“Since the thunder and lightning part of the storm isn’t quite here yet, so… humor me, this time, will you?”
“Sure,” Kalin said, intrigued.
Skyler sat forward and peeled off the rain-soaked shirt that clung to his back and jumped up from the ground.
“Come here,” he said, and pulled Kalin up with him. The two stood in silence for a moment in their wet jeans and the warm downpour of rain. Skyler wrapped his hands around Kalin’s lower back and held him close. Kalin wrapped his hands around Skyler’s shoulders. He rested the bridge of his nose against Skyler’s neck and shoulder.
Crickets chirped around them as they began to slow dance in the rainfall. “I’ll never forget tonight or this first date,” Skyler whispered into Kalin’s ear. “I hope all of our dates will be this amazing.”
“Definitely,” Kalin whispered back. “Even if it’s only because it’s the two of us.”
Skyler held Kalin for a few more minutes until lightning flashed brightly and a loud thunderclap rumbled through the sky.
“Okay, that’s it, the storm’s almost on top of us. Let’s get out of here!” Kalin grabbed the speaker and iPod from underneath the pillows and then grabbed his and Skyler’s shirts. Skyler picked up the chiller and glasses and followed Kalin down the hill toward the house. The large screened porch afforded them safety from the rain and lightning. As they set things down on the porch, Kyle quietly came out of the house with a stack of towels. He winked at his brother and then disappeared back into the house.
The boyfriends giggled and stood back-to-back, pulling off their jeans and underwear. They wiped themselves clean with their underwear and toweled off. Then they wrapped towels around their waists and sat together on a rocking couch. Kyle reappeared and picked up the wet clothing pile of shirts and jeans, promising they’d have them back once they’d been through the dryer. Skyler and Kalin thanked him as he disappeared into the house. They chuckled when they noticed their wet boxer-briefs were still on the porch floor.
They sat together and watched the thunderstorm roll through the valley on the other side of the hill. The storm’s brilliant lightning illuminated the sky and landscape as it rolled through the valley. Eventually, the storm passed and Kyle returned with their dry clothes. When he saw the wet underwear on the floor, he pointed. “I wondered where those were. I thought maybe you guys had gone commando or something.”
“No, but we’ll have to on the way home,” Kalin said.
“Want me to throw those in the dryer?”
“Nah, you don’t want to touch those.”
“Oh, okay.” Kyle said. The look of confusion on his face was quickly replaced with a look of surprise and understanding. “Oh! Right! Okay, gotcha.”
“You didn’t have to tell him,” Skyler said, a bit surprised.
The Mars boys laughed together. “You forget, Sky,” Kalin said. “We’re twins. We know everything about each other.”
“Yeah, I would have figured it out anyway,” Kyle said. “Look at the big goofy smile on his face. That’s because of you. And it’s an extra big smile, so you know, two plus two…”
Skyler burst out laughing. “Awww, you’re too sweet. Okay, so dating a twin is gonna be really interesting, I can already tell.”
“Yep, it totally will be,” Kyle said, smiling ear to ear.
“Besides,” Kalin chimed in, “You already know that Tracy, CK, and Tommy are gonna want all the details.”
“I won’t be telling them all the glorious details of sexy time in the rain. That’s our special moment.”
“Fair enough,” Kalin said.
“I hate to break this up, but it’s like 10:30. I think Aunties want to go to bed. So, we should head out,” Kyle said.
“Ugh, way to ruin the moment,” Kalin quipped.
Kyle shrugged. “Sorry.” He handed over their jean and shirts and then turned away to face the stormy skies.
Kalin faced his brother’s back and Skyler stood behind him, the two giggling as they pulled on their jeans.
“I rarely go commando,” Skyler said. “This is kinda fun.”
“You should do it whenever,” Kyle said.
“Yeah right, teenage boys and commando. The slightest breeze makes my dick hard,” Kalin said. “Talk about boners galore.”
Skyler laughed as he pulled his shirt on. “Now, there’s an image I could get behind.”
