Dear readers: Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. And for those of you who were hoping for some kind of sex in the story.. Come on guys. Get real. The title should give you a clue along with the age of the characters. High School students, remember? So it will take at least four or five more chapters for them to get into college before any of the main characters actually get busy. The next chapter will be coming out before July. You have it in writing, so call me on it if I don't come through.
Disclaimer: This is a Fantasy story with Male to Male Sex (eventually) and Love relationships. If you are under eighteen years of age, then you should not be here. You have been warned.
Innocence on the Wind ~ Part 3 by dymondbolt
Sally closed her locker and saw Barry walking towards her. She frowned for only a second. He had done something like this only a few times before. When he had asked her to be his girl friend. Or when he was worried about something.
Sally smiled and said "You have five minutes, Mister." He had a weak grin on his face, just before he kissed her. She noticed the slightly troubled look as she said "Then you have to head to Football practice, or else the Coach will have me run laps for making you late."
Barry chuckled for a moment and said "You probably have more stamina then half the team."
Sally smiled at the Jock Compliment. She said "You can thank all that swimming I do, for my stamina." He wasn't keeping eye contact with her and that tipped her off to a problem he must be having, that was in some way related, to his abusive Father.
She gently pulled his head up as she said "OK, Babe. What's the matter? "
He kept his head up, but still looked at the ground, when he softly asked "Am I a Bully?" He looked into her eyes for a second but looked back down to the ground; afraid of what he might see in her eyes and heart.
The hand she used to hold his chin, flattened and held his cheek. His head leaned into her hand.
Sally said "I haven't seen you bully anyone yet. I have heard some rude rumors. But that's all I thought they were. I just considered who was talking and I never got worried. Besides, your best friend would tell you, if you started to pick on.." she paused "somebody smaller than you. Somebody like JT's new friend, Angelo?""
Barry just nodded his head yes before he pulled her into a hug. Her lips were close to his ear as she said "I don't fall in love with Bullies and I love you, Barry." He pulled back enough to look into her eyes. The love there told him a lot more than her words had just done.
Barry said " I love you Sal."
Sally smiled the second before he briefly kissed her. She giggled and said "Good. Because now you are going to have to apologize to three people."
Barry frowned but before he could ask her, she said "Angelo, JT and Coach Stevens, because you're late to practice."
The hallway was practically empty except for them. He had three or four minutes to get three quarters of the way across school to the "Men"s locker room. He said " Shit!" He grinned and said "Love you! " as he kissed her and ran for his last class of the day.
She called out "Love you! " as she walked over to her last class, Drama; which just happened to be right next to her locker. She sat down in her seat with about two minutes to spare.
Angelo was having a little heart to heart himself. With Coach Stevens. Angelo had changed in to his Gym clothes a bit early for sixth period PE class. Coach Seiver found him just tying his shoes and sent him over to Coach Stevens office. When he got to the door Coach Stevens said "Come in Wyeth. Have a seat. And don't worry. This isn't about the little shoving match you had with Barry and his little admirers. Coach Seiver told me about it and who started it. He plans on having a talk of his own with Barry. We can't have members of the same team fighting in the weight room, now can we?" It's good to be wanted. Angelo was still a bit angry with Barry, but the idea that he made it onto the Schools Football team, put a smile on Angelo's face. He said "Does that mean this is the official invitation for me to become the Teams Kicker?" Coach Stevens smiled and stood up and put out his hand. He said "Yes Son, it is. Congratulations. I saw what you could do the other day and I told Brad he was going to have to be happy with being second string this season. You have what this team needs. Power and consistency." By now most of the students were changed for PE or Football Practice. Coach Seiver was trying to hustle the players out as the PE class reported to Coach Wells. The bell rang and a minute later Barry pushed through the door to the lockers. Coach Seiver was still pissed at Barry and instead of taking time out to talk to him about the Weight room Fight, he decided to let Coach Stevens take care of it. Seiver said "You are late Mr Nagle. If you had been dressed and ready on time, I would have just reminded you to avoid fighting with your teammates. Particularly