After Mom Watts’ pancake breakfast, the whole gang goes on a long bike ride, to work off all the calories and bulging stomachs.  Of course, we end at Coach Earl’s who has cold sodas ready.
“You’re my bad penny,” he tells me.
“Say, what?”
“You keep turning up.”
“I know you’re glad to see me,” I argue.
“You gonna introduce me to your new boyfriend? He looks like he’s ready to burst, if you don’t.”
Jack comes running over.

“Coach Earl meet my boyfriend, Jack. He’s also the lead in our play and the singer in my band.”
“Very pleased to me you, sir. Thank you for creating such a fine body,” as he literally strokes me.
Everyone laughs at me. Coach just shakes his head. I take him aside.
“How’s John doing on the team, Coach?”
“He seems to enjoy the B team. So much so, I think of him as a permanent member. It’s good living with the Watt’s. It definitely agrees with him.’
“Well, that’s something.”
”I see you’re on again with Scott.”
“Yeah, Mrs. Watt read him the riot act this morning at breakfast.”
“That why you’re with us today.”
“We invaded Stu’s room in the middle of the night. Six of us stayed there after a party in the Gables. Scott complained that we woke him up. She made us make up, just not kiss.”
“Well, your young man might have objected to that. How was Stu’s big debut?”
“It went so well, we had to come and burst his bubble.”
“That won’t last. He’s irrepressible and self-inflating.”
“I wish you could see us play sometime.”
“I just like seeing you every once in a while. You’re a fire cracker.”
“They say I’m hot-blooded.”
“Coach Diaz is still mad at you for ruining his plans to make Scott an Olympic swimmer with that stunt you pulled at the State meet. He’s never come close to that time again.”
“He’ll always be an All-American.”
“He’s so burned out this year. You really shook him up. He’s lost his passion for it.”
“Unintended consequences. It’s hard to see those when you’re 15.”
“Ah, the wisdom of a 16-year-old who still rides his bike with the kids.”
“I’m taking drivers ed. this spring.”
“No swim team at school?”
“Places to be, people to see, things to do.”
“Remember your roots, son.”
“That’s why I’m here, Coach.”
He gives me a quick hug. We ride off.

Jack and I ride with Scott, while the younger kids are all over the place.
Jack wants information from Scott, “You’re the brother, when Stu was Tim’s only friend after he moved here.”
“Yeah, I accused him of molesting Stu when I found out he’s a fag, er, gay.”
“Is that why you were fighting?”
“We were always loving or hating each other. It was like we were twin brothers,” I say.
“He got everybody to call me Cry Baby because I always called my little brother ‘Stupid,’ instead of Stu. We even had fist fights at the pool, until Coach made us swim together.”
“Yeah,” Jack notes, “we’ve been together less than a month. He’s already had two fights. One with an adult he clobbered with his guitar after the guy tried to hit me.”
“What happened?”
Jack proceeded to do the blow-by-blow account, including why we were at Out & Proud and how people think I am Teen Jesus.
“My life is so boring since you left me. You always cause crap to happen and then come out looking and smelling like a rose.”
“You guys were together?” Jack’s mouth drops.
I look at Scott, who confesses. “Yeah, all last summer. Then his girlfriend from New York came down, so I got a girlfriend and threw him over. He tried to kill himself and started hanging out with you stoners.”
Jack looks at me, “You have another girlfriend, in New York?”
“It’s like Jenna and Michael. She’s 14 and determined to remain a virgin.”
“So you never have sex with them. It’s like all those pre-teens at the store.”
“No, I’m attracted to girls my age. Scott and I were double-teaming two sisters in North Carolina last summer on vacation.”
Jack starts to cry. We stop and sit on the grass. He falls into my arms.
“I crushed on you all this year in English,” he sniffles. “Finally, I couldn’t stop from coming on to you. Then you protected me. In the morning when I told you I loved you, you said you loved me back. I’m a silly virgin thinking if I love you enough, you’ll love me too.”
“You are silly, but it is so cute,” and I kiss him.
The homeowner comes out and yells at us, saying we can’t do that in his yard. We take off,  with Jack riding with me while Scott pulls wheelies. Jack continues to sniffle. Too many revelations. It seems odd to have a sexual history at my age.

