Category: LeviHolland (Page 3 of 10)

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 14

“I don’t know, Coop. It sounds crazy to me.”

Cooper leaned over and smacked a palm against the polished wood of the coffee table in their suite. Across from him, Anakin, Naveen, and Julian squeezed shoulder to shoulder on the couch. Their faces were a mixture of concern, apathy, and doubt.

“I know what I saw,” Cooper said. “Roy did something to them!”

Naveen yawned as he dug out the wax in his ear with his pinky. He flicked away the bits that came out. “I think you’re delusional. What did you even see that makes you so convinced, his dog? Roy’s job is to protect us. What reason would he possibly have to hurt Jordy or Xavier?”

“Because no one would ever suspect him!” Cooper shouted.

“Naveen has good point, Cooper,” Julian echoed in his thick accent. “And Roy searches every day.”

“Exactly! Why do you think no one’s found them yet? He’s probably throwing them off the scent! I’m telling you guys, it’s him! You should have seen the murderous look on his face. He was ready to sick his dog on me!”

“You do have that kind of face,” Naveen said and winced when Anakin and Julian punched him on either shoulder.

Cooper growled in frustration. Why couldn’t his friends see he was on to something? There was no denying the veiled threat Roy made to him when they crossed paths. The only reason he was alive was because Roy probably didn’t want to clean up the shredded bits of dog food that would have been left behind by his corpse.

“Coop, I think you should be careful,” Anakin said, running his fingers through his styled hair. “This sounds really dangerous.”

“We can’t be afraid of danger,” Cooper said, trying to sound braver than he felt. The words sounded better coming from Detective Dackery. Still, he believed in them. If Cooper couldn’t be brave enough to find Jordy and Xavier, who would be?

“Yeah, well, they’re fine,” Naveen said as he stood from the couch. “And this convo’s done. I’m going to bed.”

Cooper was about to shout something mean back, but even Anakin had a discouraging frown on his face. Did no one believe him?

“Besides,” Naveen said, smirking as he faced Cooper. “Don’t you two have…other things you’d rather be doing?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Anakin asked, although Cooper had a sneaking suspicion he knew what Naveen was hinting at already.

Naveen shrugged. “Who needs alarm clocks when we have the moaning brigade to wake us up?”

Anakin dipped his head in embarrassment, and Cooper’s temper flared. “Yeah, so what? It’s no big deal. We already know you do it, too.”

Julian gave Naveen a soft poke in the ribs. “Not only that, but he uses girl underwear too sometimes.”

“Dude!” Naveen shouted.

“What? Is true.”

“You wear what!?” Cooper shouted. He wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a girl’s undies, no matter what.

Naveen gave them all a warning finger. “Repeat any of this, and I’ll kick all of your asses. I mean it.”

“There’s nothing wrong with wearing panties,” Anakin said and shrugged. “I wear different clothes all the time.”

“Keep your voice down,” Naveen said, eyeing the open staircase that led down to the other suites. “And it’s not like that. I don’t wear them. They aren’t mine.”

Julian’s brow furrowed as he scratched his temple. “They’re not? But why do they have your initials?”

Cooper thought about Naveen’s first and last name, and the fact that he had a pair of panties. He snapped his fingers as the answer came to him.

“They’re not his! They’re Nadia’s, aren’t they?”

Naveen’s eyes widened, but he said nothing as his copper-skinned cheeks tinged a few shades darker.

“But why have her underwear?” Julian asked.

“Unless she gave them to him,” Anakin suggested.

“Like gift?”

All eyes were on Naveen, who was steadily backpedaling towards his dorm room before bumping into the closed door.

“I…uhh, I…” he trailed. Even from across the room, Naveen’s knees shook. He fumbled with the doorknob before rushing in and closing himself inside.

An awkward silence filled the room until Julian shook his head and sighed. “Come on. Let’s give talk.”

As he rose from the couch, Anakin said, “I still don’t see what the big deal is. Wear whatever clothes you wanna wear.”

“I think you’re missing the point,” Cooper said to his roommate as they followed Julian to his bedroom.

The Polish boy knocked on the door before announcing, “Naveen? Is Julian. We are coming in.”

Right away, Cooper was hit with the stark difference between their two bedrooms. Their beds sat on opposite ends of the room, and other than a few posters about outer space hanging from Julian’s wall and a salt lamp casting a glow on Naveen’s dresser, the room was bare. Cooper much preferred their rearranged beds and Anakin’s growing mural inside their own room.

Laying on his bed, Naveen was trying to smother himself with a pillow. When he spoke, Cooper could barely hear his muffled voice.

“Go away.”

Cooper shut the door behind them as Julian sat on the mattress beside Naveen. A rank odor like old sweaty socks was coming from the dirty clothes pile in the corner. Laundry day couldn’t come soon enough.

“You know we do not care, right?” Julian asked. “We are your friends.”

“We all are,” Cooper said. “If you can’t talk to us, who can you talk to?”

Naveen slowly slid the pillow from his face, and when he did, he stared at the ceiling while chewing on his thoughts. The glow from the salt lamp painted his squinting face in brown shadows. Finally, he growled and sat up to face them.

“The underwear’s not mine,” he said. “It’s Nadia’s. She let’s me…use them.”

“Use them?” Anakin asked.

“I think he means…you know,” Cooper said, miming the motion Anakin did when he was getting the cum feelings. They all blushed as Naveen nodded.

“It helps me feel close to her.”

Anakin was still confused. “But she’s already your twin. Why would you need them to feel close to her? Unless…oh…”

“Don’t say it,” he said.

“You and her?”

“It’s not a big deal.”

Cooper had suspected it since the moment Naveen lost his cool over the panties. It made sense when he thought about it. Naveen already told them he’d had sex before. And he was the one who didn’t want them asking too many questions. But to find out he was having sex with Nadia, his own twin sister? Honestly, Cooper wasn’t sure how to feel. He didn’t have any siblings, but he knew what it was like to feel close to someone, to want to spend time with them. Maybe that was all that mattered. Who was he to judge?

Anakin was still trying to process what Naveen had said. Cooper could see it in the way his friend scratched his temple and furrowed his brow.

“Look, I don’t expect you guys to understand, but you can’t say anything. We promised never to tell anyone. Besides, it’s our business, anyway.”

“We won’t,” Cooper assured him, looking to the others to get their nods.

“But I have so many questions,” Anakin said as he rambled out his thoughts. “When did it start? How often do you guys do it? How does it feel?”

“Maybe later,” Cooper said. “Come on, Anakin. Let’s leave them alone for now.”

As Cooper led Anakin back into the suite, Naveen mouthed a silent thanks to him as Julian closed the door behind them.

“I can’t believe it,” Anakin breathed. “I wonder what it’s like to have real sex.”

Cooper rolled his eyes and giggled. “I’m sure it won’t take long before you find out for yourself. Come on, it’s been a long day. Let’s get some sleep.”

***

The hot shower water washed over Roman’s body, melting the tension in his muscles after another exhausting day at the rock climbing wall. How was it that he was still finding new places to ache? He was getting stronger, that was obvious. His arms weren’t the scrawny sticks they used to be. He wasn’t ripped like some body builder or anything, far from it, but his biceps and forearms were showing more curvature, and his calves were tight and strong. Now if only he wasn’t so short, maybe he’d start to feel like he was finally growing up.

Last night had been tough. Fielding already knew Xavier was the cause of his reoccurring nightmares, but it was the first time Roman had shared about the ways Xavier had sexually abused him. He didn’t realize it had a name, but that’s what Fielding had called the things he’d done.

“Your brother’s a jerk,” Fielding told him. “Whenever they find him, if he ever tries anything like that again, kick him in the nuts.”

“I just wish I knew why,” Roman said, his eyes dry and his tears all cried out by then. “Something happened to him, I know it.”

“Maybe it’s puberty,” Fielding said. “You know, all the hormones?”

