The Champions: Julian's Private Scrapbook Book 5

By Eldot and Leland Hall

The Champions is the 5th in the Scrapbook series. It explores the world from the eyes of a young gay boy. His needs and desires are looked at honestly, with a sense of humor and without the baggage of present day prejudice. It’s important to actively combat the bullying of gay teens. Bullies get away with it because society is ignorant abo

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diphra Enterprises
• Release date: Apr 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9781732541290

Eldot

cover design already provided

Book preview

Table of Contents

Preface

A Word About the Style

Second Thursday

1 Before breakfast

2 Inspecting again

3 Sarge and Julian

4 MVP

5 Geoff’s frustration

6 Bull’s-eye at last

7 Geoff’s consolation

8 The challenge

9 Framing

10 After supper

11 The standing pose

12 Midnight visit

Second Friday

13 Midnight ride

14 Friday and fresh

15 Business as usual

16 Tom the organizer

17 Uncle Max at work

18 Danny and Tony 1

19 Touching base

20 Tony and Danny 2

21 The art critic

22 Geoff’s Plan B

23 The special rig

24 Chocolate pudding

25 Certificate day

26 Boardwalk business

27 Sixteen and Seven

28 Last campfire

29 Tony the Tiger

Second Saturday

30 Early Saturday

31 Breakfast at Lynx Camp

32 The races

33 Packing up

34 The safari

35 Leonard’s promise

36 Departing

37 Rest stop

38 Phone tree

39 Back on the bus

40 Parking lot

41 Backseat rider

Visual and Editorial Materials

Barr’s Meadow Map

Camp Walker Map

Scoutmaster’s Cabin

Geoff’s Trail Map

HQ Second Floor Plan

Barr’s Meadow Detail

Waterfront Map

Warehouse Detail

Camp Walker Report

Synopsis of Books 1-4

Camp Walker: Description, Staff, HQ Facilities

Glossary

Index of Names

Troop 9 Roster

Preface to first edition

Original Series Preface

A Word About the Author

Other books in the Series

Reviews

Key to symbols

a welcome mat from Eldot

The conclusion, the last act, the finale… no matter what it’s called, the end of a series presents a special challenge for both the reader and the author: resolution of a tale that started four books ago, for openers. But it has to have its own identity as well. How does one achieve this seemingly self-contradictory task?

About all one can do is remind the reader that much of happens is part of an ongoing story, and point out that if something was missed or forgotten, it might be hard to follow or understand what a character is doing—especially when there are so many. A synopsis of the first four books and descriptive character index is provided to help fill in any needed information.

New characters appear and some episodes are bolder and largely independent of the first four books. The main story thread of Julian, the protagonist, remains at the center. The action in this segment begins exactly where the fourth book ended, so nothing is missing.

Society has come a long way since this book first appeared—its core subject, long an unmentionable taboo, has begun to get serious attention at last. The impact of technology has been enormous recently—not only does social media dissolve the barriers—the Internet and smart phone bypass or end run most if not all restrictions. Independent film and book publishing have opened the doors wide—a series such as Julian’s Private Scrapbook is both feasible and welcome. As a background reference, the preface to the original edition is included at the back of the book.

Coming of age in our society is not a fixed ritual; it is regulated unevenly or indirectly by a few religious and ethnic customs. None of them accommodate the phenomenon at the center of this story. Nonetheless, it is real, powerful, and it affects people’s lives in the deepest way possible. The Julian’s Private Scrapbook series takes an unusual approach: romantic comedy. Fiction’s toolbox—comedy, fantasy, exaggeration and contrast are employed, along with a bit of whimsy. Everyday human foibles are entertaining; a large helping of honesty provides additional surprise and a bit of spice.

The reader will have to decide whether to read some of the passages. The line between completeness and euphemistic gloss may be more toward detail than some find comfortable. Nothing is intended to titillate or offend; if it isn’t to your liking, skip to the next scene.

Again, the author will not intrude in the interim, other than to continue the convention of beginning each day at camp with a brief summary.

If you are interested in a closer look at the technical side, the series website features extensive essays on several topics (see diphra.com).

*

a word from Eldot about the style…

For readers new to the Julian series, here’s a heads up: to maximize the reader’s ability to get inside the characters an unusual device is employed in the revised version.

