This chapter is dedicated to Alexia-G who just recently joined up on our journey. Thanks for your votes and support XD.

The Opposite Sex  

"I swear she winked at me." My best friend Patrick cups his hands behind his head and gives me a meaningful look. "She wants me, dude, that's a given."

Jealously flushed over me, I couldn't believe his luck. Rachel Ginsbrook was a whole year ahead of us with a reputation that she kissed any boy she fancied. From Patrick's smug expression, I am sure he will have scored by the end of the week. I, on the other hand, have never been kissed. No girl has ever glanced at me though I have been trying desperately since nature gave me a clear sign three months ago by turning me into a man.

First I thought something was seriously wrong with me when I woke up and soiled my underwear. When I confessed it to my mom, she told me that it was normal, all boys my age had wet dreams. I was sent on to my dad and at first I feared he would be mad but he confirmed that I couldn't help it.

He explained how the testosterone is changing my body and warned me that I will start to show an interest in girls. Since I was a Parks, he claimed this shouldn't be an issue since all of us men were magnets to attract the opposite sex. Since then, I have been eagerly waiting for girls to notice me and I am slowly getting really disappointed that he was wrong in this respect.

"Are you going to ask her out?" I ask Patrick.

He smacks his lips. "Sure thing. I'm going to take her to the movies on Saturday afternoon and then to TCBY. All girls love frozen yoghurt."

There is no doubt in my mind that Rachel will accept. Patrick is one of the most popular boys in our year and has that Zac Efron look to him that every girl adores. For a moment, my anger flares and I would like nothing more than to punch him but discard the idea. Rachel might not be interested if he had a black eye but it would also mean the end of our friendship.

"The other day," he continues with glowing eyes, "I actually saw her boobs. She wore this deep cut t-shirt and bent forward. I'm telling you, she is fine."

"How did they look?" I ask, at the edge of my seat. I never managed to glimpse at any woman's properties and am eager to find out.

"Well, technically, I only saw her bra," Patrick admits. "But you could tell that they were huge. Ronny told me that she allowed him to touch them on their date. It would be great to finally get a taste of the real thing."

Patrick has been buying those men magazines for the longest and is a frequent visitor to porn internet sites and has loads of experience when it comes to boob sizes and shapes. I picked one up this morning on my way to school from a street vendor since they usually don't care about your age. It's an older Playboy edition and I can't wait to get home to take a better look.

Patrick carries on about which movie they are going to watch and I feel myself losing interest in his willingness to share his plans. My eyes come to rest on Melanie Montray and her friends – she is the one I have a secret crush on. Rachel is a brunette with brown eyes and I always preferred blonds with crystal blue eyes like my mom.  

I am mesmerized when she tilts her head back in a loud laugh. Our eyes meet for just a second and she looks absolutely stunning with those long eyelashes and the cute dimples in her cheeks. I have the impression that her gaze lingers on my face longer than usual and can't help but blush before breaking eye contact. It would be amazing if she ever agreed to go out with me but doubt that will ever happen. I, for my part, would never have the guts to ask her and risk being rejected.

The bell rings and I leave the cafeteria for my Spanish class. Patrick is in a flirting conversation with Rachel and his fists briefly balls when her face lights up and she nods enthusiastically. Lucky bastard got himself another date. I admire that he so easily talks to girls but it's probably because he has three sisters and has always been chummy with the opposite sex since kindergarten.

I catch the school bus because my mom has a meeting with the church group today and my father texted that he has to work overtime. I peek into my backpack to make sure the magazine is safely tucked away. The house will be empty which suits me just fine – it would be embarrassing if my parents found out I am reading this type of stuff.

I pour me a glass of Coke and disappear upstairs into my room. The magazine is tossed on the bed before I turn on some music and secure the door with a chair to have absolute privacy. I flip through the pages as I stretch out, singing to Jason Derulo 'In My Head'. My eyes go wide when I start to focus on the photos.

My body reacts as I turn the pages and after the initial shock of actually seeing a naked woman for the first time, I relax. I would have preferred to get my experience of those mature internet sites like my friends but my father monitors all my searches and would probably not approve. Patrick and I are planning on getting together soon at his house to check it out but I didn't want to wait that long and thought the Playboy would be good start. So far, I am not disappointed.

I jump off the bed to pull down my pants, critically observing myself in the mirror. I wonder how I would measure up compared to Patrick and my other friends. Curious about my body, I touch my most private part and flush in embarrassment. It feels weird but good at the same time. I get back on my bed since I really don't need to watch myself jacking off in the mirror. My fingers stay in the forbidden zone while I slowly devour one photo after the next.

I close my eyes and imagine how Melanie would look like without her clothes and my discovery of myself becomes more intense. A moan escapes my throat as I get more into it, fining a steady rhythm. I am so indulged in my own little world that the sharp knock on the door makes me jump.

"Brent, what are you doing in there?" I hear my father's irritated voice. "Why is the door locked?"

