Lorne & Logan, 2

Logan arrived home and let himself into the house, unlocking the door with the key worn on a strap around his neck. This was the only time of the day that he had the whole house to himself.

His mum didn't get home from work until after 5pm and she picked up his younger brothers, Jack and Brad, from the grandparents' on her way. Her parents lived across the road from the little boys' school so they went over there after 3pm everyday.

Logan could've gone there too, if he wanted to, but he didn't usually. Gran and Granddad's house was out of his way, he didn't need babysitting and he quite liked some time alone to do whatever he wanted. A boy needs privacy sometimes.

He wasn't getting it today though. He'd only been there a few minutes and was barely getting started on what he usually did as soon as he was home alone when the door-bell rang.

“Dammit! Nothing's going right today.”

He pulled up his pants, went to the front door, opened it and – 'Whoah!' Lorne Beynon was standing there grinning at him. This was all right – better than all right, but what was he doing here?

“Lorne?”

“Hello, Logan. Can we talk?”

“Talk? To each other? Yeah – great! But not here. Come on inside.”

He led the way into the living-room, waved at the couch and flopped into an armchair. “Have a seat. Don't mind the mess in here. Mum does try to keep it tidy but she's fighting a losing battle with three boys messing it up.”

“It's not that bad.” Lorne lowered his bag to the floor and sat down, looking around the cluttered room. “Just looks a bit lived-in, that's all. Who are the three boys?”

“It's lived in all right,” Logan nodded. “The boys are my brothers, Jack and Brad, and me. Mum's outnumbered three to one.”

“You've got brothers? I didn't know that. Are they at home now?”

“No. They won't be home for a couple of hours yet. Mum picks them up and brings them with her when she comes home from work. They're just little, they're in the Primary School, so they go to our grandparents' house after school. They live over the road from the school.”

“And you're home alone until they get here?”

“Yep. Best time of the day. It's the only time I get totally to myself.”

“You like that? I get far too much time alone. There's only Dad and I at home and he's a busy man.”

“Yeah? Busy doing what?”

“Working mostly. Working, gardening or fishing – that's his life.”

“Just you and him? Where's your mum?”

“Gone. She left when I was a baby.”

“Oh. That's too bad. But that's not what you want to talk about, is it?”

“It's not. I wanted to talk about us.”

“About us?”

“Yeah, you and me. We never got to talk at school, it's all far too busy there, but something happened between us today. I'm sure of it and I think, I hope, that you're feeling it too.”

“Right. I am.” Logan sat up straighter. “I felt something too. I've never really noticed you before, but I sure did today. I couldn't keep my eyes off you.”

“You couldn't,” Lorne grinned. “I saw that, all day long, because I was looking at you too. I've always been aware of you, you're a popular and up-front sort of kid. I've always wished that I could be your friend too, but you've never even seen me around.”

“True, but I'm seeing you now.” Logan went across and sat down on the couch, next to him. “And I do want to be your friend – very much so.”

“Good. Really good. Thanks,” Lorne replied quietly. He was still smiling but he looked a bit teary-eyed as well.

“I can't believe that we've spent all those years in the same classes and I didn't notice you. I'm not the only one either, lots of people were looking at you today. Lorne, what's happened to you? What's changed?”

“Lots of things have changed. I've been growing up a bit, puberty has happened, at last! Better late than never. I've been growing physically, eating like a hungry horse, and I've been getting lots of exercise, trying to get fit.

I've basically spent the summer outdoors, which has got me tanned and sun-bleached my hair. I've been swimming, climbing mountains and running down them and, well, working at it.”

“Your work has paid off,” Logan replied. “You look full of life, fit and healthy and, well, good. You're looking really good.”

“You think?” Lorne blushed, shyly. “I still don't look as good as you, I never will. But the biggest changes have been on the inside.”

“Inside?”

“Yes. We were talking, my dad and I, on New Year's Eve. We decided that we were going nowhere fast and it's time things changed for both of us. He's going to stop mucking around and get himself a proper job and I'm going to . . . to join the real world, where the real people are.”

“Like me?”

“Exactly like you. You were the first person I thought of.”

“That's very cool. I'm glad that you did. I'd love to be your friend, Lorne, best friends even.”

“Really? That's so great. Thanks. Umm, one thing you should know though – I'm gay.”

“You're what? Gay? How do you know that?”

“I've always known that. It's just who I am, I like boys not girls. Does that matter?”

“Oh yeah! That matters, that matters a lot!” Logan nodded and he moved closer to him.

“It does? I'm sorry, Logan. I can't help it, I just am and I like you. I'd better go. Sorry.”

He went to stand up but Logan stopped him by putting his hands on his shoulders and holding him down.

“You'd better not. Don't go, stay here with me.” He kissed him.

Lorne didn't respond. He sat rigid, like he'd been turned to stone and Logan's racing heart sank. Too far, too fast? He pulled back and looked into his blue eyes.

“Sorry,” he said. “I shouldn't have done that.”

