Brother's Mate

By: Rick Masters
(© 2017-2018 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 38

Bradley was waiting on the corner and he and Alexander shared a quick kiss on the back seat of the car as John drove them to school. He parked the car and after saying goodbye to all four of the boys he made his way into the admin office and asked to see the head. The receptionist was a bit dubious about this as he had not made an appointment but John in his most patient and kindest manner asked her to do him a favour and just see if Mr. Crowther could spare him a minute or two. His gentle persuasion worked and the receptionist pressed on the intercom and after apologizing for interrupting him, she asked if he could spare a minute or two for a 'very insistent' Mr. Ashbourne.

"Definitely, show him through please." Amos responded. As the receptionist ushered John into Amos' office he stood and moved from behind his desk. "John, good to see you again, I hope there is no further trouble brewing."

"So do I, Amos, so do I. No, I was coming to see you about the election to the board, but there is another matter I think I need to discuss with you also." John told him.

"Good, could we offer you some tea or coffee?" Amos asked.

"It would be nice, thank you, but I don't really have that much time. I still have to get to work." John declined the offer and the receptionist looked a bit relieved when Amos said she could go and to try and not let them be disturbed.

"Okay John, what do you want to talk about first?" Amos asked.

"I'm very concerned about young David. I think he is going to need some professional help and will mention that to Derwent when we next talk. But I think it is something you need to mention to his teachers and ask them to be on the lookout for any signs and also to be gentle with him. His emotions are very fragile at the moment as I'm sure you and your teachers would understand." John explained.

"Are you able to give me some examples to go on, or would that break a confidence?" Amos asked.

"I cannot tell the reason why he spent the night with us last night, but I can tell you what I and Rose observed which has given rise to me bringing this to you." John told him and went on to list some of the things they had noticed about David. His confusion over his father's reaction to him and his mother. The closeness of tears and then lifting of the mood following his bath and then the darkness in him they had seen again that morning. "I fear he is on a roller coaster that could be heading for a crash." John concluded.

"Yes I think you could be right there. Let me know how Derwent takes your suggestion of counselling for David. We might be able to help lend some more weight if that is needed to persuade him. In the meantime I will check and will personally speak to each of his teachers. It will be a fine line they need to tread to make David feel as if they are treating him the same as everyone else in the class yet still be careful not to push too many other buttons on him. Thank you for bringing this to my notice. Forewarned is definitely forearmed in this sort of situation." Amos assured John.

"Thank you. That young boy has had so much thrown at him and he is a lovely kid. I'd hate to see him slip off the rails because of this." John said.

"Yes, so often the innocent suffer for the evil of the guilty. Now do you have time for the other matter you wanted to talk about?" Amos asked John.

John looked at his watch and said, "Very quickly. I'm keen to get this election business underway and having read the manual was wondering when the next board meeting was due to take place so that I can be sure to have my application in for that. I'll also try and encourage George to get his in as well."

Amos moved behind his desk again and tapped away at the keyboard for a few seconds. Then looking at the screen he said, "It is only two weeks away. Do you think you can get it all together by then?"

"It will be a bit of a push but, I think I can make it. If not when is the next meeting?" John asked.

"That will be three months after this coming one. But the chair can call an extra-ordinary meeting if we get both applications in far enough in advance to warrant it." Amos told him.

"Thank you, Amos. I will do my best." John said and then took his leave and headed off to get to work a little bit late, however he did stop for a few seconds to thank the receptionist for asking Amos to see him.

As soon as he saw Callum, Leonid made his way towards him and was thankful that Bradley left Callum's side to head off in a different direction. Standing in the cold at the corner waiting for the lift had caused an earlier than normal need in Bradley and he was heading off to the toilets while he still had a chance before classes began.

"Hi Callum," Leonid greeted Callum using his first name instead of the normal surname that they all tended to use except with their close friends.

"Hi," Callum didn't use any name as he returned the greeting because he wasn't yet ready to address Leonid by his first name, but having been greeted by his own first name knew that it would be mean to use Leonid's surname only.

"Have you heard anything more on the rumours?" Leonid asked.

"Not since Crowther told the school to shut it." Callum replied.

"Oh! Well there are some new whispers going about that I heard this morning. Something about the mother of the boy you're supposed to have got friendly with going mad and doing some damage or something." Leonid said.

"Who did you hear this from?" Callum asked.

"A friend of Alyona was telling us both. Apparently she heard it from another girl whose mother is a governor or something." Leonid said.

"Can you find out that girl's name for me please?" Callum asked.

"I'll try. If I don't get a chance to talk to Alyona before we go home, maybe you could stop by my place and we can ask her together." Leonid replied.

