Mark phoned to find out how the swim with Wingnut ended up. He was at Carol’s place doing homework. 
Cape Town, South Africa
Part 70
“Only homework?”
“Try, Cody. I’m not telling. I’ll leave that up to your fertile imagination.”
Cricket today – day and night against England here in Cape Town. A lotta guys got tickets but they sold out. Wingnut’s dad tried to get him a ticket but missed out, so we’ll watch it on telly. Another l8 night.
[Later]
It’s stinking hot here again so we’re going for a swim before going home. Wingnut seemed to do better during training this morning but there’s still a bunch of guys beating him. One of them is Brian, Alan’s brother. He’s the opposite of Alan cos he’s fit and got a nice bod – nothing like Wingnut’s but quite athletic. Wingnut says he’s got a weenie.
“Jeez, Cody, you won’t believe it. I put my fist around his dick and it almost disappears. AND HE’S GOT NO PUBES! He puts his fist around mine and then he knows he’s got a cock in there.”
Anyway, I think he’s more pissed cos Brian is beating him in the swim training.
“I think I know what your prob is.” (So now I’m trying to concentrate while I’m watching this out-of-breath little wet god with his wet hair in his face, in his skimpy wet black Speedos with the obvious bulge, and his stomach heaving, and his damn sixpack).
“Yeah, I know, too. I suck ass at swimming.”
“You’re not aggro enough.”
“Like how?”
“You need to push yourself and forget you’ve got friends in the water. There’s no friends when you’re trying for a place on the team, buddy.”
“Yeah, and what happens if Brian doesn’t get in [the team] or one of my other buds?”
“Hey, they’ll live. Anyway, I wantya on the team so I can seeya at the initiation.”
“And if I don’t do it?”
“Hehehe – we’ll stripya and tie you to a street lamp in the main street.”
“Cool – near some sluts – they can eat me.”
“Nah, we’ll get one of the guys to eatya.”
“Get Mark to do it, then I can tell my buds I fucked him up.”
“Careful Mark doesn’t hearya – then you’ll be in hospital while we’re on swim tour.”
Just then Mark arrives. “What’s that? You guys talking about me?”
“Yeah. Wingnut was just saying that now he’s learnt to swim [properly] he can whip your ass in the water.”
“Liar! Cody’s lying.”
Hehehe – too late. Mark had already picked him up by his Speedos, giving him a helluva wedgy, and then threw him into the pool. *Splutter, splutter – hehehe.*
“Cody! Tell Mark you’re lying.”
“I wouldn’t lie to a friend.”
“Yes! You would!”
Anyway, we’re all gonna meet in a few and swim for about an hour. Mark says he’s meeting up with Carol and they’re going for pizzas for supper, so I’m gonna check if Steph and I can go as well. I’ll check with Steve, too. I had such a good time with him the other arvie. He’s stressing, though. Looks like an elastic band ready to snap.
Mark just asked me to try and leave Wingnut at home [rather than invite him to join the guys for pizza].
“What if he wants to come along?”
“Fuck, Cody, I know he likes you but you and Steph never seem to have a chance to be on your own without him hanging about. And you’ve given him a shitload of time already this week.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I think he’s the neatest lighty I’ve come across in fucking years, but he’s getting to be like your little brother, and you need time out, bro, or things are going to go sour. Just tell him that it’s the big guys hanging, and he can join us some other time.”
So, another dilemma. But I’ll be honest with him. Maybe Mark’s right; we just need some time to chat total older teen stuff.
Had a really cool time yesterday arvie at the pool, and then walked home with Wingnut and Mark. They were laughing about what happened during the break yesterday when Mark picked him up by his Speedos and gave him a wedgy. Mark was mimicking [Wingnut with] a high-pitched voice. “Stop lying, Cody, while I’ve still got my balls! Even if they are little!”Hehehe – Wingnut was quick to tell him they’re not that little.
“Mark, who didya beat up on before I got to high school?”
“Cody. Who else?”
“No, I’m talking about lighties.”
