The Apprentice
by and © N Fourbois
Chapter 34
It was just gone eight when Kieran arrived back home. His mother was the first to greet him and after asking if he'd had a good weekend she said
"Aren't you cold dressed like that?"
"Just a little bit. I wasn't planning to stop over." He thought it wise to avoid the term 'sleep over'.
"You'll catch your death." He walked into the living room to say hi to his father when he heard he was talking to someone. He was surprised to see Uncle Eric there, nursing rather a large black eye. He hadn't noticed the car there when he came in, but then it was dark and all cars look grey at night.
"Hi, Dad, hi, Eric. I was going to say 'have you had a good weekend?', but obviously you haven't."
"One of his house guests," intervened Colleen, feeling rather protective as far as her baby brother was concerned.
"Things got a bit out of hand and I had to ask him to leave," said Eric "and this is what happened."
"I hope you gave him one back," said Kieran.
"No, I was too shocked from this one."
"Now stop it, Kieran. You shouldn't be encouraging violence." Eric had turned up seeking sympathy and was getting it from his sister.
"So what happened?" said Kieran.
"I don't really want to talk about it at the moment. I might tell you tomorrow. Depends on what I feel like."
"Do you want anything to eat, Kieran?"
"No thanks, Mum. We had monster homemade burgers just before I left."
"So what have you been up to?" asked his uncle.
"I went to hang out with a schoolfriend yesterday and because of the turn in the weather I stayed over."
"Good in bed, was he?"
"ERIC!" Kieran blushed, Colleen found something to do in the kitchen and Dean buried his face in the newspaper, pretending not to be listening. "No wonder you got a smack if you behaved like that."
"Just joking," said Eric apologetically.
"What was it we said about what happens in the bedroom remains in the bedroom?" Kieran was visibly cross as well as embarrassed. In order to change the subject Dean said
"Would you like a beer, Eric?"
"I'll fetch it," said Kieran. It gave him excuse to go out to the kitchen and talk to his mother.
"So what did you get up to, Kieran?"
"Not a lot. I'll just take this beer in and I'll come and have a chat. Do you want one, Dad?" he called out.
"Yes, please," came the reply. Kieran took in two cans and two glasses on a tray and returned to the kitchen.
"We just had a quiet weekend, Mum. Jack had had rugby match in the morning and so was knackered out. We did the usual things... played computer games, watched TV and a DVD, read the papers, chatted and got to know one another. It was too wet to go outside. And we ate. His mum had left piles of food. We shared the cooking like I did with Orlando."
"Is Jack an Orlando substitute?"
"Nah, I'm not ready for that yet. I learnt a lesson there because in two years' time I shall up sticks and move on in life. So we're just good friends who share several interests and I suspect that over the next few days we'll be having a little chat and we might become best mates. I liked his family, the little I saw of them, and I think they liked me."
"When are we going to get to meet him?"
"Next weekend, if you like, and he can make it, but I think he's got an afternoon rugby match, away fixture, next Saturday. I'll see what I can do, Mum."
"You know we've got to go away on one of out business trips, don't you?"
"You did tell me."
"And it'll be over half term, I'm afraid."
"Earning my school fees, I s'pose."
"Now I wasn't going to say that, Kieran."
"Can I stay here this time? It's a bit, what shall I say?... cramped at Eric's and you know Mrs Crater will keep me in good order."
"I don't see why not, but don't get into trouble at school this time."
"Once in my whole school life and now I'm branded."
"It's all right, my love. I'm only joking. And if you want Jack here, or any other friends, that's okay. Just be sensible. No parties."
"Thanks, Mum. I'm going up to bed and have an early night."
"Say good night to Eric and your father. I'll bring you up a mug of cocoa in a few minutes."
"Thanks." Kieran went into the living room, said good night to his father and 'see ya tomorrow evening' to Eric and went upstairs.
He'd just stripped off all his clothes when there was a knock at the door and without waiting for answer his mother walked in with a tray of cocoa and biscuits.
"Mum! I'm supposed to be a shy and sensitive teenager."
"Sorry, dear. I forget. My, I didn't produce a bad foal, did I? You remind me of your father when he was your age." Kieran blushed. His mother said good night and left him in peace. He slipped a pair of boxer shorts on and after finishing his cocoa and biscuits, climbed under the duvet. He quickly put out the light for he felt tired. 'Too much bed and not enough sleep,' he told himself.
