Copyright © 2020-2024 Douglas DD. All Rights Reserved.
CHAPTER 77
INTEGRITY
THURSDAY, JUNE 11
<Aiden and Nolan>
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you totally lost your mind,” Nolan yawned after being awakened by Aiden’s alarm.
“Are you talking to me?” Aiden asked.
“No, I’m talking to the pervert lurking on your deck. Of course, I’m talking to you.”
“Dang, and I thought I was the one who was supposed to be a grouch in the morning.”
“Well, you’ve got company this morning. I mean it’s the second day after school is out for the summer and you set your friggen alarm for eight o’fucking clock.”
“I haven’t done my naked chef thing in forever and I thought today would be a nice time to do it. Especially when my most awesome assistant chef is here.”
“What if your most awesome assistant wants to sleep in?” Nolan asked.
“That’s what tomorrow is for. Then we can both sleep like we’re supposed to. Now, let’s go pee and wash our hands and get downstairs so we can get breakfast started. I told my dads I’d have things going by eight-thirty.”
“Oh, cool, that gives us almost a half hour to roll over and snooze.”
Aiden rolled on his left side and looked into his boyfriend’s eyes. “Here’s something better than snoozing,” he whispered before leaning in and planting a loving kiss on Nolan’s lips.
After Aiden broke the kiss, Nolan came right back and started a new one. “Yeah, this beats snoozing, at least for this morning,” Nolan cooed after removing his tongue from Aiden’s mouth. “Sorry if I got snarky.”
“Apology accepted. Now that we’ve taken care of almost ten minutes, let’s get up and get breakfast going.”
“Now that we’ve got ourselves all boned up, maybe we should take ten minutes to take care of our peckers. What if your dads see us coming downstairs with hard-ons?”
“Morning wood is the answer,” Aiden answered.
Five minutes later the boys were in the kitchen grabbing their aprons. Aiden put on his light blue one and Nolan his red one. Nolan was the only one of Aiden’s friends to have his own apron.
“Good morning, boys,” Larry said through the kitchen opening. “Nice to see you up and getting breakfast started.”
“Good morning, Pop. Did you know that Nolan can be grumpy in the morning?” Aiden asked.
“No wonder the two of you became boyfriends.”
“Daaaaaaad, there’s more to it than that.”
“Aiden’s not totally right. I’m grumpy from getting up early on a vacation day after staying up a little late the night before,” Nolan pointed out. “My boyfriend, on the other hand, is an every morning grump.”
“Hey, was I a grump this morning?”
“No, but only because I beat you to it.”
“You see what I have to put up with, Pop?” Aiden asked.
“Maybe I should call Nolan’s parents and tell them they might want to withdraw their bid on the house,” Larry chuckled.
“NO WAY POP!” “YOU CAN’T DO THAT!!” Aiden and Nolan shouted out together.
“I love it how you two are now eighth graders and yanking your chains is still a piece of cake.”
“We knew what you were doing, we just wanted to make you feel superior,” Aiden said haughtily.
“How about you guys do something superior and get breakfast cooking.”
“Who’s going to wake up everybody else?”
“I think I’m going to put big bad Phil to work on it,” Larry said as Phil entered the dining room.
Before Phil could ask what it was he was going to get to work on, he heard the rumble of feet on the stairs followed by four naked tweens, Lenny, Lance, Miles, and Grant, entering the dining room behind him. “If you were planning to wake us up, you don’t have to,” Lenny said. “Miles set the alarm on his phone and here we are.”
“And it looks like the naked chefs got breakfast going,” Grant said. “I bet if the four of us got to work setting the table and getting condiments out, it would help them a lot.”
Larry helped streamline the process by giving the boys table setting assignments and the quartet went to work. They were almost finished when Mason and Gordy came up from the basement. The other boys were surprised to see them both naked since they knew Gordy wasn’t comfortable being naked in front of Phil and Larry. But it looked like he might be getting over that hang-up along with some of his other ones.
“Hey, look who’s coming just in time to see us finish setting the table,” Lenny announced.
“Nobody woke us up, so what were we supposed to do?” Mason asked.
“I thought I set my phone alarm,” Gordy said. “I don’t know why it didn’t go off. I probably forgot to save my setting—it’s happened to me before.”
Larry and Phil took their meals into the breakfast room to give the boys morning privacy. Gordy felt himself relax when he realized he would be naked with just his friends.
The chatter was about their upcoming games on back-to-to-back days—a Friday and Saturday. Trent was slated to be the starting pitcher against Tenino on Friday and Aiden would start against Pine Lake on Saturday. They wondered if Lance would get a chance to pitch in one of them.
“We’ve got the Federal Way tournament coming up next weekend,” Lenny said. “Guys like Riley, Max, Grant, and my brother need to do more than just pitch in scrimmages.”
“Yep, tournaments take a lot of pitchers,” Aiden said. “Coach Hallion said this tournament doesn’t allow pickup pitchers since it’s in the middle of league season and the tournament committee feels teams should just be responsible for their own pitcher’s number of pitches.
“Plus, there’s the league championship tournament if we make it,” Gordy said. “And they don’t allow pickup pitchers.”
“We’re going to make it, Gordy, so let’s end that discussion,” Miles said.
“And then there’s California and it does allow pickup pitchers, but against those good teams we’re going to need them and everybody else.”
The boys finished breakfast, and everyone pitched in clearing the table, helping to clean the kitchen, and loading the dishwasher. They were just finishing up when the house phone rang. Aiden went to the living room to answer it. “Yeah, sure, I can get him, Mr. Moyer,” they heard Aiden say. “He probably left his phone upstairs in my bedroom.” He stepped into the kitchen and handed Nolan the handset. “It’s for you.”
“I wonder what’s so urgent that he couldn’t wait for me to return the message I’m sure he left on my phone,” Nolan wondered out loud as he put the phone to his ear.
“Good morning, son. Sorry to be a bit mysterious, but court is in recess, and I wanted to give you the news while I had a chance.”
Nolan switched the phone to speaker phone mode hoping the news his father had was good news. “I put you on speaker phone and Aiden will be listening.” He didn’t bother to mention the other boys in the room who were glued to the conversation.
“Fantastic. Then he can share the good news with you,” Paul said. Nolan and Aiden both felt their heart rates go up and their bodies turn warm from the pleasant emotions coursing through them. “Mrs. Barnes called Mark Heim, the realtor, and told him she accepted our bid.” Aiden, Nolan, and the six other boys all let out loud cheers. “Wow, the two of you sure make quite a cacophony.”
“Mason, Miles, Grant, Gordy, and the twins heard the news too,” Nolan explained.
“Mrs. Barnes gave Mr. Heim a message for you. She said you will have to meet Aiden, who lives just up the road from her. She described him as a really nice boy.”
“I suppose I can see what I can do about that. But how did she ever know about me?”
“Mayfield is a small town. You’ll have to start getting used to people knowing a lot more about what goes on than you think they know,” Paul answered. “Your mother and I will be meeting Mr. Heim at our house to sign the contract as soon as your mother and I are finished with work. We’d like for you to be home by no later than three. After the signing, I figure we’ll go out for a nice family dinner to celebrate.”
“I have practice at three,” Nolan reminded his dad. “Coach said we’d be done by four-thirty.”
“Right, I forgot. Your mother works until four, so I’ll ask her to pick you up after practice.”
Nolan wanted to suggest that Aiden celebrate with them, then decided he would have to start working Aiden in at different times. But his father surprised him by saying, “It would be nice if our Mayfield neighbors could join us. One of you fetch Phil or Larry.”
Aiden’s dads were in the dining room instantly and said they would be happy to meet at Porter’s Steak House for dinner. Nolan smiled as he realized yet once again that his relationship with Aiden kept meeting with more acceptance by both of his parents.
Aiden was thankful that Coach Hallion had the day off from work and had scheduled an afternoon practice for two o’clock.
