1. Once a Nerd Ch. 12


    Date: 12/2/2023, Categories: Gay Male, Author: byhardwoodstudios 

    ... Why?"

"You—"

Oh.Oh.

I melt back into the bed. It's after eight, and we always talk on the phone after eight. For the first time, instead of waiting on my call, Sammy calledme. If I say something to the effect of 'you never call me first!', it'll embarrass him. He might go out of his way to never call again. It's yet another milestone, and a tingling warmth travels my vascular system, bubbles popping in my stomach.

"Nah, nothing." I sigh, trying to keep the big grin out of my voice. "I'm just...happy you called."

He huffs, embarrassed anyway."I finished grading early, so I—" He hesitates.

"I figured I'd call. When'd you finish?"

"Like, thirty minutes ago. Practice ran late tonight."

"You're not behind on anything for class, right?"

I don't stifle the tease in my voice. "Why? You wanna supervise my detention?"

John, who'd finished his assignment and is in the process of readying a shower bag, shoots a scandalized look over his shoulder. He's got no sense of humor, I swear. Sam doesn't either, apparently, because an agonized groan rattles through the receiver.

"Go ahead and crack jokes, but if you start doing poorly in class, Iforbidyou from coming over on the weekends. You need to maintain your GPA, and you've already got a lot on your plate with practice and games."

"Bullshit!" I snap, throwing myself upright like Sam might see the extremism of the reaction. "I can catch up on my shit at your place!"

"You're too distracted." He fires ...
    ... back."I know this past weekend was spur of the moment, so I can't hold that against you, but I'm sure it's contributed to your being behind, if you are."

"I'm...not."

There are two assignments due tomorrow night that I haven't so much as thought about, let alone touched. The plan was to slop them together between my morning classes and afternoon practice. I'm almost tempted to tell him as much, because—

His strict, critical tone isturning me the fuck on. It's taking me way, way back to the beginning of my senior year, when 'Mr. Powell' introduced himself as my Lit teacher for that semester. I couldn't believe my luck when I got himagain for the spring semester. He used to lecture me just like this, before—well, y'know. Before I made it my mission in life to fuck his brains out. However, the threat of being banned from his apartment on Sundays is too serious to risk it.

"You're sure?"

"Yes,Samuel, I'm sure."

"Wha—" He stutters at the unfamiliar use of his full name."Don't...call me that, ever. I have fucking goosebumps, ugh."

Sensing an opportunity, I ask: "no one's ever called you that?"

"I mean, my dad, but only when he was upset."

"Not your mom?"

He snorts."No, she calls me 'Sammy' too, especially when she's upset. She never yells, just sort of—sighs."

So, she's not a temperamental woman. That doesn't mean she's kind or understanding. Plenty of older, elitist women have that waspish air, where they might click their tongue or sigh out their ...
«1...345...25»