When we get back to the Watt’s, Stu yells at Scott for trying to break up Jack and me.
“You are so mean. You can’t stop making people unhappy.”
He runs into the house, with Mike Jr. and John following him. Casper has been riding on John’s handle bars, but he comes over to investigate the trouble in our little family three-way.
“Jeez, Jack, I thought you knew all about Tim,” Scott notes. “Liking girls isn’t so bad. It only got in our way when I got jealous and used Lydia to get even. We had some fine fucking in North Carolina”
I look at Scott. He shrugs at his confession. I am worried he will tell Jack about Floyd raping me. Scott realizes he is out of his depth. He hugs both of us and goes inside. Casper does his best to cheer up Jack. I go through my entire sexual history with him, including getting Tina off just by making out.
“Makes me feel pretty inadequate since my only other experiences have been crushing on D&D friends who are so nerdy they never knew.”
“How’s jumping my bones working out for you?”
“I don’t know what you’re feeling when I’m feeling totally in love and totally turned on by you.”

I just want to kiss him and make it better. That approach will end up getting us arrested on the Watt’s front lawn.
Mrs. Watt marches out, with a look in her eyes. “Did Scott try to break you boys up, like Stu just told me?”
“Mom to the rescue,” I laugh. “Scott just assumed Jack knew I liked girls as well as boys. I’ve been telling him everything now. It makes him feel inadequate.”
“Oh, Jack. You were a virgin?”
He mumbles, “Yeah.”
She puts him in a bear hug, he sobs once, swallows, and feels better.
“But what if he leaves me?”
“Don’t doubt him. It hasn’t been that long.”
“Two weeks,” he whispers. “Two weeks, one day and thirteen hours.”
My heart is breaking, but I just let the tears come without sobbing. He grabs me, Mrs. Watt hugs us both and Casper wraps his arms around all three of us.
Mrs. Watt looks up and all around.
“That’s Casper,” Jack innocently explains.
“The Friendly Ghost?” she laughs.
“Yeah, it’s Jace. Whenever anyone still loves him, they can feel his presence.”
Now she’s crying. “Jace, oh Jace..”
Casper’s wispy tears start floating around us, flowing down his cheeks onto the top of her hair before disappearing. The crying jag lasts a few minutes.
Finally Mom Watt takes both our hands, placing them together. “Tim, Casper and Jack, always the three shall be.”
Jack looks at me and says, “Now we have our Pledge, like Hippie.”
“What does Hippie have to do with all this?” Mom asks.
“The abstinence pledge in his church. It’s like they’re betrothed or engaged.”
“Don’t worry, boys, my pledge requires lots of sex.”
We jump up and run into the house before she gets arrested on her own front lawn. We all chase Stu around for saying Scott tried to break us up.
“See, I told you. Remember how hard it is for teenagers to be in love.” Scott defends himself.
“That’s just you. Tim’s got boyfriends and girlfriends everywhere.”
“Think about it,” Scott tells Stu, “how does he handle all that?”
“Very well,” says Jack.

