Chapter 5: Back to School

Labor Day Weekend is the one holiday that’s not so special when you’re a student because it signifies the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. Unless you’re the type that loves school, it’s rather depressing for everyone else.

Not much is happening around here; Marc is out of town with his family and Jeff went on one last weekend camping trip with his. Eric invited me to an all-night beer-drinking bonfire bash at Fucker’s Pond, but I’m scheduled to work that evening. Even if I was free, there’s no way I would have been able to sneak that one by my parents.

I’m working on both Saturday and Sunday; Bill is trying to bank me hours for my savings before he’ll need to reduce them when school starts next week. I’m working all my shifts in the kitchen now, preparing the dough, mixing the sauce, cutting veggies, and making pizza. They hired a new guy named Albert to take over my former duties of general clean-up. I’m not sure how well he fits in around here, I often find him wasting time in the backroom and goofing off on his phone. Albert would do well to keep that to a minimum if he wants to keep his job.

On Labor Day Monday, my parents, Luke, and I are visiting Aunt Betty and Uncle Glenn for a backyard barbeque. Aunt Betty is my mom’s older sister; she’s the nicest woman but tends to drink a lot and has the most annoyingly loud cackling laugh that grates on my nerves.

As the day drags on, I’m getting pretty bored listening to the same old family stories being retold so many times. Spotting an empty chaise lounge on the far side of the big patio, I make my silent get-away and claim it as my own, this will do perfectly to relax.

I turn the chaise so it’s facing away from everyone. I know full well of the risk I’m taking because if Mom sees me over here playing on my phone, I’ll never hear the end of how rude such activity is while we’re visiting as guests - but holy fuck, I’m bored as hell. I text Renee to see what she’s up to. She’s staying up at college for the long holiday weekend because there’s a lot of major parties she didn’t want to miss.

“Hey Renee, what’s up?”

“Hey Sport! Not much. You?”

“Stuck at a family BBQ and super bored.”

“Awww ... Sorry.”

“What are you doing?”

“Kinda hungover and taking it easy, HUGE party last night.”

“Sounds fun.”

“How’s things at work?” She asks.

“Good, your dad moved me into the kitchen. How are things at school?”

“Good, but tons of homework, as usual.”

“That sucks.”

There’s a pause before Renee replies, but when she does, my eyes pop wide open. “I was touching myself earlier.”

“You were?”

“Uh-huh ... and do you know what I was thinking about?”

“What?”

“You ... and how good you feel when you’re in me.”

No doubt reading this sets off stirrings between my legs and the beginnings of a stiffy. I prop the chaise lounge up into more of a sitting position to help disguise things.

“You’re making me hard. You know that, don’t you?” I type.

“LOL! That’s good to know!” A pause, then, “Do you have a place where you can take care of it?”

“No! I’m at my Aunt and Uncle’s house!”

“When I’m back in town, do you want me to take care of that situation for you?”

Shifting position again, I have to sit even more upright because my cock is getting noticeably bigger in my shorts. “Yes!!! I text, You sure can!!!”

“It’s a date! Listen, Sport, I gotta run, my roommate and I are going out to eat. Have some good sexy fun with yourself tonight, okay? Kiss. Kiss.”

“You know I will, and I’ll be thinking of you when I do.”

“Oh, you will? And exactly what will you be thinking of?”

“I’ll be imagining my hard cock slowly sliding into your pussy.”

“Mmmm ... That sounds good!” Renee replies and then asks, “What will you do with your cock in my pussy?”

Snickering as I type, I answer. “Pump it in and out and work it up in there ... really deep.”

“Kyle! What are you doing over there playing on your phone?” my mother waves to me from the group at the picnic table. “Come over here and be social.”

“Gimme a sec, Mom, I’ll be right there,” I tell her. Standing up is simply not an option for me right now.

“Mmmmm, and then what?” Renee texts.

“Drive it faster and harder till you scream OH GOD!”

“So, you wanna make me cum, huh?”

“You know it! And I want you to cum at the same time as I do!”

“We better stop or I’m gonna jump in the car and drive home right now!”

“Sounds good to me!”

“My roommate is tapping her foot, I really must go. Kiss. Kiss. Later.” Followed by, “I’m all wet now! Thanx! LOL”

My first sexting experience and here I am with a massive hard-on at a family gathering of all places!