“I guess,” Roman said, but the answer didn’t satisfy him. If it were puberty, wouldn’t the changes have happened gradually? The Xavier now was the polar opposite of the one he fondly remembered. They were yin and yang.

As Roman left the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist before stepping into the suite. Fielding was waiting for him on the couch, and his eyes roamed all over Roman’s mostly naked body. Roman blushed at the extra attention. If he was being honest, the way Fielding had trouble taking his eyes from him or gawking over his near nakedness made him feel wanted.

Back in his bedroom, Roman dropped his towel and slipped into fresh clothes before pulling on a sweater to keep warm against the nippy autumn breeze. Perfect for a walk together outside.

“Ready?” Roman asked as he pulled the bedroom door shut.

When they walked down the staircase, Roman couldn’t help but tense up as they passed the quiet 8th grade suite. Even though Xavier wasn’t there, Roman tensed as if Xavier might suddenly leap out from the shadows, having played a cruel joke on him over the past three days.

“Come on,” Fielding whispered. “Let’s go.”

Outside, the clouds hung low in the sky like thick tufts of cotton. As they strolled down the cobblestone path, Fielding looked around for signs of anyone around, but they were by themselves. Everyone else was getting ready for dinner. That was fine with Roman. The whole point of walking outside was to have some time alone.

Fielding slid his hand beside Roman’s. They stopped together on the path. Holding Fielding’s hand was like warm butter on pancakes, and Roman squeezed it gently, bringing a smile to Fielding’s face.

“This is okay, right?” he asked.

Roman nodded, swallowing back his nerves. It was a new experience for Roman, the way his chest tingled as they clasped hands. If anyone happened upon the two of them, what would they see? Two boys holding hands, sure, but that wasn’t so unusual. Out of the two hundred something students at Blue Ridge, there had to be at least a few gay couples, but is that what they were? Is that what he wanted them to be?

“Is this why you wanted to go on a walk so badly?”

Fielding shrugged. “I thought you might be more comfortable if there weren’t a lot of people around. It’s my first time doing this, too.”

“I like it,” Roman said. Taking a quick glance around, Roman leaned in and quickly kissed Fielding on the cheek. When he pulled back, Fielding’s face glowed like the sunrise.

“Come on,” he said, “we still have a little more time before we gotta head back.”

Around them, the once orange and yellow autumn leaves were now dulled, many having broken loose in scattered piles around the base of the trees. As they walked towards the lake, a flock of Canadian geese hissed at them as they flapped their wings, prepared for war if they dared come any closer.

“Geez, sensitive much?” Fielding asked and squealed as one of geese charged, chasing the two of them around the lake with angry honks. It wasn’t until they were safely to the other side that the goose finally slowed. It kept a beady, watchful eye on them as they walked away. Fielding stuck out his middle finger.

The goose had shooed them near the edge of the forest. Here, the lake water lapped against the muddy shore, and a dense cluster of cattails and weeds waved softly in the late afternoon breeze.

“Eww, it’s smelly out here,” Fielding complained, pinching his nose.

Roman laughed. “Careful. You might step in a big pile of goose poop.”

Fielding nudged a stormy gray pebble with his foot before picking it up and attempting to skip the smooth stone across the lake. It died under a heavy splash. Roman joined him and picked up a new stone before slinging it at an angle, cheering as it skipped a few more times before plopping beneath the surface.

When Fielding threw his next stone, he laughed as it accidentally flew into the nest of cattails. It landed with a chunky splurch against a jammed pile of debris stuck inside. A flash of dull yellow within the tangled weeds caught Roman’s eye, and before Fielding launched his next stone, Roman raised an arm to stop him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, following Roman’s gaze to the thick cluster of grass.

Tiptoeing around the shore, Roman’s shoes sank in the mud the closer he got. The stench from before grew stronger with every step as a nauseous pit formed in his stomach and his mind raced. It couldn’t be.

“Please, no,” Roman whispered.

“Roman?” There was a tremor in Fielding’s voice as Roman crept ever closer.

He couldn’t know for certain until he climbed up the high bank near the trees and looked down at the lake. Roman wanted to believe it was nothing—wanted desperately to turn the other way and ignore his gut.

Part of the bank had eroded away, and Roman’s foot slipped as he tried to find purchase up the hill. Using the exposed roots from one of the nearby trees as leverage, Roman hauled his body up the ten foot drop, remembering to shift his weight like he’d been taught.

When he turned around, the view wasn’t perfect, but even through the thicket of fallen branches and dense clump of cattails, there was no mistaking it.

“Fielding, we have to get help.” There, his body trapped and floating face down in the dark waters, was Jordy Diaz.

End Chapter 14

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
All rights reserved

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 13

Cooper’s eyes were heavy with sleep as the sun streamed into his bedroom.

If it were the weekend, he might have slept in a few hours, but his subconscious knew he had to wake up for class. What’s more, something was different. A rustling and shaking kept interrupting the last bit of sleep he tried to cling to. It wasn’t until he heard a strained whimper that Cooper finally opened his eyes.

In the twin bed beside his, Anakin was up in more ways than one. The covers had been tossed back, revealing his fully nude body. Anakin’s mousy face was a mix of intense concentration and pleasure as he gripped all four inches of his boner in his fist and stroked it at a furious speed. His normally styled hair was fanned out in messy bedhead, although the edges of his hair were damp with sweat. With his free hand, Anakin pawed and gripped at the mattress, his fingers clutching the silky material.

One of Anakin’s legs twitched, and his voice gave another high-pitched whine. Each time Anakin worked his way up, his balls jiggled and bounced with every tug. They were beginning to flatten, nearly pancaked against his groin as his breath huffed through his nostrils.

Cooper was painfully hard and torn between staring at Anakin’s bigger dick or his friend’s face. It didn’t help that he was also dealing with his usual morning wood. If the pleasure hitting Anakin was anything like when the two of them smushed their dicks together or felt the rumblings of the washer, then Anakin must have been totally wrapped up in the good feelings. He didn’t even break concentration when Cooper snuck a hand down to his own boner.

As Cooper softly squeezed the underside of his penis, rolling the head beneath his fingers, his eyes fluttered as he groaned. Anakin noticed then and flicked his eyes down to Cooper’s.

“Morning, Coop,” he panted. “Sorry, I can’t help it.”

“How long have you been going?” Cooper asked, his mouth sour and dry from sleep.

“I’ve already done it twice this morning,” Anakin replied.

After a few more strokes, Anakin’s stomach muscles bunched as his feet raised from the mattress. As he gripped the base of his penis, his jaw slacked open and he groaned loudly. Suddenly, Anakin squeezed his boner at the base. The way it flicked back and forth was kind of like when Cooper tried to shake the last bit of pee out, but the twitches all happened super fast.

“Oh, that feels so good,” Anakin said, finally falling against the pillows. His dick pointed towards his chin, still pulsing with leftover throbs.

“Was it like last night?”

Anakin turned to face him. “It’s different. Still awesome, but I think I liked it more when both of us did it.”

“I think you might be addicted to sex,” Cooper laughed.

*

Classes weren’t much better than the day before. People were starting to talk again, but whenever they did, it was always about how Jordy and Xavier were still missing. It seemed like everyone had already given up hope on finding them, but Cooper couldn’t. Not when there was still a chance of getting them back. And why did everyone automatically assume the worst? It frustrated him to no end. If they put the same effort into searching that they did worrying, then maybe they’d have already found the two missing boys.

As the day ended, Cooper bumped fists with Anakin before heading to the rock climbing wall. He zipped his sweater and tucked his chin against the chill as he worked his way down the path leading towards the stables. Already ahead of him, Roman walked with his head down and hands shoved inside his hoodie. There hadn’t been much time to talk to him throughout the day until now, and Cooper chased him down.

“Roman, wait up!” Cooper called.

Roman didn’t hear him. Or if he did, he wasn’t listening.

“Hey, you good?” he asked.

