Chapter 2

I was up in my bedroom when the phone call I was expecting came. My older half brother Will almost always called from college on Sunday evenings to talk. We talked about things going on at home and things at school. He told me what was happening at college with his classes and his girlfriend Abby. He helped me keep my head on straight. Last fall I got a swelled head from all the adulation I received as the star wide receiver for our high school varsity football team. He straightened me out. I looked forward to his weekly calls.

Will and I talked for a few minutes sharing gossip and stories of the local happenings. I decided I would tell Will about Penny and me tonight.

"Will, you know how you have been telling me for months how I should wait to have sex until I find a girl I love?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Penny and I are in love. Our first time was everything you said it would be. I'm glad I listened to you and waited for Penny."

"Cool. What are you two using for birth control?"

"Justin Baer got me condoms."

"Good. Mom and Dad aren't ready for grandkids yet. Do they know about this?"

"No. I haven't told them yet."

"Kyle, you know you can tell them, right?"

"I know Mom and Dad are OK with us having safe sex, but Penny's parents won't be as understanding."

"Yeah, I'm not sure they would be as understanding."

"That is what Penny has told me. We are trying to stay fairly discrete. Andy knows, but he won't say anything. You know how hard it is to keep that secret from little brothers, don't you? Eddie and Stef figured it out on their own. Of course Justin and Sherry know since they are helping us stay safe. Gary Musselman and Linda Zook found out by accident last night. Penny and I had just finished a wonderful love making session at the camp shower house after lights out when we ran into Gary and Linda. They were planning on doing the same thing as us."

"You had sex in the shower house on the Venturer ski trip?"

"Yes"

"That's something Abby and I never tried. What made you think of the showers?"

"Believe or not, Justin suggested them. I think he and Sherry had used them before."

"Amazing," Will stated.

Changing the subject, I asked, "When is your spring break?"

"In two weeks."

"Are you and Abby going to Florida or some place like that?"

"I wish. I work at a scout camp in the summer. I don't have enough money to go to Fort Lauderdale or where ever. We are spending a quiet relaxing ten days at home."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you again Will. I miss you."

"I miss you too little brother."

"Bye." I said as I hung up the phone. I was lucky to have a brother, well half brother, like Will. He's nineteen and a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Physics. He goes there with his girlfriend of 3 1/2 years, Abigail Hendricks. She's pre-med.

Will has always looked after me, trying to help me out as I grew up. We fought like all brothers do, but I still looked up to him. We teased each other and I hated it when he called me 'little brother' like he frequently did. It didn't fit anymore since at 6'-4" I was two inches taller than he was. Other than my height, the two of us looked amazingly alike.

Both of us are tall, thin, with blond hair. Will kept his short the way he had it as long as I could remember. The last few months, I have been letting mine grow long, like a lot of my friends. My hair was down below my collar in the back and half way down my ears on the sides.

Will was thin, but muscular. He had started daily weight training and running when he was my age. The exercise had helped him fill out nicely. Will started me in training last summer. Eddie and I lifted and ran daily. In the past nine months I had managed to put on almost twenty-five pounds, all of it muscle. Last summer I was skinny, now I was developing muscles to go with my height. I expected to do well next fall when football season started. I was the best wide receiver on the varsity football team. I made all-conference last season and wanted to do even better in the next season.

I appreciated everything Will was doing to help me grow up. I spent the rest of the evening working on my homework so I was ready for school tomorrow. Penny and I sat together on the bus Monday, like we do every day. We hung out in the halls between classes, ate lunch together with the rest of our friends, 'the gang', and had Social Studies together for fifth period, right after lunch.

Penny and I had a nice routine going. On Mondays, I did homework after school, so I had time for my Boy Scout meetings. On Tuesdays after school, we would get together at my house until my mother and little sister came home around five. We had almost two hours together. We made out when we started dating. Now we made love to each other. Tuesdays were our special day. Wednesdays Penny had piano after school. Thursdays my younger brother, Andy, and I met with my friends from football to study tapes of last season's games.

Zack Hayes, quarterback of that team, led the studying. Zack was my football mentor. He got me started last year and taught me a lot. I was going to miss him next year when he went to Penn State. Zack had a full football scholarship to play for Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions. We wanted to learn as much as possible from Zack before he left in June.

Some Fridays Penny and I could get together, but only if we didn't have a Venturer trip or if I didn't have a Boy Scout camping trip for the weekend. I had a good family, was making decent grades in school and had a wonderful girlfriend. Life was good.

This particular Monday night was going to be special. A few weeks earlier our scoutmaster, Mr. Clark, had appointed Eddie and me to be Troop Guides for our troop for the next year. We were responsible for taking the new scouts and teaching them how Boy Scouts worked, what a patrol did, and to make sure that they knew the camping skills they needed in Boy Scouting. Tonight was the new scouts' first meeting.

When school ended that day, Penny and I sat together on the bus. She asked, "Are you ready for tonight, honey?"

I took a deep breath. "I guess. I've never been a patrol leader. I hope I do a good job."