I stuff the magazine under the covers and fish my pants off the floor. One leg is already covered when my father becomes impatient.

"Brent, open this door this instance. I swear, if you have a girl in there...."

I finally mange to get completely dressed and tear the chair away from under the doorknob. The next second, I am almost hit when the door flies open. My father's forehead is wrinkled to countless frowns as he pushes past me, inspecting first the closet and then the space under the bed.

When he pulls back the covers, his eyes fall on the magazine.

"Where did you get this filth?" he asks, the chill in his voice turning my insides to ice.

"I-I bought it," I stumble, terrified to move.

His eyes are burning with rage when he turns to me. "Come with me."

I follow him down the steps, my heart beating in my throat. I haven't had a beating in a good few months and this would be bad but I'm not sure why he didn't just get the belt and punish me right in my room.

He steps into the kitchen where my mom's head is stuck in the fridge and without a word, he grabs her by the hair and pulls her towards him, the back of his hand landing hard on the side of her cheek. She screeches as she tries to get away but his hands is clutching her long blond curls, holding up the magazine.

"Your son brought this filth into my house. Guess where he got the money from?"

A sob runs through my mom's body. "I don't know, Ryan. He probably paid for it with his allowance."

He pushes her on the floor. "That's right. I told you a thousand times that we are giving him too much money, but no, you insisted." His eyes burn with disgust. "Times have changed, Ryan," he mimics her in a high pitched voice. "That's what all the boys are getting these days."

"Dad, this is not her fault," I whine, feeling guilt struck for getting her involved.

"Shut up, boy," he roars. "I get to you when I'm done with this slut."

He turns his attention back to my mom, cowering on the floor and spits on her. "Do you know why he is even doing this?"

She whimpers, shaking her head.

"It's because of you and the role model you are. No wonder the boy has sex on his mind when he sees his mother dressed like a little whore with those short tight skirts and deep cut shirts that practically scream 'fuck me'. You are a worthless bitch and terrible mother, an embarrassment for me and Brent."

He unloops his belt and I edge away.

"Stay Brent." His voice sends shivers through my body. "It is time for you to learn what happens to a smart ass woman who disrespects you."

I stare at him in disbelief but am unable to move. Terror flares inside me when he makes my mom strip down to her underwear - this is just as bad as getting my own beating and this time, it is actually all my doing. My mom didn't even know that I was buying the magazine.

"How many lashes do you think your mom deserves?" he growls at me.

"I-I don't know," I stumble. I am sick to my stomach and my chest feels constricted – I am barely able to breath.

"Tell me Brent or I swear I'll beat her to death."

Tears pool my eyes. "Please dad," I hush. "Don't make me do this."

He is unyielding. "This is your last chance and after that, you better run and call an ambulance."

Sweat pours from every pore of my body. "Thirty," I blurt out, hoping this will get him off my back.

He makes my mother count out loud and with every smack of the belt, a sharp pain stabs right into my heart. I see her agonizing pain, the tears streaming down her face and a fear I never witnessed before. I can't recall how many times she suffered at the hands of my father.

When he is done with her, I'm next. This time it is my mom who has to set my punishment and when she refuses, he hits her heart into her mouth.

"I'll knock out your damn teeth if you don't answer me," he cusses.

Under tears, she mumbles to give me twenty but my dad just laughs at that. "He is a man now so he should be punished like one. How about we double that?"

I had never gotten that many lashes before and every time the belt eats into my skin, I swear to myself never to give him a reason to beat me again. My whole body is throbbing when he is done, my skin stinging and raw. I was brave and fought back my tears – I did not want to give him the satisfaction to cry like a little boy. I did something wrong and took my punishment as it was expected from me.

"Go back to your room, Brent," he orders, unzipping his pants. "I'll call you when dinner is ready."

I know that he will force himself on my mother and quietly walk out but pause in the doorway. She isn't even pleading with him to leave her alone, she knows that it won't matter.

When I hear his moans, I peek through a crack in the door, my curiosity getting the better of me. I just have to know, see once for myself, how it is when adults have sex. I stare at the scene in front of me, unable to take my eyes of my parents. She is on her knees and hands and my dad towers over her from behind. The whole affair takes less than five minutes, much shorter than I expected.

When my father stands up, panting, I decide I better disappear. I rush up the steps silently and hide under the cover, ashamed that my parents' display of intimacy actually excited me. It doesn't even occur to me once that it was a big deal that my mom wasn't a willing participant – for me, this was just the way all couples had sex. I wouldn't learn for years the error of my ways.

OK, I know this chapter was pretty heavy and I hope you were OK with it. Let me know what you think about Brent's first venture into the world of sexuality? Does it make more sense now why he is treating Rena the way he does (which by no means makes it OK)? 

Thanks for reading and please comment as much as you like, any feedback is very much appreciated. I would be thrilled to get your vote if you felt the chapter deserved it.