Roman stopped and shrugged his shoulders. “I guess. Just a lot on my mind, you know? Listen, about yesterday—”

“I already told you, don’t sweat it,” Cooper said. “Just know I’m here for you, man, no matter what.”

“I appreciate it, Cooper,” Roman said as hints of a blush surfaced across his tanned cheeks.

Roman looked more relaxed as they spotted each other on the wall. Earlier in the week, Professor Green reinstalled all the handholds in different spots, creating new and trickier paths for them to attempt. Yesterday Roman hadn’t been in the right head space. How could he be? Now, at least, he was taking Cooper’s advice on where to place the next foot as he climbed.

As Cooper finished up and hung his harness back on the hook, the sun was inching its way toward the mountains. If he didn’t go now, there’d be barely any daylight to help him in his search. Already he was losing time from the curfew, and now it had been two whole days since Jordy and Xavier went missing. Time was of the essence. Cooper wasn’t exactly sure what he hoped to find, but any clue was better than nothing.

Getting to the lake cost him fifteen minutes. He kept having to blow warm air into his palms to keep them from chilling, but he wasn’t planning on giving up. A little cold never hurt anybody, he told himself. Once the boat house came into view, it wasn’t long before he spotted several upperclassmen dragging their canoes through the main door. Could that have been what he saw several nights ago outside his window? But that didn’t make any sense. Why would someone be out on their canoe after dark?

Inside the boat house, Cooper plugged his nose. The place smelled like stuffy mildew no matter where he went. It had to be from all the sopping life jackets dripping lake water on the floorboards. As he tried to get a look around, there were a couple older kids who gave him funny looks, but he didn’t have time to explain why he was there. Maybe they didn’t see anything suspicious about this place, but Cooper did.

Suspended from a hook on the back wall was a lantern with a rounded amber sphere. He couldn’t be certain, but it might have matched the shape he saw the other night. A closed, splintered door stood next to it that looked like it hadn’t been touched in years. Cooper was surprised something so shabby hadn’t been replaced in a place like Blue Ridge. Maybe it was an old storage room. Without making a scene and barging inside, there was no way Cooper could get behind the counter to check if the door was locked. And if it was, the odds of him finding the key laying around were next to nothing. He shook his head. What was he even hoping to find inside? Maybe the lake held better clues.

As Cooper went back outside, his feet squelched through the soggy grass as he squinted against the sunset. Several hundred yards away, Blue Ridge castle stood proudly. Valentia’s red banner flapped in the wind as sunlight reflected off his bedroom window. He wasn’t crazy—whatever he saw from his bedroom couldn’t have been a coincidence.

Shaking the cold water from his shoes, Cooper tried to dodge the puddles of leftover rain water as he followed the bend in the lake back to the cobblestone path. The street lamps were already buzzing to life, flicking on one by one as day turned to dusk. Time was running out, and Cooper growled in frustration.

Ahead of him lay the castle. He knew there was enough time to make it back if he hurried. Besides, it was getting colder by the minute outside. Behind him, the path continued on into a canopy of dark woods and thick hedges. Cooper had never explored this far out.

The closer he drew to the forest, the more the darkness swallowed him up as it beckoned him deeper inside. Here, there was no sunlight, and the temperature dipped even more until Cooper was rubbing his arms through his thin sweater. Next time, he’d ask to borrow some of Anakin’s clothes to keep him warmer.

These woods weren’t like the ones back home. These were cold, barren, lifeless. Something had spooked all the animals away. The forest should never be so quiet. A wall of high shrubs guarded either side of the path, stretching nearly eight feet tall. Running his fingers along the manicured leaves, Cooper was curious how deep the shrubs might go when a branch snapped from beyond the greenery.

Cooper froze in place.

For a moment, all was quiet, so quiet Cooper thought he might have imagined the noise. But then something tore through the shrub wall, and before Cooper could react, a black German Shepherd darted out, barking and gnashing its vicious teeth. Cooper careened back and landed on his bottom.

Moments before the dog would have ripped him apart, the leash around its neck jerked tight. On the other end, Roy Rochester towered over him, scrutinizing Cooper with the same glaring intensity as the canine in front of him.

With his free hand, Roy made a sharp whistle using two fingers, and in an instant, the barking stopped. The dog squatted on its hind legs, but every single one of its muscles were tightly coiled. Its whole body looked charged with electricity, and its glinting, black eyes were downright murderous.

“You should be more careful where you wander off to,” Roy said. “You wouldn’t want to be the next to go missing.”

As Roy led the dog along the dark path through the woods, Cooper’s blood ran cold. He’d come seconds from being ripped to shreds. It was nothing like the time he’d rescued Sawyer from the dog back in Misty Pines. If Roy’s dog had made Cooper his chew toy, there would have been no one to save him.

Cooper’s arms and legs trembled as he pushed himself to his feet. His heart was a rattling mess inside his chest, and without another glance back, Cooper ran towards the safety of the castle. He didn’t have all the answers yet, but he was sure of it. More sure than anything in his whole life.

Roy Rochester had something to do with the missing boys.

***

Roman felt like he was on trial.

After dinner, he was called to Headmaster Robinson’s office to share about the last time he’d seen Xavier. Each of his professors scrutinized him, as if he were somehow responsible for what happened to Jordy and Xavier. Headmaster Robinson, his teachers from class, even Roy Rochester. They were all there, listening and interjecting questions of their own.

“Surely he said something to you,” Professor Gray said, his face like the hardened grimace of a gargoyle.

“We don’t talk much anymore,” Roman confessed.

“He didn’t say anything to you at all?” Professor Bell asked. “Nothing about running away or maybe being in some kind of trouble?”

Clearly none of his professors knew how awful his and Xavier’s relationship had been. Still was. Roman shook his head and picked at his calloused palm.

Professor Lee crouched down and placed a hand on Roman’s knee. “It’s alright, Roman. We’re just trying to get some answers. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”

“I already told everyone, I don’t know anything, okay!?” he snapped.

They eventually gave up on getting anything out of him, and when Roman left Headmaster Robinson’s office, he felt worse than he had going in. Whatever Xavier was up to, it wasn’t his fault at all. Why couldn’t his teachers just leave him alone?

Because of how late it was, Roman was escorted by Roy Rochester back to his suite. He couldn’t shake the goosebumps creeping up his neck. Roy stood behind him, never saying a word the whole way back. Actually, that was fine with Roman. He was done talking about Xavier. Done talking to people who didn’t bother to understanding him. He just wanted to be back in his suite with Fielding.

All day it seemed like Fielding consumed his thoughts.

Whenever he thought about the kiss they shared last night, his brain became mush and his heart like putty. In class, he kept getting lost in the freckles sprinkled across his pale cheeks or his curling strawberry-blonde hair. He was seeing things about his suitemate in a brand new way now. He couldn’t help it. He couldn’t explain it. He just wanted more.

Sometimes Fielding noticed him watching, and then Roman had to quickly turn to hide his blushing face. One glance into his teal green eyes was enough to unravel him.

Like now, sitting on the couch in their suite, Roman had hardly worked on their homework for class at all. The only thing he found he could study well was the outlines of Fielding’s face as he furrowed his brow working out a problem.

Fielding flicked his eyes towards Roman, and Roman turned his attention back to his paper, but it was too late. Roman was busted.

Fielding set down his journal and homework and leaned in. “Okay, that’s it. Are we cool? With what happened last night, I mean?”

Roman blinked out of his stupor. “What’re you talking about? Why wouldn’t we be?”

“Because ever since last night, you’ve been acting all weird.”

“What? I’m not being weird. Nothing’s weird at all. Why would you think that?”

Fielding’s eyes narrowed.

“Okay,” Roman conceded with a sigh, “so maybe things are a little weird.”

Fielding folded his legs as he turned to face him on the couch. “Did you wanna talk about the kiss? Or Xavier? Or just school or something?”