Standard narrative practice is to place the reader either inside or out, not both: inside means using the first person, seeing only what the character sees—usually a single character. Outside means using the third person point of view, seeing the character and the world of the story from outside, akin to watching a movie.

The original version employed an experimental style that intermingled first and third person usage. The device was not a complete success—it achieved the goal, but at a cost—it was awkward in places and to some readers, somewhat annoying.

The revision has dealt with that problem directly by employing visual clues. All first person point of view elements are in italics. No other use of italics is permitted. If italics would usually be employed to express emphasis or stress, boldface is used instead.

Here’s a sample quoted from chapter 12:

I’ll leave the cane by this tree and pick it up on the way back. He checked his watch: eleven fifty. not bad. at least I got here before midnight. leaving about fifteen minutes after lights out was just right. Lance was sound asleep. he’ll never be any the wiser.

He stood free and tested his foot. ow… still there, all right. the ankle is worse than the toe. tough. I’m pressing on. He counted on Mark not being too sound asleep. Stepping on his heel, he walked to the cabin very slowly—he didn’t have far to go. besides… he rocked his shoulders back and forth as he limped toward the cabin… once I’m on my back, the foot will stop complaining.

He stepped onto the small landing and put his ear to the door. total silence in there. He counted to ten, as he had rehearsed in his mind. He tapped lightly, above the doorknob.

> > tap… tap… tap < <

He put his ear to the door again. nothing. He repeated the knock with the back of his knuckles this time—

> > tap… tap… tap < <

That doubled the volume and made a sharper sound. still nothing. do I dare knock louder? it’s so quiet here. He was afraid the sound would carry across the meadow to the tents. He knocked again. This time he gave three single taps spaced a second apart, and a little sharper.

> > tap!    tap!    tap! < <

He pressed his ear to the door. yes! a footfall! ooo!

He stood back and waited. What a huge relief. His next step would have been to open the door himself. He was afraid that might be too bold. this way is much better. here goes! will Mark ever be surprised that I figured a way! He struck his best pose. I hope there’s enough starlight for him to see… he looked down. hmm. too bad.

Mark could swear he heard a knock. It had awoken him. He wasn’t sure. It might have been a dream… he listened carefully. !! three single raps! there is someone! how long have they been knocking?! did I think to lock the door? I don’t remember... I doubt it. He got out of bed hurriedly—he was off balance and staggered to stabilize himself.

He looked carefully… it’s so dark—Julian is still sound asleep. I have to get to the door before they knock again… he walked to the door quietly. Better hurry! Maybe someone is hurt.

He didn’t want to say anything lest he awaken Julian… he opened the door a crack. Sure enough, someone was there. is there an injury? He swung it open half way. who is that?

Hi. Geoff trembled with anticipation. He was as hard as a rock already.

Mark knew that voice. I must not be awake yet. it sounded like Geoff!

Sorry it’s so late, Geoff temporized.

Mark was horrified. He stepped out and closed the door quietly. "What are you doing here?" He spoke as softly as he could.

The third person-first person mix is obvious; the reader’s engagement with a character is enhanced by seeing what he sees directly—as if a temporary window had opened; suddenly, the reader has two vantage points—almost like a split screen.

This technique has been utilized in varying degrees. In many places it is not used at all, in others it is extensive. Generally, the goal has been to get the reader into the character’s perception while keeping the ability to see things the character doesn’t. So when you run across this phenomenon, you’ll know what’s going on—I hope it makes the experience of Julian’s Private Scrapbook even more fun.

eBook note:

The print versions of this book utilize several fonts and font sizes that eBook formats and readers can not accommodate. Those are described in the note below. In this version, all text will be presented in Times New Roman.

Fonts:

Times New Roman: all narrative and character content, all third person point of view is in standard Times, sentences are capitalized; all first person is in italics, sentences are not capitalized

Optima: sound effects, noise, anything heard that isn’t or can’t be identified by quotation marks; these are placed between arrow brackets >> <<

Optima is also used for telephone conversations, radio, and song lyrics.

Lucida Handwriting: is used to indicate a dream stream-of-consciousness; this is always first person point of view.

American Typewriter indicates quoting a handwritten word, phrase or sentence.

Chalkboard is used for informational material within the novel: division contents, location descriptions such as the camp , features of buildings, and sites where the story takes place.

