Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 46 By David Lee
Warning: This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction. Much of this involves males with other males. If the reading or possessing of such material as this is illegal in your country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so. It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble.
The author retains all rights to this original story. Please do not publish without explicit authorization from me.
Disclaimer: This story is completely fictional. Most of the places mentioned, and none of the characters exist in real life. Some may possess physical or personality characteristics of people I know or have known. But if you see yourself in this story, your imagination is better than mine!
"Tales from Bentonville" is a romantic story centering on the lives of high school kids. Lovers of other ages may appear, but not normally in a cross-generational sense. References to sex with under-age kids may be made for the sake of the story line. However, I feel that child molestation is a crime and should not be glorified or tolerated.
This is my fifth attempt at writing fiction. My other stories on Nifty include: "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004) under High School, "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 23, 2004) under Camping, and "Jacob and Jacques" (May 30, 2004) under High School. Some characters from previous stories may have cameo roles in this one. However, you need not read them first.
Our only reward for contributing to Nifty is your e-mails. Please write if you like the story. Please include the name of the story in the title of your e-mail. I get a lot of spam!
Finally, thanks and hugs to Tim and Tom who edit for me so that there are fewer mistakes!
dlee169@hotmail.com
Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 46
The rest of the weekend passed quickly for the boys at Camelot. Time was divided among skiing, playing on the jet skis, and lying naked in the sun. Dane made sure that there was always plenty of sun-screen around to prevent serious sunburn. He didn't want to have anyone end up with a crispy dick from it! Trent was the least tan of anyone in the beginning, but was rapidly catching up. Of course, everyone had some gradation of color because of having to wear suits when they were on the skis, but no one had any sharp tan lines.
On Monday, it was back to the old grind. Greta came back to the cottage to relax by herself while Dane and Colt worked for DJ. Ellen tried to do the cooking, but they pitched in with the chores so that she wouldn't be overwhelmed.
"Wow, it's great to have domestic help!" she exclaimed after dinner one night as she watched the boys cleaning up her kitchen.
"Hey, I do my part." DJ responded with a pout.
He tried to maintain a hurt look, but his grinning won over letting her know that he wasn't insulted.
"I know you do, dear," she said. "But you work long, hard hours and I know that you are as tired as I am most days. I really appreciate having a couple of willing helpers."
The boys beamed at this expression of appreciation. Her compliments were bound to make them help even more.
In the middle of the week, Dane found a message on Greta's answering machine from the sheriff. He wanted to meet with the boys briefly that evening at the station. Dane wondered what this could be about. He and Colt drove over shortly after dinner.
When they got to the station, they were ushered into a small meeting room by the secretary from the front desk. In the room, they were greeted by John who had also been summoned and was a bit nervous about what might be going on.
"I guess if you guys are here, I'm not in trouble. I'm always frightened that someone will tell Larkin that I'm breaking the terms of my probation or something," he sighed. "I'm not, but I'm paranoid about what could happen."
"Wow, that's got to be scary," Colt empathized. "I never think about that with you because you've turned into a nice guy."
John smiled and relaxed a bit. Moments later, Allen and Alicia entered the room followed by Sheriff Larkin. Seeing who was there, John began to figure out what it was all about even before the sheriff spoke.
"No doubt you are wondering why I called you all here," the sheriff began with a grin that let them know he was purposely borrowing a line from some old movie. "This has to do with the heroism that each of you showed in the face of grave danger this spring. The town counsel has met and the members want to have a ceremony on Sunday afternoon to honor you. I want to make sure that you are available. I've already talked to your families. They were sworn to secrecy until I could meet with you. They have assured me that you can be at the courthouse for a brief ceremony."
The five young people blushed in unison over the prospect of being honored in front of a group of people.
"We're not really heroes," Dane said. "I mean, other than Alicia. What she did was awesome!"
The other guys nodded their heads while Alicia blushed to a deeper shade of crimson.