when they weigh fifty pounds less than you and still give you a..." He brushed Barry's hair away from the black eye that was starting to get some really neat colors. "Still give you a black eye." He said that a bit softer to lessen the blow. He didn't want his words to keep a feud going. The rest of the team had already gone out on the field with only a few stragglers. Seiver said "Underestimate the little guys at your own risk." Barry said "Yes Sir. I didn't really learn that lesson, until after lunch. I just now asked my girl Sally if she thought I was a bully. She told me no, but she wasn't there last night. I guess I owe a few people an apology." Seiver grinned and said " That would be good for a start. And not just to Angelo Wyeth. Josh Mednick was also being harassed by you and your two fellow Defensive linemen. I'm going to have a talk with them, while the rest of the team will be doing some drills. You also need to talk to Coach Stevens about your tardy. I won't record anything if I hear you've mended your ways and apologized to Wyeth, Mednick and Coach Stevens. But I also expect you and your two buddies to come up with a way to actually welcome Angelo Wyeth onto the team. He's talking to Coach Stevens right now. Why don't you take care of that before you change your clothes? " Barry nodded yes with a bit of a frown. He said " Thanks Coach, for giving me a second chance." Seiver said " Welcome. Now get going." Barry walked up to Coach Stevens Office just as Angelo was about to walk out. He had a team jersey in his arms with the rest of his team outfit. The name Wyeth was already on the back. Barry stopped just when Angelo did. Angelo didn't frown at Barry like he wanted to a minute ago. He had been thinking about being abused by his own father and how that made him feel. Barry said " You didn't deserve me picking on you these past few weeks. Or me picking a fight in the weight room. You were just being a friend to my best friend. How could that have been wrong. I'm not a Bully. JT and I hated Bullies when we were younger. I don't wanna be something I hate. I apologize for my behavior. I hope you can forgive me. I have a few people to apologize to. " He shook his head and said "I don't have any explanation for why I did it. I guess I was." Angelo cut in and said "Maybe I do. I haven't really spread this around. Tom and Brenda Wyeth adopted me just before School started this semester. I was homeless for about three months. I ran away from a foster home because the older Brother started talking about sexually abusing me. I didn't want to give him the chance. And the reason I was put in a foster home was because after years of hitting me when ever he felt like it, My father found out I was Gay and just up and left the next day, while I was in school. No note. No forwarding address, No phone number. He cleared out the fridge and the pantry. He left one bag of microwave popcorn. I come home to Nothing. I still had my things in my room. But nothing else. It was almost worse than the beatings. If I didn't pick up after his beer bottles. If I picked them up before he was finished. If he caught me sad or crying cause I missed my mom. If I breathed the wrong way. Mom died when I was eight and Dad just went down hill. It took a few years before he started to hit me and then beat me. It never lasted long enough to send me to the hospital. Or even get the teachers at school wondering. Just enough to make me hurt. Just enough to make me want to just disappear." Barry was almost in tears reliving some of the epic beatings his own father gave him. And those feelings that went along with the physical, verbal and mental abuse; his father was so good at dishing out. Barry's voice was a little shaky when he said " You know JT saved my life, Don't you?" Angelo nodded yes and said "Kyle and Jerry filled us in at lunch. I never knew your heart got kicked to shit, too" Barry had a sliver of a smile as he said "Good way of putting it. But if JT hadn't gotten in my dad's face when he was beating me, I'd of wound up in the emergency room on the way to the morgue. Dad thought I was his. He could get away with doing anything to me and still stay out of jail for it. He'd done it so many times. Convinced the ER doctor that I was just clumsy. Or convince the police that his current bitch of a girlfriend was the one who but bruises on my head and neck. But when JT got in the way of Dad's parenting skills, Dad got pissed. Then right after he broke JT's jaw, he realized that he couldn't keep JT's parents from getting the police to put his ass in jail and then prison. He back handed me as he stopped beating us and got some clothes together and took off in his truck. He almost made it out of the state. But his insurance papers that he refused to keep paying for gave the vehicle registration information to the cops when they showed up with the Paramedics. His deadbeat friend registered it in his name so Dad could keep on