Eclipse Of The Moon ~ Book 1 of Aaron
Chapter 11
Surprise...

Monday 26 August 2002

"Aaron! Where are you going?" my mother asks as I put on my zipped sweatshirt in the hall. It's finally Monday morning, last first day of high school ever. Where does she think I am going?

"To school, Mom!" I reply with a bit of sarcasm in my tone.

"But it's barely 7:15am and it doesn't start until 8 today! Are you that eager to go back to school?" she asks with a chuckle. No, Mom. Not at all. I'm just eager to see my friends! And today should be cool enough to bear with it since we have a light schedule.

"Well... Yes, a bit... This is going to be an important year and I can't wait to discover my new schedule... and see all my classmates again..." I lie.

Sadly, I know I won't share many classes with my best friends because we are taking different paths and they have chosen a majority of AP courses to earn credits for college. My parents being my parents, they have always encouraged me – or forced me, I should say – to take AP classes too, but slacking doesn't work when you want to pursue with these. I still have a couple of them but not necessarily the same as my friends unfortunately.

Joshua will focus on Mathematics, Business and Social ones and I know Cam has gotten himself into more Mathematics and Science courses, but I still might have a few more classes in common with Mark, though. As far as my other classmates are concerned, I don't really care about them. The only good thing about my parents imposing on me to take as many classes as I could in the previous years is that I don't miss many credits and this year should be easy enough.

"You are right, darling, this is a very important year and I am glad you have understood this. You will have to work hard. But it seems like this retreat did you a lot of good in the end and you sound wiser," she says with a warm smile.

"Yes, Mom... It did!" I reply cheerfully, eager to put an end to this conversation.

"Your father and I count on you to do a successful year, you know? It will be time for you to make crucial decisions for a future career, Aaron..."

Oh, please... Let's not go down that road so early in the morning, and so soon into the schoolyear! I still have no fucking clue about what I want to do in the future, and whatever I may have in mind would certainly not suit my parents.

"I know, Mom... Gotta go now! See you tonight!" I say hurriedly before she can go  on and on, already heading out.

"Be back before 6!!" I hear her say before I shut the door and run toward my high school. Yeah, I wasn't expecting this time-rule to change, unfortunately, but at least, I should be able to spend a few hours with the guys this afternoon. 

Damn!!! I can't wait to see them now! It feels like an eternity since I last saw my best friends and even if the last three weeks went better than I thought, allowing me not to think too much of them, I realize that I have missed them greatly. I just hope they won't have forgotten about the deal we made to meet early at school this morning in case they didn't hear back from me over the weekend. I wasn't sure I'd be allowed to hang out after my return from the camp and I was right, so this is the plan I suggested. As I approach the school building, I notice three tall teenagers waiting nearby and my heart starts beating faster.

It's them! Joshua, Camden and Mark! The three best persons who make my pitiful life brighter. So fucking good to see them!!! And boy do they look gorgeous with their bright smiles and tanned skin!

The reunion occurs in loud cheers and laughter, and I can't resist hugging each of them very tightly and with all my strength. This is just my way to convey all the powerful emotions that seize me upon seeing them, to communicate how I have missed them and how much I love these guys. This is something I can't really express through words, and hugs are much stronger anyway. The upcoming schoolyear is going to be a pain in my ass in a way, with all sorts of pressure from my parents and the church, but just having them beside me – even if that's only a few minutes or hours each day – will help me go through the rest.

"You're such a bear, Ron!!" Cam grumbles when I eventually let go of him. He is the one who has the most difficulty to deal with my liveliness and affection, but he has gotten used to it over the years. 

"That's nothing new!!" Mark laughs out. "So you were confined last weekend?" he then asks with concern.

"We feared you were grounded because something went wrong at the camp..." Camden adds.

"And we didn't dare to call your house..." Joshua concludes.

"No, no, don't worry. I was sort of confined yeah, but not grounded. Trust me I would have preferred being with you yesterday afternoon rather than spending it with the Millers..." I reply dejectedly. "But the camp went better than I thought, so no grounding!" I add more cheerfully, wrinkling my nose.

"Uh oh... Is it what I think it is... the thing we discussed the day before you left?" Cam asks with an impish smile, and I know he is referring to the conversation we had on our way back home from the shack.