"Well, the city fathers don't see it that way," the sheriff continued. "They know that this little lady was great, but they also know that the four of you were willing to put your own safety and welfare on the line for your peers. I know that John nearly took a bullet. The powers-that-be are going to honor you whether you like it or not! There will be something on the news about it tonight at 10:00. That is why I had to break it to you now. We were planning to have it be a surprise, but some reporter from Cosgrove got wind of it and so that's how it goes."
After a few more minutes giving details and suggestions about showing up in dress-causal clothes, the sheriff sent them on their way. Allen offered to buy cokes for everyone so that they could talk some more. All were feeling a little overwhelmed, but were excited and proud at the same time. They were happy to have the chance to be together.
When they got to Pizza Hut, they were welcomed by Joel and Alex who were holding some tables that they'd pushed together. It was a fun time. Alicia seemed to fit right in even though she was the only girl. Having grown up with two older brothers, she could mix with guys easily.
The next few days were busy ones. The weather had turned hot, so Dane and Colt were working in the basement at DJ's house. The attic had been fitted with a duct for heat and air-conditioning, but the damper was shut because DJ didn't want to spend the money on cooling it unless it was being used as living space. Besides, if it were open, there was more chance of spreading dust from the sanding of the seam-filler.
There was plenty to do in the basement and DJ helped the boys with erecting the walls of studs that they had put together on the floor. He had left them pretty detailed specs, and was pleased that they could produce the components in an accurate manner. There was very little adjustment to be made and that was mostly because of the variances that occur in older homes.
By Friday night, the drywall was attached and some of the joints filled.
DJ declared that Saturday was to be an official day of play. The Johnson family joined Greta at Camelot for some time in the water. Joel had left one of the jet skis for the family to use. Dane acted as instructor for his dad before he let him pilot it solo. DJ didn't have the heart to tell his son that he already knew how to operate one.
The day that Cory and Dan returned from the basketball clinic, they used Nancy's car to take Jamie out to a quiet place by the river where they broke the news to him about their orientations and their relationship.
"So, what's the news," he asked after his brother had come out. "I've heard you guys moaning in the next room. The walls in our house aren't exactly thick and neither am I. I knew that you were getting some pretty good sex in there. I'm not a baby, you know!"
"You're okay with it?" Cory asked in relief.
"Yeah, I'm not concerned about what you do together. I like Dan a lot. If I were gay, I'd give you a run for your money," he grinned cheekily at his bro. "I'll probably get some shit from other guys if you come out at school, but I'm okay with it."
"How could this all be so easy?" Cory asked to everyone in general, but mostly to himself. "This kind of thing only happens in storybooks. It's like this can't really be happening."
"So, `happy ever after' might be a cliche, but sometimes it must be true or people wouldn't say it." Dan ventured as he nibbled on Cory's ear.
Cory pulled Dan's face around and began to kiss him deeply.
"Damn," Jamie swore. "I suppose you two are going to go at it like rabbits out here and I'm going to have to watch because it's too far to walk home!"
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Cory retorted.
"Yeah, it might be kind of hot!" Jamie continued. "I could jerk off. We could probably all use some relief."
"You are a little pervert!" Cory laughed. "Do you jerk off a lot?
"Only about twice a day," Jamie snickered.
"Well, you can keep it in your pants because we aren't going to put on a show for you today," Cory admonished him.
"So, does that mean you will someday?" Jamie shot back.
Cory grabbed his younger brother and held him while Dan tickled the boy mercilessly. Jamie's laughter let them know that he wasn't really upset with them for doing it. The bulge that grew larger in his shorts proved that he found the contact stimulating.
When the five honorees met with Sheriff Larkin in the judges' chambers before the ceremony, they were surprised to see that the large courtroom was nearly half full already. By the time the event began, it was packed. Every kid from school must have been there. There were crews from two TV stations and it looked like half of the adult population of Bentonville was in attendance too.
The room stirred memories in the minds of several who were assembled. This was the place where Joel's father had been backed off. It was here that Dane and Colt had to give testimony against Robert Crider, Colt's stepfather. John had found out his fate within these walls. Dan had gained his independence from his parents inside this building.