<Trent and Mac>
Trent and Mac had just finished their morning shower and were dressing in Trent’s bedroom. “Great job of topping last night, Mr. Catcher,” Trent said as he pulled on his shorts.
“It was my pleasure,” Mac said.
“That’s for sure,” Trent grinned.
“Well, it’s good we agreed to change our rules some.”
“Hey, we’re just starting this tradition. And since we really won’t have time to do it today, we had to decide that any time before the game works, as long as there’s no other game coming first. I think I’ve got that right.”
“Yep, and like any good pitcher you listened to your catcher,” Mac grinned. “And you really got into it big time.”
“It was my pleasure,” Trent said.
After breakfast, Mac went home to do the chores he knew his dad had left for him. He saw Trent again at the middle school at quarter to two. Coach Hallion started with a meeting, reminding the team that they wouldn’t be practicing again until the following Thursday and for them to get the most out of it that they could. “With four games in the next six days, there really is no need for practice. But what also happens when you just play games and don’t practice is that bad habits can start to form. So, before we play in the Federal Way Tournament next weekend it would be a good idea to iron out any bad habits starting to form with a practice the day before the tournament starts.”
Everybody murmured in agreement and Coach Hallion, along with Eric, who had the day off from work, ran a practice with a lot of drills to remind everyone of the fundamentals they would need to concentrate on over the next four games. The coach also reminded everyone that while he only had Friday’s position starters figured out, he did have the pitching rotation worked out up to the tournament. Trent would be starting against Tenino on Friday, Aiden against Pine Lake on Saturday, and Scott against Kentburg on Monday, Coach Hallion told them in their after-practice meeting.
“What about Wednesday?” Max asked. The Goats would be playing East Centralia at home on Wednesday.
“That will be what is known in the Major Leagues as a bullpen game,” Coach Hallion replied. “Because of the tournament coming up on the weekend, nobody will pitch more than two innings. As to who will be the opener and who else will pitch when and for how long is all dependent on who pitches on Friday, Saturday, and especially on Monday.”
<Porter’s Steak House>
The Moyer and Sanders-Miller families met for dinner at six. Lois, their waitress, took their drink orders after they got settled in and everyone perused their menus. After Lois took their orders, the conversation turned to the acceptance of the bid on the Barnes house.
“I’m surprised Joanne got back to you so quickly. You must have made a hell of an offer,” Phil said.
“She told us at the signing that once she learned about us having a son who was Aiden’s age she wanted us to be the buyers. She apparently had two other offers. She said that Aiden was such a nice boy and she could tell that he was a popular boy from the visitors he received. She also knew that there were no boys his age on this part of Lakeshore Drive, and she thought having one up the road would be wonderful.”
“Did you hear that, Nolan? I’m a really nice boy,” Aiden grinned.
“Hey, I was there. And Mrs. Barnes told me that just by meeting me she could tell that I was a nice boy, too, and she was sure you and me would get along and become friends,” Nolan said.
“Did you tell her we already were friends?”
“Yes, I did, and that our dads were friends, too.”
“After hearing that, she said that she was now one hundred percent certain she’d made the right decision,” Paul said. “And speaking of nice people, Mrs. Barnes is certainly one of them.”
“Yes, she is. She and her husband were good neighbors, even living a couple of miles away,” Phil said. “But the houses on our side of the lake are all on big lots, so even a distant neighbor is really kind of close. I bet she would have sold you the house even if you had submitted the lowest offer.”
“And for all I know, I did,” Paul grinned.
As they started eating, Peter, who was now managing the restaurant, came out and greeted them. He recognized everyone at the table and didn’t need to introduce himself. “Good to see you all here together,” Peter said. “What is the big occasion?”
Before anyone else could answer Aiden said, “We’re here to celebrate because Nolan is going to be moving to Mayfield.”
“Yeah, before the next school years starts,” Nolan added.
Aiden gave Nolan a light punch on his arm. “And we’re going to be almost neighbors.”
Peter knew that Aiden and Nolan were professed boyfriends. “I thought almost everybody in Mayfield was an almost neighbor,” he grinned.
“No, we’re really almost neighbors. Nolan’s house is less than two miles from my house.”
“Ahh, I see. And what inspired Judge Moyer and his wife to pull up stakes and move to Mayfield?” Peter asked.
“A planned development in southeast Meadow Park,” Paul answered.
“I’ve heard about that—getting new housing for the upcoming assembly plant and all that. I guess that one is causing all kinds of controversy.”
“There appears to be numerous issues that need to be addressed, but we felt that rather than wait out the process, we would move. Vivian and I signed the papers today.”
Peter pointed to Aiden and Nolan and said, “It appears those two hooligans will become virtually inseparable.”
“They’re going to learn that two miles can be a very long distance,” Vivian said.
“We’ll be working together to set up some rules,” Larry said. “But tonight is all about celebrating.”
“Yep, so let’s eat before it all gets cold,” Aiden said as he shoved a piece of rib eye into his mouth.
“Have you listed your house yet?” Peter asked Paul.
“Not yet. We plan on talking to a realtor we know tomorrow,” Paul replied.
“Well, before you do, give me a call.” Peter handed Paul his card. “Now, all of you enjoy your meals and if you have any problems, let Lois know and she’ll let me know. And, to celebrate your big move, dessert will be on the house.”
“Thank you, Peter,” Phil said.
“Yeah, thanks Peter,” Aiden and Nolan added simultaneously. Peter gave them a smile and a quick wave and headed over to the next table to ask the diners how they were liking their meal.
After swallowing a mouthful of mashed potatoes, Aiden addressed the four parents at the table. “Nolan and I have been wondering about baseball and how he will end up finishing the season.”
“Ah, yes, baseball,” Paul answered. “That appears to be the gorilla in the room.”
“We’re not talking about gorillas, we’re talking about baseball players,” Aiden said.
“A gorilla in the room means that there is a problem everybody knows about, but nobody wants to talk about,” Nolan told his boyfriend.
“I thought that was the elephant in the room.”
“They are the same thing—a big animal in the room nobody wants to talk about.”
Aiden pondered Nolan’s statement for a moment and then announced that he liked the idea of a gorilla better than an elephant. “At least he doesn’t have a trunk that could smash the furniture.”
Paul steered them back to the topic of the conversation. “Well, back to the subject of baseball. Your dads and I have discussed this and have looked up the league rules regarding players changing teams in midseason.”
“And what do the rules say?” Aiden asked.
“The rule that applies to us, which is a player moving in midseason, says that a player can change teams providing the application is approved by the coaches of both teams and submitted to the league no later than June 15th.”
“But that’s Monday. We won’t be moving that early because you said we wouldn’t own the house for, like, a month,” Nolan pointed out.
“When we signed the contract for the house, we signed a rider allowing us to pay rent starting Monday. This would allow us to do some painting and minor remodeling, as well start moving into the house. Since I had reviewed the league rules last night and discussed the issue with Aiden’s fathers, we knew we needed to show you were living in Mayfield as of the fifteenth.”
“So, what am I going to do, sleep on the floor or something until we’re all move in?”
“I will be moving in as well,” said Paul. “We will be renting a couple of beds to sleep in along with a couple of chests of drawers and enjoy breakfast at the Miller’s. Nolan can spend some nights at Aiden’s if you guys wish.” That started two heads nodding like bobblehead dolls. “Your mother will sleep in our current house and get started on packing and so forth. I will sleep in Meadow Park the nights you two rug rats sleep together.”
“Rug rats? We outgrew being rug rats back when we were little,” Nolan protested.
“So you’d like to believe, so you’d like to believe,” Vivian murmured with a knowing smile.
The conversation was paused as the two families ordered their complimentary desserts. As soon as Lois left with their orders, Nolan started back in on the subject. “What if my coach doesn’t agree to let me change teams?”
“Oh, he will agree,” Paul said with judicial authority. Nobody disagreed with him.
“Won’t I end up taking somebody’s place on the Yard Goat roster?” Nolan asked. Aiden had wondered the same thing. As much as he’d like to have Nolan play for the Goats for the rest of the season, he didn’t want it to be at the expense of one of his teammates, all of whom were friends.