"Could be..." I reply mischievously and wiggling my eyebrows.

"Can you guys share?" Mark grumbles.

"Ugh, I told you already when we met on the Monday, Mark!!" Camden growls. "Aaron was feeling low on the Sunday before he left, and I suggested there might be other dissidents and gays among the other teens!!"

"Oh, that's it..." Joshua whistles before realization hits him. "Oh my God!!! You met someone there!! You found a boyfriend! And you fucked him!!! Oh my God!!! Did you do it in a religious place? Did you do it in the dorms? In the shower? In..."

"Shut the fuck up, Josh!!" I whisper-yell as I see other students arriving already, closing on him and flattening my hand over his mouth.

And right then, as my eyes stray to the side and in the distance behind Josh, I almost have a heart attack.

Impossible.

That guy getting nearer... What the hell is he doing here? That's just not possible! He wasn't in my van, meaning he was from another region! I must be mistaken... And yet... He is staring at me in the same way I am at him. He has recognized me. This means I am right. But what is that jock doing here? In my town? In my school? Ugh!!! I hate the smirk on his face and I have a feeling this is the beginning of troubles.

"Ron? Is there a problem?" Mark asks warily.

"No... Yeah... Maybe..." I breathe out.

"Aaron Cox... Nice seeing you here. That's... unexpected," Isaac says in a smug tone when he reaches us, full of confidence. How the fuck does he remember my name when I never even paid attention to his?

"Isaac," I simply reply.

"Isaac Jones," he clarifies. "I knew you were from New Jersey, but I wouldn't have expected to meet you here..."

"I've been living in this town ever since I was born, so I should be the one surprised to see you here..." I reply dryly. I don't really get where this hate I have for him comes from. Sure, I felt him observe me many times at the camp, but it's not like he ever did anything wrong to me. Am I becoming paranoid?

"I lived in Philly until a couple of years ago when my father transferred to North Carolina. My old man was relocated back from Raleigh to Philadelphia this summer though, but my mother wanted to settle in a quieter town, so we moved into our new house over the weekend. Here, in Collingswood," he explains in the same tone. "Seems like there are some cute chicks here..." he then adds meaningfully, nodding at a group of girls further away.

"Enjoy..." I just comment, and he snorts back at me.

"Well... I'll leave you with your... boy friends..." he replies with a smirk, insisting on the word boy – fuck! So, he really had guessed... – and peeking haughtily at Joshua and Mark first. However, when he glances at Camden, his eyes squint differently, and he quickly returns his attention to me. "I guess I'll see you later... and at church too probably..." he finishes with a chuckle before he walks away.

"Who the fuck is that joke of a guy, Aaron?" Camden seethes.

"A fucker who was at the camp..." I reply absent-mindedly, still staring at Isaac who is headed toward the group of girls now. Already on the hunt, it seems.

"I don't like him," Joshua states.

I see Isaac seductively wrap an arm around a girl's shoulders before he tilts his head back in my direction, a smug expression on his face. I eventually break eye contact with him and get back to my friends.

"Me neither."

This is all I can tell for now as the gates open, meaning it's time for us to get in. The guys try to make me spill the beans, both about Isaac and then Andrew – though they don't know his name yet – as we walk across the hall, but I won't be able to explain much in so little time and I need to stop by Orientation to get my schedule since I wasn't in town last week and couldn't attend Open House. I promise to tell them more over lunch and hurry to the office where I, unsurprisingly, come across Isaac again.

I shouldn't care about him being here and continue to ignore that obviously homophobic jerk like I did at the camp, but I hate this vile expression on his face, like he knows something and wants to use it against me. I loathe myself even more for being so paranoid because this is probably just the way he looks at people in general, but I just can't help it. Once I have been given my schedule and assigned a locker number, I hurry to the general assembly.

I arrive at the auditorium just on time, as Mr. Brooks, our Principal, settles behind the mike and begins his welcome speech for the new schoolyear. The place is fully crammed with all the Seniors, but I still spot my friends and join them on the row where they have kept a seat for me. I patiently listen to the usual diatribe regarding the beginning of the new year, general rules and guidelines. The worst is that we will hear the same again in Homeroom, though on a more individual level. After half an hour listening to Mr. Brooks, he invites us to stand up and to join him in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

Once we have all recited the oath, facing the flag behind the Principal and with our right hand over our heart, Mr. Brooks wishes us a good start to the year, and we are dismissed. As all the students head toward their next class, I part ways with the guys and go the gym since Coach Evans is my Homeroom teacher this year.