Colton began to cry for joy when he saw his mother and Dwayne seated by his father and Roger. They had traveled many miles in a short space of time to surprise him on this special day. Damn! He was going to have to learn how to control the waterworks! But he smiled from ear to ear as the salty drips fell on his shirt. He giggled inside as he told himself that crying was "so gay."
After calling for order, the sheriff turned to Miss Beale who was the Organist at one of the churches. She proceeded to pound out the introduction to the National Anthem on an old, slightly out of tune, piano. All rose and sang.
The mayor got up and gave some rather long-winded comments about bravery and responsibility and how different Bentonville students were in contrast to those from places like California where kids were on drugs and going to hell in a hand-car. It was enough to cause eye-rolling among nearly everyone in the room.
Mr. Haggerty, the high school principal, gave some brief remarks about the fact that these teenagers had helped to prevent another "Columbine Massacre" because of their bravery.
"Their cool-headedness in the face of danger is something that each of us could envy. I wonder how many adults would have been able to do what they did."
Soon, he turned the meeting back over to the sheriff who asked the five young people to stand facing the audience. He presented them each with a medal for bravery and a check for $5,000. Their eyes bugged out. They had no idea that anyone was giving them a reward. The crowd stood and applauded for at least five minutes. This was accompanied by whistles and shouts.
The five shook their heads in disbelief. As soon as he could restore order, the sheriff announced that everyone should adjourn to the courthouse lawn where there would be ice cream and lemonade for all.
Their families and friends hugged and congratulated the teens. In John's case, it was Darrin, Dan, Cory, and Miss Charlotte. Everyone was telling them how awesome they were and how much they deserved the recognition.
People wondered where the city counsel had come up with that kind of money. It was said that a couple of wealthy, anonymous donors had come up with the funds after someone thought that medals weren't enough to show the town's appreciation.
Behind the scenes, Miss Charlotte and Rhys Masterson had pooled their ideas and resources to make it happen. They had accepted contributions from a few other people who wanted to be a part of it. Of course, they would never tell because they didn't want the spotlight on them.
The spotlight was, of course, on the honorees. It was nearly impossible for them to get a mouthful of ice cream because of all the people who wanted to shake their hands. The TV reporters wanted comments from each of them, so that took even more time. The teens could empathize with celebrities who complained about the paparazzi. Imagine having to put up with this every time you left your house!
Eventually, they did get to eat a bit in peace and quiet because their families formed a kind of circle around them to protect them from the crowd.
As soon as they could make a graceful exit, Colton and his extended family went to DJ and Ellen's house to continue celebrating as a family.
"What are you guys going to do with your new-found wealth?" Roger asked the boys.
"I think we're going to put it into a savings account," Colt answered. "We know that college is going to cost a lot and we don't want to have to pay off school loans for the rest of our lives."
The adults all thought that the boys were wise to save the bulk of the windfall, but they also encouraged them to use some of it for fun things. Greta knew that she was planning to fund a lot of their college expenses and guessed that their fathers were also.
At the Albers' house, the celebration continued with the Masterson's being invited to a barbeque. Lori mixed drinks for the adults while her husband started the grill.
The younger crowd put on swimsuits and gathered in the hot tub. Joel felt great when Alicia came up and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. It was the first time she had really been comfortable about being demonstrative since that night, when in her jealousy, she had threatened to out her brother and him to the whole school. She was acting like a friend and a sister. Joel had always felt comfortable confiding things to girls. He missed the connection that he had enjoyed in his old school. Perhaps it was possible to have it again.
Upon being pressed by Allen and Alicia, Alex and Joel admitted that they had asked Mr. Haggerty to find a way to publicly honor the students who had saved their lives.
"You know that Derek was ready to kill any `fag' in the room. And we were the main ones he was after," Joel said. "We were essentially trapped at the table. If all of you guys hadn't acted, we'd probably have been dead - or badly wounded at the very least.