*

Second Thursday

Twelfth Day

Eleven days ago, Mark Schaeffer brought his scout troop to Camp Walker for its annual two-week summer camp. This is his fifth camp as a scoutmaster, and it is the most momentous for him personally and professionally. His decision on the first day to house Julian in the cabin has proven to be a success for Julian, and unexpectedly, for himself. His intent was to shield Julian from extra-curricular encounters. Julian has had an unexpected impact; his own life goals are being examined anew.

The last three days of camp are packed with activity. Merit badges have to be awarded, competitions held and goodbyes said. There is unfinished personal business to complete, and there are campsites to close. A few new developments manage to find their way into the story as well. Paul, the stopwatch partner, tries to trick Julian. His friend Doug had reported on Julian’s extraordinary oral ability, and he is lying in wait. Alex Trent, also in the Lynx patrol, gets a big surprise.

Danny, still substituting for an injured player, makes a winning goal in water polo and becomes an instant camp star.

Julian’s fascination with the curmudgeonly Camp Ranger continues. He and Sarge develop a special relationship.

Tom and Nick provide a spectacular finale for Freddy’s Shooting Gallery.

Julian does a large size portrait of Mark.

Geoff convalesces during the day, allowing his injured foot to heal. He is determined to make his late night visit to the scoutmaster’s cabin. He re-injures himself in the attempt.

**

1    before breakfast

Mark turned onto his right side again… if only the birds would move to the far end of the meadow, I might stand a chance of getting a few more minutes. He hadn’t slept at all well; he had a lot on his mind. His dreams had been unusually troublesome. Usually he slept straight through, no problem. that’s twice this week I’ve had dreams about Erik. why on earth is that back? I haven’t been bothered by those for years—two years, at least. Admittedly, the first three years were bad—a nightmare every night, or so it seemed. Gradually, his job and scouts were able to keep him occupied and squared away… and Pat helped some. things have been going great… best ever… so why?

I could go for a run… he usually did when he woke up early. For some reason, he preferred to stay put. It was comfy and he didn’t want to work up a sweat. He glanced at the clock—not enough time for a good run anyway. where was I? trying to grab another thirty winks. He closed his eyes.

His mind was not cooperating. you’re not over it after all, are you? Generally, Mark was not introspective: but something inside him was stirring, demanding attention. He thought it had been taken care of—evidently not. It had been popping up lately, shoving aside whatever else he was thinking about—or trying to think about.

Movement a few inches away drew his focus: a small fly walking along the outer edge of the bed. what are you looking for? Mark puckered and directed a puff of air. The fly took off at once and flew out of view. one of those silent types. He had never studied insects. As long as they weren’t a nuisance he was inclined to let them be.

Mark’s attention returned to his internal musing… something was bothering him, and he couldn’t pin it down. The problem was, he had no one he could go to—no one he could confide in. Of necessity, his personal life had always been more private than most. His life with Erik had only just begun when Erik died suddenly. Mark had never included anyone or shared his secret life, because he had no need. It was an instant love, programmed by the gods or something. For two years he was in heaven on earth. Then, pfft… it was ended by some fluke mechanical failure on a late night flight to Boston.

The only person that he could talk to was Pat. She was a lifesaver, for sure, in many ways. But her role was limited. She would never replace Erik—that was never her goal anyway. She had made it possible to carry on what seemed to be a normal life; family, friends, the workplace—she has been the shield, the armor, the dressing on his heart wounds—more than she knew. But she was not a replacement for his lost loved one. The pain was lessened, but the vacancy remained.

I have to get a grip here… I’ve got a troop of scouts to look out for. I don’t have time for this. Mark was never inclined to baby himself anyway. Hard work and focus had always been the best defense—it will be now. unfortunate that Julian had to be told—last night he awoke and had to be given an explanation of some kind. I’m glad I was honest with him, at least. Mark was never able to fabricate a story anyway—never developed the skill.

Julian hadn’t pressed for any details—he seemed to comprehend. unlikely, but that’s what I felt. The image of Julian’s tears flashed into view. I felt so supported, so validated by that. Julian has a way about him—he looks the child, but he’s way ahead in personal growth—it’s like his artistic gift. you never expect it but when you see the product you are amazed and humbled by its quality. Mark marveled at the sheer luck of it—of all the scouts that might have ended up in the cabin, Julian had been quite a surprise. Not at all what Mark had expected; in a way, he was more than a lucky circumstance: Julian had proven to be an ideal choice.

