Boy in a Band (A Morgan Mallory story) Read Free Page B

cigarette, but don’t blow it out right away. Hold it in,” she instructed.
    The first hit I coughed until my eyes watered, and she laughed. Keri and I laughed on the bus when we looked at each other with Gayle shooting me dirty looks. When we got to school, she hurried off the bus without saying boo to me. I guess she didn’t like that I was venturing out without her.
    I soon found out why smoking pot before school was a bad idea in my first period math class. As I sat and watched the teacher do problems on the board, I felt paranoid. I couldn’t focus on what the teacher was saying. The more I tried to concentrate the more my heart raced and my palms felt sweaty. I glanced around the room at the other students and I felt like everyone knew I was stoned. I crossed smoking-pot-before-school off my list.
    Didn't mean Gayle had stopped giving me shit about it at every opportunity she could find. It was late in the day, and the sun was warm on our bodies, we were at the creek, lying in the tall grass under the oak tree. A couple of birds were chirping at each other in the tree, and I squinted, looking up through the branches to try and find them.
    “Gayle, did you see Keri and Brett making out against the lockers between second and third period yesterday?” I asked, rolling onto my side and elbow, propping my head up with my hand.
    Gayle was on her back, playing with a blade of grass, tying knots in it like a chain. I watched her bend the blade, loop it through, and tie another one.
    “Yeah, who could have missed it? Keri wants everyone to see her. ‘I’m popular, I’m pretty, I’ve got a boyfriend, look at me',” Gayle mimicked Keri’s voice.
    “It’s stupid at school,” I laughed.
    Gayle finished the last knot and then admired her chain against the blue sky. A few dried pieces of grass stuck to her hair. I fluffed out my own knowing I certainly must have some in mine too.
    “Tell her.”
    “Yeah, right, tell her. She doesn’t care what I think.”
    I picked a piece of grass, stuck the root end in my mouth, and chewed on it. The texture was crispy and the taste sweet, like honey.
    “She’s fucking him,” I said absently.
    Gayle sat up quickly and looked at me.
    “No shit? She tell you that?”
    I pulled the grass from my mouth and threw it away. I smiled a big shit-eating grin at her.
    “Yeah, in fact, since they started, that’s all she talks about. ‘How fine’ he is. How his dick is so big and how she likes to suck on it. So your question is answered, and I didn’t even have to ask.”
    “Gross, really? She talks about his dick?”
    “Yeah,” I laughed.
    A cow mooed in the distance and a second one responded to his sound.
    “You ever think of a boy that way? I mean think about a boy actually putting it into you, let alone your mouth?” she asked.
    “From everything Keri has said, it’s nothing but good.”
    I’d thought about it plenty, liked the thought actually. I’d fantasized about having sex, even had an orgasm by myself, at least I was pretty certain that’s what the shudder was.
    “She’s too young. Don’t you think?” Gayle questioned.
    I thought about some of the boys in our class. I couldn’t think of one off hand I even wanted to kiss, let alone fuck.
    “Probably, but some of the girls are starting to go there. Especially the one’s with older boyfriends.”
    We were silent for a few minutes; quiet enough I could hear a bullfrog in the creek. The deep rib-bit gave him away.
    “Would you do that with a boy?” Gayle finally asked.
    “No,” I said loudly, then laughed. “Who would you think I would even consider? No one.”
    I gave her arm a shove. I didn’t think Gayle had the same thoughts as I did about sex.
     

 
    Chapter 3
     
    “Morgan,” my mom shouted impatiently.
    “Coming ,” I answered as I grabbed a light jacket.
    I’ d agreed to go to work with her since it was Saturday. We’ve been trying to stay out of each other’s way and haven’t been