“Good lord,” Kyle said as he shook his head.
Skyler and Kalin burst into hearty laughter.
23 | Afterglow
SKYLER YAWNED AND STRETCHED HIS arms over his head as he slowly woke up. Feeling so warm and comfortable, he didn’t want to get out of bed, no matter what time it was. He settled in and snuggled into his pillows, smiling to himself as he remembered the wonderful first date he had with Kalin the night before. Then he felt his bed move.
He opened one eye and looked toward the foot of his bed. Tracy and CK sat on the edge of his bed with silly grins adorning their faces.
“Morning, sleepy head,” she said, giggling a little.
Skyler buried his face into his pillow and moaned, “Go away.”
“No way, mister. Rise and shine. I want details!”
“Ugh,” Skyler moaned. “You would.”
Someone grabbed his legs and started shaking him.
“Hey,” he called out teasingly. “Cut it out. How would you like to be assaulted early on a Saturday morning?”
“Early?” CK said. “It’s ten-thirty.”
Skyler opened his eyes wide and looked at his alarm clock. Then he threw himself back and rubbed his eyes. “Okay, so it is.” He took a deep breath and then threw the covers off, purposely throwing them against CK and Tracy. They laughed.
Tracy yelled and covered her eyes.
“What,” Skyler asked. “I’m wearing boxer shorts.”
“Yeah, but that’s all you’re wearing,” CK said, pointing toward Skyler’s crotch.
“Whatever. You get what you pay for,” Skyler quipped. He walked toward the bathroom, not caring the least about his tenting boxers. He closed the door behind him.
“Come downstairs when you’re done,” Tracy called out. “Your mom wants to know how it went, too.”
“Yup,” Skyler yelled through the bathroom door. After using the restroom, he rinsed his mouth with mouthwash and then grabbed a pair of gym shorts and a tank top from his drawer, put them on, and headed downstairs.
He entered the kitchen and padded over to one of the empty stools at the kitchen island and sat down.
“Morning, Skyler,” Dale said, standing over the stove. “Want some eggs for breakfast?”
“Morning, Dale,” Skyler said. “Yes, please.”
“Did you have fun last night?” he asked. Liara sat at the kitchen table and put the paper down to give Skyler her full attention.
“Yeah, we had a great time.”
“What’d you do?” Tracy asked. “And don’t leave out any details!”
Ha, you’re not going to get all the details. He grabbed the orange juice that was on the island counter and poured some into a clean glass.
“Well, you know he took me to Fangiolo’s Restaurant and we had an amazing dinner. It was just, so special and romantic.”
Tracy giggled as Skyler started to relive his first date. He shared his thoughts on the restaurant, the full acceptance he felt by other patrons and the elderly couple that sat near them. Everyone ooed and awed when he told them about the special bottle of sparkling cider Kalin had set up ahead of time.
Dale set three plates of scrambled eggs in front of Skyler, CK, and Tracy. He finished them off with some turkey bacon he had cooked in a skillet.
“Thank you,” they said in unison.
“Anytime,” Dale said.
Skyler continued and told them about the special surprise Kalin had planned at his aunt’s house, from meeting his twin brother to the candles arranged in a heart-shape that surrounded a pile of blankets and pillows that over
looked the countryside. Liara beamed with joy when Skyler told them about the song Wonderful Kalin played for him. Then he told them about how they kissed in the rain and slow danced together.
Tracy fanned herself and Liara smiled with pure happiness. “My my, what a romantic boy you’ve got there,” Liara said.
“You gay boys are so lucky,” Tracy said.
Liara chuckled and CK raised his hands in exasperation. “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean? I feel like I need to defend all of us straight men,” he quipped.
“Let’s face facts,” Tracy said, putting her hand up in CK’s face. “Straight boys aren’t particularly romantic. Girls want to be wooed and made to feel special. Like Kalin did for Skyler. You straight boys think too much with your penis.”
“Tracy!” Skyler and CK said together in mock shock.