getting his speeding tickets, not pay them and still have a vehicle to drive. That was when I found out why Mom never took me with her. She knew Dad would come find me and hurt whoever was there with her. And my grandparents were both under a doctors care. She couldn't afford to have Dad near them, for fear they could wind up dead or in the hospital and Dad get away with out anyone blaming him. Mom and I saw that happen so many times. So that is why I called JT my hero. He was in every way. And if you two are going to be something to each other then I won't worry or be jealous. He deserves someone who cares about him and themselves so much that they won't take any shit from a bully, or be frightened away from becoming the Best Kicker this High School ever had." Barry's outstretched hand made it easier for Angelo to pull him into a hug. Angelo said " Thanks, Bro." Barry said " Thanks for forgiving me. Bro sounds good." JT said "Sounds goods to me, too." They found JT in his gear and watching from the lockers. He stood up straighter and looked at Coach Stevens. He said "What's your opinion on all of this Coach?" Coach Stevens said " Couldn't be happier." JT walked closer and stood right next to Angelo as he smiled at Barry. He turned to Coach Stevens and said " Even if your "Star" wide receiver and you brand new Kicker are going to be something together? I'm not going to lie about how I feel. We will try not to shove it in people's faces. But if anyone asks, I'm going to have to tell them the schools Wide Receiver is real interested in the schools Kicker." Angelo smiled even though his heart was beating a mile a minute. He stood up straighter and smiled at Barry and Coach. They both returned it. He said "Yeah, what he said." They all chuckled and Coach Stevens said "If you feel a need to tell the rest of the team, I would advise waiting until just after our first victory. Things go down easier after winning a game. And If it comes up before hand, and you feel a need to tell your private personal information about your relationship; then tell them that Coach Stevens cousin was in a Major league Baseball team for eight years before making enough and getting released after an injury. And if he can do that while being Gay and still getting along with his entire team, then I think this Little High School Football team better be able to get along with our Gay teammates." JT smiled and turned to Barry. Barry had a smile on his face and JT said "So what does the peanut gallery have to say." A voice in back of them said "You never dropped the soap in the showers before. Just don't start now. Other wise, I figure we're cool." The sound of about five guys laughing came from Kyle, Jerry, Coach Seiver and two other guys on the Football team. Barry pointed at Kyle and said " Yeah, what he said." That got them laughing a little more and the rest of the people in the room joined in. Kyle said "I never knew you had a cousin that played professional baseball coach. Is it just because our baseball team sucks and you don't want to be embarrassed telling him they were in third to last place last year?" Coach Stevens said "He'd rather hear how my men got the team into the playoffs the past two years. And when I tried to bet him you guys are going to make it three times in a row, he wouldn't take it. He says you can't bet against a winning team." Kyle said "Third time's the charm. We'll win the State Finals this year Coach." Jerry said "We'll make ya proud Coach." Coach Stevens and Coach Seiver had the biggest grins plastered across their faces. Coach Stevens said "You guys always do." Coach Seiver said "OK guys. Back to practice. And Wyeth. I see you have the right clothes for the game. Put them on and run two laps around the track. Then report to me. I missed your little demonstration last week. We'll see what happens with the right team gear and the proper shoes." JT said "Isn't there a little leeway with the kind of shoes a kicker has to wear?" Coach Stevens answered with "You are correct. But I doubt Wyeth here wants to kick with his bare foot. We'll try the regular issue shoe with the cleats first and go from there." Angelo said "Which means I should go and get dressed double time. Then I'll report to Coach Seiver after my laps. Thanks again, Coach Stevens." Coach Stevens said "You're welcome, Wyeth. And thank you. I figure you're improving the team." That got Angelo walking away with a stellar smile on his face. JT left Angelo with a pat on the back, at his locker. He said " See ya out there, Buddy." Angelo said to JT's back "Thanks, JT. For encouraging me. For being My best friend." JT had turned back and blushed a bit when Angelo said best friend. He smiled and hooked a thumb towards Coach Stevens office. He said "Yeah, what he said." His smile was matched by Angelo's as he left the locker room and Angelo hurried to get dressed. The End ~ Part 3 So what do ya think? Give me some feedback. And thanks for reading my story.