Roman’s tongue was thick in his mouth, and all the spit was dried up. He swallowed to get his mouth working again.

“The kiss? I…uhh…I liked it, yeah.”

A smirk crossed Fielding’s face as he leaned in close, too close. The heat spreading across Roman’s cheeks made his ears hot as he tried to lean back, but Fielding kept coming, bracing himself with his hands as he hovered within inches of Roman’s face, his lips.

“Did you wanna maybe do it again?”

Not trusting himself to speak, Roman only nodded as he closed his eyes and leaned in for another kiss.

Right before their lips met, the door to Ivan and Wyatt’s bedroom swung open, and Roman and Fielding jerked apart. Roman had never tried to act so casual about doing homework before in his life. Surely his suitemates must have heard Roman’s heart clanging like a gong inside his chest. Were his ribs breaking? Surely they were breaking.

“Taking a shower?” Fielding asked, maybe a little too casually.

When Roman looked up, his mouth fell open. Wyatt was already halfway to the bathroom, shirtless with only a towel wrapped around his scrawny waist as he strolled barefoot across the floor. Behind him, Ivan walked out of his bedroom fully nude. His towel was slung over his shoulder as he clicked the door shut behind him.

What drew Roman’s attention most was the swinging python between Ivan’s legs. Like the rest of Ivan’s body, the size of his penis looked disproportionate for someone who was only twelve, and all Roman could think about was the other night when he spied on Ivan and Wyatt in their bedroom. Their groans were still crystal clear in his mind, and the image of Ivan smearing his cummy dick across Wyatt’s cheek was seared in his memory.

“Good talk,” Fielding said behind him as the two left without a word into the bathroom.

After the shower squeaked to life, Fielding leaned forward again and said, “Maybe we should start calling him Hog. Woooo boy, imagine that thing in bed.”

“Fielding!”

“What? I’m just saying,” he said through his laughter.

They were quiet for a few moments, giggling each time they bumped their knees together. When the showers squeaked to a stop, Fielding quickly leaned in for a kiss. His breath smelled vaguely of the key lime pie they had for dessert, and Fielding’s lips against his own sent tingles down Roman’s body, straight into his hardening dick.

Later in their room, as they settled down for the night, Fielding brought up Ivan’s big dick and made another joke.

“Maybe Hog wasn’t the right word. How does Ramrod sound?”

Roman frowned. “Like he’s a viking about to pillage a town.”

“I bet a town’s not the only thing he’s pillaging,” Fielding said, wriggling his eyebrows.

“Are you always this perverted?” Roman asked.

Fielding raised his arms defensively. “I just call it like I see it.”

Roman slipped off his shirt and his socks before sitting on his bed. He lowered his voice and said, “I saw them the other night.”

The walls weren’t so thick that Roman really believed Ivan and Wyatt could hear the two of them, but he didn’t want to take any chances. If Ivan overheard him, it wouldn’t take much to snap Roman like a toothpick.

“Saw who? Ivan and Wyatt?”

Roman blushed. “Yeah…the other night. I was getting some water, and when I came back, they were…well, you know…”

“Gettin’ it on like Donkey Kong?”

“What!?” Roman sputtered. “What does that even mean?”

Hopping out of his bed, Fielding squatted into a gorilla stance, scratching his armpits while grunting. Roman couldn’t help but notice the way Fielding’s erection poked against his briefs as he thrusted his hips.

“You’re crazy,” Roman said.

Fielding monkey-walked over to Roman’s bed and sat close beside him, their thighs brushing together as Fielding’s hand fell gently on top of his. Roman’s dick was sticking up like a flagpole in his briefs.

“So, what were they doing?” Fielding asked as he traced his fingers on the back of Roman’s hand.

“I…uhh…couldn’t see much at first,” he said, trying to ignore Fielding’s tender touch against his hand while he formed his words. “I heard these slurping sounds, and all I saw was Ivan’s back at first.”

“Oh my god, were they…?”

Roman nodded. “Just Wyatt. But his head was bobbing. And then it didn’t take long before Ivan shot his stuff. He did it on Wyatt’s face.”

The last time Roman had seen Fielding’s face this red was when he got burned from being out in the sun all day for their House competition.

“Is that how you knew what jizz looked like?” Fielding asked suddenly.

The playful tone from before was gone from Fielding’s voice. Roman stopped short and shook his head before chewing at his fingernail. When he tried to look away, Fielding gently pulled his hand down.

“You can talk to me, Roman,” he said, rubbing his thumb gently over Roman’s hand. “I’m your friend.”

Roman shook his head again, his lower lip trembling as his body fought him and his words failed him. Why was this so hard to do? Even thinking about his brother was enough to put shackles around him. When he opened his mouth to speak, nothing but a hoarse whisper came out.

He was scared. Scared of what admitting the things Xavier did to him might mean. Scared of how it might change the way Fielding saw him. For some stupid reason, he was also scared of what people would think about Xavier. He was still his brother, and despite lying to himself, despite pretending to everyone else that it was different, Roman still cared about his brother.

But the hurt was winning, chewing him alive and breaking him down until he was nothing but a pulpy mess. He couldn’t keep walking this path alone. If he did, there’d be nothing left of him by the end of things. Eventually he had to trust someone else. Let them in. Let them help. Before his sobs could wrack his body, the tears sprinkled down his cheeks as he squeezed his eyes shut, and choked out a single, confessing word.

“Xavier.”

End Chapter 13

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
All rights reserved

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 12

Cooper couldn’t remember the last time anyone ever looked as depressed as Kai. Ever since he’d joined Cooper upstairs, he was more like the echo of a person than an actual one. Even now he sat hunched with his head drooped below his sagging shoulders.

The rain slapped against the suite windows in sheets, but the boys could hardly hear it over the blaring TV. Leaning back against the couch, Naveen was more interested in beating Julian in Mario Kart than listening to Kai. Cooper was ready to unplug the Switch from the wall. How did neither of them understand how big of a deal this was? People were missing! Kids, just like Naveen and Julian!

And on top of it all, Roman’s brother was missing. Cooper knew Roman hadn’t meant to be mean earlier. Roman said as much when he apologized later at dinner. He couldn’t imagine being in Roman’s shoes. The closest thing Cooper had to a sibling was Anakin. If it was him who vanished, Cooper would stop at nothing to get answers. Just like Detective Dackery, Cooper would use all the tools in his kit, sniff out the clues, and wouldn’t rest until he solved the case, no matter what the costs.

Seeing Kai stress over Jordy only made Cooper more determined. If no one else was going to step up, then he would find the missing boys himself.

“Alright, one more time,” Cooper said. “Tell us about the last time you saw Jordy.”

Kai took a ragged breath and his shoulders somehow sank even lower. The dark rings under his eyes made Cooper think he hadn’t slept any the night before.

“It was yesterday during dinner, but honestly, he was acting weird since lunch.”

Cooper and Anakin traded curious glances.

“Weird how?” Anakin asked.

“I don’t know…jumpy? Anxious? I mean, you know how he is. It’s strange if he isn’t happy all the time. I thought maybe he needed space from me or something.”

Jordy acting jumpy? That did sound odd. Anytime they talked, Jordy was always smiling. Especially early on at Blue Ridge, Jordy was a light in Cooper’s dark tunnel. He frowned. What could have happened to him?

“Eh, I’m sure you’re all being paranoid,” Naveen said. He chewed his bottom lip as he pulled off a handbrake slide around a sharp corner and dropped a banana peel behind him to spin out Julian’s character. “Jordy’s probably fine. Xavier, too.”

“Dude!” Anakin shouted, and Julian smacked Naveen’s arm.

“Oww, what? It’s true.”

“Not the time,” Julian said as he mashed a few buttons to try and catch up.

Cooper knew he needed more info. Something to give him a starting point. “So he was acting weird at lunch, but what about your other classes?”

