Chapter 15

When I woke up Saturday morning, I felt like a run because I hadn’t had a good one for a few days. But, mindful of the race the next day, I limited myself to some loosening-up exercises in the back yard and a gentle jog round the block. When I got back home, I showered and changed into casual clothes, rather nicer than I’d wear for yard work, and headed downstairs.

After preparing some breakfast, I sat down to eat with Dad. Mum and Terri were presumably having a lie-in.

“Going out today?” Dad asked, noticing my attire.

“Yes, I’m going to Dimitri’s to work on a science project. I’ll probably be there most of the day.”

Dad looked around to make sure we were alone. “Don’t forget what I gave you last weekend,” he whispered.

I remembered the bag of condoms he had given me. “Dad, it’s not like that,” I protested.

“It might seem that way now, but with teenage hormones running rampant, it could be different in an hour’s time. All I’m saying is be prepared.”

“Okay,” I said, hoping apparent acquiescence would get him to drop the subject. I rushed the rest of my breakfast to get away as quickly as possible. “Can you warn Mum I probably won’t be home until dinner?” I said as I got up to leave.

“Sure, son. Have a good time.” Then he winked at me.

I grabbed a jacket and my laptop and fled. At least he hadn’t brought up the subject of the video and the FBI interest.

The Antonovs aren’t mega-rich but they’re a lot better off than comfortable. Mr Antonov is a high-powered safety engineer and travels all over the country. I never knew when he’d be at home but, unusually, he seems to be there more during the week than at weekends. The barrel-shaped Mrs Antonov was a stay-at-home mother, but now her kids are old enough she spends quite a bit of time doing voluntary work. Dimitri has one sibling, Katarina, an older sister who shares her mother’s physique, and she’s currently at the university in the city studying physics. Although she lives in the dorms, the car her parents bought for her eighteenth birthday allows her to often drop in at weekends to go out with her old schoolfriends.

Dimitri answered the door and waved me in.

“Who is it?” called out Mrs Antonov.

“It’s only Kevin,” Dimitri called back.

“Hi Mrs Antonov,” I called out.

“Hi Kevin,” she called back.

Niceties over, Dimitri and I headed to what I called ‘the computer room’. The Antonovs had more rooms than they needed, perhaps having planned for a larger family, and Dimitri had taken over a spare room for his computer equipment. But he also ran the family server and wi-fi systems from the room, so everyone benefited.

Michael was already there and typing away on his laptop. I got mine out.

“What’s this week’s password?” I asked. Dimitri revealed it to me and I connected to his wi-fi.

“What are you guys working on?” I asked.

“I’m working on the master list of ways to brainwash people,” said Michael, “and I’m helping Dimitri when he needs me.”

“I’m studying local radio and television feeds for subliminal signals,” said Dimitri.

“Dennis is investigating something more esoteric,” said Michael. “He found out that the town had its own witch trial long after they had them in Salem.”

I wasn’t too surprised: Dennis wasn’t scientifically inclined like the rest of us. “Where is Dennis today?” I asked.

“Band practice,” said Dimitri.

Shit, I should have known that! I’d been so self-absorbed since the gay issue started that I’d lost touch with what my friends were doing.

“He should be here for lunch,” said Michael.

“What can I work on?” I asked.

“I’ll share the master list with you,” said Michael. “Read through the suggestions and the comments and add your own. If there’s a particular topic that piques your interest, investigate further.”

I nodded. I soon had a copy of the master list on my laptop and did a quick skim through. Some of the suggestions were bizarre and probably untestable: I couldn’t imagine intelligent aliens travelling hundreds of light-years just to conduct an experiment on earthlings that involved wrongly convincing them that one of their number was gay. Then I started reading the list carefully, examining the comments and adding a few of my own. I was really impressed by the amount of thought and effort my nerd group had put into it.

“Hey, look at this!” exclaimed Dimitri. “I found some extra frames in a soda commercial.”

Michael and I watched as Dimitri stepped through the TV advert frame by frame.

“I thought that was illegal,” I said.

Michael shrugged. “Sex sells.”

We went back to what we had been doing. I was getting discouraged. As impressive as the list was, none of the serious options seemed to explain all the strange things that had happened to me.

“I’ve got another one,” called out Dimitri.

Michael and I watched as he stepped through a smartphone commercial.

“Bastards!” exclaimed Michael, who owned that make of smartphone.

Interesting and slightly disturbing as it was, it didn’t involve anything that could brainwash people into thinking I was gay.

Some time later the Antonovs’ doorbell rang. Dimitri was in the middle of stepping through something frame by frame so he didn’t leap up to answer it.

We heard voices, then a short time later Mrs Antonov put her head round the door and announced, “Dennis is here.” She stopped and took a long, hard look at me. Then she entered the room and came over to me, seizing me in a bear-hug. “Oh you dear boy,” she said.

Dimitri looked at his mum as though she’d grown a second head and Michael was also shocked. I did what I found seemed to work adequately well in the circumstances and wrapped my arms round her considerable frame to return her hug. What is it with females hugging supposedly gay boys!

Mrs Antonov released me. “Are you ready for some lunch?”

Because we were all in shock, it took a moment for us to agree. Then Mrs Antonov left the room to get lunch ready.