Larry answered the question. “The league rules take that into account. A team that picks up a player who has moved into their territory may carry sixteen players on their roster, but only fifteen can play in a game. Now, before you shout out…”
“But that’s not really fair,” Aiden interrupted.
“As I was about to say, before you shouted out ‘that’s not fair’ we all know that once school is out, it’s rare for a team to have all fifteen players suit up for a game. Family plans often get in the way.”
“But still, that’s not true for every game. I mean I want Nolan to play so bad that I can’t stand it, but I don’t want somebody to not be able to play in a game.”
“I agree with Aiden,” Nolan said. “I’d rather not play at all than keep one of Aiden’s teammates and friends from playing.”
“There is an exception,” Paul said. “If all coaches in the division agree to allow the Goats to play with a sixteenth player, nobody would have to sit out. Coaches outside of the division have to accept the vote of those coaches. So, before we go off the deep end on this issue, let’s wait and see how it plays out.”
“I appreciate the unselfishness both of you boys have just displayed,” Phil added. “I know Paul, Larry, and Vivian agree with me. You’re good kids and we will all stand behind you.”
Aiden agreed as he dug into his Marionberry pie. He was glad there was a way out of their dilemma and hoped it would work. He was really happy that Porter’s had Marionberry pie on their menu. When Peter stopped by to see how everyone liked their dessert and to accept their thanks, Aiden wasn’t surprised to learn that the restaurant’s baked goods came from Schultz’s bakery.
After dinner, hugs were shared between the two families. Nolan and Aiden wished each other good luck in their games the next day and Saturday. Nolan said he wasn’t going to tell any of his teammates about the possible transfer until it was official. Aiden wasn’t sure the same would be true for him; he suspected that Coach Hallion might run the change by either the team captains or the entire team before signing the transfer document.
The next four or five days were going to be tense for the two boys and their families. Aiden and Nolan prayed that the adults involved would decide things in their favor.
FRIDAY, JUNE 12
<Mayfield Middle School baseball field>
The Yard Goats took a 4-2 record into Friday’s game against the Tenino Hoggers, who were also 4-2. Both teams were tied for second in their respective divisions. All of Tenino’s starters were incoming ninth graders. They were a team of big, strong, experienced boys.
Trent, who had thrown a complete game shutout against Washtucna in his last start, would be the starting pitcher for the Yard Goats. Wyatt Bradford, a thirteen-year-old, who would be turning fourteen in a week and had a 2-0 record, would be starting for the Hoggers.
After three quick innings, everyone could tell that this was a game that would be a seven-inning battle. The score was 0-0. Trent had allowed one baserunner on a second inning, two-out single. Wyatt had allowed two baserunners, one on a first inning walk and the other a third inning lead-off double by Gordy. Both teams played errorless ball, with Aiden making a spectacular diving catch in the second of a hard-hit line drive to his left and throwing to Max at first to double up the runner who had started for second. The Hoggers’ centerfielder made a great running catch on a fly ball by Trent to end the first inning.
After five innings the game was still scoreless, with each team having a fourth inning hit accounting for their only baserunner in the fourth and fifth innings. Scott had provided the Goats’ hit with a one-out single. Both teams went down in order in the sixth.
The teams entered the seventh inning still tied at 0-0. Trent had thrown 66 pitches and went back out to the mound to try to finish the inning. He did just that, throwing only 10 pitches to put down the three batters he faced. Over his seven innings he had given up two hits while striking out seven and walking none over his seven innings of work.
Wyatt had given up two hits, walked one, and struck out six over his six innings of work. He had thrown only 71 pitches and started the bottom of the seventh. Both teams had played errorless ball.
Muddy was slated to lead off the inning. “I wonder if Bert is going put Muddy on and pitch to Scott,” Larry said to Phil, referring to Bert McCullough, the Hogger coach.
“Would you do it? Put the winning run on in the bottom of the seventh with no outs and nobody on base?” Phil fired back at his husband.
“Probably not but it would be tempting. I’m willing to bet that nobody hits the ball harder in this league than Muddy.” Muddy’s big frame and well-developed arms were intimidating to look at.
“I agree with that statement,” Gordy’s father, Aaron Lansing said. Aaron was sitting behind Larry and Phil.
Wyatt’s first two pitches were balls. It appeared that Wyatt wanted nothing to do with pitching to Muddy and might just give him an unintentional walk. But his next pitch was a fastball that he blew right past Muddy. Wyatt, who was a big kid for thirteen himself, obviously was not going to wuss out. The Yard Goat players in the dugout were standing and yelling encouragement to Muddy.
The 2-and-1 pitch was another fastball, but a little higher in the strike zone than the previous pitch—in fact it was right in Muddy’s hitting zone. Muddy took a mighty swing. While the ping of a metal bat hitting a baseball didn’t have the satisfying thump of a wooden bat, there was no doubt that Muddy had gotten all of the ball. He was plodding around first when the ball landed fifteen feet past the left center field fence. Muddy’s homer and given the Yard Goats a walk off 1-0 win over the Tenino Hoggers. As soon as Muddy crossed home plate the dugout emptied, and Muddy was swamped by his excited teammates.
After they left the dugout, Mac gave Trent a long, hard hug. “Two shutouts in a row,” Mac said. “It don’t get much better than that.”
“It’s all because of great catching,” Trent grinned.
“Great game, son,” Coach Hallion told Trent.
“Thanks, dad.” Trent knew that his father would have more to say to him after they got home.
“And a fine job behind the plate, Mac.”
The praise from his coach had Mac beaming. He couldn’t remember ever getting so much praise as he had been receiving since switching to catcher.
The Hoggers and Yard Goats traded handshakes, high fives, and various forms of congratulations. Trent and Wyatt traded long handshakes, both boys knowing the game they had just completed may have been the best pitched game for their age group, of not older, of any game in Southwest Washington that week.
Larry, Phil, and Aiden couldn’t help but note the railroad theme of two teams’ nicknames; Yard Goats being the switching locomotives that worked in the rail yards and Hoggers being a nickname given to locomotive engineers. As the Goats made their way back to the dugout to gather up their gear, Coach Hallion told Trent, Mac, Scott, and Aiden he wanted to meet with them in the school locker room once the equipment had been put away. Aiden was the only one of the four who knew what the meeting was going to cover.
Meanwhile, north of Mayfield, the East Centralia Scrappers defeated the Parkview Panthers 8-3. Nolan went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI. The win gave the Scrappers a 5-2 record and kept them in a first-place tie in the Mountain South division with the West Centralia Wildcats. As Nolan celebrated the win with his teammates, he found himself wondering if he really wanted to change teams in midseason. Something was telling him he needed to stay with the Scrappers and see the season through with them—that he owed them that much.
He decided that he should talk to his father before he told Coach Bradley about their sudden move to Mayfield. He needed to ask his father if he thought the idea of moving early so he could transfer to the Yard Goats was what he really wanted to do. He knew he would need to talk to Aiden as well.
He walked off the field with his best friend, Carter. Before he could get past the bleachers he came across Coach Bradley, who was waiting just outside the first base gate to the field. From the serious look on his face, Nolan knew what his coach wanted to talk about, and his heart felt like it had jumped right into his throat. It looked like he was too late.
“Could I have a word with you, Nolan?” Coach Bradley asked.
“Yeah, sure, not a problem. Can Carter stay and listen?” Nolan responded.
“Only if you’ve told him about the topic we’re going to discuss.”
Carter gave Nolan a questioning look. “What topic is that?” he asked.
“Since you obviously don’t know, how about waiting for us in the commons area.” Carter shrugged and walked past the bleachers, wondering what kind of trouble Nolan had gotten himself into.
“So, I hear you plan on leaving a team that is tied for first place so you can play with your buddy,” Coach Bradley snarled.