Halfway through the night Kieran woke up with a woodie so stiff that it hurt. It poked out of the slit in his boxers. 'I must to do something about this or I'll never get back to sleep,' he thought. He rolled over and pressed the top of his alarm clock. Three eighteen am and twenty-seven seconds. He peeled the duvet back, lay on his back, hauled his balls through the fly of the boxers, tucked the fingers of his left hand under his balls, caressed the base of his cock with his thumb and started wanking off the shaft with his right fist, slowly moving his foreskin back and forth over his aching glans. As he did, he thought about the boys in his life. He was in complete and utter ecstasy. One by one: Uncle Eric, the boy at St Sergius's that got him excluded, Orlando, Jack, William... he began fantasising that he was in his study at school, alone with William who was tidying his desk. He was walking up behind him, then kissing the back of his neck. William was looking round and smiling, then he (Kieran) was holding him in a hug with his left arm, putting his hand round to the front of his trousers, undoing his zip and had just put his hand inside when without warning his balls tightened and he shot a hot wad of his seed across his chest. It even reached his chin. It was one of the most intense orgasms he had experienced. Kieran relaxed immediately. The fantasy came to an abrupt end. He lay there panting with beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His spunk was quickly growing cold and congealing on his skin. He scooped some of the remaining liquid up and placed it on his tongue, savouring it. 'Mmm, I prefer the taste of Jack's.' His thoughts returned to William. 'It's no good. I'm going to have to take that boy.'
The alarm beeped and Kieran came to, still lying in the same position he was in when he had fallen back to sleep, lying on his back. He was frozen stiff since he had not bothered to pull the duvet up over him. He felt his skin crackle when he moved as he broke up the layer of dried spunk on it and when he reached down to scratch his balls he felt the knot of glued hair in his pubes for the same reason. He smelt of dried semen, not that he disliked it for he would relish the aroma on those mornings when he used to wake with Orlando by his side. 'It's Monday morning and I've got school,' he thought to himself as his brain started to take command of his body.
He eagerly awaited the moment when the bus would reach Jack's stop. They greeted each other as Jack fell into the seat, jolted by the motion of the bus.
"Hi, Kieran. Did you have a good weekend?"
"Wicked," Kieran replied. "How about you?"
"One of the best. My parents were away and my bo... I mean my best friend came for a sleep over." Kieran raised an eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing. "What did you do?"
"I had this friend to visit on Saturday and because it came on to rain he invited me to stay over and then we had a great time on Sunday too." All this went on with the straightest of faces. Jack was the first to break and he burst out giggling.
"You dork, Kieran."
"Hey, that's a nice thing to call your boy... I mean best friend on a Monday morning."
The atmosphere suddenly became serious.
"Is that it then?" said Jack.
"Is that what?"
"Is it best friends?" Jack sounded disappointed.
"You're looking for more, aren't you?" Jack nodded. "I'm sorry. I can't commit at the moment. I committed with Orlando and look what happened there."
"I understand... I think."
"But we can still be best friends... buddies... mates... that is if you'll have me?"
"Can we still... er... do stuff together?"
"Of course we can. It's just that... you'll probably think I'm a terrible slut and you may well be right, but I can't promise I won't have sex with anyone else," replied Kieran. "I'm in such turmoil at the moment. I had a dream last night that ..." He broke off at that point. After a short silence "It doesn't matter what I dreamt. It won't help." Jack squeezed Kieran's hand for reassurance. He wanted to kiss his cheek, but he considered that the top of a 29 bus, in College uniform, surrounded by the public in general and College boys in particular, would not be the wisest place. "Best friends, then?" said Kieran.
"Best friends," repeated Jack and the hand squeeze turned into a handshake.
The reality of Monday morning returned with the bus's arrival outside College and an exodus of College boys.
The rest of the day went well. It would soon be half term. Everyone deserved a rest. Kieran felt that he had been brutal towards Jack, but when he saw William outside his study, sparking off an immediate flashback to half past three in the morning, he realised it was the only truthful and moral way he could have acted. He checked William out and got busted, without realising it. At lunchtime Jack was back to his normal, cheerful... and dare one say it?... affectionate self.
Although half term was still two weeks away, the assembled company were discussing over lunch what they would be doing during the break. Kieran already knew that Jack was off to Tenerife with his family for the week to take advantage of some sun before the miserable English winter set in with a vengeance. Kieran knew that he was home alone for that week and longer, with Uncle Eric the only likely company. His mind was momentarily excluding the outside world while his thoughts directed themselves inwards. 'Unless of course... No, Kieran Williams, get that thought out of your head straightaway. It's just not going to happen.' But he couldn't concentrate for the whole afternoon. He just didn't know what his fag was doing for half term and until he plucked up the courage to enquire, he wouldn't be able to focus on what he was supposed to dealing with.
By the end of the day Kieran's emotions were in such a volatile state he had to do something about them. Brain had certainly lost out in the turmoil. 'Why am I like this?' he asked himself. 'If I were thirteen, fourteen, even fifteen I could understand it, but not at my age for goodness' sake.' At tea he noticed William going off to do his fagging duties by himself while Toby and his friends went to refill their mugs with tea.
