SWNOVELXO Chapter 12: Chapter 5 Book 5
Chapter 5
Making Hard Choices
It's not that I haven't made hard choices before, but those seemed nothing to the ones I am about to make from this point on. I needed to really look at my life and see where I was going and what I really wanted. Just because I was sixteen, almost seventeen did not mean a hill of beans. It all came down to the fact that I wasn't a child anymore, hell I was barely a teenager. Dad was right. Life is cold, cruel, and hard. I knew that better than anyone. All I had to do was look at myself in the mirror and trace the fading scars of my tormentors, the very monsters in my life.
I dug deep inside myself as I sat in Greg's room long after my Dad had left me. Thinking of the decision I needed to make. I made a quick inventory in mind of all the things that were important to me and of the things that just seemed important and weren't anymore.
Despite my aversion to sacrificing anything, circumstances left me with no alternative but to make such sacrifices; otherwise, I would find myself perpetually trapped in a maze, reminiscent of a rat frantically searching for an escape route that would remain elusive. It was with a cringing sensation that I made my very first decision, which involved contemplating the extent of time I was prepared to allocate for engaging in sexual activities, as well as handpicking my ideal partners. The other decision had to do with school and my sporting events. I reached a stage where I no longer felt the urge to compete for ribbons and trophies, and I did not need to prove myself to anyone.
I sighed as I came out of the room and took a seat in front of Mom and Dad. I said. "How would you feel if I gave up being on the swim team, and only doing Gymnastics and Kickboxing? And no other sports, no church ball or baseball, and not even try out for the wrestling team, and cut back on a few other things if need be."
Mom and Dad sat there staring at me as if they had never seen me before, as if I had grown up all at once, and I wasn't their little boy anymore. Mom was the first to answer as she got up and sat next to me, taking my hand. She only asked if I was sure about my decision.
I nodded I had told them. "I would give up Gymnastics and kickboxing, but I need those to protect myself from my father. Swimming I could do it on my own. I don't need a team to swim laps or race to see who the fastest is. Gymnastics would keep me in shape and limber enough to fight." Dad tried to convince me that I could give up Kick Boxing and trade it for wrestling instead. I told him I would have to think about it, because of how violent my father could be, he did not agree that it was still a problem anymore, but it was my decision and he told me he would support me in whatever I chose to do.
True, it would have been easier to turn down the job offer and keep my sports instead. Yet like he said I couldn't mow lawns forever and shovel snow to help pay for my gas and going out on dates. Working as a ranch-hand was seasonal at best, because of my age and because of school.
Either way, I would still need a part-time job to help pay for the things I would need for school, and I couldn't be a kid forever. Besides, I needed to put money away for my own car because the truck wasn't mine. It was Shane's, and as well as college. The money in my untouchable bank account would only be enough to get me started if I was lucky it would pay for two semesters of college, and nothing more.
Mom sighed because she wasn't sure if I could get a refund back for joining the swim team but considering it had only just started. There was a good chance that I could. Rather than waiting until it became something I would have to make the choice later to give up or quit my part-time job or keep both.
School was never an option when it came to sacrificing an education, just so I could play sports. So, they both agreed but wanted me to keep my options open about the wrestling team, and church ball, and baseball. As well as not quitting the swim team unless I really had to.
Telling me they would find another way where I would still have time for my new job and other things if we took some of my chores away instead. Telling me things will be a lot calmer, now that school has started and that including spending all my free time having sex will be strictly regulated towards the weekends and not all night after this weekend.
I wasn't sure how a person would go about setting a time limit. It's not like asking the girl you are with and saying. "I only have three hours to have sex" and set a timer and have it go off and say, "That's it, until our next session." Somehow, I don't think they would consider that very romantic. But nothing said I couldn't choose when our date started or when it ended. I still couldn't see my way through the maze, but Mom and Dad said I would, to trust them. If I have to cut things, we will, but not until it is necessary. Trust was a big issue for me because I never took things on faith alone.
Football was never considered. Dad knew I hated that sport because of how stupid I felt it was to chase Pigskin and get beat up on purpose and would tease me because when it came to getting beat up. Kickboxing was just as violent. I did not see it that way because, unlike football, it did not give me the skills to protect myself from my parents and school bullies.
Right before we left, I pulled Greg aside and asked how he would feel about if we did not start our date tomorrow until 3 p.m. considering the girls would be spending the night with us anyway and give us both a chance to do homework. I thought he would be mad at me for even suggesting the idea, but instead, he felt relieved because, like me, he was wondering how he was going to manage to get it done.
True, his paper wasn't due until Tuesday, and he only had one where I had two. We still needed the time to do it, because just like my home, his parents had the rule that homework came first, chores second, before anything else.