Nolan didn’t think his heart could speed up even more, but he was wrong. “No, that’s not the…,” he started without conviction.
“I’m not done talking with you, Nolan. What I am going to say is if you think you’re going to play tomorrow and then switch teams, then you’re wrong because I’m not gonna sign no document approving your changing. And if you think you’re going to stay with the team and play tomorrow, you’re wrong again, because you’re not playing another inning for any team I coach, I don’t care how good you think you are.”
“But Coach Bradley…”
“Don’t interrupt me, son. Your father told me everything and asked me to sign this document.” The Coach raised his right hand, holding up a sheet of paper. “I told your dad I’d think about signing this, but the more I think about this…well, you can forget me signing this piece of crap. I sure ain’t gonna cut you, since then you’ll get what you want, but just because you’re on the team don’t mean I gotta play you.” He grabbed the other end the paper, tore it into eight pieces, and let them flutter to the ground.
While Coach Bradley was berating Nolan, Carter came around the bleachers saw his father chatting with Nolan’s father. He walked up to them and greeted his dad, John, and Paul Moyer.
“Hi, Carter,” Paul said. “Great game today.” He looked toward the passageway Carter had appeared from. “Where’s Nolan?”
“Coach Bradley stopped him and said he wanted to talk to him,” Carter replied.
“Which is exactly what I asked him not to do,” Paul said to John. “Excuse me while I gather up my son.” Paul set off to find Nolan and his coach. John looked at his son, who obviously had no idea of what was going on. He followed Paul, signaling Carter to follow him.
Paul came around the bleachers in time to see Coach Bradley tearing up the waiver form Paul had left with him. “I see you decided to have a discussion with my son,” Paul said curtly as he tried his best to keep control of his emotions. It was quite a bit more difficult for him to maintain a judicial bearing when his son was involved than it was from the judge’s bench in a courtroom.
“Sorry, Paul. I know you asked me not to meet alone with Nolan, but he just happened to be heading past me and I decided to take advantage and deal with the issue. I think we managed to come to a mutual understanding, right Nolan?”
Instead of answering the coach, Nolan addressed his father. “Dad, Coach Bradley said he wasn’t going to sign the waiver and that he wouldn’t let me play for the Scrappers or for Mayfield.”
“Is that the reason for putting on the show of tearing up the waiver from?” Paul asked Coach Bradley.
“Paul, I know it looks bad, but I was trying to make a point. You see…”
“No, I want YOU to see, Vince. My family will be moving to Mayfield effective next week.”
“I know, and I know that you just signed the contract. You won’t be taking possession for at least a month,” Coach Bradley protested.
“We will be renting the house so we can do some renovation and so Nolan can finish the season playing baseball.”
“He can do that with the Scrappers, but he seems more interested in playing with his buddy than with his first-place teammates. I don’t like that—I don’t like that at all. What ever happened to old-fashioned loyalty?”
Nolan had heard enough and charged into the conversation, determined not to be stopped. “Coach Bradley, you never let me finish anything I wanted to say. I was going to say I wanted to play for the Scrappers. But you said you wouldn’t let me play anymore. I want to finish out the season with Carter and Hank who are two of my best friends and who I’ve played with since we were in second grade playing t-ball.” Carter felt a warm surge on hearing Nolan call him a best friend. “And there’s Dennis, Richie, and Tristan, who all played with me at Meadow Park. And I’ve made friends with the Centralia kids. But you weren’t going to let me play anymore.
“Did you say that to Nolan?” Paul asked. “Did you tell him you didn’t want him on the team because he was thinking of changing teams?”
“Well, not exactly,” Bradley answered.
“He said I could be on the team, but I wouldn’t play,” Nolan said. “And then he tore up the waiver.”
Paul went into judicial mode. “Well, why don't we quit squabbling and see if we can come to some kind of an agreement here?” Before getting into the crux of his ideas, he suggested they sit in the bleachers which would be more comfortable than standing.
“Is it okay if Carter and me join you?” John asked.
“It’s fine with me. What about you, Vince?”
“I don’t care since everybody will know about Nolan’s decision to desert them by tomorrow, anyway,” Coach Bradley replied, irking Paul and John with his sulky attitude. Nolan and Carter had developed some immunity to their coach’s sulkiness, but Nolan was having to fight it since this time it was personal.
Coach Bradley pulled a bottle of water out of his gym bag, opened it, and took a long swig. Paul reacted by reaching into his insulated bag, which happened to have four bottles of water left in it, and gave Nolan, Carter, and John each a bottle while keeping one for himself.
Paul all but put on his judge’s robe as he gave his plan. In essence he proposed that Nolan play the next day’s game and address his teammates about why he was changing teams after the game. Paul said he would print another copy of the waiver and Coach Bradley could sign it on Monday.
“Even though Nolan would be eligible to play on Monday, he will sit out the game and cheer one last time for his teammates before becoming an member of the Mayfield Yard Goats,” Paul said.
“And finally, because Nolan’s first game as a Yard Goat will be against the Scrappers at Mayfield, I propose that he could play a position, but will not pitch, either as a starter or as a reliever. I will work out the details with Coach Hallion. I think overall it is a fair proposal for Nolan and for the two teams.”
Nolan and Coach Bradley sat and fumed throughout Paul’s presentation, but for different reasons. Coach Bradley did not think that losing one of his best players for the last half of the season was fair to his team, and Nolan was upset that his father had laid out his entire plan without giving him any input.
Nolan was the first to speak up. “I don’t think your proposal is fair at all, dad,” he said with the assertive tone of voice that made him one of the leaders of the Scrappers.
Paul looked at his son in astonishment. He wasn’t surprised that Nolan spoke up; his son had no problem expressing his opinion. What surprised Paul was that he didn’t agree with what he thought was a well thought out proposal. “I take it you feel you should play on Monday,” Paul said. He felt that was the only part of the proposal Nolan could possibly be taking umbrage with. However, Nolan’s objection was much bigger than anything Paul had even remotely thought of.
“I want to play more than that, dad. I want to play for the Scrappers for the rest of the season.”
Coach Bradley raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Since when?” Paul asked.
“Since always. I kept trying to tell you and Coach Bradley and neither one of you would listen to me. You both thought about what you wanted or what you thought I wanted and never let me tell what I really wanted.”
“Have you talked this over with Aiden?”
Nolan ignored the question and continued. He focused on Coach Bradley and said, “You’ve been talking about players being loyal, Coach, but what about coaches being loyal? All you’ve done since my dad gave you the waiver is diss me and call me disloyal and tell me I can spend the season sitting on the bench if I stayed on the team.
“Fine, then I’ll suit up and sit on the bench. But I want to finish with my old teammates from Meadow Park and my new teammates from Centralia and then next season help them win a championship. Yeah, I know most of the guys on the Goats and have played as a pickup player with them, but that’s not the same as starting a season with them. The season will be half over after tomorrow’s game and I’m going to be finishing it with the Scrappers even if it means sitting on the bench. Then I can start fresh with the Mayfield dudes when school starts and not worry about taking somebody’s place on the team.” He stared at Coach Bradley even harder. “How’s that for loyalty, coach?”
Paul, Coach Bradley, and John Smith eyed each other as they tried to digest what Nolan had said in his rant. It was Carter Smith who broke the silence. “You rock, Nolan. You totally rock.” He turned his attention to Coach Bradley and said, “Nolan’s the best, Coach, and not only do I think you should let him finish the season PLAYING for us, but I bet everybody else on the Scrappers feels the same way.”
“I have to agree with you, Carter. I apologize if I came down hard, but I was certain you were thinking seriously of playing for Mayfield,” Coach Bradley said.
“Since when is it against the law to think?” Nolan asked.
“Nolan!” his father snapped. “You have done a great job of stating your case. How about keeping things at a high level and maintain a civil dialog with Coach Bradley.” Nolan could almost imagine his father chewing out a lawyer in court using the same tone of voice.
“Sorry, coach. I guess I got kinda stressed out.” Nolan looked at his father apologetically. His father nodded to indicate he recovered well.