"I'm just going off for a pee," Kieran told his mates. He wasn't. He didn't even display the subtlety of following William at a discreet distance. He caught him up and started chatting to him, not that there was anything wrong with a fagmaster talking to his fag. What was wrong was how Kieran's mind was working and the way his conscience was functioning. William would know nothing of this in the same way that Kieran didn't know what was going on in William's head. It might have been easier for him if he had.
"Hi, William. Have you had a good day?"
"Not bad, but not as good as tomorrow's going to be."
"Why's that?"
"Me and Toby have hatched up a little jape for Mr Bridgeman."
"Oh? What's are you going to do?"
"Do you know how to keep an idiot in suspense?" Kieran shook his head. "Tell you tomorrow." They both laughed. This little piece of impertinence had made Kieran's spirits soar.
"Look, I don't think my study's particularly untidy today. Do you feel like a walk round the fields?"
"You're not going to interfere with me, are you?" said William, looking up at his fagmaster with those big brown eyes and a cheeky grin.
"Not at school..." 'OMG,' he thought, 'what have just said?!?' William's face betrayed his disappointment... no, it exaggerated his almost, but not quite mock-disappointment.
"Well, I suppose if I have the choice between breathing lavender spray polish and breathing fresh air, fresh air gets it every time." 'How can a thirteen year old boy have such a dry sense of humour?' Kieran wondered. 'I guess that wasn't a serious answer.' The College had five rugby pitches on site. It took a little while to walk round them.
"So what are you doing for half term, William?"
"Not a lot. Once upon a time I would stay with my father and he would try and win my affections by buying me things to outdo my mother, but I soon saw through that. At my last school several of us came from single parent families and we soon sussed out what was happening. It's my mother that does all the hard work for me. It didn't stop me exploiting the situation, though."
"You devious little toad."
"Maybe. It was a way of getting my own back on him for leaving us. So I've got no conscience about it."
"I hope you don't think you can manipulate me like that."
"Now would I try a thing like that on you, Kieran? You've been nothing but kindness to me. Especially when I think of what some of my fellow fags have to do. All for a lousy quid a week." William gave Kieran the look that melted his heart. "Where was I? Oh, yes. I used to live with my father during the holidays, but he found a new partner. Three became a crowd. Okay, he gives my mother money to help care for me and he pays the school fees, but she still has to go to work and so I have to look after myself and I can probably look up a few friends from my old school. So it won't be so bad. How about you?"
"A bit similar. My parents own a company and my mother works as my father's PA. Every so often they have to go away on business, out of the country, and they try to snatch a bit of holiday at the same time. They're going in just over a week's time and so I am left in my uncle's care - in theory because he has to work and he's got his own life. But this time I'm being allowed to stay at home. We have a cleaner called Mrs Crater who makes sure everything's all right. Monday evenings I go to the gym with my uncle. Now I'm a member I can go any time I want to."
"What do you do about food?"
"I sometimes get a takeaway, but I know how to cook."
"Wow! Who taught you to cook?"
"My uncle."
"Your uncle?"
"Yes. It was all part of my apprenticeship."
"Apprenticeship?" Kieran realised he might have said too much, but William's company had put him in a state of euphoria and he was past caring. 'Okay, here goes,' he thought.
"You see, my uncle is gay and he takes being gay very seriously. And I'm gay too." 'Why am I outing myself to my fag?'
"Everybody knows that," said William in a matter of fact manner. "Toby and I spotted it within the first week we were here. And his fagmaster's gay, too."
"They say it's in the genes and you're born like it."
"That must be why I'm gay as well," said William.
"You're gay?"
"I thought I told you."
"Well, you did, I remember, but I didn't like to say anything in case you thought I wanted to do stuff with you."
"But you do, don't you?" He was tying Kieran in knots.
"I can't answer the question."
"I know the answer anyway," said William "and I don't mind." Kieran looked at William and he was being quite serious. "It's interesting what you said about it being in genes."
"Why's that?"
"I was telling you about my father. He and mother split because he discovered he was really gay and he didn't want to live with my mother any more. And you know I said he had a new partner and didn't want me around any more?" Kieran nodded. "That new partner of his is a bloke."
Kieran couldn't help himself. He simply took William in his arms and gave him a big hug. He didn't care who was watching. William hugged him back.
The moment passed. William looked at his watch.
"I'd better be getting off home. Mum will start thinking I've had an accident and fallen off my bike or something. I won't be riding after half term. It will be too dark. See ya tomorrow, Kieran."
"See ya, William. As he went off, he turned and blew Kieran a kiss.
Kieran went back to his study. He had a lot to think about. When he got there, he saw a note on his desk. He read it. 'Couldn't wait any longer. Had to get home. See you on the bus tomorrow. Hugs, Jack.' Kieran looked at his watch.
"OMG, I'm going to be late for the gym." He grabbed all the belongings he needed, checked his laptop was safely stowed away and made his way to the bus stop. He looked round and noticed that there was no one else left in the building, apart from the cleaners.
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