Jack says we have to leave soon, as his parents always have Sunday dinner after Church. I guess I am invited. All the Watts and various boarders hug both of us, even Scott does. I think about calling him later, but that urge is self-destructive. I already have a nervous boyfriend to retain.
Taking a quick shower and changing, we come down to the sitting room just as the Stones arrive from church. With them is a priest plus an obviously gay, middle-aged couple. Someone has been gossiping.
“Hello, Father Frank. Good to see you. You too, Uncle Tam and Uncle Steve. This is my boyfriend, Tim Castle.”
“Ah, the boy in the news,” one of the uncles claps me on the shoulder.
“Yes,” Father Frank joined in, “You’ve caused quite a stir in the Church’s old debate over Jesus and gays. You don’t mind us interrupting your Sunday dinner””
“Nothing interrupts Sunday dinner, as long as we have friendly conversation over the roast and no one chokes on their words,” pronounces Mrs. Stone. “I promised your uncles you would do a short Astaire & Rogers number after we eat.”
“Oh, Mummy, can’t we do it now, while you have your drinks.”
“Of course. I found an old 78 with the music from ‘Swing Time’

with ‘The Way You Look Tonight.”

“We’ll change, while you get your drinks.” We run upstairs.
“Mummy? She’s not that old and certainly not Egyptian.”
“Oh, did I slip? I’m trying to be more mature.” He looks crestfallen.
“Oh, honey, you’re perfect the way you look tonight.”

We straighten each other’s ties and set up the phonograph with the show recording. It’s scratchy but feels like we are transported to another era. Even Casper has put on a coat and tie. He does all the stage managing, with doors and lights, as we dance and sing through the whole song.

They insist on an encore. We do two. Our voices blend perfectly with the record so the guests only hear us, with the real stars echoing from the other room, where the phonograph is. We bow. Jack insists we have an aperitif to calm down.

Father Frank and the Uncles look ready to verbally spar. I feel we at least have the advantage, 4 gays, the Dowager and the Prince against an old priest. But I am on my guard.
“Are you a Jesuit, Father? I ask.
“No, a Franciscan.
“I hope you didn’t have take a vow of poverty.”
“That’s why I appreciate these generous friends.”
I start enjoying the repartee.
“I feel we should hear from our hosts about their evening at the Antonio’s and Johnny’s performance,” I suggest.
“Everyone at Church was congratulating them on the excellent review your interpretation of Shakespeare received from the Herald. Another photo of Johnny is on the front page of the Arts,” Uncle Steve practically shouts..
“He is a stunning beauty,” I brag. “We haven’t seen it, yet. We were being kids in South Miami this morning, riding bikes with the band kids. I’m surprised the Herald didn’t wait for our formal opening night this weekend.”
“When two prominent Italian families in Miami build a replica of the Globe Theater for a party performance, everyone wants to read about it.”
“It’s like the Medici’s in Medieval Florence,” Jack adds.
“Exactly.”