"Okay, thanks. But I thought you didn't want me to meet your sister?" Callum asked, smiling; he had remembered Leonid suggesting that if he did she would want all of Callum for herself.

"This is more important than that. Not much, but I have to give in to it. Have you thought about that other bit yet?" Leonid asked, his face reddening slightly.

"I have, but I need to talk with my friends first and some other things got in the way of that. Maybe if I get a chance I can talk to them during school today." Callum answered. He had already decided that if the others didn't have any serious objections he would go with Leonid and let him experience some boy on boy stuff.

"It's nearly time for the bell to go; I'll try and catch you later." Leonid said as the two headed off together to their first class. Although they were in the same year, they did not share all the same classes as some were streamed for ability and others were ones of choice such as Spanish and Italian.

During their first break the three of them were sitting together on the edge of a terrace where they could be seen but not heard, unless someone got close to them and they would be able to see anyone approaching in good time to change subjects if they needed to. "Babkin has heard some more rumours apparently coming from some woman on the board of governors. This new one is that the mother of the person we are supposed to have abused has gone mad with anger and done some damage. Someone knows a fair bit of detail that I don't think has been made public. I texted it to dad earlier between periods but haven't had an answer from him. Hopefully he's got hold of Crowther." Callum told the other two.

"Shit, I don't think we are going to get out of this unscathed." Bradley said. "You're right someone else knows too much detail and is not keeping quiet about it. Did Babkin know a name for this person?"

"He's going to try and find out from his sister and let me know if he can. Otherwise he's suggested I stop off at his house on the way home and we can talk to his sister then." Callum said.

"He's being really good about this because I haven't heard that he's spreading any rumours, just telling us what he hears. Do you think he really wants to try some gay action?" Dominic said.

"I think that is part of the dropping by his house after school. He did ask me if I had thought about it." Callum said.

"And what have you thought?" Bradley asked.

"A few things. Firstly, if any of us agree to do anything with him we're basically outing all three of us to him because of these rumours. Secondly, I'd like to return his kindness in some way and this is one way, but I wouldn't want to do it without talking to you guys about it first. Thirdly, I've kind of lusted after his body for a while so it might be easier for me to show him a thing or two than for you guys, and lastly that it would probably be better that he gets with just one of us rather than being shown by the three of us together at the same time." Callum replied.

"If you want to, go for it. We've all said that we don't have claims on each other and when we find the one that we need to be with then the others have to understand and accept just as we've done for Brad and Al." Dominic said.

"And as for outing all three of us to him, we are practically that already and he's shown no animosity. Neither has he tried to be mean to any of us, ever. I think we're safe with him. And who knows, maybe he's the one for you. He might be in our year, but he is younger. The question is if he's young enough for you." Bradley said.

"Yeah, I agree, if we're going to be outed, I don't think it'll be from Babkin." Dominic said.

From there, their conversation drifted onto more mundane things like school work and subjects they were enjoying or struggling with until the end of the break period. Callum got a texted reply from his father at lunch time telling him that he had passed that information on to the head and that if Callum could get a name without the head telling us who he suspects is responsible then that would be good. Callum texted his father back explaining the chance that he might stop off at Leonid's home to try and find out. His dad replied immediately saying that if he needed a lift home later, to get him the address then he would come by and pick him up on his way home from work. Callum sent his dad a smiley face emoticon to end the conversation. Two minutes later he got a Whatsap message sent to both him and Alexander telling them that David's father would pick David up from their house later that evening and David needed to catch the bus home with Alexander. He also told them that there would be no problem as the head had already sorted the transport out with the bus company.

At the end of school the three older boys had got to the pick-up point in the car park before the younger ones. Alexander and David walked up to join them and Alexander asked Callum if he had got the Whatsap message. Callum assured him he had and then said he might not be going home straight away, but would be home before David was picked up by his dad. Leonid came up to them with a very pretty female version of himself next to him.

"Callum, this is Alyona but we haven't had a chance to talk yet. Can you stop by my house?" Leonid introduced his sister. "And this is Bradley and Dominic." Leonid used all their Christian names rather than surnames, which struck a definite chord with the three.

"And this is my friend and brother, Alex. And our friend David." Callum introduced the two younger boys. "And that one who is running to make sure he doesn't miss the bus is Dom's brother, Ben." Callum added smiling.

"Brother and friend." Dominic added.

"And this is Alyona's brother, Leonid," Bradley introduced Leonid to the younger boys. "And yes, Cal, can stop by yours on the way home. Have fun."

"Sorry, we have to walk to our house because we live too close to the school." Leonid said, "but it'll only take a few minutes. Maybe my mum can run you home afterwards."