“Well,” Liara said, picking her paper back up. “She has a point.”
“I’d like to think,” Dale chimed in, “That with a little practice, there’s hope for us straight guys.” He chuckled. “And let’s be honest, most, if not all men, think with their penis.”
Skyler’s eyes popped open and CK blushed. “Okay, dad, thanks for that tidbit,” CK blurted out.
“TMI, boys?” Liara asked with amusement in her voice. “Funny, I live in a house with three men.”
“If you ever need help evening the odds, Mrs. Kelley…” Tracy offered.
“I’ll definitely take you up on that, Tracy,” Liara said. They enjoyed a laugh together and finished their bacon and eggs.
* * *
After breakfast, and after Tracy had left, Skyler headed upstairs to his room and shut the door. He picked up his phone and called Kalin.
Kalin answered after a couple of rings. “Hey Sky, how’s my boyfriend doing?”
“Hey, stud” Skyler said. Warmth and happiness overcame him when he heard Kalin’s voice. He flung himself onto his bed and rolled onto his side, half-curled in a ball. “Your boyfriend is thinking about last night and wants to say thank you again.”
“Aww, you’re too sweet,” Kalin said.
“No, you are,” Skyler teased.
“When do you think Tracy will come after you for details?”
“Oh!” Skyler exclaimed. “She already did, I slept in this morning and when I woke up she was sitting on the edge of my bed with CK. I barely had time to get up and pee!”
Kalin laughed.
“Anyway, once I got downstairs for breakfast everyone was there so I was able to tell them the story of our amazing first date.”
“Ya? How much of the story?”
“Enough for them to know that you’re a really amazing guy.”
“Awww.”
“Don’t worry. I kept that special part for us.”
“Now who’s being the sweet one?”
“Hey, maybe we’re both sweet.”
“I think you’re right there.”
“So, wanna hang out again soon?” Skyler asked, absentmindedly biting his lip.
“Of course.”
“I know we have the GSA thing tonight, but I was thinking maybe we could catch a movie or something tomorrow. We could go swimming, too. It might be one of the last hot weekends of the summer before school starts.”
“Skyler, the GSA barbecue is tomorrow night. Not tonight.”
“Oh.” Skyler paused, checking his mental calendar. “Really?”
“Yeah, babe.”
He called me babe.
“Unfortunately, we’re doing a belated birthday party for Aunt Nadine tonight. So, I’m not free, sadly.”
“Ah, okay.” Darn.
“But about the GSA, would it be okay if we, you know…” Kalin cut his sentence off.
I know exactly what you’re about to ask me. “Went as a couple?” Skyler asked.
“Yeah,” Kalin said.
Skyler could hear him smiling through the phone. “I’d love that.”
“Can I pick you up at six?”
“Uh, I need to check with the gang. Everyone is planning on going and I don’t want to ditch them. Maybe you could come with us?”
“Yeah, that works, too. As long as I can hold your hand.”
“Seriously?”
“Of course. I want the world to know you’re mine,” Kalin said, chuckling.
“I think I can handle that,” Skyler said, grinning.
“Great. Let me know what time to show up and I’ll be there.”
“Will do. Bye, handsome.”
“Bye, Kal-El.” The call disconnected and Skyler laid back on his bed and folded his hands behind his head, his heart filled with excitement.
Hmmm, I should probably go talk with CK about this.
Skyler walked over to CK’s room through the adjoining bathroom and knocked on CK’s door.
“Come on in,” CK called out.
Skyler opened the door and stepped into CK’s room. He saw CK reading a book while sitting cross-legged and hunched over on his bed. Skyler walked over to the desk chair and sat down. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
“What’s up?” CK asked, looking up from his book.
“Well, tomorrow tonight, the GSA thing, um, how are we getting there?”
“We’ll probably drive,” CK replied dryly.
“Ha, funny. I mean, Kalin asked if I could go with him…”
“You mean, like, together?” CK asked, closing the book and sitting up.