Now I am dying to read the review. Can I call for Isabelle to fetch the paper? Then I get a brain fart, realizing how silly I am acting, laughing at my own better self with the adults.
“They say you were the director, Tim.”
“Oh, no, only when Robby was sick and missing. In fact, it’s genius because I was to play Queen Titania, and Johnny was my understudy. All the good things happened once we added music and singing. I changed to playing mandolin and discovered Johnny’s beautiful voice. When the original director returned, he took his Puck character and turned it evil which created the dramatic tension with the black boy who spoke no lines but represented innocence.”
“My goodness, you sound more erudite than the reviewer.”
“I wanted to ask the Stones what their reaction to Johnny’s performance was. The Black boy Grant was so concerned that his parents would be upset by his character. We had to change the program from ‘Slave” to read ‘Innocent.’”
“It reminded me of 1930’s cabaret theater, so amusing and fast paced.” Mr. Stone speaks for the first time. “The children misbehaving in the orchestra pit was disturbing at first, but quickly they were just part of the play. I believe that’s authentic to Shakespeare’s time, as well as my youngest son cavorting in a dress. A shock that turned to brilliance.”
“I feel I have found the daughter I never had. And now with Tim here, I have two,” Mrs. Stone labels me.
“Better be careful, Mummy. He can get very rough when he’s upset.”
“Oh, did I upset you, dear.”
“Johnny exaggerates. I only get protective when I feel he’s threatened.”
“A hero, protecting my dear son.”
“Many times, Mummy. Friday he had a man arrested for trying to hit me when we were performing together in Coconut Grove.”
“Why would anyone want to hit you, dear?”
“He was a religious nut who thought Tim was defaming Jesus with our music.”
“What were you playing?”
“’Amazing Grace’, and other hymns.”
“That man is obviously deranged.”
“You are playing hymns in the street?” Father Frank asks.
“It’s a long story, but we’ve been advocating that young people report bullying to adults. We went to a holy roller church.”
“You mean the Baptists?”
“Yes. People started speaking in tongues and someone claimed Tim was Teen Jesus.”
“Leave it to the Baptists to be confused.” Father Frank confirms.
“How did this man come to attack you?”
“We’ were playing for about fifty 10-14 year-old kids. A girl lost her mother when she was four. Tim asked her if she has Jesus in her heart. She said she does. He asked if her mother is in her heart too. He said that’s a safe place, and she should allow good people in, as well. There was a small group of adults; they started yelling ‘blasphemy and abomination’ at us. We asked them to come up and talk about Jesus. They pushed to the front, calling us names and threatening to kill us. When the one man tried to punch me, I hid behind Tim who knocked him down with his guitar. Tim kept him down, so he couldn’t attack again, until the police came. We talked with the police and they arrested him. We said to let him out the next day and not file charges.”  Everyone is speechless.
“Oh, Johnny, this performing sounds so dangerous.”
“No, Mummy, I have Tim to protect me. What we do is so wonderful. I never thought I was anything but an ugly duckling. Now I feel like a beautiful swan. He’s my living hero.’
“Your son has the voice of an angel, ma’am. Anyone would want to protect him. I feel he has been sent to me.”
“Have you had a rough time growing up, Tim, having to fight so much?” Father Frank asks.
“No, Father. I grew up in the military. It seems natural to stand up for your friends and for what you believe in.”
“Like that black boy at school.”
“Oh, he doesn’t need defending, but the blacks at Gables High needed to have someone say it’s wrong to isolate them from the white kids. They wanted to come to our school, riding buses across the City to be with us, but we never see them. The administration even put them in special classes because they aren’t as smart as we are. We changed that.”

Isabelle announces that dinner is served.
“I think that any debate about whether gay boys can be saved by Jesus has been answered,” Uncle Tam announces.
“Thank goodness, that’s resolved,” concludes Mrs. Stone
“Praise the Lord,” Jack quips and everyone laughs.
Dinner is excellent. We don’t have to explain what we do in bed. Perhaps that approach may serve the Church better than current strictures and snooping.

We excuse ourselves after desert. In his room, while changing, I see Jack in the mirror ogling me in just my briefs.
“Feeling sexy?” I ask, turning to give him a better view.
“Strangely, no.” he surprises me, but I’m not disappointed. Casper goes up to him and grabs his package and gives it a twist. “I’m spending the night with John,” he signs and leaves.
“That feels weird,” I remark. I can no longer see him, for almost the first time since he died
“Are we getting old?” I suggest.
“It’s this house. Let’s go to yours.”
That makes my dick thump and my heart skips a beat. We make it just in time to walk Max. Dad has it on a schedule taped to the refrigerator.
“This feels much more exciting,” as Jack rubs my ass with his thumb. I look for Casper, forgetting he is at the Watt’s.
“What about the sex pact?” I ask Jack.
“Is it like Hippie’s Abstinence Pledge?”
“Sorta.”
“Jesus, (Yes?) haven’t you ever broken it.”
“Just that time I was so worked up after beating down Robby.”
“Let’s go beat him up again,” he suggests, winking at me.