“Hey, Bro,” Luke calls to me, “Wanna throw some horseshoes?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a few.” Something needs to settle before I can even think of getting up.

The first day of school arrives as it does every September. Passing through the doors of Maplewood High, I think to myself that this is my last year here and hope it’ll be a good one. The first day is never anything too heavy, we find our way to our classrooms and listen to the teachers go over outlines of what we will be learning in our courses.

I consider signing up for the track team, but quickly talk myself out of it. I’ve always had an aversion to joining extra-curricular activities. I’m one of those people that doesn’t like anything to encroach on my own time after school. Some people enjoy structured activities to occupy their time, not me, I was always good at self-entertaining - and I’m not talking about what I do with my hand when I get horny.

6th Period is Biology and my last class of the day. Mr. Franklin, a balding man in his mid-forties will be our instructor. Instead of traditional desks, we’ll be sitting in pairs at heavy black top lab tables with a sink and faucet in the middle of each one. These lab tables are very typical and seen in most science/biology classrooms. Near the back of the room and to the right, I’m happy to see Tiffany waving for me to join her.

“Hey, Kyle, sit here,” she pats the seat next to her.

This is the only class I have with Tiffany this semester. Other than seeing her a few times over the summer, we really haven’t talked in a while so it will be nice to get caught up.

“So, how are you?” she asks.

“I’m good, and you?”

“I’m fine. Sorry, I was such a bitch at Fucker’s Pond a few weeks ago, that was not a good day.”

“Oh, that’s alright,” I shrug it off.

“What have you been up to? It’s been like forever since we’ve talked.”

“Well, as you know, I’ve been working at Pizza Depot and I’m also doing some side work here and there. I’m trying to save up to buy a car.”

“That sounds good, but I didn’t know you work at Pizza D. Did you just start?” she asks.

What? This I find hard to believe. She means to tell me that of all the times she’s been in there over the last few months, she’s never once seen me! I know for a fact I saw her every time she was there. This irks me that she’s so wrapped up in her superficial friends and their superficial drama that she was completely blind to not notice her oldest friend, me, working at the Pizza Depot. Talk about a reality check of how little I stand out to her- Okay, okay, I stop myself before this internal negativity gets the better of me. Don’t get yourself all worked up over it.

“I started ... last May,” I answer in a slightly pissed-off clipped manner.

“Really?” she sits up genuinely surprised, “I know I’ve been there countless times since then, you should’ve come over and said hi.”

“Okay class, let’s get started,” Mr. Franklin begins. “This is Biology-2 and we’ll be doing several hands-on projects involving experiments over the semester. Look at the person you’re sitting with, they will be your lab partner. If you would like to switch, do so now, or forever hold your peace.”

Walking to the back of the room, Mr. Franklin opens a supply closet and turns the light on. “In here is everything you’ll need to conduct your experiments. I expect this room to be kept clean and everything to be put back in its place when you are through.”

When class is over, I wait outside for Luke because we’re riding our bicycles home together. There’s a bus we can take, but we prefer to bike ride while the weather is still nice.

“So, how’d it go?” I ask when he shows up.

“Not bad, I like band the best.” Luke has played the trombone in band since middle school.

“Did you find all your classes okay?”

“Yeah, no problem,” he shrugs. “That asshole Dirk Larch shoved me out the way in the hall though.”

“Typical ... I can’t stand that guy. Get this, Tiffany is dating him now.”

“Really? You should tell her to calm that fuck-head down.”

“Somehow,” I shake my head, “I don’t think that’ll do any good.”

The first week passes and we quickly get accustomed to the school regimen of getting up early and setting aside time to do homework. My eighteenth birthday is coming up in two days. As said earlier, Tiffany and I share the day as our birthday; I should get her something. After school, I tell Luke to go on home without me. I’m going to the Target store to look for a gift.

While I’m riding, my busy mind is mulling over things as it often does. I’m thinking about how nothing ever seems to last when Tiffany dates those jocks. With Dirk’s tendencies to be a major asshole, I’m sure it won’t be long till that relationship implodes as all her previous ones have. Jeff is right, maybe I should consider making a move and asking her out. After all, I am the one who told myself to come out of my shell.

After locking up my bike at Target, I go inside. Let’s see, what should I get her? I’m thinking something special, more than just a typical, Hey! It’s your Birthday! kind of gift. She’s special to me and I want to let her know I really do care about her as more than just a friend. I just need to find that right something that subtly says this without going overboard and coming off as cringy.

