The Apprentice
by and © N Fourbois
Chapter 51
A new day, a new start on Wednesday morning. Kieran bounced off to school. He was pleased that his parents were back home for although their being away offered certain bonuses, especially to his love life, he'd rather not go back to an empty house. He picked up Jack along the way and they arrived at their studies to find both fags there and in deep conversation. They said good morning and went into their own studies, fags in tow. With the door closed Kieran said
"Will, we found your undies, or rather Mrs Crater did - under my pillow!"
"Whoops! Did you get into trouble?"
"A bit with my mother, but my father made a bit of a joke about it, not realising he was supposed to bollock me and so we were both in the doghouse last night."
"Yeah, Mum wasn't overjoyed. She made me buy a new pair out of my own money. So you can keep them as a souvenir." William giggled. "They were getting a bit small, anyway."
"Are you getting fat, my boy?"
"No, the crotch was getting too tight for me," he replied with a completely straight face.
"Boasting again." They both burst out giggling.
"Talking of money, here's the money for my gym membership," and he handed Kieran a sealed brown envelope.
"Thanks, Will. Time you were off to registration."
"See you later. I've got a big, big favour to ask of you."
"Now I shall be on tenterhooks all day. See you later," and William blew him a kiss. 'Cheeky little sod,' thought Kieran.
He walked across to assembly with Jack, both zapping their IDs on the way.
"What are you doing over the weekend," asked Jack.
"The parents have organised something for Sunday afternoon going on into the evening, but otherwise not a lot. How about you?"
"Rugby Saturday morning - that's if I'm picked after the last match and then nothing. I was wondering if you'd like to come for a sleep over?"
"Do you think you'll get that one past your parents?"
"Oh, I think so. They liked you when they met you that time and they're pretty realistic about my sexuality. But! My big brother is down from university for the weekend and as his bedroom has also become the spare room, it will mean that we'll have to double up. I told my parents that you wouldn't mind. Just bring your sleeping bag - for appearances' sake, you understand. The other thing is that he'll get all the attention and they don't have to worry about me and Gemma. Well, me. Gemma does her own thing anyway."
"I'll check at home and mail or text you tonight. Where's the match?"
"Home."
"I might come and support and come home with you afterwards. Who's it against?"
"St Sergius's, a local derby."
"In that case I'll definitely come and support, and I shall be very disappointed if you lose."
Kieran's mind was certainly not on the assembly. First he was curious to know what the 'big, big favour' was that his fag wanted. Then it occurred to him that perhaps he had not been not concentrating on his schoolwork since half term with all these distractions. Nothing wrong with an active social life, but he was at school in the first instance to work.
He returned to the world of reality when the assembled school stood to sing the appointed hymn of the day. College took a positive attitude to hymn-singing. It made the lungs open up and take in more air than they otherwise might have done. It was part of the spirit of the place. Naturally there were favourites sung more rousingly than other hymns: Jerusalem, Lord, Dismiss us with Thy Blessing, perhaps no coincidence that they were connected with the end of term, or more precisely with the beginning of the holidays. The day being the 1 November it was apt that the chosen hymn was For All the Saints, but even at other times of the year it would receive its full due. Kieran left assembly ready to attack a full working day.
At lunchtime Kieran and Jack fed with their mates from the Lower Sixth. William and Toby just had to draw attention to themselves when they left, and wave a cool circular wave as they minced past. All the scene lacked was a Mrs Crater type 'cooee', but Kieran and Jack were sure that could easily be inserted into the ritual if one or the other were stupid enough to mention it to his fag. In any case it did not seem to ruffle the feathers of the other sixth formers. 'There but for the grace of God go I.' They accepted Kieran's and Jack's sexuality in the way that they accepted the colour of their hair; they had fags of their own who used their boyish wiles to get round their fagmasters. From their own time as fags they readily recognised these 'wiles' to be of a sexual nature and that their own human frailty might lead them to give in to them. Some of those sixth formers knew they were firmly locked in the closet which one of those fags might easily discover how to unlock. Don't, either, gain the impression that College was jam packed with raging poofs; it wasn't. The vast majority consisted of the heterosexually promiscuous, the heterosexually faithful, the heterosexually indifferent and a minority who still thought their dicks were only for peeing over high walls. The greatness of College was that this diverse community was bound together by tolerance. Yes, of course there were joke and japes, remarks and laughter, all at the expense of others, but instead of being viewed as an evil worthy of a court case or a tribunal for compensation as in the outside world, it was considered a valuable safety valve, and on the rare occasions it threatened to get out of hand the College body's ability to self-regulate prevented any serious damage. 'Why couldn't St Sergius's have been like that?" pondered Kieran.
The afternoon was spent on the games field in typical dull, damp but fine November weather. Kieran and his friends were pleased to get under the shower and back into school uniform. He caught up with Jack at tea. He had a grin on his face.
"I made it, Kieran," he said over enthusiastically, giving him a great big nudge that made Kieran's tea slop all over the tray in general and his sticky bun in particular. "Whoops! Sorry. Have mine and I'll go and get another one."
"It's okay. You go and sit down, calm down and when I've swapped these you can tell me what it is you've made." Before Jack could answer, Kieran was at the servery explaining to the assistant why he needed another sticky bun and a top up of tea.
At last Kieran got to sit down with his friends. Jack had kept him a seat.