When it came to my mother, she wasn't as strict about making sure it was done and it showed with Susan and Becky's grades. Even Aaron's marks said he wasn't a straight-A student, but they were better than his two sisters, Seeing more "D" and "C-" than "A's" or "B's" which was more a rarity than their "D's". Neither of them was planning on going to college. Both had the idea that their husband or prince charming was going to sweep them off their feet, and automatically become rich. Or have a good job, and a very nice house, the second they get married. Basically, a pipe dream that never happened.
Greg too was trying to figure out how to add a part-time job to his already busy schedule, because of early morning band practice and driver's Ed, when it came to the driving part. True, the driving part was the least of both our concerns, knowing how to drive and could do the course blindfolded, but either way, it was still required until you passed it off. Plus, the on-the-road test, neither was a problem for either of us. I also knew that Mr. Stringham would take that into consideration and would give Greg the time off if he needed it. School always came first with Mr. Stringham, and I told Greg that.
It was almost five p.m. before we started to head back to my Rothwell home. I only made one quick stop at an office supply store after cashing the big check. I cringed when I did it because it stated I had officially accepted Mr. Stringham's job offer, adding my five hundred dollars to my personal savings account.
I did not want my mother to know about either of the two checks, and Mom and Dad agreed with my decision about the job and not telling my mother about it or the money, knowing about her spending habits. Dad asked if she asked about my unscheduled stop. He would tell her that he had ordered the typewriter, and I was just picking it up and some supplies I needed for school.
There was no need to tell her more than that because the typewriter would stay in my room, and never go home with me. Besides, I had a spare sitting in my bedroom closet at my mother's house, even though it was used, and it wasn't electric. Neither of us was willing to make another stop there and take the chance of running into my father. True, I could have defended myself, but why anger the monster more than you had to?
My mother had already called Evan, telling him not to even come near the place, making sure to stop at Officer Kenly's place to pick up Becky's clothes that she wanted to wear. After informing them that my father was on the warpath because of Susan squealing at her, and she did not want to deal with him until she came back on Sunday or Monday afternoon.
I had overheard that she had planted a nice surprise package in each of their rooms for him to find. Several kinds of fake penis and tons of porn magazines; with a note on the table stating she had made an appointment with the doctor at 4 p.m. on Monday. To prove to my father that they both lost their virginity by overusing a fake penis. Or by being too rough when inserting a tampon, not by having sex with a boy. Again, I knew Mr. Stringham was behind it.
Dad said she had put some of the money back into their checking account, using it as proof that the money was never missing. Stating, she held it out to buy school clothes and pay bills. If my father should ask me, I know nothing about it. Which was sort of true when I did not know she did until that following night. Personally, I would have come clean and showed him the receipts and the tapes she had on Susan. She earned that payback, but it wasn't my fight, it was hers.
Time was not on my side as I quickly stopped at the office supply store and loaded my cart with everything, I needed that I could remember. Like paper for the typewriter and lots of whiteout. It was hard to choose what typewriter I wanted because of all the bells and whistles some of them had. The more they had the more the price went up. I decided on the one that was best for my current needs. I did not need a lot of fancy things that would only distract me. I chose one that I had used in school and Mom was using for her job, choosing the one that had the best warranty and would see me through for a very long time. Nothing fancy, just something that would get the job done.
Even though I had the money to buy the most expensive one. I did not. Instead, I bought several accounting books and a nice adding machine that would do the job quite well, as well as several color folders in which I could put my school papers in. Instead of just stapling them and turning them in. Dad said I should always stand out in front of the pack, and I had learned that from him what teachers at college expect. It said when I turned in my papers that were packaged correctly that I actually cared and put forth my best effort.
I had decided to go back to my original assignment and turn in two completely different papers. Using two different experiences. So, if the teacher felt I had cheated, or if one of the students realized I had used the same paper for a different class, it wouldn't come back to haunt me. True, it meant I would sacrifice more of my free time, but it would be because I wasn't lazy. Some parts would be the same, just different experiences with two different girls and two different situations.
I still did not know if the girls I was going out with would feel bad because I was cutting my and Greg's sex time short. So, we could get our papers done, but I had a feeling they would approve because they too have a son in school with the same life problems as Greg and I do. I tried to talk Greg out of going to the movie, but he had been looking forward to it, and wasn't like we hadn't done most of our homework.
It was just dinner and a movie, four or five hours out of our lives. We had both agreed to get up early on Saturday to get our papers finished and if the girls agreed to our demands, then it was a win-win situation. The only thing we wouldn't be doing tonight and postponed until tomorrow night was the bath party.
I was more concerned about Aaron walking in and seeing my mother having sex with someone who wasn't his father, but for now, my mother had agreed to not have sex in the open. Instead, she would only do it in one of the bedrooms with the door closed and locked and hoped that included me. I should have had made her promise not to stimulate anyone in front of him, but I felt at the time that was too much to ask when he knew very well that my adoptive parents do it to me and my brothers.
Even my best friends were not excluded in that, and it simply did not bother Aaron any, because I know for a fact, that he has done so numerous times with my three younger brothers and Greg's brother Tim. It was the others I wasn't sure about.