At Miss Charlotte's house, there was a celebration too. Nancy Fordham and her two sons were invited, of course. Cory wanted to be there with Dan to honor John. Jamie wanted to be there too.
It was a celebration done in high style in the tradition of Charlotte and Emma. They had put out the sterling silver and best china. A standing rib roast had been slowly cooking to perfection all afternoon. The vegetables and wine that accompanied the meal were perfect for the occasion. It was a feast fit for a king. John felt love in every bite and sip.
Later that night, Darrin gave John his own special gift. The young men took a long shower together before going to their room. They lathered each other thoroughly, not missing a crack or cranny. By the time they were drying off, their erections were standing proud.
Darrin dropped to his knees taking about ¾ of John's manhood into his mouth.
John moaned his appreciation as he ran his hands through Darrin's damp hair.
"Oh, that's so good, man. You know how to please me."
With that encouragement, Darrin took John's cock deeper. He fought the gag reflex as he tried to swallow the whole thing. John was shaking with excitement.
"Suck my `nads, please," he whispered.
Darrin not only complied with his request, but licked behind them stimulating John's perineum. His tongue ventured "south" ever closer to John's rectal orifice.
As John's whimpering increased, Darrin could sense that his boyfriend was getting close. He licked his way up the underside of John's shaft to the head where he gleaned the drops of clear precum. John couldn't hold back. His overheated prick began to spasm with a life of its own. Darrin moved in just in time to catch the sweet load.
"Take me to bed and fuck my ass!" John commanded.
"John, we've talked about the language...
"Okay, take me to bed and make sweet love to my ass!" John laughed.
Darrin checked the hall quickly to make sure no one was up. Then he carried his lover to their room and did as he had been asked.
Despite Sunday's excitement, Monday rolled around with the same old duties and responsibilities. Alex and Allen had jobs to go to. John and Joel returned to classes. And life went on as usual.
Dane and Colt needed to get things ready for the canoe trip. It was planned for the middle of the week since the leaders wanted to be there when there was more contact with nature than with other humans. Weekends were sometimes crowded.
Dane, Colt, and Trent got together to make sure that they had everything they needed, but not lots of extras that weren't necessary. One would be responsible for toothpaste, another for shampoo, the third for soap, and so on. They planned travel as light as possible.
Trent's father was genuinely friendly with the Johnson boys and seemed pleased that they were spending some time with his son.
"I've told him he can't be wrapped up in that girl all of the time. A man needs male friends too. He can be a good husband someday without being whipped," the man joked.
Trent was surprised at his father's attitude. In the past, his dad would have been concerned about spending too much time with boys. It must be that he now accepted the fact that his younger son was truly heterosexual and didn't worry anymore. Hmm, it would be interesting to see his reaction if he knew the truth about the Johnson cousins.
On Tuesday morning, the troop was all ready to head out early. Dane and Colt had set the alarm for 6:00 so that they could shower and eat before leaving. The shower had taken a bit longer than they had planned because they took it together to save time - BIG MISTAKE! At least they both got a shot of protein before going down to eat some cereal and juice. They ate their toast and shared a cup of coffee as DJ drove them over to where they were meeting the rest of the guys.
The scout leaders had rented a couple of 15-passenger vans to haul the troop and their stuff. One of them had a trailer on the back for tents, cooking gear, and the like. Despite packing light, there seemed to be lots of equipment and baggage. Fortunately, they didn't have to bring canoes too. Those would be rented from the company that they always dealt with.
The trip to northern Wisconsin took a major portion of the day by the time that there were breaks for lunch, restrooms, and leg-stretching in general. When they arrived at the first campsite, the guys were tired of being cooped up and were full of energy that needed to be burned off.
This first camping place had city water and real restrooms. There were no showers, however, so the guys would have to bathe in the river. That would have to be done in swimwear because it was a public place and there were a few females among the campers.