“I should have said something to him sooner—asked what was wrong. Once dinner came around, he said he had to take care of something alone. Wouldn’t say what. You know the rest…”

Anakin put a comforting hand on Kai’s knee and leaned against him.

Cooper thought about everything that might have happened between lunch and dinner. Jordy was an active part of the swim club. Maybe he could start with the other members and see if they knew anything. Then there was the lake. The more Cooper thought about it, the more he was certain the lake held answers. It couldn’t be a coincidence that Jordy and Xavier both went missing the same night he and Anakin spotted the ghost light through their bedroom window. Thinking about it made Cooper shiver.

After Kai returned to his suite for the night, the boys brushed their teeth as the thunder grew in intensity. Naveen spat out a mouthful of toothpaste in the sink and said, “I still don’t see what the big deal is. Anyone consider they might have just run away?”

Julian rolled his eyes as he ran a string of floss between his teeth.

“Okay, but why would anyone run away in the first place?” Cooper asked. “Something weird is definitely going on.”

“Sure, Detective Dorkery. Whatever you say.”

Once inside his bedroom, Cooper stared past his reflection in the window. Another bolt of lightning tore through the sky, briefly illuminating the trees, the mountains, the lake. No ghost light tonight, just the storm. Jordy and Xavier were out there. Somewhere. But if they were trapped or in need of rescue, how was anyone expected to find them in Blue Ridge’s never-ending acres?

“Coop?”

On the other side of the room, Anakin hugged a pillow to his chest as another bout of heavy thunder rattled the windows, rattled his bones.

“I know I saw something last night,” Cooper told him as he gestured to the window. “We both did.”

“Do you think it was them?”

“Maybe. Tomorrow we have to get down to the lake and see for ourselves.”

“Coop, I’m scared. Do you think…”

“What?”

“Do you think maybe we can push our beds together? I don’t want to sleep alone.”

Cooper nodded, and as Anakin jumped from bed, they worked together to drag the furniture around, straining against the heavy wooden dressers and nightstands as they scraped against the floor. By the time they rearranged everything, Cooper was out of breath but happy with their handiwork. The twin beds were now shoved close, and there was even enough space to squeeze their nightstands on either side.

“You don’t think anyone will get mad, will they?”

Cooper shrugged. “I think they’re worrying about more important things.”

While Anakin grabbed a night shirt to wear with his briefs, Cooper stripped and pulled on his pajamas. The sky split in two from a sudden flash of lightning, and Cooper flinched into the explosive thunder that made everything tremble in the room. There was shouting from next door in Naveen and Julian’s room, and a split second later, the lights winked out, casting them all in total darkness.

“This sucks,” Anakin said.

Cooper agreed. “I know. I hate heavy storms like this.”

When the lights flickered back on, Cooper was quick to turn them off before crawling in bed. The moment he was beneath the covers, Anakin was right there and grabbed his hand. The inside of the covers immediately grew warm as they shared their body heat.

“Who do you think screamed?” Anakin asked as he and Cooper snuggled close.

“Probably Naveen,” Cooper said. “At least, I hope it was.”

“Betcha he’s a big scaredy cat.”

Cooper giggled as the rain swelled outside, no end to the downpour in sight. They were quiet for a few moments, just listening to the white noise of the rain. If everything wasn’t so crazy, maybe it would have been enough to fall asleep to, even if the rain normally set him on edge.

Anakin rustled beside him before whispering, “Hey, Coop?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember that thing we did on laundry day?”

Cooper’s breath caught, and he was thankful for the darkness hiding his blushing face.

“Yeah…” Cooper answered cryptically. He waited to see what Anakin would say.

“Have you done it since then?”

He shook his head before remembering Anakin couldn’t see him. “Not really. Have you?”

“Just a little,” Anakin confessed. “Mainly in the morning, when it’s, you know…hard.”

Cooper didn’t need to reach his hand down to know his stiff dick was pressing against his cotton pajama bottoms, but he did it anyway. He squeezed the spot just beneath the head of his penis and shuddered. Ever since that day in the laundry room, Cooper had wanted the cum feeling again, but he wasn’t sure how. He didn’t have a way to make vibrations against his crotch like the washing machine. And whenever he did try, it was always like trying to tickle himself. He knew the idea, but it just never happened.

Taking in a deep breath to steady his nerves, Cooper placed a hand on Anakin’s smooth arm and rubbed it.

Anakin shifted even closer, and now Cooper could feel Anakin’s smooth, lean legs slide against his own as their toes brushed together. Their hips couldn’t have been separated by more than a few inches. With how hard his dick was, Cooper knew if he thrust forward, he might even bump against Anakin’s boner.

“Do you wanna try it again?” Anakin asked, his breath tickling Cooper’s nose.

“I don’t know how,” Cooper said.

“I’ll show you.”

Another bout of fierce thunder rocked the castle, but this time when Cooper jumped, it was because Anakin’s hand rested low on his tummy before cupping the three-inch boner inside his pajamas. Cooper groaned against the intense sensation. Anakin’s hand against him was as electric as the storm raging outside.

“Is this okay?” Anakin asked, and Cooper desperately nodded, whispering his approval as Anakin snaked his hand inside Cooper’s waistband and coiled it around his length.

“Aaaah,” Cooper panted, grunting as little sparks of pleasure raced along his penis. It was similar to the rumbling washer, but without the buildup. It was more focused, more deliberate. By now, Anakin’s thicker dick smushed against Cooper’s thigh, and they both ground against each other, Anakin against his hip, Cooper into Anakin’s hand.

Cooper dropped his hand from Anakin’s arm and trailed it along the front of his silky briefs. When his fingers grazed Anakin’s boner, it seemed to quiver under his touch, and Anakin shivered beside him.

“I think it’s better with someone else,” Anakin groaned, pumping his hips against Cooper’s hand.

Feeling bolder, Cooper mimicked Anakin and worked his hand inside his friend’s briefs. They hugged Anakin’s hips, but Cooper didn’t need to go far to bump against the velvety pole inside. Maybe it was because they were in the dark, but it felt massive in Cooper’s hand. He remembered in the shower comparing Anakin’s boner to a hotdog, although he’d never held a hotdog so hard and soft and warm as it danced in his grip.

Already, Cooper thought he was getting close to the good feeling. His insides tingled and there was a spot somewhere deep and low in his stomach that hummed.

“My hand’s cramping,” Anakin said and took it away.

As if outside of his control, Cooper humped his hips, seeking out the warmth of Anakin’s missing hand. He bit his lower lip as he tried to capture the fleeting pleasure in his groin. He’d been so close.

Cooper still had his hand around Anakin’s dick but dropped it as his friend wiggled his briefs down to his thighs. Getting the idea, Cooper rolled on his back and raised his legs so he could do the same with his pajamas. Now when they scooted against each other, their dicks smushed together. Cooper gasped.

“Closer,” Anakin breathed.

They lined the base of their dicks together, and even though Anakin’s boner dwarfed his in size, the touch was enough to make Cooper’s eyes roll as they humped against each other. Every once in a while their balls connected, gently sticking together before peeling apart. Like with their dicks, Anakin’s balls were bigger than his own, but Cooper didn’t care. Breaking a sweat under the combined heat of the covers and their bodies, both of them panted as they rocked their hips.

Suddenly Anakin gripped his shoulders as his eyes fluttered shut. There were a few frantic thrusts against him as Anakin’s fingernails dug into his skin, and soon Anakin whined as his dick spasmed automatically, twitching and kicking against his own, smaller boner as Anakin got his cum feeling again.

The thumping against his dick was enough to send Cooper over the edge, and he jammed his hips forward, locking their penises together as the good feelings took him. He tensed as his dick pulsed, his butthole clamped, and delicious goosebumps ran up and down his arms before tingling down his spine.

Cooper wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but when his focus returned, he and Anakin were still hard as they pressed against each other’s hips, panting as they came down from their highs.

“How is it so good?” Cooper wondered aloud. His dick was extra sensitive as Anakin wrapped a hand around both of their penises together.