When we arrived home, my adoptive Mom was just putting a tossed salad together to go with the pizzas. Sorry, no pizza guy tonight. Mom had decided that all the younger boys would sleep outside on the back lawn and give the adults the beds in the house. Cindy and Jody soon arrived, as Greg and I were helping with sleeping bags for the boys. After bringing in the things that I had purchased at the office supply store and the four boxes of receipts plus my boxes of letters.
Mom and Dad had decided that Shawn and Arthur would be staying home locked in their room. I did not ask why, because mostly I did not want them anywhere near me or my friends, even more so my brothers, and that included Aaron. It totally creeps me out when Shawn and Arthur look at us naked, wanting to bend every boy here over and stick their penises up our butts.
Because we were leaving soon after dinner, we did not bother with making ourselves at home, except for Greg, Chad, and me as well as my three best friends Stan, Charles, and Ron my Highland friends. We took the time to flavor ourselves, knowing how the girls really liked it. Instead of tasting our salty, savory skin, putting on just a pair of shorts and a tee shirt and our flip-flops or sneakers without socks.
Dad had placed three twin mattresses in the back of his truck and several blankets and pillows inside the trunks of the cars. The mattress was for us adults and the blankets and pillows were for all the kids that weren't having sex and would be the ones actually watching the movie. Personally, I thought it was a colossal waste of money for us younger adults who would be having sex in the back of the two trucks. It would have saved us the money if we just stayed here and had sex in my bed. But it was the thrill of being seen, having wild sex in the back of the drive-in, which the girls really wanted to do.
Bed sex was just bad sex. Movie sex was a whole different matter. And it wasn't illegal to do so at the drive-in as far as I know and what my parents told me that it was quite common at Lover's Hill, but tonight there would be rules because of children would be present being a G movie.
Not everyone would spend the night at my house because of work or other obligations. The ones spending the night with me in my bed were Greg, Stan, Ron, Chad, and our three girls, Cindy, Ronda and Gloria, Ron's sister. Everyone else was spending the night at my house or going home after the movie. Like Jody, Dave, and my three best Highland friend's parents.
Ron Peterson was the same age as me sixteen and a half. Red hair and green eyes with lots of freckles on his cheeks and a strong-boned chin; he stood five feet six, about my height with broader shoulders than mine, and his sister Gloria who was seventeen. Had auburn hair not quite red, more of a dark red than a striking redhead, and a head taller than her brother Ron. With her green, striking, catlike eyes and a few freckles, which also seemed to run in the family, she had a well-defined, boned chin and a slim but strong nose. We would call it a witch nose, and yes, she could twitch it like the woman on the show Bewitch.
Everyone thought she was kind of an airhead because she was on the cheerleader team and the quiet type. In truth, she was anything but quiet, more like a hungry lion wanting to devour you, just waiting in the background stocking you as if you were her prey. Then when no one is looking she walks up and goes in for the kill. Meek and mild, she is not. Once she clears the pathway and you're in her sights. Watch out.
Our parents had set the rules before we left that there would be no naked sex during the movie. This meant no naked breasts above the truck bed or loud screaming indicating our girls were having sex until we came home, reminding us that the movie is rated G. That means young children will be present. I asked my friends if they still wanted to go because we could have wild sex right here with no rules.
Having our girls grab each of our arms, telling us there was no reason why we couldn't play. After all, they did not say we couldn't have sex, just not naked sex. Running to my room grabbing them each a robe. Some rules were meant to be broken. Ronda asked for clarification if that included them removing our shirts. Watching our parents roll their eyes stating that would be allowed because they don't consider that being indecent in public when it comes to boys.
Unlike my father would. Personally, I did not consider girls being topless being indecent, but that was because I really, really liked girl's naked breasts, and what boy wouldn't? Plus, being raised as a nudist, being naked meant nothing to me. Unless you were a hot girl like these were. Oh man, it was going to be hard to follow the rules as we each popped a horny pill.
If I remember right, the movie was Back to the Future, not that we boys saw any of it when we had our own entertainment. In fact, it would be safe to say the movie started and ended. Everything else was just a vague memory of quick scenes and sounds.
As we lay there in the truck having un-naked sex. With hands-on pairs of naked breasts, as the robes covered the backs of our girls, and with our boxers and their panties on, with those special holes in them. We even wore our shirts like good boys as the girls lifted them up to our necks when they wanted to lick, kiss, and bite everything from our nipples down.
Then, when it was our turn, they slipped back on their tee shirts, having us leave the shirt above their breasts. After all, our parents stated no naked breasts above the truck bed. Everything else was allowed. We only took a break to pee and raid the snack bar, completely dressed while our girls waited for our return or did likewise. Back then they only played one movie and when it finished, it would show the same show over again, but only for the first half. Now they show two different movies, well until they tore it down.