Trent, Dane, and Colt had their spot staked out and their tent erected in short order. They placed it facing the quiet river and set it just a little apart from where some of the younger members would be. The kids who were newer at this seemed to want to be very close together and have their tents facing the spot where the campfire would be built. A couple who were at the "tender foot" level feared that bears might come to eat them in the night if they strayed too far from the fire.
Some who were a bit more seasoned as campers also set up away from the younger ones. From the smirks on their faces (when they thought no one was looking), it might be possible that they were going to play some games with each other that were not outlined in the scout manual. Colt suspected that Trent, Dane, and he were not the only boys to have tried a circle-jerk while camping.
Their evening meal was a great success. Dane and Colt, as Eagle badge hopefuls were given more responsibility that previously. While they did the lion's share of the preparations, they made sure to involve the younger set so that the baton of leadership could be passed on when the older guys went on to other pursuits.
Some of the young kids didn't want to work too hard, but several pitched in nicely. They were the ones who looked up to the 16 year olds and wanted to please them. There was a lot of bonding going on in those hours.
When all was cleaned up, the guys sat around the campfire roasting marshmallows and making s'mores by putting them between graham crackers along with pieces of Hershey's chocolate. The kids wolfed down several each.
As dictated by tradition, the older boys told some ghost stories to impress the younger ones. No one was actually frightened by the tales, but it was all done in good fun.
When the leaders announced that it was time for bed, Dane, Trent, and Colt went off to their tent. As they had in the past, the boys had unzipped one sleeping bag to put under them with a large sheet and another bag to spread out like a comforter. They all stripped down to their underwear and crawled into their big bed.
"Are we going to cuddle tonight?" Trent asked.
"Are you sure you want to do that with a couple of queers?" Colt snickered.
"Sure, I like snuggling with you."
Dane and Colt invited Trent to lie between them as they made a sandwich of bodies. Dane could feel Trent's dick resting against his butt. Trent could feel Colt's ample cock pressed against his body. Everyone was trying not to get hard, but with varying degrees of success. Since there was some cloth separating their skin, they managed not to get too horny.
Eventually everyone went to sleep. Sometime in the night, Colt had a bad dream and cried out in his sleep. Trent wrapped his arms around Colt to comfort him and Colt went back to sleep. Dane instinctively wrapped his arms around the boy next to him. They all went back to sleep facing the other direction.
In the morning, Trent awakened with a raging hard-on and the need to take a wicked piss. It took him awhile to disentangle himself from his buddies. He found a convenient tree and let loose before remembering that he was in a public campground. A motherly middle-aged woman saw him from her tent. In the pale light of dawn, she could see his white butt and the stream that coursed from his body, but having raised three boys of her own, she was not offended in the least.
When Trent got back into the tent, he found that his spot was gone. Colt had migrated over to cuddle with Dane. Trent smiled seeing his friends wrapped together. He snuggled up against Colt's back and drifted for awhile.
When they all awakened a half hour later, they slipped into some swimsuits, grabbed their towels and biodegradable soap and headed down into the river for a quick bath. Once submerged, they pulled down their trunks to wash everything clean. It was still dark enough to get away with that.
While they brushed their teeth and got dressed, some other scouts were preparing breakfast. It was a beautiful day to be out in nature. The sky was clear, but there was a gentle breeze to keep them cool. Soon they would be further from civilization and be able to camp primitively. That was the best. With no one else around, they could skinny dip if they wanted to. The next few days were going to be pure fun.
Author's note: Jason (thehottie4u) I've been trying to write to you, but my e-mails get returned saying there is a fatal flaw in the address. I can't figure out why since I replied once and got through. Please contact me from another addy or whatever.
Thanks to all who wrote: Joe, Dyllon, Sean D, Jim C, Jason H, Paul W, Mike K, Russell C, Jim W, Scottie, Davie S, Ron M, Rad, Iarwain, Jace, Jon (Joe Nathan), and Vanyel. Vanyel said that I laid a guilt trip on you guys a couple of chapters ago. It must not have been too strong or he wouldn't have waited that long to respond!