“Yeah, together. Like a date, or a couple I guess.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“I’m ninety-five percent okay with it. There’s five percent of me that feels nervous but I will get over it. Before you say anything, I already know, I have nothing to worry about. Old habits die hard, ya know?”
“Fair enough,” CK answered, smiling at Skyler. “Do you want to go with him?”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to upset the plans if there are any with you guys. I mean, we talked the other night about going as a group…you, me, Tracy, Tommy, Cody…”
“And if I remember right, we expected you to bring Kalin along. I mean, come on, he is your boyfriend now, right?”
“Yeah…” Skyler’s tender feelings for Kalin formed a big smile on his face.
“You’re really into him, huh?”
“Yeah, completely. Looking back over the past few weeks, I had no idea I was ready to meet or to trust someone yet, but he’s so wonderful, gentle, and kind. He’s patient with me and I really appreciate that.”
“That’s awesome.”
“You guys helped me a lot, you know, by pushing me to discover I really can live without fear.”
“You’re welcome. So, did you guys want to go separate or did you want to come with us?”
“I think that’s my biggest question. I want to do right by both of you. Would it be wrong to go with Kalin, especially since you guys have all given me such support?”
“Skyler, you know we’re gonna be there. I’m not going to tell you what to do. But I have an opinion about it. I think this time you should bring Kalin with us. The last thing we want to do is separate you from your boyfriend. I do think, given how sensitive you are about everyone’s feelings, the no-brainer in this case is to go as a group. I know everyone is cheering for you and wants to experience your first time with you. But, if you showed up with Kalin and met us there? That would be fine, too. You gotta do what’s right for you.”
Skyler nodded. “Okay, that settles it for me then.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Easy choice. I can see how this first GSA night is important to all of you—even though you’re doing it for me. And I know that if it weren’t for all of you, I’d probably still be miserable. You guys have been awesome since I’ve arrived here, and I want to be with you all and Kalin. I’ll ask Kalin to meet us here at the house and then we can go as a group. This way here I get to be with you and Kalin.”
“Sounds like a plan. You think Kalin will be up for it?”
; “Yeah, we discussed it a little when we were on the phone a few minutes ago. The only thing he cares about is holding my hand.”
CK covered his mouth with mock surprise. “And you’re okay with that?”
Skyler chuckled. “That’s probably my uncertain five percent. But you know what? I have to live my life. I can’t live my life thinking that Rebecca Tinsdale is gonna be there shaking the Bible at me.”
“Trust me, Rebecca won’t be at the GSA barbecue.”
“Amen to that,” Skyler said, laughing out loud.
CK uncrossed his legs and placed his bare feet flat on the carpet. He leaned forward and gestured with his right hand. “Circling back to something you said. This night is important for you, too. This is that step forward you want to take.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Do you?”
Skyler cocked his head. “Maybe not?”
“Uh, without trying to resurrect any demons, if things hadn’t gone wrong, and life was more normal, you know, before us, you’d have a boyfriend now. All I’m saying is, bring that same enthusiasm to the GSA, and that five percent will go away.”
Skyler smiled and nodded. I love the way CK tells it like it is. “Yes, I get what you’re saying—I need to be true to me and share that with you guys and Kalin.”
CK nodded. “Sky, do you understand how much you have done to get this far? Sometimes I’m amazed.”
“Me too, CK.” Skyler said. He sat back in the chair and relaxed. And I wouldn’t be here where I am today without you guys.
“Okay. I was gonna shower up but I feel like a run. You in?”
“Sure thing,” CK said. “Let’s do it!” They changed into running shorts and then headed out to the warm sun for their run.
24 | True Colors
THE GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE’S ANNUAL back-to-school barbecue was in full swing late Sunday afternoon when Skyler and his friends arrived. As CK steered the car into the parking lot, the sounds of loud music and laughter drifted across the asphalt through the open windows of the SUV.
Skyler checked his watch. “Are we late?”
“Only fashionably late,” Kyle said from the front seat.
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