I show Jack the route to Robby’s through the trees. That gets him excited enough to take the edge off his horniness. We pop in Robby’s window to the surprise of the usual suspects getting high in his bedroom.
Robby looks up, amazed by our return. “Can’t get high now that Iggy’s dry?”
“Naw. Jack gets horny when I beat you up.” Both of us tackle him, but we pull all our punches. The others scatter to the corners and cheer us on. Soon Robby lords over us as we lay subdued on his floor.
“Close your eyes,” he orders and gives us both shotgun hits. Jack is erect from the play fighting. Once he gets high he attacks me. Totally aroused, I throw him out the window, put him over my shoulder and march him to my bedroom. We pull off each other’s clothes. He pushes me onto the bad and starts to fuck me as I passively accept him, until it is my turn to fuck him. We hear gasps and look to see the entire crew watching our sex act from the window. As soon as Jack stops spasming and ejaculating, I pull out and menacingly charge the window, jacking myself until I’m spraying in their direction. All but Dave scream and run away. He is frozen, until Jazz grabs him and pulls him away. They are in my backyard checking themselves for possible cum spots.
“Get out of here. There’s more from where that came from.”
They squeal and run back to Robby’s. Max is barking at them as they run off, setting off all the  neighborhood dogs. We howl at them as we shout, “We are the Wolfmen.”
“Let’s beat Robby up every night,” Jack murmurs, laying in my arms on the window sill. I lean over backwards. We roll off the roof, falling ten feet to the ground. I hold him so I cushion his fall.
“Euff,” I grunt and pretend to be knocked out.
Jack panics, shaking me, yelling and crying for me to wake up.
I may have waited a bit too long. When I open my eyes and say, “Gotcha,” he gets really mad and starts beating me on the chest.
“You asshole.”
“Better than sex for an audience?” I ask him.
“We’re staying at my house from now on. Some of those voyeurs are 14.”
“We’ve corrupted their morals. Robby watched Scott and me all last summer. I never knew until Casper threw me on the bed to fuck me. I saw Robby and Maria watching from a tree branch.”
“What did you do, beat him up so you could fuck Casper.”
“I told them it was our new band act and invited them in. It was the first time Maria and I sang the ‘Free Bird’ duet.”

I lock the window as we lay on the bed talking.
“We’re all taking driver’s ed this Spring. You should sign up.”
“Mummy doesn’t approve.”
“You’ll turn into Mummy Jr., if you don’t watch out.”
“That what I like about staying here. It feels like our hideout.”
“Except with everyone watching us perform.”
“You sure Robby’s isn’t really gay?”
“Why, getting turned on by him? He just uses sex to control everyone.”
“Like Mr. Clark?”
“That reminds me, you ready for our performances this weekend at school?”
“I’ll be gorgeous as always.”
“What if Robby decides to sandbag Puck?”
“We’ll suck.”
“What if Grant gets freaked by his home boys calling him a faggot?”
“That boy is as cool as a cucumber
“That’s what I told him last night when he had pre-show jitters.”
“Scouting out some dark meat.”
“He’s as straight as Hippie, even has a 14-year-old girlfriend.
“That’s a sure sign. He’s a breeder.”
“He wants to set me up with his gay home boy.”
“Once you go black, you never go back.”
“I told him I’m otherwise engaged.”
“Aren’t we just the most welcoming students at Gables High?”
“Not jealous?”
“I’m more concerned about you spending the day with your ex-boyfriend. And there’s the dead boyfriend who’s always hanging around. And when do I get to meet the New York girlfriend?”
“Road trip for Spring Break? We’ll tour the South before the Skynyrd concert, playing road houses and square dances, ‘til we get our songs just right. We might be Florida boys, but we ain’t their kinda Florida boys. And we ain’t gonna try. But them boys up in North Carolina put a fuck load of hillbilly on me. We may be pussy boys, but if they chase after us, we’ll chase after their women. We’ll get you laid, boy. Do wah?”
“You’re scaring me, again.”
“That’s just Floyd, he comes out when I’m riled, kinda like Casper coming out when I’m horny. My two apostles.”
“Teen Jesus. I beseech thee. Take me away. I won’t die to be your apostle. I’m just poor Maid Mary Magdalen. Save me, Teen Jesus.”
“Tie up my hands and feet to the bed posts, so I can’t get away”
“Yessir, Jesus.”
“Put the pillows behind my neck and head.
Get on your knees.
Grab my ears.
Fuck the spit out of my mouth.
Praise the Lord.
Praise the Gays.”