Mmmm. Julian woke up with a yawn. Daylight peeked through the split in the curtain above his head. Sun’s up already—

Mark raised on his right elbow and looked across. Good morning.

Mmmm. Julian was so comfy. I had a nice dream, I think. He stretched his arms out into the brisk morning air, then quickly tucked them back under the cover blanket.

Oh?

How come they go away so fast sometimes? The minute I wake up, poof! it was a happy one. All I can remember is that Danny and Sid were in it, and we were at the lake. That’s all. And it was happy. Julian rubbed Mr. Sandman’s particles away from the corners of his eyes.

I can’t help you there. I’m glad it was happy, though. That must have been what was important, anyway.

Maybe Sid and I were cheering you guys on to a big victory, or something, Julian theorized. Maybe Danny was making a goal.

I’ll hope for that. The clock hadn’t changed much. Fifteen minutes before the alarm.

Good. no hurry to get up… Julian locked his fingers together behind his head… time to plan his day. He was happy with the merit badges. looks like I’ll get them both. I have a few too many drawings to finish. hmm. I’m forgetting something. it will come to me in a minute. I want to be with Mark now for a little. He folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes. After the little talk last night, it was important to be here, standing by—just in case. Keeping Mark company was important; Julian didn’t know why… he didn’t stop to think about it. Anyway, he had a few imaginary scenarios that he enjoyed running from time to time… he liked to refine them occasionally so that when the time came he’d be ready. since Mark is awake, there’s no worry about that blasted alarm clock going off like it did on Monday.

Mark watched Julian relax and settle in for a last minute doze. what a wonderful picture… dreaming about our water polo game. so was I, a while ago. His thoughts returned to the issues at hand… the Flaming Arrow patrol in particular. He followed Julian’s lead and lay back under the quilt. The air temperature was early morning brisk.

I feel a little guilty about Tom… I haven’t found time for that one-on-one chat I promised. this afternoon is my last open block of time, but Tom has another commitment of some kind. he was sort of vague about it… probably not an approved activity. he should play while he has the chance, I suppose; I expect this is his last camp. the win yesterday was sweet for him. if we can do that again today, his water polo career will have ended very nicely. we can have the chat next week, or later in the summer. I offered to help out at the archery range again. I’ve developed a minor interest in that. don’t know why.

Danny’s news last night about Geoff’s mishap was a surprise. it’s unfortunate that he was injured… Mark wasn’t sorry to learn he was out of commission. He’d let that sleeping dog lie, actually. Geoff had dropped out of sight, and Mark had put him out of mind. maybe I was mistaken after all. After that impromptu close order drill lesson on Monday, Mark was afraid that Geoff might try to follow up somehow. Mark had taken care to be fully occupied and surrounded by scouts ever since. maybe I didn’t need to worry about an encounter after all. now he’s on crutches—unable to do much of anything. so, that’s settled.

but now I’m uneasy about Danny… he’s been showing some troublesome signs. Was Danny a little too attentive? I’m not quite sure. Sometimes he seemed to be. Mark couldn’t point to any specifics. He just had a sense, in the last couple of days, that the admiration a leader engenders had been replaced by something stronger. Hero worship wasn’t entirely plausible. I don’t sense a crush, either, though. I’ll have to be alert. especially now that he’s a part of the water polo team. that will be over today... just as well.

And there’s Nick—talk about solid! Dependability personified; his shoes will be hard to fill… he has another year though; Julian will be ready to take over by then. Nick has been an outstanding mentor. He was one scout Mark never had to worry about. he has certainly shaped Tom up…

Julian turned on his right side—his observation side. It was more comfy than being on his back, for one… for another, he could squint his eyes and sneak peeks of Mark. He waited for a minute, just in case Mark might be looking this way… ah. he’s thinking about stuff, too. That made sense: Mark always has everything planned and figured. probly what he’s doing right now.

His thoughts returned to the short conversation with Mark during the night. I sure wish I knew more… but I know enough. I know what counts, I think. Mark had a love one time and he died. Mark still loves him. That makes me love him even more. someday it will be me.

