Chapter 3

With the plan in place to see how Mike can get to know people, to develop a friendship as well as to learn how people interact, Mike decided to start pushing forward with his plan. It started naturally with a invite to Megan for another date, so far they had not progressed beyond kissing and holding hands, but with his birthday Mike decided that he was going push things forward, frankly Mike was growing curious about his own body and the changes it had gone through as well as the changes in the girls around him. However Mike was concerned about his lack of understanding about relationships and sex and this was why he had asked his parents for such a unconventional birthday present.

Firstly though he rang Carl and asked him if wanted to go bowling on Friday night, you could tell by the slight pause on the end of the telephone line that Carl was a little surprised by the question. When he got his mind together he did say he would go bowling however he also gave a warning, that he had never been bowling before! However since Mike had never been before that seemed like a good set-up, Mike went on to explain that in all honesty it was not the bowling that he really wanted, he wanted to get to know Carl and to find out how friendship works, and yes he did also reassure Carl that he was not trying to pick him up!

After chatting with Carl for ten minutes he rang Megan to find out if she was free on Saturday, with some gentle flirting it was agreed that they would meet up at midday and spend the afternoon together and this time Megan would let Mike chose where to go, after all he had done ok with it so far. Megan had begun to realise that Mike was a planner, he would always have a idea of what he wanted and Megan was happy and willing to go along with him.

Thursday night at the evening meal Mike's parents brought up the issue of hiring a hooker to teach him about sex, they where concerned that this is something Mike really wanted and that he was mature enough to make the most of the opportunity, when they brought up the issue they where carefully watching Mike to see if he blushed or squirmed and they where astonished when he just sat there and engaged them in conversation about hiring someone to do this. He clearly explained to them about his need to know what he was doing and to be in control of the situation.

His parents had noticed over the years that Mike tended towards being in control and that he wanted to understand what is going on around him. At first this used to concern Mr and Mrs Mike but as they grew to understand his need to know, his need to be in control the concern for him moved to a desire to help him be happy, to be in control and to be happy. When Mike made it clear that this was indeed something that he wanted and in fact something that he needed his parents promised him that they would look into it and see what they can find.

Friday at school was a typical day for Mike, he never found school particularly hard and the only subjects he really needed to concentrate on where subjects that bored him, why he had to learn Spanish was beyond him! However it was a mandatory subject to gaining his diploma and so he concentrated and learnt, however maths was simply easy for him as it was a subject he deeply enjoyed. He was a grade A student though and over the last couple of years his teachers and guidance councillor had been pushing him to skip a year or two or to take some advanced placement courses. Mike has been resisting this, rather enjoying running through school at the slower pace and he felt no need to graduate early.

The only school subject that he hated was sports, it was a compulsory requirement for all students that they had to participate in three hours of sports a week, this term it was football and to be honest Mike had no interest in participating. On changing they went out to the playing field to be addressed by the coaches, they explained in forceful tones that everyone was expected to at least make the effort and try, the grade for the class will be given on effort rather than achievement. They where then sent to warm up, Mike as was his want moved off to one side and started to go through a warm up routine, the coaches however wanted him to join in with the rest of the guys so Mike simply joined the line up and went through what was to him a unsatisfactory warm up.

Names where called out and the games began, Mike watched with bemusement while teenagers ploughed into poorly padded metal dummies, he quickly decided that this was not going to happen. When his name was called to go, he simply jogged up and pushed the dummy before going to the back of the line, however this was not satisfactory to the coach and he was told to go again and put some effort in, once again he jogged up and simply pushed the dummy. The infuriated coach lit into him and in the end instructed him to give him some laps, needless to say this pleased Mike and so he started running laps. What the coach and indeed Mike did not realise, Mike was a gifted runner and although the coach was demanding effort the pace that was set was well below the speed Mike would run when he was trying.

At the end of practise the coach asked Mike to stay behind, the coach was disappointed in Mike's attitude to football, but Mike clearly explained to the coach that he had no intention whatsoever in playing football. After a few minutes of negotiation, or to translate, the coach trying to tell Mike what to do and Mike resisting it was finally decided that every class Mike could run for a couple of hours.

Friday came around and Mike was thinking about what he was going to tell Carl, what they where going to speak about and how the hell where they going to bowl when neither of them had a clue how to bowl. Mike did grab a quick look on the internet to learn a bit about how to bowl, you have to love youtube for that and to learn the basic rules of the game, Mike was praying that he would not embarrass himself at the alley.

They met up and grabbed a burger and whilst eating it Carl asked what this was really all about, after all he had shown no interest before in getting to know him any better other than as a sparring partner at the school. Mike paused before answering, trying to figure out how much truth to tell Carl. In the end he explained that in the past he had always been happy with his own company and that he had not needed to really know anyone else. However going out with Megan made him realise that he was not great at relating to people and this was his attempt to over come that need.

Carl was not fully convinced by this but he had always liked Mike and was always impressed that he was willing to help him and others get better at their choice of martial art. After shooting the shit over a burger, especially sharing school stories they made their way over to the bowling alley, neither had a natural skill at bowling but they where having a great time until four guys walked up to their alley and started to pass comments on their lack of skills. Both Mike and Carl just ignored them and carried on, this just infuriated the older guys and perhaps it was this that made one shove Carl as he was making his way back to the ball retriever.