Something Like Summer (Something Like... #1)

by Jay Bell

Ben turned to the right and walked up a slope toward a more civilized path, one paved and dotted with benches and trash cans as it wound its way around a small man-made lake. He scanned the horizon for his quarry. At first he saw no one except for a middle-aged couple walking hand in hand, but then the thump, thump, thump sound of running attracted his attention. There he was. Mr. Blue Shoes. He could more aptly be called Mr. Neon Electric Blue Shoes. Oh how Ben had searched for a pair of those shoes after seeing them for the first time! Not only did he think they looked awesome, but they would have been a potential conversation starter. Hey, you have the same crazy shoes that I do! Despite tagging along on all of his mother’s shopping trips, he never found them. Ben wasn’t even sure what brand they were. Some sort of exotic Italian label that Mr. Blue Shoes had preferred before moving here to the States, he fantasized. Not that he was necessarily from Italy, but it would explain the deeply tanned skin and jet black hair. Ben snapped out of his reverie and realized that the object of his desire was jogging directly toward him, and all the while he had been standing there staring. Usually Ben made at least some attempt to act like he was out for exercise. His muscles froze as he tried to decide what to do. He should probably turn to the right and walk away, so as not to appear obvious. He started to do this until he realized that he wouldn’t be able to get a look at Mr. Blu...

The phone rang before Ben could sit down on his bed. He picked it up irritably. It would only be one of Karen’s annoying friends, but at least he could have the satisfaction of hanging up on them. “What?” he snarled into the receiver. “Benjamin?” came the startled response. “Tim?” he asked, not believing his ears. “Man, I’m glad I didn’t get one of your parents. Are they still gone?” “Don’t worry about it,” Ben insisted. “What’s up? Are you calling to brag or something? Tell me you aren’t screwing her right now!” He tittered, feeling elated that Tim would call him for any reason. “No, almost,” Tim said, his voice laced with frustration. “Came close, but she got freaked out by the European standard.” “Okay,” Ben replied, not understanding what was being said or why. “Anyway, we got into an argument and she’s gone.” “Sorry?” Ben offered. “So you want to come over?” Of course he did, but he had missed his chance. Sure, he could still sneak out and face the same consequences that he had been willing to face an hour ago, but he didn’t like the idea of playing second fiddle to Krista, of all people. Tim picked up on his hesitation. “Maybe you and I can pick up where she left off.” Ben’s mouth dropped open in shock. His brain buzzed, analyzing what he had just heard and trying to find any other interpretation of the words except what he thought they meant. “I’ll be right there,” he said, slamming down the phone. Ben ran. He didn’t know where his parents were, and he didn’t check....

“Merry fucking Christmas,” he toasted with a toothy grin. “Merry Christmas,” Ben responded, taking a sip gingerly. The taste was bitter, but it wasn’t too bad. “What?” he asked when the grin failed to diminish on Tim’s face. “Am I holding the glass wrong or something?” “No, no. I was just thinking about something you said on your birthday.” “What’s that?” “How did you put it?” Tim feigned deep thought. “I think you said that there was, quote, ‘nothing you couldn’t do that a girl could,’ unquote.” “Yeah, so?” Ben didn’t see where this was leading. “I thought we could put that theory to the test tonight.” Ben’s second sip of wine almost went through his nose. He had given some thought to anal sex before, but it honestly wasn’t something that he ever fantasized about. Even when he had experimented by himself, it really hadn’t done anything for him. And now Tim was suggesting they try it? For the first time Ben wasn’t leading the bull by the horns. That wouldn’t do at all. “All right,” Ben said. “I’ll fuck you. Bend over.” “What? That’s not what I meant!” “Sure it is! Don’t be shy,” Ben taunted. “I promise not to hurt you!” “We’ll see who gets fucked,” Tim threatened. He set his wine glass down and launched himself at Ben, who almost spilled his drink all over the carpet. “Wait! Wait!” he giggled, making a show of carefully setting his glass down before sprinting out of the room. This earned him a two second lead, Tim in close pursuit. They chased each other around the hall, l...