“Nobody. I was saving my strength for you.”
“You ever give Cody a wedgy?”
I could see the two of them smiling at each other [so I said], “No. And he won’t, and you won’t. I’ll killya both.”
“Hmmm. We’re both too strong for you. Mark’ll holdya while I pull your Speedos up over your ears.”
It was a pretty good vibe all the way home. We’ve got this new English teacher at school who is the spitting image of Rowan Atkinson, so no prizes for guessing – we call him Mr Bean. So we were going on about the little funny things we’ve noticed him do, and Wingnut had gotten the character taped; even his voice. We were laughing so much our stomach muscles were cramping.
Anyway, it was no biggie with us going for pizza. I told Wingnut, and he seemed OK with it.
“Maybe next time, buddy.”
“Hey, Code, it’s cool. Hanging with you and Steve, I forget I’m a grommet sometimes, and that you need your space. It’s just…”
“Yeah?”
His eyes were watering big time. “It’s just that the other day when we weren’t talking, I thought we were never gonna be friends again.”
“And I’ll tellya something – I missedya during those days as well. I really missedya.”
“Thanks, Code. But when you guys want me to back off then just say so. I don’t want to become a pain in the ass like a regular little brother.”
I didn’t tell him that that’s what Mark had almost said as well.
Steve did make it [to the pizza restaurant], with one of his old flames. And it was a good evening. Steve’s looking tired, though. It’s weird cos he can be a wreck and still good-looking, and I still love him. Mark told me l8er that Steve’s girl had spoken to him. She was worried that Steve was getting totally aggro and almost permanently stoned. Apparently he hit her one night as well. That’s not the Steve I know. She spoke to Mark cos she thought that he was Steve’s best friend.
Anyway, I told Mark I’d try and speak to Steve alone sometime soon. I’ll try and go see him this arvie. I’ve never known him to get really aggro [so] that he hits anybody. In fact, he once said to me that any guy who hits a girl needs to be given a good hiding.
Wingnut was pretty bouncy on the way to school this morning cos we won the cricket by one run. England played helluva well. I don’t know why our guys aren’t getting into it. Even though they won they didn’t play that well.
Swim training went quite well yesterday. Asked Mark if he wanted to come around to my place and maybe study but he said he had things to do at home, and he promised Carol he would see her.Didn’t stop Wingnut from coming around, though. He picked up the dog crap and went with me to the market to get stuff for my mom.
“Haven’t you got homework?”
“Did it during a free period, so I’ve only got some math left.”
“Fuck, I’ve got a pile of it.”
“Yeah, well, you’re a big boy. You’re supposed to handle a pile. I’ve got a pile right here in my shorts. Wanta handle it?”
“Hehehe – I’ll tear it off and make you eat it.”
“Toldya – you’re gonna have to catch me first.”
Then we swam and stuffed around in the pool for a while before I really hadta get stuck in [to my homework].
[Later]
Talk about hills and fucking valleys. This morning I went looking for Mark after I sent your mail, and Wingnut said that he saw Mark going into the gym when he was in the change room.
So I get to the gym and Mark’s in his shorts hitting the shit out of the boxing bag, and he’s soaked in sweat, and he’s swearing at himself.
“Hey.”
“Hey, Code.”
“What’s up?”
*Punch, punch, punch*. “Nothing.”
I walked around the bag to chat to him, and his left cheek was swollen and bruised. “Nothing?”
”Don’t [ask]. I’m not in the mood for a fucking inquisition.” *Punch, punch, punch*.
“Didya watch the cricket last night?”
“No.”
“Wanna talk?”
“No.”
“You’re stressing. Besides, someone used you for a punch bag.”
So he stopped punching and looked at me. “Cody, (that’s always a bad sign, else he’d have called me Code), I’m OK. I need some time to think. You’re always trying to figure out my life for me. Just for once, leave me the fuck alone to sort it out.”
“Looks like you’re getting it sorted out forya.”