“I don’t know,” he said, “but I feel like we’ve been missing out on the good stuff for too long.”

“No kidding.”

Anakin rolled away, laying on his back as he caught his breath. After reaching beneath the covers and shifting around, Anakin came back with his briefs and dropped them beside his head.

“No point in wearing these anymore, right?”

Cooper shrugged, following his friend’s lead as he tossed his own pajama bottoms. His body felt freer in a way, unrestricted by the extra clothing. If he had still been at home, Cooper wondered if he would have eventually tried sleeping in the nude on his own. Maybe not. He would have died if his mom ever walked in on him in the buff.

“Anakin, can I tell you something?” Cooper asked.

The rain continued to beat against the window, though the thunder seemed less intense than it had before. Cooper wasn’t sure when his eyes had adjusted to the dark, but he watched as Anakin twisted on his side and propped his head up.

“Sure, anything.”

Cooper bit his lip, warring with his thoughts, but knowing he needed to tell Anakin.

“I think…I think you’re my best friend I’ve ever had.”

“What about Sawyer?”

Cooper was quiet. It’s not that Sawyer was replaced so easily…but the fact was that Sawyer wasn’t around anymore. It was no fault of his, or Cooper’s, or anyone else, but that’s how it was. Anakin was the one he spent most of his time with now. Actually, all of his time. He’d even stuck by Cooper’s side when he felt at his worst.

Anakin seemed to understand. He leaned close and gave a quick smooch against Cooper’s temple.

“You’re my best friend, too, Coop. And not only because of what we just did.”

Cooper laughed as his heart swelled. “But we can do it again, right?”

Anakin laughed too. “I’d do it right now if I wasn’t so tired.”

As they snuggled together, Anakin slipped his fingers alongside Cooper’s. He needed this. Not just the good feelings, but the distraction as well. His mind had been stuffed with concerns for Jordy and Roman’s brother, and even though Cooper had no way of knowing where to start, he remembered his promise to himself.

He would find them, whatever the cost.

***

Outside his bedroom, the evening storm raged on as Roman tried to nurse his aching back muscles from the comfort of his bed. They were bunched tight and locked from overuse, and Roman struggled to even reach a hand behind his shoulders.

Across the room, Fielding hadn’t said much since they’d gotten back from dinner. Even now, he sat hunched on his bed as he chewed his fingernails. A quick burst of thunder made them both jump in place. The power flickered out a few seconds before coming back on.

“Would you stop worrying?” Roman asked. “It’s just a little thunder.”

Fielding’s eyes flicked to meet his. “You know that’s not what I’m worried about.”

“They’re both fine.”

Roman growled in frustration as he failed again to reach the achy spot that needed the most relief. Maybe the best solution was to let his back soak in a hot shower, but it was already so late. Besides, he was undressed and comfy, and didn’t want to deal with the hassle of another shower, especially not in the storm.

“You overdid it today, huh?” Fielding asked.

“I guess,” Roman said, “and okay, maybe I am a little worried. Even Cooper looked stressed out.”

Fielding perked up and removed his clear-framed glasses. “You guys have been getting pretty close lately…”

He let the statement hang unfinished. What was he implying, that Roman had a crush on Cooper? No way. At least, not like that. Sure, Cooper was good looking, but in a charming, boyish kind of way. Not a romantic one.

“It’s not like that,” Roman said.

Whether he believed him or not, Roman wasn’t sure, but Fielding scooted off the edge of his mattress, his loose white t-shirt hanging past his underwear as he walked to Roman.

“If your back’s bothering you,” Fielding said, “I can try something my moms do.”

“What is it?”

“Here, lay on your stomach,” Fielding said, pointing for Roman to go face down on his pillow. “Actually, lose your shirt first. It’ll be better that way.”

Pulling his shirt over his shoulders proved to be tricky with the way his shoulders screamed at him, but Roman finally got it off, tossing it in a crumpled heap at Fielding’s feet. Once he laid face down on the bed, Roman turned his head in time to see Fielding disappear behind him as the mattress dipped beneath their combined weight.

“Sorry if this is a little strange,” Fielding said. “I don’t really have anywhere else to sit.”

And with that, Fielding nestled his butt against Roman’s as he straddled his hips. They both still had their underwear on, but the closeness of their skin made Roman’s head buzz. Fielding cracked his fingers and leaned forward, kneading his knuckles into Roman’s knotted muscles.

Roman groaned into his pillow as Fielding struck a particularly painful knot. Fielding had done this before. He must have. There was no way he could reach the exact spots Roman had been struggling with for hours if not. His muscles rippled under Fielding’s touch as he switched between firm pressure and soft, at times even switching to the heel of his palm.

The sharp knife of pain in his muscles was borderline too much, but Fielding continued rolling over the stubborn muscle until it finally released. Each time it clicked, the pain ebbed away as the knot shrunk more and more.

While Fielding worked, a few times he had to lean forward, and Roman could have sworn he felt the tight pouch of Fielding’s ball sack smushing against him. When something stiff poked against his lower back, it was impossible not to grow hard, and Roman shifted uncomfortably. There was no way to adjust himself, not without being super obvious.

To Roman’s surprise, the back massage was working better than he could have hoped and was enough to distract him from his boner. It had been relaxing with the added rain, and once or twice, he nearly dozed off. At some point, Fielding’s hands were doing less massaging as they mapped out the contours along his shoulder blades. The touch was soft and tender, like Fielding wanted to memorize every groove and muscle with his fingers.

A few minutes passed before Fielding leaned back and said, “I think you’re good, unless you want me to do the front. I know some stuff there…if you want…”

“’Kay…” Roman’s cheeks were on fire. During the massage, his boner had come and gone, especially as he started to snooze, but with Fielding’s last feathery touches, he was rock hard, once again smushed tight against the mattress. He had to stop himself from grinding against it.

As Roman twisted around, he tried to play it cool. How many times by now had they seen each other with a boner? Still, it was how he got his boner that made Roman so embarrassed, and he fought every urge to shield himself with his hands as he closed his eyes.

There was a long pause where nothing was said or done, and Roman almost opened his eyes to check, but then Fielding’s fingers began to work, first at his chest and then over to his shoulders. As he leaned forward, Roman gasped as something brushed against his dick.

“Sorry,” Fielding apologized a little breathlessly.

This time, Roman opened his eyes. Fielding worked just above him, his face inches away from Roman’s as his thumbs dug softly into his skin. Fielding’s long t-shirt draped across their groins, but there was really only one thing that could have bumped so stiffly against his dick.

The lamp from the nightstand highlighted Fielding’s teal-green eyes and the smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose. Even his strawberry-blonde hair took on a reddish hue in the soft light. Pausing near Roman’s chest, Fielding’s thumb strayed dangerously close to Roman’s nipple, already rigid on his chest.

Fielding teased it once, and Roman wriggled into the mattress. It was an interesting feeling. Like being tickled, but in a way that made his insides feel all squirmy. Instinctively, Roman understood the need radiating from his hard penis. He ground his hips up against Fielding’s ass. There was no way his friend missed his poking boner as he flicked his thumb across Roman’s nipple again.

Roman’s head rolled back against the pillow. He just wanted release, whatever that looked like, whatever that felt like. He had to have it. This must have been what Xavier felt each of those times Roman had gotten him off—-an instinctual, animalistic desire. It was a hunger and a thirst all wrapped into one, and it could only be quenched by one thing.

Their eyes darted between each other’s, and Roman raised his head as Fielding bent down and mashed their lips together. His lips buzzed as Fielding’s mouth worked against his. It was aggressive at first, almost stiff and rigid, but soon they each softened and relaxed into the kiss.

Fielding broke away, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath.

Roman could barely speak, his heart setting new records inside his chest.

“Fielding…” Roman breathed, hoping the name alone somehow communicated everything Roman needed to say. His desire was burning him up, ready to consume him like fire.