Coach Bradley held out his hand. “Once again, I apologize.” Acting before thinking was a character flaw of his that sometimes affected his coaching. But owning up to his mistakes was a positive character trait. Generally, his sulky moods came as the result of mental errors by his players rather than poor physical play and he usually came down on those solidly. The result was that players respected him and played smart baseball overall. “Welcome back to the Scrappers, Nolan,” he grinned.
“Can I talk to the team tomorrow and let them know what’s going on with me?”
“After the game,” Coach Bradley answered. “Although with Carter listening in everybody should know everything by the time you talk to them.” Carter had a well-earned reputation for being a gossip.
“Carter will keep this to himself, right Carter?” Nolan said to his friend.
“Absolutely.” It was also well-known that when asked to keep something a secret Carter could be trusted to keep it much better than most.
The meeting broke up and Nolan walked with his dad to the car. “Aiden doesn’t know,” Nolan told him.
“Excuse me? Doesn’t know what?”
“Doesn’t know what I am going to do. I’m going to call him as soon as we get home and tell him.”
Paul unlocked the doors and they climbed into the car. “How do you think he’ll react?” Paul asked after starting the car.
“I think he’ll be cool about it, but I’m not a hundred percent sure. I mean we were talking about my playing for Mayfield the rest of the season like it was a done deal. Oh, and dad, please don’t tell mom about what I decided to do. I want to tell her after I’ve talked to Aiden about it. I know she’s going to pester me about what he thinks and won’t quit until I give her an answer.”
“Understood. Mum’s the word.” Nolan’s mother had to miss the game because she had volunteered to help with a fund-raising dinner for an organization she belonged to that had been scheduled long before Nolan’s baseball schedule had been determined. “I am curious about something, however,” Paul said.
“What?”
“If your mom and I had decided to clear out our house right away and make a complete move into our new digs, what would you have done then?”
Nolan considered the question for a moment. “I guess I would have had to change teams since the Mayfield house would have been our main house.”
“But the fact that we would be splitting our time between the two houses for a couple of weeks changed everything. Why?”
Nolan knew his dad was playing judge and was used to his interrogations. “It’s all about a word you keep drilling into me.”
“What would that be?” Paul asked even though he already knew the answer. In fact, he knew the answer before he had asked the previous questions. In law, one never asks a question he doesn’t know the answer to.
“Integrity.”
“How does that fit here?”
“It fits because integrity means doing the right thing. Our family will be splitting time between Meadow Park and Mayfield, meaning the right thing to for me to do would be to stay with the team I started the season with. I owe them that.”
Paul ruffled Nolan’s hair, a gesture that didn’t bother him nearly as much as it did Aiden when his dads ruffled his. “I’m proud of you son. You’re turning into a fine young man. No matter how this turns out, remember that you made the right decision. I’m sorry I started pushing you into what would have ended up being a bad decision. I thought being with Aiden and playing on his team would make you happiest.”
“It will make me happy, Dad. But Aiden uses the word too—his dads drill him on it as much as you do. As much as I love Aiden, I just had to do what I thought was right and then pray Aiden saw it the same way.”
Paul nodded. “If I have your boyfriend pegged right, I think he is going to support you all the way.”
“So do I, Dad. But what if he doesn’t? What do I do if he doesn’t support me?”
Paul didn’t have a good answer to give his son. He knew better than to say something like, “Oh, I think he will.” The best he could do was advise him to wait and see how his conversation with Aiden played out.
<Nolan and Aiden>
Nolan and Aiden had started using Facetime for brief conversations, but for their long evening discussions they preferred Skype so they could admire each other, usually naked, on their larger computer screens. Both boys had brought after game snacks to their bedrooms. Aiden had four chocolate chip cookies on a plate and a cup of hot chocolate. Nolan was eating graham crackers with peanut butter and drinking a glass of milk.
“Wow, a 1-0 win,” Nolan said. “That’s amazing. Did Trent go all the way?”
“Yep,” Aiden responded. “That makes two shutouts in a row for him. And it looks like you guys had a solid win.”
The boyfriends exchanged baseball small talk and chomped on their snacks before Aiden dropped the question that Nolan feared. It wasn’t the question itself that he feared as much as Aiden’s response to his answer. “Did your coach sign the waiver?” Aiden asked.
Nolan elected not to go into the drama of Coach Bradley tearing up the waiver form—it would be nothing but a distraction but would make a good story at a later time. Instead, he went right to the point. “I’m not going to switch. I’m staying with the Scrappers.”
“But…but…I thought…but, why?”
“Because of a word you and I have talked about.” Aiden waited silently for his boyfriend to reveal the word and was quickly rewarded. “It’s integrity, dude. It’s doing the right thing. Yeah, by the rules I would be eligible to play for the Yard Goats, but since we still had our house in Meadow Park and weren’t going to really move until after our new house was painted and shit, changing teams, especially when the Scrappers are tied for first, didn’t feel like the right thing to do.”
Aiden finished the thought Nolan started. “Because even though it was okay by the rules, changing teams didn’t have integrity. Which is why it wasn’t the right thing to do. Is that what you mean?”
“Pretty much. But the other thing, somebody who’s been playing half the season for the Goats would be on the bench. Even though I know most of the guys and have played with them as a pickup player, only a few of them, like Gordy and Miles and Mason, are really friends. Guys would be full of resentment because I didn’t start the season with them and here I was playing.”
“I get it, I really do.”
“When fall comes I’ll be turning out for a team just like everybody else. We’ll start the season as teammates. We’ll win and lose together. That would be doing the right thing. Even if somebody gets upset because I moved to Mayfield and took somebody’s place, I did the right thing because I had to make the team like everybody else and not move into it.”
A long silence filled the two bedrooms. Aiden was obviously trying to digest everything Nolan had told him. His dream of playing with Nolan for the last part of the league season wasn’t going to happen. He felt a pang of disappointment because of Nolan’s decision. But he also felt something else, and he let that emotion take over. What he felt was pride and an overwhelming love for his boyfriend.
Integrity. Doing the right thing. That’s what Nolan Moyer is about, Aiden thought. I have the best boyfriend in the world, was his next thought—a thought that sent a visible shudder through him. He was so full of love that he felt tears dripping down his cheeks.
Nolan misread Aiden’s tears. It looked to him like his decision might cause a rift between him and his boyfriend just when everything was starting to come together in ways he had never dreamed.
“I’m sorry if I disappointed you, Aiden,” Nolan said. “I am really, truly sorry.”
“No, no, no, you’ve got nothing to be sorry about,” Aiden sniffled. “You gave me this amazing feeling. You showed me that I’ve got the best boyfriend in the world. It’s about integrity and doing the right thing just like you’re doing and it’s making me cry and shake and I think it’s because I love you so much. I love you more than ever and I want to love you like this forever.”
“You’re not mad?”
“Never. I am so proud of you. How could I get mad at you for doing the right thing?”
Now Nolan could feel his tears flowing. “I love you so much, Aiden. You’re the best boyfriend in the world. I can’t wait until we’re Titans together.”
The two boys knew they were experiencing something special together, they just weren’t sure what. They were too young and inexperienced to understand that what happened that night had cemented their love for each other in ways no other experience could have. What they didn’t understand was they were sharing more than their love—they were sharing their souls. What they felt that night was something they would never forget and would appreciate more and more as they grew and matured.
As they took deep breaths and worked to get their emotions under control, they realized that they needed to be together.
“I need you to hold me and hug me and make love to me,” Nolan said.
“I want you to do the same for me,” Aiden responded.
Aiden went downstairs to ask his dads if Nolan could come over and spend the night after their games the next day. Nolan went down to the train room to ask his dad the same thing.
Aiden received a quick yes from his dads. “We’ll deal with the logistics tomorrow. Since we play at home and so does Nolan, the key will be getting Logan to Mayfield,” Larry said. Aiden knew his dads would get things figured out. They always did.