Julian knew this—he had known it for a long time. What he had learned this week was that he wasn’t ready to take on the job. What he learned last night was very important. He hadn’t sorted it out completely, but he knew that one day Mark would be free. my job is to be there and be ready. that means not doing anything stupid in the meantime.

You’re darn lucky you found that out.

His inner partner made wise guy comments like that all the time.

Well, it’s true, isn’t it?

yeah… have to admit it… only last night I was trying to figure a way to crawl into bed with him. would have been a terrible mistake. would have wrecked everything. Mark would have put on his Scout hat—for good, probably. not only that, I wouldn’t have found out about… him… I wonder what his name was.

> > klik < <

Big Ben had just given the five second warning. Julian bolted out of the sleeping bag, but Mark was there before the count of two. They looked at each other and laughed.

Time to start the day.

***

2    inspecting again

Julian was on a roll this morning. This was his second day as chief inspector of the Troop 9 patrol camps. He had juggled the inspection order slightly just to make it more interesting. The camps were always neat and straight. ever since the thunderstorm they look so clean.

Up ahead he could see Mark and Tom standing by the Flaming Arrow table. Mark was gesturing wildly, like he was bashing one of those balls into the net. Julian shook his head… those guys are so funny! They were trying to plan how to win their big water polo game, but the wind kept wrecking their model. Mark jumped up and hollered at the wind to let up for five minutes. They needed some pebbles or something instead of those paper triangles. They also needed his demerit free cussword.

Julian was on his way to inspect the last camp, the Lynx Patrol. From there he could go directly to the Flaming Arrow camp, finish up his report, and take off. He had already done the dishes all by himself so that Danny could work on water polo. as soon as I’m done with this, I’ll go down to HQ and finish the drawing of Geoff getting his foot bandaged. Mr. Jorgensen will like it better, now that it’s on the large paper. I got a good start yesterday. this afternoon I’ll go to the lake and finish the Canoe drawing—oh: and start the First Aid merit badge sketch. Sid promised he’d hang around for that. Sid is so happy these days. he and Kurt are really hitting it off.

wow, there’s Alex, sitting at the Lynx table. Hi. I like Alex. he’s always so cheerful. sometime maybe I’ll get to know him better. Julian felt they must have something in common, since they both had such light blond hair.

Hey, good to see ya. Alex looked up from his tablet. What’s up, these days?

I do the inspecting by myself now.

Congrats… Lemme know if ya need anything. Alex got back to his tablet. He wanted to get this squared away before his Reptile badge session. Tommy, his Reptile buddy, was counting on this salamander chart to go with their essay. I should go over to the Badger camp, but I’m supposed to have this done by now. fighting this breeze today is a pain.

Barr’s Meadow

Barr's Meadow Map

Julian could see that Alex was busy. that’s okay; I can talk with him some other time. I have a full schedule today, anyway. He did the standard check—meaning that everything was perfect, since Gary had gone: Gary is strict; he takes being patrol leader very seriously. always inspects everything before leaving camp. neither Danny or I can ever find a thing to mark down. here goes: kitchen, looks okay—check. He stepped over to tent one: flawless—check. tent two looks fine—check. tent three… oop! tent three occupied by a scout in skivvies bending down and showing his butt to the outside world. amusing way to put it—too bad there isn’t room to write it up that way. tent looks all squared away. He returned to the table.

Is it okay if I sit here for a second to fill this out?

Sure. Be my guest. I remember who this is now: the Scrapbook kid. Alex paused: it just hit him. what if I could talk him into making a few drawings for this report? I’ll ask Tommy in class… that would really set this off from the other guys. yeah. those scrapbook drawings are cool. I bet he could draw a super alligator.

Julian sat at the table to fill out the grid. He just had a single sheet today, not the clipboard. stupid not to bring that; the wind keeps trying to blow the paper away. Holding it down and writing at the same time was tricky. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the guy from tent three walk over behind Alex. He glanced up to see who it was. I’ve seen him around... can’t think of his name. ooo-oo! he has a morning problem… his stiffy hasn’t gone down yet. Julian didn’t pay it any mind. He went back to his grid. The obnoxious breeze kept flipping his paper. He slid the tablet to the side so he could hold the sheet better. The breeze tried to turn its pages too.