Lorne shook his head. “Don't be,” he said. “Don't be sorry. I've always . . . I never thought . . . I never dreamed that – you just took me by surprise.”

“So it's all right then?”

“Oh yes, very all right!”

Lorne kissed him and Logan responded big-time! He was instantly hard, hot and horny. He so wanted this boy. They toppled sideways to lie along the couch, kissing, cuddling and whimpering.

Lorne lay on his back and Logan stretched out on top of him. Their arms were around each other and their legs entwined. Everything was great: they were both loving it, revelling in the closeness and loving each other. Then Logan blew it.

He was horny and he got carried away. He started humping against the gorgeous boy, grinding his hard dick against him through their clothes. Slowly at first, and then faster and harder as he lost himself in the sensations and he thought that Lorne was too. He wasn't.

“Logan, please – don't. Don't do this. Dammit, Logan. Stop it! Stop this now!!” Angrily, he fought him off and bucked him right off the couch.

Logan slid off and landed on the floor. He sat up and looked. Lorne was lying on his back with his arms flung above his head, all red in the face and breathing deeply.

“What's wrong? It's just what comes naturally. Am I going too fast? You liked it, didn't you? Sure you did.” He put a hand on his leg, slid it up and gently groped and stroked his groin.

Amazingly, Lorne wasn't even hard. Logan sure was, harder and hornier than he'd ever been.

“No, Logan, I did not like it. I didn't like it one bit. You think I just came here for sex? I'm not a slut, don't treat me like one.” He sat up, swinging his legs around and pushed the hand away.

“Oh, come on. It's just a bit of fun and it's what you came here for, isn't it?”

“I told you, I didn't come here for that. Fun? I don't think so.” He picked up his bag and walked to the door.

“”What're you doing?” Logan protested. “You're not leaving are you?”

“I think I'd better.” Lorne looked back, he was all-but crying. “If I stay here, we're going to have a massive fight and I don't want that. So I'd better go. Goodbye, Logan.”

He walked out, quietly closing the door behind him.

Logan sat for a few seconds, trying to get his head around what had gone wrong. The kid was gay, wasn't he? He jumped up to follow him, and ran out of the front door just in time to see Lorne striding along the street and disappearing around the corner.

“Lorne! Wait!” He took a few steps, and then stopped. He wasn't running after him and making a fool of himself in front of the whole town. 'To hell with that. To hell with him!'

He spun around and went back inside, angrily slamming the door behind him.

“You're nothing but a bloody tease, Beynon. You get me all worked up like that, and then walk out on me – Fuck you! I don't need this and I don't need you. There's plenty of others around who are not uptight prudes. Keep your precious virginity – Retard!”

It was just as well there was no-one else around, if there had been he probably would've lashed out at them and, yes, had a massive fight. He was so bloody wild. He'd never been angrier!

“Fuck 'im anyway. He might be getting taller, but he's still just a child. Grow up, Baby!”

It took a while, but he slowly calmed down. In his room, on the bed, with his burning face buried in the pillows, the anger faded and all that was left was the embarrassment – he'd made a right fool of himself. He'd got carried away and Lorne had done nothing wrong. He just didn't want to do it and Logan had no right to try and force him to.

“Oh, Gawd! I was so wrong. I'm sorry, Lorne, so, so sorry.”

He didn't know how he was going to fix this, but he knew that he had to. He couldn't go and find him because he had no idea where he lived. “Tomorrow!”

Tomorrow, at school, as soon as he saw him, he was going to apologise and beg, if he had to, for Lorne to forgive him and give him another chance. He had to. They were only just starting to get to know each other and he so wanted to know him.

He could see himself loving that boy. Maybe he already did? He went to the bathroom to wash his face and freshen-up. He didn't want to have to explain to his mum why he'd been crying. Not likely!

For once in his life, Logan went early to school next morning. That was a definite first! He didn't go inside, just hung around out at the front waiting for Lorne to arrive.

Kids started arriving, in dribs and drabs, all full of the usual lack of enthusiasm – and this was only the second day of the year! They had a long, long way to go until next summer. A few of them greeted him when they saw him standing there, but no-one stopped and he didn't go in with them.

Eventually, most everyone had arrived and there was still no sign of Lorne. Logan couldn't wait any longer or he was going to be late. He went into the school, he'd catch him later.

Walking in to the first class, he looked around the room hopefully, just in case Lorne had come in by some other way. He hadn't. Late, maybe? Could be.

The morning dragged on, class by class, and he had to accept that Lorne wasn't late; he was not coming. Absent on the second day? Not a good look. He tried to think about other things, but that wasn't easy to do.

Why wasn't Lorne at school? Was he sick or something? He looked fine yesterday – really fine and healthy too. Maybe he'd had an accident? Maybe his dad's old ute had broken down? Who knew? He wished that he did.

He surely wouldn't have just not come to school because he was pissed at Logan, would he? He was so sorry for what he'd done – 'Bloody Idiot!'