Then he lost it and pushed me up against the wall. His eyes were on fire. “Stop! You never know when to drop it. I’ll sort myself out. If you carry on trying to be a fucking detective I’m going to brain you. Go help your buddy with his swimming or something.”
“So what now? You think you’re not my buddy? I’m just trying to help.”
“I don’t need help right now. I need some space.”
“Your mom’s boyfriend do that to you?” Then he hit me in the stomach. I was lucky he had training gloves on. I just doubled over, and then he went back to hitting the bag. “You didn’t need to do that. I just asked a question.”
“Yeah, life sucks. Leave me alone.”
“Why? Our friendship getting too intense for you to handle?”
“Where the fuck did that come from?”
“Cos if we’re friends then we can share problems. Right?”
“I’ll tell you something for nothing, and you can take this any way you like. There are times you ask too many damn questions, and when I don’t answer you carry on and fucking on.”
“Cos I’m your friend.”
“Don’t think I don’t know that. You’re the only real friend I’ve had. But fuck, you can be annoying.”
“OK. If I shut up, can I just sit around and watch you sweat?”
“I need to be alone for a while.”
“I wish you’d speak to me.”
“Go – before I take you in the ring and send you to the sick room.”
“OK, but think about it. There’s nothing I can do about your prob, but it may help to just talk.”
"That’s not my style, Code. (Getting better). You should know that by now.”
By then it was too l8 to go for a swim so I just sat on the stands and watched Wingnut. He’s swimming a bit better now – and concentrating.
At break, Mark disappeared to the other side of the grounds and just sat under a tree. He was writing in a black hardcover book. I just left him alone and spoke to a couple of the guys in class. Mark was pretty quiet in class as well.
He sat with me during second recess but was pretty quiet. He asked me about the cricket, so at least we spoke. I looked at his cheek and it looks pretty painful. I can only guess that he had a run-in with his mom’s boyfriend, unless he ended up at a club and a fight.
We’ve got swim training now so maybe that’ll help him let off some steam.
I’ve gotta get moving soon to watch the junior swim trials. Wingnut got it wrong with the numbers – they select four from each age group for each event, plus a reserve, so he’s got a good chance of getting into at least one event.Mark was on gate duty this morning, checking uniforms and shit like that. Wingnut never walks [to school] with his blazer buttoned. As it is he hates the damn thing.
“Better button your blazer before you get busted whenya get to school.”
“It’s Mark [on gate duty]. He won’t bust me.”
“He will, too. Anyway, don’t force him to.”
“So he quickly buttoned up.
“You nervous about the swim trials?”
“Nope … scared shitless.”
“Don’t hassle. You’re gonna knock ‘em dead.”
“Before or after?”
“You’ll be OK. I still get nervous before anything that even looks like a comp. That’s why I never surf in surf comps. Too much aggro.”
“My stomach’s cramping as well.”
“Relax.”
“I’ve gotta go and park a putty before the bell goes [for class].”
“No training this morning?”
“No, we’re supposed to relax and take it easy. What’s wrong with Mark’s face?”
“He walked into a door.”
“Was he trashed?”
”Yeah. But don’t tell him I toldya. He’ll fuck me up.”
“Yeah, right. He’s your friend.”
“Yeppo, but his fuse is half the length of mine.”
“Hey, before class can you just help me with a math prob?”
It was an algebra thingy that he couldn’t understand – like one of those simple things that stares you in the face but you can’t see it. He coulda kicked himself [when I explained it].
Mark and Carol are going to the cricket between England and Zimbabwe after school. It’s a day/night game. Carol got tickets from her dad. Cool, huh? Then they’re going to a place called McGinty’s, and party [there] with all the guys. The Barmy Army [England’s cricket team] is gonna be there.
Mark seems almost his normal quiet self today. So I’ll see if Steph wants to catch a movie or something. Steve and some of his school friends are going to the cricket as well, and then to one of their houses for a house rave.
Not sure what Wingnut’s doing. Maybe [I’ll] see if he wants to go to the movies with Steph and me. He can bring his girlfriend along, and I can show him the popcorn thing with Steph. :)
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