Fielding shimmied back until their groins were together. They wriggled against each other, Roman pinned beneath him, bucking up as Fielding thrust down. Whenever one of them deflected away, they were quick to readjust, and Roman could hardly breathe as he neared the tipping point he’d been so close to time and again.

“Something’s…aaah…”

“I know, me too,” Fielding grunted, and he leaned forward, keeping their bodies trapped together as he went in for another kiss.

This time they melted into each other, and Roman’s head swam with dizziness, pleasure radiating like the sun from his whole body. Their lips moved softly in sync, their chests rubbed together, and the underside of their boners rubbed in that same ticklish way, getting better and better.

“Gonna…unngh…” Fielding grunted again as he increased the power behind his thrusts, and Roman couldn’t stand it anymore. Grabbing Fielding by his smooth thighs, Roman pulled him down against his body while he humped upward, losing control of himself as every nerve ending went haywire in his groin. With each burst of pleasure, something jumped and flicked behind his balls, sending new shivers down Roman’s spine. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe. He was simply lost in the moment until, at last, the feeling dimmed steadily, leaving behind a soft glow in its place.

Roman couldn’t remember when his eyes had clenched shut, but as he opened them, he let out a whoosh of air as he processed the amazing feeling that had just wracked his body from head to toe.

Above him, Fielding’s shoulders were drawn up as his head rolled, apparently going through the same thing Roman just had. When he opened his eyes, his pale cheeks were tinged like roses.

“That was…wow…” Fielding said dreamily, falling on the bed in the narrow space between Roman and the wall.

“What was that?”

“My moms called it an orgasm when they made me sit through a dumb sex talk. Everyone can get it apparently, even girls.”

So that’s what it was. The thing Xavier had been so desperate for. Roman pulled back his waistband to check for the white stuff that shot out of Xavier’s dick. Nothing. He even rubbed a finger over his penis to be sure, but he only jumped as his fingers brushed the sensitive head.

“Anything there?” Fielding asked.

Roman shook his head.

“I can almost make jizz,” Fielding said proudly. “It’s only a drop, but it happened after I got my first hair. Check it out.”

When Fielding pulled down the waistband of his black briefs, Roman couldn’t see anything at first except the purplish head of Fielding’s mushroom crown as it quivered from his recent orgasm. It wasn’t until Fielding reached down and smushed his fingers together that Roman saw something thin and clear there.

“Huh, I thought it was supposed to be white,” Roman said.

Fielding shot him a funny look before wiping his fingers on Roman’s comforter. It wasn’t long before Fielding was back in his bed on the other side of the room.

Roman laughed to himself as he pulled the covers up to his chest. The nice glow was still sitting in his belly, and he was suddenly tired throughout his whole body.

“What’s so funny?” Fielding asked.

“Nothing, it’s just…that was the best massage I’ve ever gotten.”

End Chapter 12

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
All rights reserved

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 11

They were ready to start the mural.

During their first month at the academy, Cooper and Anakin talked about all the ways they could make their room pop with color and stand out. The problem was that drawing on the walls or marking them with paint would only land them in a big pile of trouble, but Cooper knew there had to be some solution they hadn’t thought about. It was Anakin who came up with the idea for a mural. Maybe they couldn’t draw on the walls of their dorms, but there were no rules against hanging up artwork, and if the artwork happened to be a mural that covered their entire bedroom wall, then so be it.

Getting permission to use extra art supplies from Anakin’s club teacher, Professor Ricci, proved to be no trouble at all. They found the man hanging self portraits outside the art studio. He twirled the curly ends of his pencil-thin mustache between his fingers as they explained their plan, and Professor Ricci practically gushed over the fact that anybody wanted to bring some personality into the drab, old dormitory rooms. “Uggh, my muse, my protege,” he said, placing the back of his hand against his forehead as if he might faint. “I can hardly bear it. Yes, of course you can use the supplies. Go forth. Create!”

After raiding what they needed from the art studio, they hauled the giant sheet of blank paper back to the suite. Naveen raised an eyebrow at them from the couch as they climbed the final stairs.

“Do I even want to know what you’re planning?” he asked.

“Probably not,” Anakin said, running his fingers through his styled hair. “Besides, it wouldn’t interest you anyway.”

Naveen rolled his eyes and returned back to the book in his hands. Cooper rolled his eyes back, and Anakin stuck out his tongue. Whatever, Cooper thought. Someone like Naveen would never understand. When their room looked awesome and his sucked, that would be his problem. Besides, no one could make art like Anakin. They were about to have the coolest room in the whole castle!

By the time Anakin created a few sketches of all the things they wanted on the mural, most of the night had passed, and the floor was littered with balled up and crumpled papers from Anakin’s sketchbook. Sprawled out on the bed, Cooper fought back an enormous yawn as he watched Anakin work. His roommate was busy penciling in guiding lines, pausing every few minutes to lean against the door and inspect his art through his framed fingers. Already Cooper could see how the drawing was coming to life.

“I promise it’ll be worth it,” Anakin said. “If I don’t take the time now, I might mess something up later, and then it’ll be too late to try and restart.”

“You’re the artist,” Cooper said, hovering over Anakin’s shoulder as he looked at the sketch pad. He couldn’t wait to see the life-size drawings of Detective Dackery. They planned to have themselves somewhere in the picture too. Most of the space had been filled up on Anakin’s sketch, but there was still a gap near the center of the page. Something was missing, something that would tie the whole piece together, but so far they couldn’t figure out what it might be.

“Sometimes you have to let these things sit for a while,” Anakin said. “When the time’s right, we’ll know what we need to add.”

As Cooper crossed the window overlooking the campus grounds, he was about to change into his pajamas when a light from outside caught his eye. It wasn’t like the warm glow from the homes nestled in the distant mountains. This light was a narrow pinprick and dim as it bobbed steadily in the darkness.

“What is that?” Cooper asked.

“What’s what?”

“There’s something outside the window. Some kind of light. It looks like it’s maybe at the lake.”

Anakin set his pencils back in their case before joining Cooper at the window. Together they cupped their hands over their eyes and leaned against the cool glass. The moon was bright enough to cast a pale glow over the autumn trees, but not enough to clearly see the lake or the boat house. There was no doubt about it, though. Something was drifting across the lake.

“Maybe it’s a ghost,” Anakin said.

Even though he didn’t really believe in ghosts, a chill crept up Cooper’s arms. “That’s not funny.”

“Ooooooh,” Anakin moaned, raising his hands above his head and turning on Cooper.

“Stop, or I’ll flick you,” Cooper said. “I’m serious. What do you think it is?”

Anakin waved it off and stepped away from the window. “Beats me,” he said. “Probably just some reflection. Anyway, we gotta hit the hay, or we’ll be wiped tomorrow. Come on.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Cooper said, taking one last glance at the spectral light before heading to his bed.

As he ditched his shirt and pants, Anakin snickered behind him.

“I see London, I see France,” Anakin sang.

“You’re gonna see the moon again in a second,” Cooper said and quickly stripped out of his underwear. He wriggled his butt at Anakin before slipping into his pajamas. Shaking his butt was starting to make him hard, so before Anakin could see, he turned off his lamp and tucked himself beneath the covers.

*

When Cooper woke up the next day, it should have been ordinary. It felt ordinary. But by the time he and Anakin sat with their food trays at breakfast, he knew something was terribly wrong. None of the other Valentias at their table seemed to know what was up, but there was no doubt about it. There was something odd in the way all the teachers scurried about.

Hushed conversations. Low whispers. Strange glances.

“What’s going on?” Cooper asked.

“Beats me,” Anakin said.

A few professors moved table to table asking questions. Some even scribbled down notes or typed a quick message in their phones. Two tables down, Kai Feng looked miserable. The older boy’s sunken eyes had dark pouches beneath them, and his eyes looked puffy like he might’ve been crying. Where was Jordy?