He loves taking orders. Would it break his heart by revealing I’m not Teen Jesus? No way. He fucked his way into my heart. Now if he accepts Jesus into his heart, we’ll all be in there together. Oh, fuck where’s Casper? If I break the sex pact again., he’ll feel left out.
“Stop. Call Stu and have him send Casper here. I may die.”

He runs and calls Stu, who needs signing lessons to get the message right. Later, Stu tells us he doesn’t see Casper, but didn’t want to admit it. It must have worked because Casper floats in the locked window shortly thereafter.
“”Sup, home boys?” he observes me still tied down to the bed, “A little S & M? Were you bored and missing me?”
Floating naked above me, he positions Jack and me so he can top us both. I arch as far as the ropes would let me and feel the bed rotate 90 degrees upwards from the floorboard. I’m floating in crucifixion pose. I even cross my legs like Saint Sebastian. I hold that arch so long and so rigid, that when I do get off, the bed shakes and shakes until it finally collapses like our stage trick at the end of the play. Stuck in the ropes and the bedding, we all struggle pitifully, finally giving up and falling asleep.

Hours later I wake up, stuck again to Jack and all the bed linen. All the bed slats are broken. I’ll have to ask Susan to buy a new bed. I know she will step up to queen size. Jack and I hug, sad that we’ll never again sleep in this bed of lust. Casper and I commiserated that a piece of our past is disappearing. He signs, “We’re going on a road trip.”

I write a memo to Mike Sr. detailing our plans for Easter Spring break. Jack reads over my shoulder.
“Why not get Father Frank to book us at St Patrick’s. It would be free and open for their youth group,” he suggests. No hassle. Perfect. I leave a message for Mike Sr.’s assistant, Jay, to set up a van for us as we need to be on the road during Spring Break. I ask him to find a crash driver’s ed. class so we all can get legitimate IDs. I ask him to book two nights at the Chelsea while we’re in NYC. We need to play as many parties as possible before the road trip, as well as schedule at least a day’s recording for the Jace Tribute movie. If we get all this done, we’ll be back in time for April’s concert date. Jay says the Skynyrd concert contract has been signed, so we better get back on time. I hear Mike Sr. yelling at him. Then he comes back to say Guido’s dumb brother Tony will drive and roadie for us; when we get arrested, he’ll be the responsible adult. I tell Jay the road trip is our reward for working hard so far this year. He laughs and says not to wish for what we want because we might just get it. He is cool.

Jack comes back and says Father Frank is on board and wants us to come to their youth group, if we promise no tongues or snakes. “We’ll have to encourage the holy rolling ourselves,” Jack says with a gleam in his eye.

After school, we all get together at Michael’s to discuss these plans. Grant shows up with his gangsta crew to show us their Doo Wop act. They’re great. We ask them to play with us at the rich kids’ church on Wednesday night. They want to be in Grant’s play, but it’s too late to change things. A Doo Wop chorus would have been great but I would be out of a job again.

After practice, we go to Out & Proud. Felix is proud to show us that he turned the storefront next door into a drop-in youth center. Space is set aside for when we want to perform. He uses the walls to display underwear and other accessories for sale. Phillip is back, having been thrown over by the sugar daddy. He mans the cash register and, at 19, is an adult figure for the kids.
“Hi, Phillip, you’re back?”
“I’m just a sugar daddy reject.”
“I’m sorry. How’s your friend from the show last fall.”
“Apparently he was jealous that I went with someone and hasn’t forgiven me. Are you still available?” he looks hopeful.
Jack, sizing him up, quickly runs over.
“This is Phillip, Jack,” I introduce him. “Jack’s my new boyfriend,” I explain.
“Oh, I missed my chance,” he laments.
“You’re in college,” I try to discourage him.
“Not anymore. Now I’m a full-time babysitter.”
“Sorry. You should go back,” and I give him a peck on the lips.

