Second Chance, Chapter 13
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This story contains descriptions of love and sexual fulfillment between people of the same gender. If possessing or reading this kind of material is illegal where you live, please leave this site at once.
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Chapter 13
On Saturday, Josh and Eric left on their camping trip to a lake that was not too distant. No motorized craft was allowed on it, so it was quiet and not crowded. It appeared that most weekend tourists were interested in playing on water skis or jet skis. The fishing on this lake wasn't spectacular either. Therefore, only those who were ardent about exploring by canoe or kayak used it.
The tent that they had was rather small, but neither boy minded that because they'd be sharing a sleeping bag anyway. Scott and Ben had taken the matching bags that could be zipped together, so the boys went shopping for another pair with matching zippers. They were sure that they'd get plenty of use out of them.
With kayaks, bags, tent, and cooler, the boys left around 10:00 in Josh's pickup. They called their dads on the way in order to let them know where they'd be. They had also left a copy of their itinerary with Blake.
As Josh had predicted, the lake was deserted when they arrived. Eric wasn't sure that he liked being in an uninhabited area without their fathers along. It made him feel vulnerable. He was relieved when he saw a middle aged couple putting their canoe in. From the amount of equipment they were carrying, it was evident that they'd be camping out too.
With their gear more or less equally distributed in the small cargo spaces of the kayaks, the boys set out to find a suitable site to set up their tent for a few days. There were several islands from which to choose. The larger one had several signs of old campfires and a bunch of empty beer cans. It looked like it might be a place where people came to party. That probably wouldn't be the place to be on a Saturday night if they wanted peace and quiet.
Eventually, they discovered a good place on the opposite shore which had trees and quite a bit of ground cover. It seemed relatively unmolested, suggesting that no one was likely to bother them there. So the boys set up their tent and gathered rocks to create a fire ring.
"Dad and I usually strip down to our underwear when we're this isolated. I'll bet our dads are going naked without us," Josh said.
"Do we dare?" Eric grinned.
"I'm game." Josh giggled.
"You may be game, but are you in season?" Eric snickered.
"You'll find out later." Josh said licking his lips sensuously.
After shedding their clothes, the boys sprayed each other with bug repellant to keep away the mosquitoes. Then they lay on towels to sun for a few minutes before eating lunch.
Josh had brought along paper and charcoal in a sealable plastic bag. He had Eric sit on a towel while he drew him. Using areas of light and shade and sparse lines, Josh created a convincing three-dimensional image of a young nude male against the suggestion of woods. He kept the facial features rather generic so that no one could identify his model (although they might guess).
After he was finished, he and Eric dressed in swim trunks and their life vest and got into their kayaks to go explore other parts of the shoreline as well as a few smaller islands. They stopped again at the large island before ending their excursion. It was there that they met two college age guys who were unloading a keg and bags of ice.
"We're having a party tonight. Are you interested in joining us?" The shorter of the two asked. "For $10 you can chug your fill of beer and for another $15, you can smoke a couple of bowls. There'll be lots of girls and they're all free!" he snickered.
"You won't want us; we're under the legal age," Josh responded.
"Hell, half of the guys who'll be here are too, and pot isn't exactly lawful for any of us."
"Thanks for the invitation," Eric said. "If we do decide to come, what do most people wear?"
"As little as possible!" the taller guy answered. "That way you'll have less to take off when you want to get laid!"
Josh and Eric bid the other guys goodbye and went back to their camp by a circuitous route. Eric didn't want the college guys to know exactly where they were staying in case one of them got drunk and decided to raid their camp. Having lived in the Chicago area, he tended to be a bit suspicious of strangers. The boys discussed the party invitation on the way.
"It sounds kind of exciting, but scary." Josh said.
"Yeah, it might be fun to have a beer or two with a bunch of people, but I don't want to be pressured into getting laid and I'm worried that there might be more serious stuff than pot. Have you ever smoked it?"
"NO, have you?"
"Yeah, I tried it at a party last year. We almost got caught and I'd have been kicked off the swim team if I had been. Mom would have been pissed, but I know for a fact that she and Antonio have used it because I smelled it in the house once after I got home for an away meet."
"Did you like the feeling?" asked Josh trying to steer the conversation back to the main subject.
"Not really. It made me hungry and just kind of stupid."
"Stupid?"
"Yeah, it's like I thought I'd feel like I was flying or something, but I was just clumsy and not in control. That's mostly why I didn't do it again. The other thing was that I didn't want to end up like my mother. She seems bent on escaping reality. I don't get it. She's rich and successful, but she's not happy. Anyway, we can go tonight if you really want to. I'll stay sober to steer us home."
"No, you've convinced me. I don't want to take a chance on getting addicted to anything other than you," Josh grinned. "Besides, if there'll be girls there wanting to get laid, they'd probably try to carry you back into the underbrush and have their way with you. I couldn't bear to watch that!"