I could have loved this little detail since PE is my favorite subject, but Coach Evans is the one teacher I loathe.

I hate the way he treats his students, making fun somehow of those who are not athletic – though always in a discreet way – embarrassing them and always pushing everyone beyond their limits when he doesn't even train with us. I heard him a few times crack a few bad jokes about gays too, so it doesn't help. Besides, he just has an ugly and nasty face, it's just physical and he is mean. But I will have to do with it since I don't have much of a choice.

Luck isn't on my side, though, because there Isaac is again, at the top of the bleachers and sitting next to a few cheerleaders of the football team. I see that someone is wasting no time making new friends. Fine with me! We obviously don't bat for the same team and hopefully, the hot girls of our school will keep him busy.

Since I don't want to stay anywhere close to him, I move to the front and sit next to a guy I have shared classes with in the past years but whose name I don't remember. I think he's quite the solitary type, but then again, how would I know since the only people I truly know and focus on are my friends. However, I do remember he's the cutie we freed from a bully a few months ago. Damn... What was his name...?

After a quick hello, I pull out a notebook and a pen, then have a better look at my schedule for the first semester. Apart from AP English Lit and Computer Science, the rest should be fairly easy to keep at an average level without too much effort on my side. I do intend to graduate by the end of the year, but I am not aiming at a super high GPA since I don't want to go to college. Just thinking that I might have to do so all the same is a pain in my ass. If only I knew what I want to do with my life, it would be easier, but I don't.

The main problem is that my parents have higher expectations and will pressure me for a career I don't want to follow. I have no idea how I am going to deal with this later this year when we will have to make choices and apply for college, but I still have a few months before that. Meanwhile, I will just do the minimum to stay out of trouble and be the average Aaron.

Coach Evans calls the thirty students to order and silence as he stands in front of us, inelegantly scratching his groin through his sweatpants, which makes a few girls behind me giggle. He first introduces himself for those who may not know him yet, and then he sets the atmosphere with a long and stern speech about this being our last year of high school and an important one. He establishes a set of rules for his own course – which we don't really give a fuck about since most of us have already gotten enough credits in physical education and are here just to fill up our schedule with an easy course.

Once he has provided us with a general outline, he reminds us of general guidelines that Mr. Brooks already mentioned earlier, provides us with more forms to fill in for PE, Arts, library programs, then lunch lists too. Finally, it's time to move on to the next period and I stand up at the same moment as my neighbor, and we head back to the main building to resume our normal schedule. I just can't wait for noon to meet the guys!

"I couldn't help but see your schedule earlier..." the boy states beside me. I hadn't really paid attention he was still around since I was striding quite fast, but now I notice that he is trying to keep up the pace with me and my long legs.

"And?" I ask rather sternly since he remains quiet. I peek down at him, but he is just staring ahead, a shy smile spread on his face.

"We have a lot of classes in common..." he eventually replies, shrugging his shoulders.

I still don't understand why he says this, but I am getting curious. To be honest, the guy is cuter than I thought now that I look closer. His baby blue eyes, his thin features and his small and slender frame remind me of Andrew somehow, except that he is as blonde as Andrew was dark haired.

"What's your name again?" I ask with nonchalance.

"Danny. My name is Danny Cooper."

"Okay. I'm Aaron Cox," I reply quickly.

"Oh, I knew that..." he says, rolling his eyes as we almost reach our History class.

At this moment, someone pushes past between us, shouldering Danny to the side and almost making him stumble over, but I catch his arm and keep him steady before I reach for that dumbass of Isaac and pull him by the collar of his tee-shirt.

"Can't you look where you're going?" I ask him harshly, pushing him to the side and against the wall in the corridor. I am a couple of inches taller than him, but he is a bit bulkier than I am and tries to push me back. I still manage to pin him back against the wall, but that's until a shrieking voice echoes next to us.