Nolan’s quest wasn’t quite as simple. He didn’t think about washing his face before going downstairs to see his dad.
“You’ve been crying,” Paul said as soon as Nolan reached the bottom of the basement stairs. “I assume things didn’t work out like you had hoped.”
Nolan swiped at his eyes and cheeks to try to make up for his failure to freshen his face. “You’re right. Things didn’t go like I had hoped at all.”
“Damn, son, I am so sorry.”
Nolan ignored his father’s apology and continued. “They went better. Integrity. Doing the right thing. He said he was proud of me. That’s what Aiden was about. Dad, can two people love each other with all their hearts and more when they’re only thirteen and twelve?”
“I don’t see any reason why not,” Paul answered honestly.
“Then that’s how Aiden and I love each other. Like with our souls or something. We want to spend tomorrow night together at his house if it’s okay.”
“I will make sure it’s okay, son. I know I’ve already said this tonight, but you found yourself a damn good boyfriend. I am proud of both of you.”
Nolan gave his dad a long hug and then looked him almost straight in the eye. “I love you dad. Now, I gotta go tell Aiden.”
“I love you too son. And don’t forget you need to talk to your mother tonight. Aiden’s dads and I will handle getting you to Mayfield.”
“I know, and I will.”
Nolan charged up the stairs and was soon back in contact with Aiden. They agreed to not jerk off and to save sex until they were together in Aiden’s still new bedroom. Nolan left his room to meet with his mother.
After telling her of his decision to keep playing for the Scrappers, he waited for her reaction. “I must say, I am surprised,” she said. “You only know a few of the boys on the team since most of them are from Centralia and not Meadow Park. You’d be playing with Aiden, your so-called boyfriend. Are you sure it’s what you want to do?”
“Totally sure.”
“What did Aiden have to say about your decision?”
“He agreed it was about having integrity and doing the right thing, and he totally supports my decision. We’ll get our chance to play together when soccer comes in the fall and in California this summer if I get picked up by the Goats. Right now, we both know it’s the right thing to do.”
Vivian looked at her son and thought it looked like he was glowing. And even more importantly, she saw Aiden in a new light. He suddenly changed from a little blond homosexual boy who was in a questionable relationship with her son to someone who genuinely loved her son. There was more to Aiden than she had ever imagined. Maybe the move to Mayfield that her husband had talked her into would work out. Hell, maybe it was already working out, she thought. One thing she was certain of was that in her mind Aiden Miller had suddenly become a part of the Moyer family.
SATURDAY, JUNE 13
<Aiden>
Larry dropped Aiden off at the East Lake Park baseball field at 11:30 for his 12:30 game. He would return to the park with Phil at around 12:15 to watch the matchup between the Yard Goats and the Parkview Panthers. The Goats had already played the Panthers, defeating them 11-1 at Parkview in their first game of the season. The Panthers were in last place in the Mountain North division with a 1-6 record while the Goats’ 5-2 record was good for a tie for second with Kentburg.
Aiden was slated to be the starting pitcher. Eric had told him the day before that he wouldn’t be pitching more than four innings. “Lance will start the fifth inning, and we’ll see how it goes from there. Riley and Max will probably follow him.”
The Goats had a 4-0 lead when Aiden finished his four innings. He gave up two hits, walked two, and struck out four. He had worked hard to stay in the moment and found his concentration level had been the best of the summer season.
Considering how the Goats had handled the Panthers in their 11-1 win, the game had been surprisingly competitive through the first four innings. The Goats went down in order in the bottom of the fourth and then Lance took the mound. Lance had started the game at second base and Coach Hallion simply had Lance and Aiden switch positions for the inning.
The Panthers scored their first run of the game when Panther right fielder Jay Duke got a leadoff single and stole second. With one out, a single by Vick Richards scored Jay to make the score 4-1. Lance worked his way out of the inning without giving up any more runs and it looked like the game was going to be a tight one down to the finish—or so everybody thought.
The bottom dropped out for the Panthers when a new pitcher took the mound for them. He apparently had forgotten where home plate was located and started the inning by walking the bases loaded. Aiden came to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out. The Panther pitcher, hoping to get a first strike pitch on the skinny kid at the plate, sent a fat pitch down the center of the plate. Aiden didn’t miss the opportunity and belted a long fly ball into the gap between the left and center fielders. He ended up on third base with a three-run triple. The score was now 7-1 and the tight game had become a one-sided game.
The Goats went on to score four more runs in the inning and when Mason scored on Lenny’s single to make the score 11-1, the mercy rule ended the game. The Yard Goats now had a 6-2 record at the half-way mark of the league season and had won five games in a row.
<Nolan>
Nolan’s emotional roller coaster ride of the past couple of days continued during warmups before the Scrappers’ game against the Washtucna Knights. He warmed up with as he usually did.
“The infield is kinda damp in places, so be careful,” Coach Bradley informed everyone, not that they couldn’t figure it out for themselves. It had drizzled earlier in the morning, and while the field was in good condition, the players would have to be cautious.
While Nolan and Carter started tossing the ball back and forth, Carter babbled on in his usual way about how happy he was that Nolan would be playing.
“Why wouldn’t Nolan be playing?” Adam Wilkins, who was warming up next to Carter, asked.
“Oh, nothing,” Carter said as he realized that once again he had opened his mouth and said too much.
“I heard you were thinking of quitting the team,” Adam said to Nolan after making his throw to Rollie Wilkins, his younger brother, who also played for the Scrappers.
“Rumors, rumors, rumors,” Nolan called back. “I’ll explain everything after the game.” Nolan wished he didn’t have to explain anything. But Adam was the only one who had said anything about the rumors, which was a positive. Another positive was that Nolan would be starting at first base and batting third. What he didn’t know was that his role would change before the first inning ended.
Tristan was the starting pitcher and he got off to a good start by getting the Knights’ leadoff batter to hit a foul popup on the second pitch. Catcher Greg Barton hauled in the popup close to the screen. The next batter struck out and then Nolan’s day changed.
The number three hitter hit a slow roller between the mound and third base. Tristan moved to the ball, but when he bent over to field it he slipped on a wet spot on the grass and fell to the ground, twisting his right ankle. He picked up the ball but couldn’t make a play. When he tried to get up, he had trouble putting full weight on his right foot. He was finally able to stand up, but his ankle was a bit tender.
While the injury didn’t appear to be serious, Coach Bradley didn’t want to take any chances and pulled Tristan from the game. He called Nolan over from first and handed him the ball. “It would appear you have moved from the outhouse to the penthouse,” the coach told Nolan. “Go get ‘em.” He had Rollie enter the game in Tristan’s place and started juggling his fielders by sending him to right field. He then called his son Vince in from left field to play first and moved Adam from right to left.
Nolan struck out the first batter he faced ending the inning. He suffered a case of nerves in the second as he worked to get his mind into pitching mode and gave up a run in the second. That ended the scoring until the fifth when the Scrappers scored two runs to take a 2-1 lead, but the Knights came back in the top of the sixth on a home run that tied the score 2-2.
That was the score when Nolan came to the plate with one out in the bottom of the seventh. With the count 2-1 he drilled a pitch into the right field corner. The right fielder was not positioned for an opposite field hit. By the time he reached the ball, Nolan was jetting into third. Coach Bradley was waving; pointing home with his left arm while waving his right arm madly and Nolan turned on the after burners. He slid into home, but the throw skipped by the catcher and Nolan scored the winning run on an inside-the-park home run. He was instantly mobbed by his teammates.
When he had his promised meeting with his happy teammates, Nolan had no doubt he had made the right decision to finish the season with the Scrappers. They were his peeps, and this was their win.
Nolan addressed the rumors that he had thought about quitting by telling his teammates that this would be his last season playing for them because he would be moving to Mayfield after the season. “But this is OUR team until then,” Nolan emphasized. “And OUR team is gonna go all the way.” Hugs, high fives, and handshakes were shared all around, and once more Nolan knew he was home—at least for another month.