They were getting on so well until he blew it. He really had to apologise and get back on the right track, but couldn't do it if the Kid wasn't there. He carried on, going through the motions of his life. What other choice was there?

Next day, Wednesday, it was the same all over again. He was there early, he waited and Lorne didn't show up. Dammit. Now he was really starting to worry. Was he ever coming back at all?

At lunchtime, he went to the office to speak to Mrs. Bourke, the School Secretary. She'd know why Lorne was absent, his father should've rang to say why he wasn't there. She didn't and he hadn't.

“It's a mystery to me too, Logan. If you hear anything, please let me know.”

“Yeah, of course I will. I'll go and see him at home, where does he live?”

“Ah, no, sorry, I can't tell you that.”

“But why not? You must know his home address, it'll be in the school records.”

“Records are confidential, Logan. We can't give out students' personal details; it'd cost me my job if I did.”

“Oh. But what if it was an emergency?”

“Is it? Teenage dramas don't qualify as emergencies, you know.”

“How about his telephone number? Can you tell me that?”

She looked at her computer screen and shook her head. “I couldn't tell you, but I can tell you this, the school doesn't know. There is no phone number listed, apparently they haven't got one.”

“No phone at all? Not even a cell-phone? How can anyone live without a phone?”

“I wouldn't like to, but some do, it seems. Sorry I can't help. Do let us know if you hear anything..”

“Yeah. Thanks anyway, Mrs. Bourke.”

He left the office, feeling even more frustrated. She wouldn't tell him anything, but she wanted him to tell her. How was that fair?

Where was Lorne and what was he doing? No phone at all? That was weird. Ange might've been right, maybe the Beynons were aliens?

“Phaw! Shut up. Of course they're not. There are no aliens. But there's some strange people around, seems like.”

Thursday, he still wasn't there and Logan was getting worried. Something must've gone wrong. He went back to the office but Mrs. Bourke said that there still hadn't been any word from Lorne or his father. She was starting to get worried, maybe it was contagious. But, no, she still couldn't tell him Lorne's home address – she quite liked her job and wanted to keep it.

“You're a hard woman, Mrs. Bourke.”

“Only as hard as I have to be. I don't make the rules, sorry.”

“Yeah, I'm sorry too.” He turned to go, defeated again, but she stopped him.

“Logan, I find it strange that you don't know where your friend lives.”

“I guess it is strange, but he's a new friend. I haven't known him long and don't know much about him.”

“Obviously. You know, if I was you, I'd ask around the other kids. Someone must know where to find him.”

“Someone does. You know and you won't tell me.”

“I can't. Ask around, Logan, you never know. Who are his closest friends?”

“I don't think he's got any. I'll try anyway. Thanks for that.”

He asked around, mostly the girls because they they took more notice of people, and they were gossips, but no-one knew anything definite. Nobody knew where Lorne lived! 'Strange.'

He got some conflicting stories, Lorne had been seen going places after school, always on his own. However he'd been seen in Palmerston Street, Albion Street, Leopold Street, etc, etc. It seemed that he wandered around all over the place – like a spy would do?

'Shut up! He's not a spy, he's a kid.'

So, another day gone and he still hadn't fixed things and had no clue where he'd be. Dammit. He really hoped that it wasn't his fault that Lorne was AWOL. It wouldn't be, would it? He wasn't that upset. Or was he? Once again, he so wished that he hadn't done what he'd done – it was like sex abuse, wasn't it? Tacky!

Surprisingly, it was Ange, his ex, who came up with an answer for him. He was walking home, in a sour mood, as was becoming his normal state, when she caught up to him.

“Logan, wait up!”

“Oh? Hey, Ange. Something I can do for you?”

“No. Something I can do for you. I hear you've been asking where Lorne Beynon lives.”

“Right. I have been. He hasn't been back to school since the first day. We had . . a bit of an argument and I'm getting worried about him. Do you know where he lives?”

“I do. I found out from my aunty – Mr. Beynon did some work for her and she told me where they live.”

“So where?”

“You really want to know, don't you? Have a lover's tiff already? No, on second thoughts, I don't want to know. They live on Richardson Road, at no.23, but it's actually the first house you come to.”

“23 Richardson Road. Great, thanks! But – wait – where is Richardson Road? I've never heard of it.”

“It's a country road, it turns off the highway, on the way to Whataroa, about 20k's north of here. It's next to the Waitangi- whatever River.”

“The Waitangitanoa River, yeah, I know where that is. That's great, Ange. Thanks. Now I've just got to figure out how to get there. That's a long way out of town. Way too far to walk.”

“That's for sure. Why don't you just ring him?”

“They haven't got a phone, so I can't.”

“Of course they've got a phone. Everyone has at least one.”

“Not everyone. Mrs. Bourke said that they haven't.”

“Really? Wow. I told you they were weird. Maybe they are aliens?”

“Or, maybe they just don't have a phone. Thanks again, Ange. I think I've got a plan.”

“Okay. Good luck, Lover Boy, and I'll see you tomorrow.”

“You will, and shut up!”