"Mr. Cox! Are you seeking detention on the first day?" Mrs. Griffin asks dryly. Shit! I don't need to get in trouble already! And especially not with that bitch! Isaac is smirking at me, but I have no other choice than to let go of him and turn to face our History teacher.

"No, I'm not, Mrs. Griffin," I reply, dodging her and walking into the classroom.

Knowing that Isaac will certainly go to the back, I choose a table at the front and take a seat, fuming inside. I knew this year would be proving my nerves as it was, but it might be even worse with that moron in my tracks. I will have to grab a better hold on myself if I don't want to spend my time in detention or in the Principal's office, because that would engender even more issues at home.

"Sorry... I didn't want to get you in trouble..." a small voice whispers, pulling me out of my thoughts. Danny is standing beside me, wearing a remorseful expression.

"Not your fault," I simply reply.

"May I sit next to you?" he then asks shyly, blushing a bit. The cute kind of blush though, one that makes me smile.

"Sure!"

"Good morning, Class! Please take a seat and be quiet!" Mrs. Griffin calls out.

She is one of these teachers you don't want to mess up with, so everyone complies. I already had her last year and I learned the hard way that detention is her favorite pastime. She just gives it for pretty much nothing and everything, so students usually avoid defying her and abide by her rules instead. I swear you don't want to drop your ruler or pen on the floor more than once, or chitchat with your neighbor, or forget to do your homework.

When the bell rings forty-five minutes later, after she has presented her own outline for the semester and started her first lesson, I almost sigh with relief and escape the classroom first. Spanish in fifth period is quite similar and Danny also sits with me, but we don't really talk. And then, it's time to meet the guys!!

Camden is already at the lockers and Joshua and Mark soon join us. As we head toward the cafeteria, we compare our schedules and I'm glad to see I have Calculus in common with Mark in 6th period, PE with Camden in 7th, and even AP Computer Science with Joshua in 2nd period. Not that bad in the end! I just hope that jock of Isaac won't be in too many of these courses. Soon enough though, being around my friends, I just forget about him and we find ourselves with our trays of food at a small table.

"Aaron...?" a small voice echoes just as I start digging into my plate. A small voice that I have a feeling I will soon get to know quite well. "You forgot your pen in Spanish..." Danny whispers shyly.

The cutie drops it on my tray and before I have even had time to thank him, he has run away to the far back of the room, sitting alone. A low whistle brings my attention back to my table and three pairs of eyes are staring at me suspiciously.

"What was that?" Joshua smirks.

"A classmate who brought me a pen I forgot, obviously..." I reply with a snort.

"Josh's talking about all the blushing on Danny..." Camden huffs back at me.

"Is Little Danny crushing on you?" Mark adds in a smug tone.

"The heck!! Just shut up, guys!"

"Yeah right! Let's not dwell on that..." Joshua trails off, squinting at me. "You've got tell us about those three weeks at the camp first. That's more interesting..."

This is how for the next half-hour, I barely have time to eat my lunch as I tell them most about what happened in Virginia and although I don't leave out many details, they keep asking more and more questions, requesting for the tiniest details about Andrew and what we did exactly, how far we went, and how things went before our return to our respective homes. My friends grimace a lot when I explain the daily routine and strictness of the rules at the camp, but they also realize Andrew was a huge support for me in dealing with all the rest.

The further I progress in the evolution of our relationship, the way it developed, the more they are excited to reach what we did on the last day. Come to think about it, Andrew and I were really lucky to have never gotten caught at all each time we kissed, cuddled or did more! The guys are really impressed by the way we planned our free afternoon during the treasure hunt. They also have a good laugh when I tell them about the gory details of having sex in the woods without much to prep, but unfortunately, by the time I finish telling them about this, it is time for us to head back to class and we agree to continue talking after school.

The last two periods go well as I spend the first one with Mark in Calculus and then with Camden in PE, and by 3pm, we are comfortably settled at the shack. It feels so good to be back there! This place has always held comforting and reassuring vibes, it just feels like home to me, especially with Camden, Mark and Joshua surrounding me.

"Unprotected sex with someone you know so little was not very responsible though, Aaron," Mark says at some point in a slightly lecturing tone which makes me roll my eyes.

"What can I say? I like to live dangerously!"  I reply.