<Aiden and Nolan>
Nolan’s mother drove him to Mayfield for his overnight with Aiden. Nolan couldn’t remember his mother driving him solo to Aiden’s house. She was either riding with his dad or found a reason not to come. Things seemed to be changing for the better in a lot of different ways.
When they pulled into Aiden’s driveway, Aiden ran out to greet them. He pulled Nolan’s overnight bag out of the opened trunk, said hello to Nolan’s mother, and started for the house. He stopped when he heard Vivian call out his name.
“Aiden, I’d like to come in and have a quick chat with you if I could,” she told him.
“No problem,” he said, wondering if Nolan’s mother had figured out a way to mess up their special evening. What she had to say, however, was different than anything he could have imagined.
They sat in the parent conference room with Larry joining them. Phil was in Olympia coaching the Mayfield Dynamos, his 14 and under team.
Vivian began by apologizing for being closed minded regarding Nolan’s happiness and welfare as well as Aiden’s. “I rejected Nolan being gay. I wanted him to meet my expectations for his happiness and not his own. As a result, I shut the door to that happiness on him as well as you, Aiden. But the decisions you boys made last night regarding Nolan finishing the season with the Scrappers showed me a love and integrity—yes, I’m using your word, Nolan—that was deeper and more profound than anything I ever imagined.
“You boys are young and still have a lot to learn, something I’m sure Aiden’s dad agrees with, but you two are on the right road toward a fulfilling life. From this day forward, you will have my full love and support. Aiden, I now consider you to be part of my family.”
“And the same holds true for Nolan and our family,” Larry said.
“But there is one thing you need to fully understand,” Vivian said.
“What’s that, mom?” Nolan asked.
“I will have no compunctions on sitting on BOTH of you boys hard if I think you are straying from the proper path.”
“We’ll do our best not to let you down, right Aiden?”
“To the max,” Aiden agreed.
After a little more discussion, Vivian rose to go home with Larry and the boys following their lead. Before starting for the door, Vivian stepped over to Aiden and gave him the first genuinely loving hug he had ever received from her. It was the kind of hug he imagined would have come from his mother if she were still alive. It left no doubt in Aiden’s mind that Vivian Moyer had really accepted him as a member of the Moyer family.
That night Aiden and Nolan, Sweet Cakes and Sugar Bear, had the best sex of their young lives. It was a loving sex overflowing with passion, the kind of sex one might expect between two young adolescent boys. But it was also sex that belied the youth of the boyfriends. The high level of love and intensity would not be easy to duplicate, at least not until they matured more, but somehow their young minds sensed what had happened and they understood that if they did things right, they would reach that pinnacle of love again—and often.
SUNDAY, JUNE 14
Aiden was the first to wake up. He could hear a heavy rain falling. The forecast had called for steady rain Sunday and Monday, and so far the forecasters had it right on the nose. Aiden and Nolan both hoped the forecast would be wrong; unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
The boys came downstairs naked after Phil called them to breakfast. Larry was busily cooking a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage patties, hash browns, and a warmed cinnamon roll. Aiden had hoped he and Nolan could play naked chef, but was happy his dads had let them sleep in. The last two days and been busy with two ball games, lots of emotion, and powerful sex.
Phil was setting the dining room table. “Ahh, the naked tween and teen arrive,” he grinned. “Good morning, boys.”
“Good morning dad and thanks for letting us sleep in,” Aiden responded.
“I figured you guys needed it. I’d have let you sleep in even later, but somebody who shall not be named, decided he was hungry and started breakfast.”
“It’s cool,” Nolan said. “We’re hungry, too. And it’s nice to know we’ve moved away from being naked wood elves.”
“In a couple of months, we’ll both be naked teens,” Aiden said. “I can’t wait.”
They discussed a number of topics during breakfast, starting with Phil and Larry praising the boys on their decision to maintain the baseball status quo for the rest of the season. “That was a courageous decision,” Larry said. “One I don’t think you’ll ever regret.”
“I kinda wondered if it was the right thing to do,” Nolan confessed. “But Aiden had my back and after the big win yesterday with a bunch of guys I’ve played half a season with, I knew it was right.”
The topic then went to how the Southwest Washington teams had fared the day before. “I could have done without Clark Pass winning again,” Aiden said. The Bucks had scored three runs with two outs in the top of the seventh to defeat Long Beach 4-3 and improve their record to 8-0. The Long Beach Surge, who had entered the game with a mediocre 2-5 record had come within an out of pulling off a major upset.
“We stayed tied for first with West Centralia,” Nolan said. “They had to rally to beat Longview.” The Wildcats scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 6-5 win.
“I see Monte has a three-game lead in the Columbia North,” Phil said. “They’ve all but wrapped up that division title.”
The Mariners were also talked about. The Mariners had won a close game of their own the night before with a 4-3 win over the Twins at T-Mobile Park. The win gave the M’s a 40-28 record and a two-game lead over the second place Athletics. “Good game by the M’s, but Marty got the collar,” Aiden pointed out, referring to Marty’s 0-for-4 game.
“I’m sure he’ll take a win over a four-hit game,” Phil said.
“For sure.”
“Who do you guys play tomorrow?” Phil asked Nolan.
“IF we play tomorrow, we play the Wildcats.” The West Centralia Wildcats and East Centralia were tied for the Mountain South division lead with 6-2 records.
After breakfast, Aiden and Nolan took care of the cleanup as Larry and Phil read the Sunday newspaper when they weren’t admiring the boys’ young, naked bodies. The boys went upstairs to take care of showering (together, of course), brushing teeth, and getting their hair to look nice; something Nolan was more successful at than Aiden.
They didn’t bother to dress since they were going downstairs to the games room to play ping pong, darts, foosball, or whatever else suited them. They noted that it had stopped raining and speculated that the next day’s games would probably be played if the rain didn’t start up again.
Larry and Phil came downstairs about an hour after Aiden and Nolan and challenged them to a best two out of three ping pong set. That suited the boys fine. A third game wasn’t necessary as the boys defeated the dads 11-7, 11-9. The games were followed by some hot tub time. It was one of the rare times Nolan had seen Aiden’s dads naked and he noted that the two men looked to be in excellent physical condition.
Larry and Phil left the hot tub before the boys, who started making out and finally ended by trading blow jobs, with Aiden sucking Nolan first. After showering in the basement shower, the boys went upstairs for lunch and then to watch the Mariner game.
“Don’t you guys plan on getting dressed today?” Phil asked as the boys prepped their roast beef sandwiches.
“Yeah, we’ll get dressed when it’s time for me to get picked up,” Nolan said.
“Unless you want us to get dressed now,” Aiden said, making sure they were on firm ground.
“Naked is good,” Larry chuckled.
“So how come you guys got dressed again after you left the hot tub?” Aiden asked as they settled in the baseball watching room to view the game.
“Parents’ prerogative. What’s good in the hot tub isn’t always good in the rec room,” Larry said.
“Unless you’re nudists.”
“Good point. Anyway, let’s watch some baseball.”
As if on cue, the rain started up again when the game started and lasted the length of the game. The Mariners picked up another win, this time 7-0. Marty went 3-for-5, hitting his 15th home run of the season along with two singles. He had three runs batted in and scored one run.
After the game, the boys went to Aiden’s room and dressed. Nolan dressed fully while Aiden was happy to don just a t-shirt and sweats. Nolan looked gloomily out of the window as the rain continued to come down. “Looks like we’ll be playing makeup games sometime,” Aiden observed.
“With us playing West Centralia and you guys playing Kentburg, those are going to be important games,” Nolan said. “I hope they don’t get scheduled close to the league tournament—it will be rough if the games get stacked up.”
“Nolan! Your dad is here!” Phil called out.
“Give me a big kiss,” Aiden said.
“I’ll give you a kiss and a grope,” Nolan smirked. After following through he picked up his gym bag and looked directly at his boyfriend. “I love you.”