All around the room, students kept shaking their heads whenever the professors showed up at their table with more questions. At least he wasn’t the only one to notice how weird things had gotten.

Kai suddenly stood up before accidentally knocking his chair backwards with a loud clatter that only managed to draw all eyes in the room towards him. He barely had it back in place before he scurried out of the banquet hall. That was it. Things were too weird. Cooper needed answers now.

“Coop, where are you going?”

“I’ll be right back,” he told Anakin before chasing after Kai.

The late autumn hair burned Cooper’s nostrils as he raced outside the banquet hall. Kai was resting at one of the courtyard benches, his head buried in his hands. It wasn’t until Cooper drew closer that he heard the crying and hiccups. Cooper’s foot crunched against the pebbles on the ground, and Kai immediately wiped an arm across his eyes before facing him.

“Hey, Cooper,” he said, trying to put on a brave face. “Sorry, I just…needed a sec. Everyone started staring, and I panicked, I guess…”

“Can I join you? What’s going on?”

Kai motioned to the other side of the bench, and the hard granite stone was like ice against Cooper’s butt.

“It’s Jordy,” Kai said. “He never showed up last night.”

“What does that mean?” Cooper asked. A sharp spike of panic pierced his insides.

“After dinner last night, he said he needed to take care of something, but no one’s seen him since. Then Professor Bell got annoyed because he never showed up for their student council meeting either, but I don’t know where he is! And I don’t know what to do, either! I’m really worried, Cooper. What if something bad happened?”

Cooper reached out to steady Kai’s fidgeting hands.

“Hey, you can’t think like that. Maybe there was an emergency and his parents came by to get him. Did you try texting him?”

Kai nodded. “I did, but his phone’s off. Or the battery’s dead. I’m not sure.”

“He’ll show up, Kai. Everything’s going to be alright.”

Kai looked anything but convinced.

“He’s not the only one missing,” Kai said, an edge of bitterness creeping into his voice. “Turns out Xavier Jacobs is missing, too.”

Roman’s brother was missing?

Honestly Cooper wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He didn’t care much for Xavier, but he cared plenty about Roman. Did Roman know about his brother? What could have happened to the two of them?

“Listen,” Cooper said, shaking it a little to clear his thoughts. “Why don’t you come hang with us after classes tonight? It might help being around other people, you know?”

Wiping the back of his hand across his nose, Kai sniffled again before saying, “Thanks, Cooper. I’ll think about it.”

Cooper’s head swam with thoughts, doubts, and suspicions by the time he returned to breakfast. The moment he stepped inside, it was clear Jordy and Xavier were all anyone was talking about. The professors no longer moved around the room, but as Cooper glanced to the adults huddled together on the far end of the room, there was no mistaking the concern on their faces.

“I don’t like this, Coop,” Anakin said softly.

“I know,” he agreed. “We have to find out what’s up.”

***

Roman couldn’t shake the worry from his stomach.

It had grown from a seed into something fully rooted by the time classes started. During breakfast, when their flustered professors asked if anyone had seen Jordy, Roman and Fielding swapped nervous glances. They knew something had been off yesterday. Should they have said something then? No, it wasn’t his or Fielding’s fault that Jordy was suddenly nowhere to be found. Nobody knew what happened.

It wasn’t until Professor Lee came and told him Xavier was missing that Roman really started to worry. Like Jordy, Xavier was a no show after dinner.

“Roman?” Fielding asked, but Roman shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. His emotions were more unsteady than a ship in a storm at sea. How was it possible to feel so many different ways about Xavier disappearing?

The day only got worse. Everywhere Roman went, someone wanted to ask him about Xavier. Ask if he was alright. Ask if he needed anything. Ask how they could help. He knew they were just being polite, but with all the extra attention, Roman wanted to shake them all by the shoulders and shout at everyone to leave him alone.

Later in class, Professor Riviera could barely get a peep from any of them. Her words only fell on deaf ears when she told them not to worry. Worrying was all anyone could do.

If Roman had any hopes Professor Bell’s class would be better, they were quickly dashed. There was no smile on his face, no friendly banter. They were quick to get to their science lesson, and in a rare break of character, he even snapped at two girls whispering to themselves about the missing boys during his lesson.

No one wanted to talk in Professor Gray’s class either, and their reading teacher’s ghastly frown did nothing to break them from their sour mood. If anything, Professor Gray seemed the most distressed of all the teachers. His greasy thin hair looked like he hadn’t showered at all that morning, and his eyes were dark from lack of sleep.

It was only Professor Lee who sat them down to talk. She had just finished working out the math problem across her chalkboard when she lowered the hand holding her chalk with a sigh.

“Boys and girls,” she said. “You cannot let this eat at you. There is nothing to worry about. All of us are doing everything we can.”

Across the room, Cooper raised his hand, and Roman caught his glance before Professor Lee called on him.

“But Professor Lee, isn’t this super weird to you? People don’t just go missing.”

Professor Lee adjusted the base of her shirt and considered her words.

“It’s unusual, but tell me what worrying will do for you. No? No one? My advice for you all is to blow off some steam this afternoon during your clubs. Come back refreshed tomorrow.”

Easier said than done.

By the time Roman geared up at the rock climbing wall, he said nothing as he joined Cooper on the next climb. He gripped the holds too tightly, forgetting any of the technique drilled into him over the last couple months. Several times he misplaced his foot and smashed his knee or lost his hold and careened to the bottom.

“Roman, do you want to talk about it?” Cooper asked, placing a hand on his shoulder, but Roman shrugged it off.

“It’s fine, Cooper,” he said. “I don’t really wanna talk.”

“But he’s your brother…”

When Cooper tried again, the touch burned Roman, and without giving it a second thought, he lashed out and shoved Cooper back.

“I said, I’m fine!”

Great, now he felt like a jerk. Balling his fists, Roman ignored the hurt that flashed across Cooper’s face. He made the next climb alone and struggled the whole way up. When he finally reached the bell at the top, his muscles were tight with ache across his shoulders and back, but he could hardly feel them past his fury. He hadn’t had such a difficult climb since his first. His brain was running wild, filled with ceaseless thoughts. He refused to let himself worry. He didn’t care. It didn’t bother him at all.

As the harness carried him safely to the ground, Roy Rochester was barking orders to other faculty before they split off in a search party. Roman’s stomach gurgled with uneasiness as he prepared for another climb.

Lately, the campus grounds had grown darker and darker by the night. The shadows stretched like eager hands waiting to snatch Roman up as he walked to dinner. Fielding was extra clingy that night, nearly hugging Roman’s side the whole way through the castle’s dark corridors.

“I don’t like this, Roman,” he whispered. “What if something’s really wrong?”

“It’s not,” Roman said. “Xavier’s probably pulling some dumb prank.”

“But how do you know? You remember how Jordy looked the other day. We should say something to one of the teachers. We should—”

“No!” Roman shouted, wincing as the harsh words escaped him.

“But why not? Something happened, and you know it.”

“We don’t know anything,” Roman lied, ignoring his growing fears. “Please, just drop it, Fielding, okay?”

Dinner was filled with nothing but halfhearted clinks of forks on plates. Near the end, Headmaster Robinson took a rare stand at the podium and cleared his throat for everyone’s attention.

“No doubt many of you have heard by now about our two missing friends.”

Roman flicked his eyes to the empty chair pushed in at Xavier’s table.

“Rest assured, there is nothing to fear. For the time being, however, we are insisting nobody wander the campus alone. Until we know more, all students will adhere to a strict curfew following dinner each night.”

The groans after that were the loudest part of the whole dinner. Roman walked back to the dorms in silence. Outside their window, fat raindrops plopped against the panes of glass as lightning flashed in the distance. A low grumble of thunder washed over them as he climbed the final stairs up the spire. He didn’t believe in fate. Destiny was whatever he wanted it to be. But if everything that had happened was some kind of sign from the universe, Roman didn’t want to know where it was pointing to.

End Chapter 11

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
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