"As I was about to tell you, I managed to keep my place in the team for Saturday. Five have been dropped. Five!" Looking around the dining hall Kieran thought he could make out some of the five from their faces. "The team had a hell of a bollocking on Monday and so I suppose we knew what to expect, but five."
"Right, you're on for Saturday. I texted my mother and got the okay and I'll be at the match. I must be home by twelve on Sunday."
The conversation round the table continued on the topic of 3rd XV rugby. It was obvious that one or two egos had been pricked. A couple of boys had played in every match since they had been at College and thought they had a team place by divine right. Eventually the topic had been talked out and the company round them broke up. Kieran and Jack made their way to their studies. William had already finished tidying Kieran's. The cubicle stank of overuse of furniture polish.
"What on earth is that smell, Will?"
"Lavender Pledge. Mum couldn't get any Mr Sheen."
"Half price offer was it?"
"Dunno."
"Smells like it. Still, you wanted to ask me something."
"Ooh, yes." William became hesitant. "I've got a date this weekend."
"Oh, yes. Anybody I know?"
"It's Toby actually. I'm going home with him after our rugby match on Saturday. His parents have got a big house in the country and it's had a loft conversion and they've given the entire loft over to him and his brother. His brother's on a sleep over this weekend with a firework party and so he thought it would be a good idea to have some fun."
"So what's this favour you want to ask?"
"Well, you know you always taught me to BP - be prepared?" Kieran nodded. "Well, I haven't got any supplies."
"Supplies?" Kieran wasn't slow in catching on. He was just enjoying the moment.
"You know, condoms and lube... and so I was wondering if you could lend me some."
"You know what they say, Will. Big enough to fuck, big enough to buy your own jonnies."
"I didn't, but I still don't feel up to going to the chemist, or taking them through the checkout at the supermarket. Kieran, please."
"Okay, I'll bring you some stuff tomorrow. I must admit I don't like doing it. Someone might think I'm supplying you with drugs, and all we'll get, if they search us, is embarrassment. I've got a better idea. When I get home tonight, I'll put something in the post and you should get it tomorrow. What number Tabicatt Mews is it you live?"
"Here's my card."
"Now, have you finished my study, Mrs Mopp?"
"Nearly."
"When you have I'll sit you down in front of my laptop."
While William was flitting round with his duster, Kieran set up a page on the internet.
"This is what I'll do, Will. I'll e-mail you the URL. I order all my supplies from this company. They've got low prices, a good selection and an efficient service. You see you can get all different kinds of condoms and lube, not just K-Y and other stuff."
"Why have they got tampons?"
"Because some elderly queens, who have used their bottoms too much in earlier life, leak."
"Eugh! I wish I hadn't asked now."
"You've got a debit card, haven't you?"
"Yes."
"Set your first order up and open an account and you'll be ready to go, and the next time it'll be a lot simpler."
"Are you two ready to go?" It was Jack's voice from the corridor.
"I'll just close my laptop down and lock it away and we'll be with you." William said good night and went off to catch his bus. Kieran and Jack made their way towards their stop, zapping out with their ID cards on the way.
"You weren't showing your fag internet porn, were you?"
"I doubt if I could show him much he hasn't seen before. No, I was showing him how to order stuff on the internet."
"We had to find that sort of thing out for ourselves," said Jack.
"I know," said Kieran, conveniently forgetting it was Eric who showed him how to order his first 'supplies'. "They have it dead cushy these days." The bus came along and they climbed aboard. "You know, Jack, I'm quite looking forward to this weekend. It's been a hard week so far and it's still only Wednesday." They said 'cheers' when it came to Jack's stop and Kieran sat there thinking about what he had to do that evening. Then he had an epiphany. He had nothing to worry about as far as his personal relationships were concerned. William was going off with Toby for the weekend with no qualms; he was going off with Jack for the weekend with no qualms. Sex was there if he wanted it, and by golly he wanted it. No one was attached and no one was getting hurt. There was no reason for it to interfere with his schoolwork. His only concern, and that was long term, was how to get Toby Cholmondeley into bed. Work in school, fun outside school, and the problem was solved.
Kieran got home and hugged his mother. He had certainly missed her. Furthermore, it seemed that last night's little incident with the undies was forgotten about. Colleen had even laughed about it after she'd been 'hoist with her own petard', as it were.
"William said thanks for his CKs, although his mother had already made him pay for a new pair out of his pocket money."
"Of course, you realise the most embarrassing part, don't you, Kieran?"
"What? What Dad said?"
"No. We were young once, though you might find it hard to believe. It was having to face down Mrs Crater. There's a certain class of women, and so often they happen to be cleaners and of that ilk, who can never do anything wrong, nor can their families, and they take great pride in parading their superiority. Be prepared. You'll come across enough of them in life."
"Mum, have you got any stamps, please? I need to get something in the post before the last collection."
He took a jiffy bag from the office up to his room, unlocked his safe, extracted a five pack of Avanti and a new tube of K-Y and packed the stuff as flat as possible in the padded bag so that it would go through the letterbox. He stuffed in a note which said 'Avanti is the best. Ask me why. Luv ya, Will. K'. He took the addressed envelope back down to the office, weighed it and put on some stamps.
"I'm just off round to the pillar box, Mum." Just after he had dropped the packet into the irretrievable pillar box he asked himself 'Why did I write that "Luv ya, Will" on that note?'
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