“I love you more. And by that I mean more than ever. Last night’s sex was epic. I never had anything like it.”
“Me either. And I want it like that again.”
“NOLAN!” came Phil’s voice again.
The boys shared another quick kiss and went downstairs.
That evening, Aiden chatted with Marty and shared Nolan’s decision to play out the season with the Scrappers and why they decided it was a good idea.
“That was some very mature decision making,” Marty said. “You guys are certainly growing up in a hurry. I never would have made that decision in your position when I was your age. On the other hand, I was drunk most of the time, so making mature decisions wasn’t a part of my makeup.”
They talked Mariner and Yard Goat baseball for a while. “You’re really getting to be a big boy, Sport, and I don’t mean physically, although there is that factor, too. I’m proud of you and I love you. I hope to see you at the Pink Palace soon.”
“I want to be there soon. I’ll get my dads on it.”
“Good luck in Federal Way.” The Yard Goats were playing in the Federal Way 13 and Under Invitational the coming weekend.
“I just hope it quits raining by then, or we may have to steal your roof. It sure doesn't look like we’ll be playing Kentburg tomorrow.”
“Save the best for later. I love you, Sport.”
“I love you, too, Marty.”
When Aiden was ready for bed, he told his dads goodnight and went upstairs to his room. He didn’t need to take his clothes off since he was already naked. He took Horace down from his shelf, got on his knees, and expressed his gratitude for having such great dads, for having Marty in his life, and for having the best boyfriend in the world. He thought about asking for the rain to stop but realized this was supposed to be a prayer of gratitude, not one of asking for favors. He cuddled with his beloved stuffed donkey and fell instantly to sleep.
<MONDAY, JUNE 15>
When Aiden woke up he could hear the rain coming down. There was no doubt that the day’s game against Kentburg was going to be postponed; it was just a matter of getting the official word. Since Kentburg was the home team, it was up to them to decide whether or not the game would be started. They could wait until game time and then make a decision at the field or decide early and let everyone enjoy their day. A big factor in the timing was that if the game was not called ahead of time, the umpires would have to be paid half their game fee plus travel for showing up. Whether the game was played or not would also be up to the umpires once they showed up on the field.
Coach Hallion called just before eleven, telling Aiden the game had been postponed and no makeup date had been set. Aiden knew that Trent’s pool party was set for the next day and was happy that the game hadn’t been rescheduled for then.
After the phone call, Aiden opened the calendar on his phone and sat in his recliner in the planning room to go over his schedule for the next couple of weeks. Tomorrow was Trent’s pool party, which was supposed to celebrate both his and Macs fourteenth birthdays. Not for the first time he wondered if the two were gay and had become boyfriends.
Aiden knew that everyone on the Goats had been invited, plus a few other friends, including Nolan and a few girls. It would not be a naturist party and probably wouldn’t have much sex, if any. He knew there wasn’t much place to hide at Trent’s house and that Trent’s parents were going to closely supervise the party.
On Wednesday, the Yard Goats would be playing East Centralia. Aiden would be playing against Nolan in what was going to be a big game pairing two teams with 6-2 records. Aiden wondered what Coach Hallion was going to decide about pitching. The Kentburg game was going to be a “bullpen” game and Scott was going to start the East Centralia game. The tournament started on Friday and teams were not allowed to have pickup pitchers. Every team was going to be strapped for pitchers. The rainout might actually have been a good thing. The question was whether this game would now become a bullpen game.
After thinking about rain, he checked his phone for the umpteenth time to see what the forecast was. The rain was supposed to ease up or end by late afternoon which was too late for the day’s games. Tuesday was forecast to be cloudy and cool, Wednesday partly sunny, and the weekend was supposed to be sunny and warm.
Next Monday was another big day. It was the day of the BIG campout where Gordy and Kalie would be losing their cherries. Or not. Aiden had decided he would not be losing his cherry to Brittany, no matter what she wanted. He was willing to make out with her, however, as long as she understood what the rules were.
There was plenty of baseball scheduled and on July third he would be getting company. A group of Seattle boys would be visiting. Right now, it looked like Justin, Marco, Logan, Tony, and Madison would be coming. Aiden was thinking of inviting Skip and Gage since they were close to the same age as Justin and Marco. Nolan wouldn’t be able to come since the Scrappers would be playing in a 13 and under Fourth of July tournament in Salem, Oregon.
The week after that the Southwest 13 and Under League’s championship tournament would be held. The top three teams from each division qualified for the tournament. Even though it looked like Clark Pass was going to run away with the Mountain North division title, anything could happen. Plus, only one game separated the three teams (Mayfield, Kentburg, and Winton) vying for the other two spots.
No matter what, the Goats would be flying to California for the SoCal Base Brawl just after the league tournament ended. And after that would be the Train Safari around the western states.
And suddenly he would be a teenager and starting eighth grade in the last year of Mayfield Middle School. He would then return in ninth grade when it became Mayfield Junior High School. And of course, the biggest and best change was Nolan moving into a house less than two miles away. He had so much coming up, which would mean more decisions to be made. Aiden hoped none of them would be as hard as Nolan’s decision to finish the league season playing for the Scrappers.
Aiden leaned back in his recliner and pondered the word decision. That had been a big one, but there were a lot of other ones hanging around. Like what to do with Brittany. Like how much he should encourage Gordy to fuck Kalie. Like whether he should continue to focus on the moment at hand rather than trying to spend a day getting into a zone.
Should he invite Skip and Gage to his party around July Fourth? For that matter, should he take Skip’s cherry at that party if Skip came over. And if not then, when should he take Skip’s cherry? Sure, he promised to, but like Sammy liked to say, things change. Which reminded him that he hadn’t told Sammy the story of the decision Nolan made. He knew he should do that soon. And then there was the question of how far he should go sexually with Justin. So many options, so many decisions.
That evening Aiden learned of an adult decision having been made when Larry answered the phone. After a five-minute exchange, Larry disconnected the call and told Aiden and Phil he wanted to talk to them.
“That was Wade,” Larry said. Wade Wilson was the principal of Mayfield High School. “The pussies on the school board continue to do what they do best, which is not make a decision and stick to it.”
“What happened this time?” Phil asked, although he was certain he knew because he had seen the agenda.
“They rescinded their vote to go back to the junior high/high school system and stay with the middle school system.”
“Why?” Aiden asked.
“Money, of course. The estimated cost was much more than originally estimated. Plus, nobody else in this area was interested in joining us, which would create all kinds of hassles. Anyway, they had their vote and put a five-year block on the issue.”
“So, next year is going to be my last year in the middle school building and then I’m off to be a high school freshman?”
“Exactly.”
And so Aiden was reminded that many different people made decisions that affected him and in ways that he couldn’t control. It was like Marty, Sammy, and the Fourth Dimension meetings said: The only thing we can control and have power over is ourselves. How we act, how we think, how we behave. All Aiden could hope for was to get the tools to make the best decisions possible, like the big one he and Nolan had had to make about finishing the season.
Aiden made a decision right then. He was going up to his room and call Nolan. Not to make a decision about anything, but to remember that Nolan was going to be in his life in a new way by the middle of July and they would have many decisions to make. But when that happened, it wouldn’t be decisions being made talking over the phone or on the computer. They would be making them side by side while looking at each other, touching each other, loving each other, and not being afraid to make those decisions, because they would always be together for each other.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This ends Part 3 of the Aiden saga. Yes, there will be a Part 4, “Mayfield Friends and Lovers”, Aiden and Nolan will be starting an entirely different life together. Along with their many friends, they will be making their way through eighth grade and into high school.
A story like this is not the work of one person—it takes a team to make it all work. I would like to thank Mike the Donkey, Larry in Rockford, Will in England, and the anonymous final nitpicker for the work they put in to help make the story a success.
I want to build up a small cache of chapters before I start posting, please take the time to write during the interim. I love reading your thoughts. I often learn things about my characters from you, the readers, that I had never considered. I hope to see you all when Aiden and the Mayfield boys return.