Jack delivers a quick, faux slap to my cheek. All the girls are twittering at our gay antics. We take a tour of the set-up. The girls lose their shyness. We sit and tell them about the play and promote the Out-Crowd, promising to bring Stu and Mike Jr. to the store.
“Are they gay?” a girl asks.
“Stu’s 12; he just acts gay. Maybe he’s too young for you.
“Twelve is good, as long as he does what we tell him to do.”
Ah, middle school, as I flash back to my ‘date’ with ‘Julie, Julie, Julie.’
“Anybody here named Julie?” I ask. A shy girl sticks up her hand. I take her to where the equipment is and we play the Bobby Sherman ‘Julie’ song for her.

She almost passes out from excitement and hopeful thoughts. Then I tell her about my trying to date another Julie in 8th grade.
“Didn’t you know you were gay then?”
“I never even thought about it. I just wanted Julie to like me.”
“Did she break your heart?”
“No, but she walked out on me on our first date because the movie had swear words.”
“Poor, Tim.”
“I didn’t think about being gay until I realized I was very attracted to Stu’s older brother, between 9th and 10th grade. The hormones had kicked in.”
“Stu has an older brother. Was he your boyfriend?”
“Until he decided he liked a girl more than he liked me.”
“Oh, Tim.”
“Being in love and having your heart-broken is normal in high school. I also fell in love with Jace when Scott and I were breaking up. He really loved me back.”
“But he died.”
“See all you have to look forward to?”
Jack jumps in for the first time, “Now he has me. We’ll never be apart.”
The girls clap. Jack kisses me for an extended time.
They all squeal. Phillip comes over and pulls up our shirts to reveal the briefs we have on that day. The girls with credit cards go dashing to purchase the style for their boyfriends. Some of the boyfriends are dragged along and sent to the boy’s bathroom to change, once the briefs are paid for. When the boys don’t return, Jack and I are sent in to rescue them from each other. There’s a group of five of them posing for each other in the mirror.
“Better get out there before I tell your girlfriends you’re making out.”
One boy runs out in horror, forgetting his clothes. The girls all scream, and he runs back into the boy’s. The other boys, still undressed, decide they want the attention too and strut out together, vogue-ing and air kissing each other. Thank god cellphone cameras have not been invented. Someone has seen Jack snap my waistband, making me hard. The rumor grows that it is a turn-on. The girls attack the boys who promptly surrender to be tested. The consensus is that only gay boys find it a turn-on, when one boy watching the action has an obvious stiffy. He is embarrassed until all the girls turn their attention on him. One of the boy’s friends stands up, “Hey, I got hard too,” but no one can tell if he’s lying or not. We stop the test when the boy starts to pull down his jeans. Otherwise, Out & Proud Youth Center is a success. The police come by and compliment Felix on solving his crowd control problem. It is the same officer from Friday. He tells me the redneck got released after a weekend in jail. Apparently, he had been drinking before our encounter and was not sober. He now feels guilty.

“Probably just embarrassed after being beaten up by a gay high schooler.”

The cop laughs, then asks about Teen Jesus.
“We went to youth group again and tried to explain that with Jesus in your heart you are more willing to let other people in as well. Since they normally get worked up, seeing a vision wasn’t irrational. I’m not trying to encourage them.”
“Well,” the cop observes, “I’m more interested in whether Teen Jesus likes to fight.” He winks at me.
“Well, I believe Teen Jesus did get in a fight with one of our band members, but he lost that one.”
“How’d he handled that?”
“He turned the other cheek.”
The cop roars. I am so strange, liking a policeman.

Next: https://timatswim.com/3-blog-a10-high-school-pendejos/