Paul forced a sneeze. He wanted the kid to check him out, at least. Doug told him about this one’s amazing talent in the slurp department. I have to figure a way to keep him here until Alex takes off—usually Alex is gone by now… he would pick today to hang around. so what if he gets an eyeful: maybe he’ll know to get the lead out next time. Paul was annoyed with Alex to begin with—too pure for words... I’ve tried all camp to get him to play… nothing fazes him. he’s got a permanently limp dick or something.

The sneeze caught Julian’s attention. The guy was still standing there behind Alex. oopsie…he’s a little harder. The guy smiled. must be Alex’s tent partner. hmm… sure isn’t bashful—he’s well equipped. Julian shrugged and returned to the inspection sheet. I need to get this done—I’ve got a tight schedule today. almost done here. The wind grabbed at the sheet… darn it! It took both hands to hold the sheet down.

Paul was surprised. Why had the reaction to his ploy been so flat? rats. probably because Alex is sitting right there. okay then… He needed to go a step farther… he made an adjustment in the front split—made sure that it remained partially open. that will get a reaction. now… while the kid’s looking down… quietly, he stepped around the table and stood behind Julian’s right side. Doug told me how this trick worked yesterday… I’ll pretend I’m looking at the tablet. He stood for a while, waiting to be re-discovered.

Alex watched Paul silently move around the table. cripes. look at the guy. does he always have a boner? Sometimes it made him so horny to see that. Half the time he had to run down the hill to the latrine and take care of things. Paul only has skivvies on… yikes! looks like it might come out. Alex was aghast—he felt himself begin to swell. He could see it so clearly… he’d never seen it before, in the flesh… only the bulge. it looks so dark, in that white pocket… I can see at least an inch… it’s so big!

Julian looked up. the guy from tent three is gone now. good. where did he go? Alex had a strange look on his face; he’s staring past my shoulder—oh. the guy must be standing behind me. Something wasn’t right; Julian could tell because Alex was so wide eyed… drat! The wind just flipped over a whole bunch of pages; he grabbed the tablet before it blew off the table.

Can I see those? Paul bumped Julian in the back with the point of his tent.

Alex was astounded. He’d never seen Paul be bold like this… man, he is huge. I can see part of the tip!

Sure. These are for the scrapbook. He passed the tablet without turning to check. Julian had seen Alex’s eyes go wide… he deduced what must have bumped him. He decided to ignore it—he had his day planned. He hunched over the grid sheet.

Thanks. hmm. the kid can’t see from this angle… maybe the other side is better. Paul crossed behind and lifted his left foot onto the bench a few inches from Julian’s leg. He swayed back and forth subtly so that his mid section would be very close to Julian’s head. His balls lined up with Julian’s shoulder. when the kid turns his head, he’ll see that he’s being invited. mmm. this feels pretty good… He turned a page as if he was looking at the drawings. Peering from behind, he kept an eye on the object of his little stratagem. It was essential to maintain an exact distance—when Julian turns to look, he’ll collide head on. mmm… rocking back and forth is nice!

Alex was locked in place. He watched the display as if it were a movie... if Paul twists to the left even a little, it might just pop out. A strange burning sensation began in his crotch… he was growing harder by the second—it verged on being painful. He needed to make an adjustment. He didn’t dare… it might be noticed. He had never seen anyone else’s erection in the flesh—now he could see nearly an inch… it’s trying to escape out the front. He was worried about Julian. the kid is embarrassed… doesn’t know what to do... I don’t either—how can I rescue him? oh-oh… the tip! it’s right at the edge when he rocks forward! is it going to pop out?

Julian glanced at Alex again; he’s watching something— In his peripheral vision a vague shape at his left moved forward and back. Julian had figured it out: the guy wanted him to look. he’s standing so close I can almost feel him. any other day, I might be interested—but I have things to do. hmm. He could see enough to know that if he turned his head he’d bump right into it.

wait a minute... He thought for a second… this is too strange. why would this guy be doing that, anyway? it has to be on purpose... It came to him suddenly: Doug! this is too much like yesterday to be a coincidence. this must be Paul! I didn’t recognize him. Nick pointed him out at the lake a few days ago… Paul and Doug were doing that underwater stopwatch contest. They’re always buddies at the lake. Doug must have told him about yesterday morning in the Tiger camp. well, now. I know just what to do about this… He couldn’t think of a way to signal Alex that he was about to solve the problem. Alex’s expression was funny… made it hard to keep a straight face. Julian wanted his contact to be solid and direct: timing was important… relying on his peripheral vision, he turned his head sharply.

