recess and they both lifted their hands. Mason was talking to Kirsty, his girlfriend, and Mitchell hadn’t stopped to interrupt them. Why would he? Mason wasn’t much of a friend or anything — just one of the guys on the team — so it wasn’t until lunchtime that he had a chance to talk to anyone.
In the lunch hall, he saw Luke, already sitting at the table where they always sat, over by the windows. Luke and Mitchell always sat at this table, though other people used it also — sometimes some of the guys from the team, and sometimes random people that Luke and Mitchell didn’t even know.
Mitchell had been having lunch with Luke for as long as he could remember. He walked over to the table with his tray and sat down opposite Luke, who was toying with his food.
The thing Mitchell liked about Luke the best was his hair, not just that it was blond, but that it was so soft, and sort of splayed out from his head. Luke didn’t use any sort of product. None of the guys on the team did that because it was senseless; you were always in the water. Luke had dark eyes, brown eyes, which was unusual with blond hair, and his top lip curled upwards, so that you could always see his front teeth. Luke’s mouth was always open a little and he licked his lips a lot.
When he was younger, Mitchell had thought that Luke was beautiful, but lately, as Luke had grown up, he had started to get a sort of goofy expression to his face, as though his ears were too big, and his lips distorted. Mitchell hated it when he saw Luke like that, because he loved Luke and wanted him to stay the way he had been, though all the guys on the team had turned eighteen now, and all of them had changed.
“Hi,” Mitchell said.
“Hey,” Luke said, and he frowned. He looked a little nervous.
Mitchell was just about to say, “What’s up?” when Luke got up and said, “I’ve got to go talk to Tadd. I’ll be back.”
Luke took his juice with him and walked across the lunch hall to the table where Tadd usually sat with a whole bunch of jocks — not swimmers — though it seemed to be the whole swim team over there today. Mitchell could see Tyler and Mason and even Jack — and there was no way Jack would usually sit there. The guys were talking, and every now and then, one or two of them threw a glance at Mitchell.
They were talking about him. Tadd was doing what he had said he would do, or Mitchell supposed so. He lowered his eyes and swallowed. The whole thing was a lie. Sure, he always had a boner, but it was because he was gay. That was the truth of it. And now Tadd was telling everyone that he wasn’t, that he had a problem with his cock that was related to the fact that it was small, that he couldn’t get it to go down.
Suddenly, there was an uproar of laughter that made everyone in the lunch hall stop and look. One of the guys had said something, and all of them had laughed at the same time. It was something about him. Mitchell supposed so. Something about him having a small cock. He felt the heat flooding his face and neck and shoulders and he knew that he was blushing, a thing he did easily, and which people always commented on.
9
“So, you can’t get it down? ” Luke said after he came back across the hall and sat down again. He pushed his tray away. He wasn’t going to eat anymore, but he kept sucking on his juice. Luke had a bit of a problem with his weight. If it wasn’t for swimming, he would have been fat, because even with swimming he was carrying too much body fat, Coach Marley said. It wasn’t that noticeable, though Mitchell could imagine Luke fat. He could easily balloon out considering the way he ate, and he was always trying to do something about it, train more or eat less.
“I’ve told you that before.”
“What?”
“That I have a problem — that I can’t get it,” Mitchell looked around to see if anyone could hear him, “to go down.”
Luke nodded and smiled. The only time when his lips came together
In the lunch hall, he saw Luke, already sitting at the table where they always sat, over by the windows. Luke and Mitchell always sat at this table, though other people used it also — sometimes some of the guys from the team, and sometimes random people that Luke and Mitchell didn’t even know.
Mitchell had been having lunch with Luke for as long as he could remember. He walked over to the table with his tray and sat down opposite Luke, who was toying with his food.
The thing Mitchell liked about Luke the best was his hair, not just that it was blond, but that it was so soft, and sort of splayed out from his head. Luke didn’t use any sort of product. None of the guys on the team did that because it was senseless; you were always in the water. Luke had dark eyes, brown eyes, which was unusual with blond hair, and his top lip curled upwards, so that you could always see his front teeth. Luke’s mouth was always open a little and he licked his lips a lot.
When he was younger, Mitchell had thought that Luke was beautiful, but lately, as Luke had grown up, he had started to get a sort of goofy expression to his face, as though his ears were too big, and his lips distorted. Mitchell hated it when he saw Luke like that, because he loved Luke and wanted him to stay the way he had been, though all the guys on the team had turned eighteen now, and all of them had changed.
“Hi,” Mitchell said.
“Hey,” Luke said, and he frowned. He looked a little nervous.
Mitchell was just about to say, “What’s up?” when Luke got up and said, “I’ve got to go talk to Tadd. I’ll be back.”
Luke took his juice with him and walked across the lunch hall to the table where Tadd usually sat with a whole bunch of jocks — not swimmers — though it seemed to be the whole swim team over there today. Mitchell could see Tyler and Mason and even Jack — and there was no way Jack would usually sit there. The guys were talking, and every now and then, one or two of them threw a glance at Mitchell.
They were talking about him. Tadd was doing what he had said he would do, or Mitchell supposed so. He lowered his eyes and swallowed. The whole thing was a lie. Sure, he always had a boner, but it was because he was gay. That was the truth of it. And now Tadd was telling everyone that he wasn’t, that he had a problem with his cock that was related to the fact that it was small, that he couldn’t get it to go down.
Suddenly, there was an uproar of laughter that made everyone in the lunch hall stop and look. One of the guys had said something, and all of them had laughed at the same time. It was something about him. Mitchell supposed so. Something about him having a small cock. He felt the heat flooding his face and neck and shoulders and he knew that he was blushing, a thing he did easily, and which people always commented on.
9
“So, you can’t get it down? ” Luke said after he came back across the hall and sat down again. He pushed his tray away. He wasn’t going to eat anymore, but he kept sucking on his juice. Luke had a bit of a problem with his weight. If it wasn’t for swimming, he would have been fat, because even with swimming he was carrying too much body fat, Coach Marley said. It wasn’t that noticeable, though Mitchell could imagine Luke fat. He could easily balloon out considering the way he ate, and he was always trying to do something about it, train more or eat less.
“I’ve told you that before.”
“What?”
“That I have a problem — that I can’t get it,” Mitchell looked around to see if anyone could hear him, “to go down.”
Luke nodded and smiled. The only time when his lips came together
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