Back at their campsite, the boys took a short nap naked in the sun before beginning dinner preparations. They had brought fishing equipment just in case they got lucky, but managed to catch only a couple of bullheads which Josh said would probably taste like the bottom of the lake, so they let them go.
Dinner consisted of grilled pork chops, fried potatoes, and sliced homegrown tomatoes. It tasted fine. They drank a soda apiece along with it.
Later in the evening, when the air cooled off a bit and the campfire was dying down, the boys decided to crawl into their combined sleeping bags to cuddle. Cuddling turned into making out and making out turned into making love. Both smelled slightly of wood smoke, but that wasn't a deterrent. If anything, it was a turn-on – that and the aroma of fresh ball sweat.
As they lay together in post-orgasmic bliss, they could hear the clamor of revelers on the big island. It sounded like the party was in full swing. There was laughter accompanied by shouts and occasional singing. Suddenly there were several loud noises that sounded like fireworks or gunshots. That was followed by screams and chaos.
Josh and Eric threw on their shorts and headed outside to see what was going on. While they stood on shore wondering what, if anything, they should do, a light shined their way from a canoe.
"We called the authorities," the lady in the canoe told them. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm sure it's not all on the up and up. We're camped about a quarter of a mile from you and came to check if you were okay."
When the boys saw them at close range, they recognized them as the couple they'd seen earlier in the day. It was somehow comforting to have a couple of adults around.
"We're fine," Eric said, speaking for both of them. "Did that sound like shots or firecrackers to you?"
"Those were shots," the man said with conviction. "I'm retired from the military and I've had a lot of experience with munitions."
Within a few minutes, there were sounds of motorized craft heading for the island. The man said that it was probably DNR boats with deputies aboard.
Josh was positive that he would not be sleeping anytime soon and doubted that the rest would either. He dug out sweatshirts for Eric and him and stirred up the dying campfire, adding more sticks and logs.
"Excuse me for not introducing myself. I'm Josh and this is my buddy, Eric."
"I'm Max Boyson and this is Marian, my wife of 26 years. It's good to meet you boys. We're the ones who should apologize for our manners."
"Please come and sit by the fire with us," Josh continued. "I have a bag of popcorn and this popper that Dad and I often use. I'll make us all a snack."
"Well, thank you, young man," Marian enthused. "It's great to see that manners are not lacking in your generation."
Josh managed to pop the corn without singeing it for the most part. He put it into the large kettle that they'd used as a dishpan and Eric melted a bit of margarine in a small pan to drizzle over it. They offered bowls and the salt shaker so that everyone could season their own.
Josh pulled out their last four sodas and offered them around. Marian and Max said that they'd split one, so Eric and Josh did the same. That way, they'd still have two left to drink later.
The couple and the boys sat eating their popcorn and doing their best to survey what was happening on the island. It looked as if the motorboats were making several trips back and forth to the other shore. Then a chopper landed briefly on the edge of the island and left within about 10 minutes.
"That's an air ambulance," Max informed the rest. "I think that someone is seriously hurt if they're being airlifted. It's a good thing that you boys camped over here where it's safe."
"Josh and I saw all the trash and beer cans this morning and figured it was a party place. We're here to enjoy nature, not get drunk."
After the commotion on the island ceased and quiet was restored to the lake area, Max and Marian took their leave.
"Thank you for your hospitality," Max said. "We may see you tomorrow. If not, have a good rest of the weekend.
Eric and Josh crawled back into their tent, stripped, and went back to snuggling again. Sleep was not long in coming.
It was nearly 9:00 a.m. when the boys climbed out to meet the day. They had barely washed up and were struggling into their shorts when a canoe came into sight.
"Good morning, Josh and Eric," Max called cheerily from the back of his canoe. "I paddled over to invite you for breakfast. We have plenty of pancake mix, sausages, and eggs. Marian won't take `no' for an answer!"
The boys donned their life-vests and climbed into their kayaks to follow him. It was a beautiful, peaceful morning on the lake. Last night's bedlam on the island seemed like a long-past dream.
Marian turned out to be a great camp cook. Everything was done to perfection without being undercooked or scorched. She kept insisting that the boys eat their fill. Only when they showed signs of slowing down did she sit down to eat.
"We got a return call on Max's cell this morning," Marian told the boys. "The sheriff thanked him for alerting them and said he wanted us to know that Max's call may have saved a young man's life."
"Oh, Marian, I think he was exaggerating," Max demurred. "One of those kids would have called for help."
"Not that quickly!" she insisted. "They were all more concerned about hiding their drugs than getting that boy to the hospital. According to the sheriff, he could have bled to death by then!"
Max shrugged trying to avoid the role of hero that his wife was pushing on him.
"We were invited to that party," Josh admitted quietly.
"We were tempted to go," Eric added. "But we were afraid that there'd be drugs."