"Bullshit, Ron! Just say you had no other choice, but don't use stupid excuses like that!" Mark comments angrily.

"Yeah, right! Well, that's the case anyway, I just had no other choice! You don't find condoms blooming on trees, you know..." I snort back at him.

"True, but there's still abstinence otherwise..." Joshua interferes.

"Abstinence? Are you kidding me, Josh? Or are you jealous I got to fuck?" I reply, which makes him burst out laughing.

"Jealous? No way!!! I fucked two different guys throughout the couple of weeks I was away..."

"Now I need details..." I reply greedily, happy to change the subject.

"One was another guest in the hotel where we stayed in Miami. A tall guy, absolutely hot, but there was a bit of argument because he didn't like to bottom... I still got to fuck him one evening," he explains proudly. "And damn! It was good to tap that sexy ass! And then on the cruise... there was this cute blonde twink in the staff. The first morning, I was sleeping in and he came in without knocking..." he continues at a slower pace. I don't know why Cam and Mark are laughing, but I can't wait to hear the rest of the story. "It was too warm in my cabin, so I was sleeping naked and on my back..."

"Keep going, it's getting interesting..." I insist greedily.

"When the guy opened the door, it woke me up... Poor boy was all flustered by my morning wood! Instead of fleeing like any normal person would have done, he just walked in, shut the door and kept on apologizing... on and on and on..." Joshua continues, chuckling. "After at least five minutes of his rambling, I told him to shut the fuck up and use his mouth on my cock if he really wanted to be forgiven!"

"Nooooo!! You didn't say that!!!" I exclaim, imagining the poor guy's reaction.

"I did!! But it was mostly for fun!! I was totally joking about it, but the boy lunged for the bed and swallowed me whole!!!"

"You gotta be kidding, Josh..." I reply, before I turn to Mark and Cam. "Don't tell me you believed him!"

"He showed us evidence! He took a picture with his camera and the guy was clearly sucking his dick!" Mark chuckles.

"I couldn't believe he did it, myself!!" Joshua explains. "I tried to push him away at first. I explained it was a joke, but he said he didn't mind so I let him finish... I couldn't refuse a blowjob... Now believe it or not, but he did it again the following morning, and the next, and after three times, I told him we could maybe take the next step..."

"Holy shit..."

"Yeah, holy shit as you say!" Josh continues. "I got to fuck him three times after that and man!! He was good! Can't believe such a small guy could be so awesome and bold! Clearly not a newbie!"

"How old was he?" I ask.

"19! He got that job in the crew at the last minute and was hoping to get laid by hot and rich males... His words, not mine!"

"Well, he got one at least!" Cam intervenes.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he got more, but I don't care, it was just for sex and I used condoms..." 

"Oh shut up with that!" I grumble.

The guys and I spend the rest of the afternoon talking about the last three weeks. Joshua really enjoyed himself in the end because he didn't see his parents that much and was left free to do whatever he wanted to do most of the time. Mark and Cam don't have much to say since they stayed here the whole time. They still did naughty things at the shack a few times and when Sony was not around, but other than that, nothing really new. Well, almost.

"I was waiting for the four of us to have reunited, guys," Mark says at some point, blushing a bit. "Something actually happened."

"What...? You met someone?" I encourage him.

"You'd better not!" Cam blurts out. "I'd be upset if you did and didn't tell me before!"

"Nah, it's not that," Mark huffs backs at him before his eyes flick over us. "I came out to my parents," he eventually reveals after a long minute of silence.

"No shit way..." Josh breathes out.

"How did it go?" Cam asks expectantly.

"Very well!" our friend replies with a proud smile but with a lot of emotion. "It was on Sunday, a week ago. They were off and we spent the day at Atlantic City. We had a long stroll along the Boardwalk and there was this couple... two girls... they were walking ahead of us, hand in hand, and I saw my parents smile fondly for some reason..."

"So it encouraged you?" I prompt gently.

"Yeah..." Mark smiles. "In the evening, I told them I was attracted to males..."

"And?" I insist after another whole minute of silence, wondering about the emotion in his voice.