Browsing the jewelry, I’m looking at necklaces and bracelets. I don’t know, seems a little too personal at this point. How about a cool t-shirt? Nothing is catching my eye as I flip through them in the women’s clothing department. Nah, skip that, I don’t even know her shirt size - and again, seems too personal.

Walking over to the greeting cards aisle, I’ll browse and hope something will pop in my head regarding a gift. After quite a bit of searching, I find a pretty card. It’s on the sappy side, but perfectly states you’re much more than just a friend to me in so many words.

I still can’t make my mind up on a gift, but I think the card says everything I want to anyway. On my way to the checkout, I grab a $25 store gift card. Mom is always harping that a gift card is as impersonal as it gets. She calls it a cheap display for the lack of thought you put into finding a real gift. But this is a unique situation for me and I did invest a lot of thought, I also know I can’t go wrong with it.

Once I’m home, I sign her card - Love, Kyle. Then I second-guess and wonder was it too much writing Love. It will be okay, girls live for that sort of thing when a guy shows he cares - don’t they?

On the morning of my birthday, I come out of my room and walk into the kitchen for breakfast. “Happy Birthday!” Mom hugs me.

“Happy Birthday, Kyle.” Dad shakes my hand. “It’s a big one today huh? Welcome to the wonderful world of adulthood.”

“Yeah, Happy Birthday, Bro,” Luke shoots me a wave without looking up from his phone on the table next to his bowl of frosted flakes - at least it’s an acknowledgment from him.

“Thanks, everyone.”

“We’re going to take you out for whatever you would like for dinner today,” Dad says, “Anywhere you want.” In our family, it’s tradition for the birthday boy or girl to pick dinner, either eating out or home cooked. I should note how Mom never picks homecooked because none of us guys can cook very well.

“How about...” I pause for effect and look over at Mom. “All-you-can-eat crab legs?”

Mom slaps her leg and laughs. “I was hoping you would say that!” She’s just as excited over my birthday dinner because she loves crab legs as much as I do – maybe even more!

“Then, crab legs it is,” Dad agrees.

In 6th period, I give Tiffany her birthday card along with the Target gift card. “Happy Birthday, Tiffany.”

“Oh, Kyle, thank you! And Happy Birthday to you too,” she leans over and gives me a quick hug. “But I didn’t get you anything.”

“That’s okay.” I shrug.

I feel a little awkward about the sappy card as she reads it, but she gives no visible reaction one way or another. She holds up the gift card, “Thanks, I can use this.”

At dinner time, my parents, Luke, and I go out to eat at Hansen’s Northwestern Bistro for all-you-can-eat crab legs. Let me tell you, I ate all the crab legs I could! Mom polished off as many, if not more; between the two of us, we created a mountain of emptied shells on the table. My father and Luke aren’t big fans of seafood so they each ordered nice juicy steaks. Dad loves the authentic nautical décor in this place, he says it reminds him of a real Alaskan crab fishing boat.

The next day in Biology, Tiffany leans over and whispers, “Come with me to my locker after class, I have a card for you.”

This makes me smile to myself, maybe the card that I thought was too sappy actually resonated with her on some level. She did make a point to go out and get me one in return. I can’t wait to see what hers says.

When the bell rings, I follow her into the hallway and to her locker. Inside, she finds the card and hands it to me just as her excited friend Bethany comes running over. “You’re never going to guess what happened!”

Tiffany’s attention immediately switches to her. “What?”

“I got the job at 31 Flavors in the mall!”

“Good for you, girl!” Tiffany gives her a big hug.

Now Dirk comes plowing into the mix. “Hey, Tiff! Come ‘ere you!” He wraps his great big arm around and pulls her into himself to plant (more like force) a big, wet, sloppy French-kiss on her face. Tiffany struggles to pull back. “Easy there, Dirk, enough already, okay?”

“What?” he shrugs it off, “I just missed you, that’s all.”

Next a gaggle of a half-dozen giggling popular girls flutter in and converge in the hall space around Tiffany’s locker, all chattering away at once. How do they even know what each other is saying when everyone is talking at the same time? I’m inadvertently being pushed further out of the ever-growing group and away from Tiffany. Nothing more to do but hold the envelope up and give a wave. “Thanks ... I guess I’ll see you later.”