What do you think—oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bump you so hard. He gave a wink to Alex. "Say, look at that! Julian reached up and pulled Paul’s cock the rest of the way out, giving it a slight stroke downward, completely exposing the head along with the entire shaft. He held it tight between his thumb and forefinger. Wow. Very nice." He gave it a slight pinch. must be almost eight inches.

Alex’s jaw dropped wide open.

Paul was frozen. This was not what he expected. The kid did have a good touch. I’ll bet Alex is about to fill his pants.

You need to do something about this pretty soon, I think… better tuck him back in. Julian pulled the shorts forward to pull it back inside completely; gently, he gave the foreskin a downward pull to expose the tip—forcing it to a vertical position. At least it’s not dripping yet… you still have plenty of time. He lifted Paul’s balls as if he were weighing them. Aha! I thought so. He turned to Alex, confidentially. These prob’ly need draining again. Alex’s expression was fun.

Paul held his arms up in surprise, like featherless wings. Julian’s tablet gripped tightly in his right hand, its pages ruffling in the incessant breeze sounded like a snare drum announcing something important was about to happen.

I bet Alex could help you with this. He pushed in on the tip and forced it to pulse. I think he wants more space. Pushing the shaft against the tummy, Julian held it in an upright position while pulling the underpants down slightly. The tip was now visible above the waistband. He stroked upward and pressed gently on the back of the head.. He patted it with a slight rub.

There. That’s better, isn’t it? Julian examined it closely. Still no drip. He nodded at Paul. That’s the trouble with undies. He stood and winked at Alex. They’re always in the way. He retrieved his notebook and stepped back. Thank you, guys. See you around. He tucked the inspection sheet into his tablet and walked toward the Flaming Arrow. A few feet away he turned back. Have fun."

Alex and Paul looked after Julian in amazement. They looked at each other, and blushed. It took a moment to register what had happened.

Paul saw Alex’s blush as a positive. He dropped his foot and walked around the end of the table and stood right beside him. I’m through teasing this hottie. Well, Dudley Do-Right, you heard the man. So, whattaya say? Start with the fun already. man, that kid’s fingers really got me in the mood… He could feel that drip moving up the channel.

***

3    Sarge and Julian

Sarge stood in the shadow by the entry and watched Julian at work. He didn’t have long to indulge himself—the lunch crew was due in before very long. In all his years here, no scout had gotten under his guard and pierced his grungy armor. This boy had. The surprise visit with John yesterday before lunch still haunted him. The boy saw right through his gruff façade. This was the grandson he had always wanted. According to John, he was very talented. Sarge was glad of that, but what mattered to him was the boy’s amazing charm and engaging smile. The boy seemed to like him instantly. The old goat games he always played with the scouts were pointless with this one. They bounced right off.

John brought him down yesterday to find some large sheets of paper. He ended up spending half his pre route time giving the boy a tour, a lecture about the camp and its history, his job, and a helping of art supplies left over from a program held a long time back—must be seven, eight years, anyway. He barely had time left to get ready for the afternoon’s work. He spent the rest of the day remembering all the great times he’d had here. This boy had made him realize what a privilege it was to have this job. He felt bad for letting that fact get lost along the way. I’ll find a way to make up for that.

this is the only boy who has ever wanted to feel my grubby whiskers. That’s what did it—the boy was genuinely fascinated by them. it was as if my old chin was a marvel of the world, or something. That smile and look of wonder melted him at once. When he was grabbed by the hand and pulled over to tell about all the racks of things in storage, it was as if he was an old family friend. Sarge had never felt so light and happy about life in general, he didn’t think. This kid had swept away the crusty stains from his ornery old brain; his outlook was fresh. He wanted to whistle something… he had no tune handy… he hadn’t whistled in years.

I have to go over and see what this lad is up to. I wasn’t going to do that, but now I just have to. then I can get back to work.

Good morning, Boy…

Oh, hi! Julian smiled brightly at the sight of Sarge. Thanks to you, I can make a lot nicer job of this! He leaned back so Sarge could see his drawing of the medic treating the cut on Geoff’s foot. maybe he’ll have a