"My father said... I wish you hadn't told us, Son," Mark relates, and I swear Joshua's, Camden's and my jaws literally drop. "You should have seen my face," our friend chuckles before he carries on. "Pretty much like yours right now. But my mother added We don't care, Sweetie. Love is love, and the only thing that matters is that you are happy. When I asked why my dad said he wished I hadn't told them, mom said Mark, neither your father or I had to come out as heterosexual, homosexuals shouldn't have to come out either. Whoever you're attracted to doesn't matter, Sweetie. And my dad added I didn't mean any offense, Son. Whatever your choices are in the future, whoever you decide to spend your life with, you'll always have our support because you're our son and we'll love you no matter what. All I meant was... I just wish you didn't feel the need to tell us you're gay because to us, you'll always remain our sweet boy. We love you."

When Mark finishes his explanation, a long moment of silence weighs over the shack, a silence filled with heavy emotion. To be honest, it takes quite a while before my vision, blurred by tears, becomes clear again.

Why can't all parents be like Paul and Sophia Murray? Their logic is the purest and the most beautiful. All parents should hold the same conversations to their children and spread such messages of tolerance and acceptance. And yet, there are others like Joshua's or mine who are openly homophobic. I can't begin to imagine how my parents would react if I came out as gay to them, but it would certainly turn into a disaster. They are so deep into their archaic beliefs that they would be capable of the worst.

"Hey, Ron... I heard you almost fought with that jerk this morning by the way," Mark suddenly says after this emotional interlude. "Some girls were talking about it this afternoon in my last period..."

I hate the way rumors always spread so fast in this school!

"Yeah, I was walking next to Danny and that fucker shoved between us, almost making Danny fall over!" I explain. "Nearly got detention from Mrs. Griffin!"

"Be careful with that guy, Aaron," Joshua says pensively. "I don't know what's wrong with this Isaac, but I don't have too good of a feeling about him..."

"Me neither. Funny thing is we barely even talked at the camp! All I know is he kept lurking at Andrew and me all the time, as if he knew something was going on, and like... like he was waiting to catch us, but I don't think he ever did, so that's weird. And if he had, I'm sure he would have reported us to the Director..."

"Josh is right all the same, Ron... Be careful," Cam concurs.

The guys are probably right. I don't know what is wrong with Isaac, but I will have to watch my back and cover my tracks with whatever happens at school or even here. Not only could he get me in trouble at school, but knowing he is from a religious family too, I am sure to see him even over the weekends at church. All I need now would be for my parents to befriend his!

Eww... God, please no!!

Published on 26 June 2019

Oh, Isaac... What a surprise... A bad one if I may say.

Contrary to what some of you thought, you still have a few chapters to get ready before the dramatic birthday party, but there's more drama coming up in the next chapter. As you can expect, that Isaac guy might be here to make some fuss... Unless he's a closet gay like some readers suggested? I'll you find out on your own.

About the reaction of Mark's parents, although I share their vision a hundred percent and would totally react the same way should one of my sons come out as gay, I was inspired by a message (I think it was on Twitter) from a French man who – though all his kids were heterosexual – explained that should one of them had been homosexual, he wished his kids wouldn't have to feel the need to come out to him because he himself didn't have to come out as heterosexual to his own parents. The message was really emotional and I wish I had saved a link to share it here, but I didn't think about it at that time. That needed to be said although I used my words to formulate Mark's explanation ;)

Also, some of you asked whether we'd see Andrew again. I'm sorry, but the answer is no. Andrew, like Isaiah or Danny (and a few more guys in the future) are "temporary characters". They're here to build Aaron's experiences and background, but obviously, I couldn't keep all these characters.

Here's a quick update on the progress of Aaron's second book: After barely writing two chapters in five months, I'm back to really write at last. I've just reached the chapter that covers the creation / opening of the Black Diamond in June 2008, but after that, I will certainly jump to Book 3. In order to write the remaining chapters of Book 2, I will have to reread all first four books to decide which specific events I want to cover in Aaron's POV, so I'll do that later. And I'm quite eager to start Aaron's final act and how he settles down with... Ahah, I'm not giving names here.

Anyway, that's it for today! Thanks for all your patience with these slow updates, thank you even more for tagging along each week!

And I almost forgot! Thanks again for all the help you provided in the Call-To-Readers book, it was greatly helpful to write this chapter that includes information about the school system in the US!