"My dad said that if I text him the address he'll stop by and pick me up after work." Callum said as he lifted his backpack and put an arm through one of the straps.

"Cool we could have a bit more time together then." Leonid said.

Callum said goodbye to the others asking Alexander to explain to their mother where he was and the three of them set off at a gentle pace walking to the Babkin's home. Once they were out of the school grounds and away from others, Alyona said, "Those are horrible rumours going around and even if you are gay, people should not say those things."

"Thank you. Yes, there are some things that are causing us a lot of concern. And even if we were to prove that we were not gay, there will still be some doubts in some people's minds." Callum agreed.

"But now can you tell us which one of us should be trying harder to get you?" Alyona asked.

"What do you mean?" Callum asked.

"It's like this. I've seen you around school for a while and I've been trying to find a way to get introduced to you because I think you look great. But Leo, here also thinks you look great and I think he's been hiding from me that he knows you." Alyona explained straight out.

"Oh! Now I understand those comments of yours earlier, Leo." Callum used Leonid's Christian name, and in the diminutive form, for the first time.

"Before you answer, I think we should explain a bit about ourselves." Leonid interrupted Callum, "Aly and I are very close and we don't keep many secrets from each other. She knows that I've had a crush on you for some time. She also knows that I think I'm bi, just as she is. We like to see each other naked and have even helped each other to an orgasm by our hands and our tongues. I have kept one thing secret from Aly until a few days ago. That you and I are in the same year and know each other. For that I think I might have to wait some time for forgiveness."

"If I ever do forgive you." Alyona said, but she was smiling at the time.

"That is quite something to confide in me when you don't know me that well." Callum said.

"I think I know you better than you realise. I've known that you Dominic and Bradley are very close friends for some time. I've suspected that the three of you were gay for over a year, and yet have kept that secret. I know you live just one school bus stop away from each other as you go down the same route. I know that Dominic is very artistic and can also write rude limericks. I know that you guys prefer boxers to briefs. You like plain colours while Bradley and Dominic seem to prefer patterns. I've never heard one of you spread any rumours or be unkind to anyone. I know you guys have confidences between you, yet you've never betrayed those confidences. I think that Bradley has recently got a boyfriend and that you know who it is but still hold that private between you guys. That's how I know I can trust you with what I've told you. Even without asking you to keep it secret, but now I will ask you to do that." Leonid told him.

"So now will you answer my question?" Alyona asked.

"Which question was that?" Callum teased.

"You carry on like that and you'd better hope you're gay because you'll not get another chance with me." Alyona replied.

"Leonid's explained how he's confident I'll keep a secret, but how do I know you both will?" Callum asked.

"Easy. Leo knows I'll cut his balls off if he tells anyone, and he knows a secret about me that he can reveal if I tell anyone." Alyona said.

"I don't think that would be enough to confirm to Cal that he can trust us. However, 'this might: we've heard these rumours about you and as soon as we knew I came to you and told you. We have not told anyone else except our parents and we have not mentioned any of your names to our parents. Plus I kind of like my balls." Leonid said.

"And this is our house." Alyona said as she stepped onto the path leading to the front door. The front of their house had a pocket handkerchief lawn with space beside it to park one medium sized car. Their mid-terrace house had a much bigger back garden but Callum was only going to get to see it out the window of Leonid's bedroom window this visit. Although both children had their own key, Alyona was leading the way at the moment and fished her key out to let them inside the house. After declining the offer of a drink, Leonid led Callum up to his room where they dumped their school bags just inside the door. Alyona went on to dump her bag in her room but was soon back with Leonid and Callum. Sitting down on Leonid's bed she patted the blanket beside her inviting Callum to sit next to her. "You still haven't answered my question." She reminded him as he sat down.

"Actually, I can't. I don't know for sure yet. I've never had the chance to be with a girl and I know I'm still curious about how that is. But I also like being very friendly with my guy friends. But I've come home with you two in hopes of learning the name of the person who is spreading all these rumours, not to take advantage of some time with you." Callum said.

"Okay, that's easily sorted then. The girl who seems to be starting them is a right old stuck up bitch who thinks that because her mother is a school governor she should be shown much more respect and deference than anybody else. Her name is Jennifer Proust." Alyona said. "Normally I'd not tell others that but I think what she is doing is wrong and I think you might have a way of stopping it."

"Thanks, I think we do have a way of stopping it. Do you mind if I just text that name to my dad and also give him this address so that he can pick me up later?" Callum asked.

"Go ahead. Then we can talk about other things." Leonid said.

To be continued...
 

Posted: 05/25/18