"You were smart." Marian smiled. "Your parents should be proud of you."
The boys smiled back, not knowing what else to do. Their offer to help clean up was gently refused, and it wasn't too much longer before they we headed back to their campsite.
Eric wanted to write about their trip up to that point while the details were still fresh in his mind. He had begun to keep a journal of daily events to help him in his writing shortly after their trip to the Boundary Waters. Last night's incident might someday become part of a story just as his first camping experience was destined to.
While he did that, Josh sketched him sitting on a log bent over his diary. He didn't ask Eric to pose nude because he wasn't sure if they'd have a surprise visit from the Boyson's.
An hour later, Eric was satisfied that he'd recorded everything that he wanted to, and Josh was getting antsy to go visit the big island. So the boys paddled over. There were several areas marked off by yellow crime-scene tape and they were met on the shore by an officer who told them that it was off limits for at least the day.
"There was a shooting here last night and the state crime lab people will be here around noon to gather evidence. A young man was shot, but is in stable condition."
"We heard the shots," Josh said.
"You did? Do you remember how many?"
"I think it was four or five," he answered. "I know there were more than two. Weren't there, Eric?"
"Yes, because I thought at first it might have been firecrackers. I'll bet Max would have a better idea."
"Is that the man who called for help?"
"Yes. Did anyone ask him?"
"I'm not sure, but I assume they will if they haven't."
The boys wanted to stay to watch the lab people work, but of course were not allowed to; so they went back to their camp to get their fishing poles to try their luck again from one of the small islands.
A DNR boat came by with two officers who asked them where Max was camped. They left as soon as the boys gave directions.
Fishing was even poorer than it had been yesterday, so they went back to camp empty handed.
Around 4:30, Max and Marian waved to the boys as they paddled by with their gear loaded in their canoe. They were headed back to the city because they had to work the next day.
Josh and Eric shed the rest of their clothes the minute the Boyson's were out of sight. They were going to tan for a while. If they couldn't catch any fish, they might as well catch a few rays.
Their evening meal was mainly canned stew and bread, but it wasn't too bad when combined with the other things they'd brought. They split a soda so that they'd have one left for the next day.
While it was still warm out, they bathed in the lake to wash away the smell of sweat and wood smoke. Their bath time turned into horsing around in the water trying to dunk each other. As their boisterous activities wound down, they embraced and kissed in the waist-deep water. Although they were experiencing a bit of shrinkage, they enjoyed the full-body contact.
"Oh God I love you!" Josh panted.
"Me too, but do you think we're having too much sex too young?"
"Why do you say that?"
"I was reading something on the Internet that said it's not healthy for kids to have sex all the time."
"Did you check who wrote it?" Josh enquired.
"No, not really; he was a psychologist."
"Who's to say that he isn't some religious nut with an ax to grind? Was the article about guys and girls or same-sex relationships? How young was he talking about?"
"Boys and girls, as I recall and I guess it was, like, 12 and 13 year olds maybe."
"Okay Eric, look at it this way. If you were by yourself, would you jack off every day?"
"Yeah, usually, sometimes more," he admitted.
"Then why does it matter whose hands, or lips, are getting you off? We're simply giving each other help. And personally, I think it's a lot more fun this way. Besides, we're 16."
"Alright, you've convinced me! Let's get in the tent and give each other a hand before the mosquitoes bite our dicks off."
Josh didn't need a second invitation. He led the way, practically dragging his boyfriend with him. Eric's plan to give each other a hand turned into giving each other head. Both were already aroused from playing around in the water and they reached orgasm rapidly.
They cuddled and kissed for several minutes as they came down from their shared sexual high. They gazed through the screen window at the countless stars that were visible in this area away from city lights.
In the next state to the east, Scott and Ben were observing the same heavenly bodies from their campsite. They too had made love. The main differences were that they had taken turns copulating and had spent two or three times as long doing it.
"This is awesome," Scott sighed. "It's like when we were roommates. It's almost like it never ended."
"It hasn't ended! There was a hiatus, but not a finale. We took a different road, a detour, but we're lucky enough to get another chance to find happiness together. I really did care for Erin. I was never unfaithful to her with another woman or a man, but I realized soon after we were married that I wasn't complete without you."
"At least you had someone who cared for you in return. Tina pursued me, but I'm not sure why."
"I do! Who could resist a stud like you?"
The men spooned together as the air cooled. Soon they were sleeping contentedly just like their sons were.
Author's notes: Thanks to all who contacted me since last posting. Those include: Jim C, Jim We, Paul R, Paul L, Gary Mc, John Mc (PLUG), Mark H, Ken, Baruch, and Vann. I appreciate all of my readers!
Sometimes I forget to thank my editors. Please understand that I appreciate them immensely!
The California Supreme Court is taking up the issue of the constitutionality of the new law that prohibits same-sex marriage. Let's hope and pray that it gets overturned!
David