Rick without mentioning their special support for Jeff. They read between the lines, understanding Sean won’t directly approve of their tactics. Sean sees that Jeff had relayed his appreciation effectively. He also senses a bond forming between Fred and himself, which feels especially gratifying.

Sean sees the guy that was staring at Jeff. Privately he points him out to Jeff. “Oh. That’s Fred’s father.”

“No! No way!”

“Yes way.”

“Knowing Fred, I bet his father doesn’t even know he’s staring, and would get real upset and nasty if someone suggested he was.”

“That’s simple. If I catch him looking, I’ll kindly ask him what he’s looking at.”

“You’re brilliant, Jeff!”

In less than ten minutes Jeff executes his brilliance. Totally flustered, Fred’s dad just walks away. But he becomes plagued by that innocent question. Five minutes later he catches himself staring at Jeff’s crotch. This horrifies him. Hastily he leaves the ballfield to his car. He wants to disappear off the face of the earth, but realizes he can’t leave his son. After half an hour he regains his composure and returns to the field.

It looks like the Cubs have met their match. The Padres have a pitcher with a blazing fastball. He pitches three perfect innings, striking out seven. Fortunately there is a three-inning limit. So down 3-0 the Cubs need to launch a comeback. Sean sees confidence waning and calls a team meeting. “Do you want to win?”

Players struggle to say, “Yeah.”

“So far the Padres have been beating us. But now it looks like we are gonna beat ourselves, like others teams have folded to us. As Yogi Berra informed, ‘Ninety percent of the game is half mental.’ People give up because it then doesn’t hurt as much to lose. I hope we can play our hearts out and take a chance that we may lose when we’re at our best. If we play our hearts out and win, that victory will be oh so sweet! What do you say?”

“Let’s do it,” started as a somber response, but turned into a wild chant! Everyone gives each other a high five or chest bump. Apparently this psyches out the new Padres pitcher, who walks the eight and nine batters. Jeff gets up. He pulls back his bunt for ball one. Now the fielders move in for a bunt. Ball two bounces to the side of the catcher. Both runners run. The catcher quickly scurries to the ball, throws to third. The third baseman can’t catch the ball because he’s just getting to the base. The ball goes into the outfield. One runner scores; the other reaches third standing. Seemingly afraid to pitch, ball three is thrown, then ball four. Jeff runs to first and continues full speed to second, daring them to play him at the risk of allowing a run to score. No one was ready for this and Jeff reaches second without a throw. Fielders are seething at each other. The Padres make a pitching change.

The first pitch is a change up. Jose swings before the pitch reaches home. Pitch two is a fastball. Jose swings when the ball is in the catcher’s mitt. Sean sees that Jose is flustered, “No big deal, Jose. Just protect the plate now.” Sean is happy to see Jose get focused well. Pitch three looks a little outside. Jose sticks the bat out, hitting a slow roller too first. Quickly out of the batters box he hightails it too first. The first baseman fields the ball and lunges to tag Jose as he runs by. The umpire calls, “Safe!”

Jeff now is the tying run at third, still no outs. Even though the catcher catches the first pitch to Michael, Jose starts for second. Not daring to throw to second, the catcher fires back to the pitcher. The pitcher fakes to second and fires to third. Jeff dives back into third. The call, “Out!”

Jeff can’t believe they outwitted him. He hangs his head down as he walks back to the dugout. “I’m sorry Sean.”

“What for? You didn’t make any mental mistake. You were ready to score. You took a smart risk that just didn’t work out. You did good. This time they did better, that’s all.”

“Thanks Sean.”

Fred’s father keeps his cool as he realizes how mesmerizing it is to him seeing Jeff’s penis moving around in his uniform as he walks. He refuses to make a link between this and the arousal he experiences.

Michael slashes the 2-2 pitch up the middle, a single and an RBI. Tie score. Karim guesses fast ball on the first pitch, it’s a juicy one, he uppercuts, pulling it deep. The left fielder races to the fence, then watches the ball go over. The two-run homer gives them a 5-3 lead with all five runs in the fourth inning. Karim returns to the mound in the fifth like he was on a mission. One, two, three on nine pitches. He strikes out the side. Solid in the sixth, Karim preserves the 5-3 lead for another victory.

On the way to Sean’s car, Jeff catches Fred’s father staring again, “Why are you looking at me?”

Thankful that Jeff kept it vague in Fred’s presence, “Oh, I just wanted to say you didn’t deserve to be tagged out on that play.” Jeff thanks him, leaving the issue alone. Fred’s surprised that his dad is kind to a sweet boy. Now he feels better about defending Jeff against Paul last week.