By the time that Bobby got to school the next morning, word had gotten around that he had bested Bruce in a fight, and that they had left on Bruce's scooter together. When Jim dropped him off, one of the guys on the soccer team approached him.
"Hey, Bob, I hear you beat up poor Brucey and made him your girlfriend. You going to take over being school bully now?"
Bobby had become accustom to mean spirited banter while living on the streets. Although it irked him, he ignored it and decided to be upbeat in response. "I didn't beat him up," he said with a grin. "I just used a move on him that let him know it doesn't pay to pick on someone smaller than himself. You know, he really is a nice guy once you get to know him. He just has a problem relating because of his size. But I'm going to get him over that."
Bruce pulled in on his scooter as they talked.
"Come on and meet the new Bruce."
The fellow followed Bobby over to where Bruce was untying his books on the back of the scooter.
"Hey, Bruce," Bob said
"Hey, Bob. Hi, Bill." Bruce dropped his gaze to the ground.
Joe joined them as they approached Bruce. Seeing his hangdog expression, Joe greeted him and asked, "Hi, Bruce, you okay?"
"Hey, Joe, I want to apologize for the way I've been acting. I'd like to be friends." He kicked at the dirt with the toe of his shoe.
Joe looked at him, not believing that this was the same kid that bullied everybody. Bill looked like he was going to start jeering, but before he could say anything, Joe asked, "You mean it?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry for pushing you and the other guys around just 'cause I'm bigger." Then added, "You, too, Bill," even though he'd never really done anything to him.
"Okay. Let's be friends," Joe said, offering Bruce his hand. "Come on, Bill, shake hands with the reformed Bruce."
Bruce stuck his hand out to Bill who looked like he was going to just turn away.
Bobby was standing next to him and said under his breath, so only Bill heard him, "You going to let him be bigger in this, too?"
Bill gave him a sharp look, then turned to Bruce and with a smile, shook his hand and said, "Friends."
The first bell rang and they headed off to their different classes. Bruce caught up with Bobby and said, "Thanks, Bob, As much as I wanted to, I couldn't have done that without your push."
"I'm just glad to help you, Bruce. You know you have to apologize to everyone if you're going to make this work."
"Yeah, I know. I'm going to do that."
Bobby saw Jill with a couple of her girlfriends as he headed into his math class. She stopped talking and smiled at him.
"Hi, Jill, girls," Bobby said. He blushed as he waved and ducked into the class room. Suddenly, he was shy. Her smile made him feel giddy. He'd never notice girls before. It was like they were just there, and it didn't really have anything to do with his existence. But now there was Jill, and she was acting like she liked him.
Bobby had never really given a lot of thought to his sexuality. His father had used him for sex since he was eight years old. Bobby had always just assumed that he was gay. Even when he'd been on the streets in Hollywood, he'd turned tricks with older men to make a buck to support and feed himself.
He'd never really been turned on by the individual, only what the person was doing to him. A warm moist mouth around his cock always got it hard. He'd always stayed away from the ones who wanted to get more intimate.... to do more than just feel him up and give him a blow job.
He shuddered as he recalled one man who had tried to go further. He'd been like an octopus, his hands all over him while he attempted to kiss Bobby on the mouth. Bobby had kept saying, "NO," but the man wouldn't listen. Then the man had forced a finger into his rectum, Bobby had chopped him across his throat, quickly pulled up his pants and fled from the man's car, leaving the man choking, grasping his injured throat.
He'd always be thankful to the little queen that had taught him that protective maneuver. What was his name? Oh, yeah, Allen… Allie that's what everyone called him.
Even though Allie could be very effeminate, he'd had a rock hard little body. Bobby chuckled to himself remembering the time that Allie had stood naked in front of him, showing off his taut muscular physique with muscleman poses. There was nothing effeminate about the boy except his adapted mannerisms.
As much as Allie had wanted to, he'd never let Allie do him. But they had enjoyed each other's warmth at night, snuggled together under the thin blanket, and though Bobby had loved snuggling up to Allie's back, it had never given him a boner when Allie pushed his bony little butt into his crotch.
Allie had shared his rickety bed with him for a couple of weeks before Bobby had been caught trying to steal a banana from a street vendor.
And now, here he was in a new school and there was Jill who made him feel strange and tingly just looking at her. He'd never felt that towards a guy. Suddenly, he was eager for the school day to be over so he could talk to Nathan, to tell him about the new feelings he was having toward Jill.
Math was a whiz for Bobby. Usually, he didn't even have to think, it was like the answers to most math problems were obvious. He normally paid close attention to the teacher, but today he stared out the window daydreaming about Jill. He heard other guys talk about how soft girls are. He wondered what it would be like to touch her, to kiss her smiling lips, to run his fingers through her beautiful hair. He realized that he had a boner. He blushed and forced his attention back to the teacher.
At lunch time he hoped to see Jill. But when he entered the cafeteria, he ran into Joe and his soccer buddies. They all got their trays of food and sat around a long table. Bob made sure he sat where he could see the door and kept looking for Jill. He felt slightly aggravated that Joe kept vying for his attention. A few minutes later, she walked in with Bruce right behind her. Bob felt like getting up and forcing him to leave her alone, but then when Bruce said something to her, Jill gave him a little on his lips, Bob gasped.
Joe who'd was watching Bob's reaction, placed a hand on his shoulder. "I was trying to tell you."
Bob looked at him with a frown. "You knew?"
"Yeah, we all have history together. When Bruce apologized to her, she got all giddy and told him that she'd always liked him, but didn't like his bullying. Bruce right out asked her, in front of everybody, if she'd be his girlfriend, and she giggled and said 'yes'."
"Damn," Bob said. He looked at the tray of food in front of him and discovered he'd lost his appetite. Scooting back he took his untouched tray and dumped it.
He glanced at Jill and Bruce as he left. They were oblivious to anything except each other. Bob didn't notice that there was another set of feminine eyes watching him as he left.
Sandi was new at school, too. She'd made friends with a few of her classmates, but she hadn't met any guys that she'd consider boyfriend material… until yesterday. She'd noticed Bob before and thought him cute, but he was obviously interested in her new friend, Jill. Then when she'd seen Bob subdue Bruce, she decided that maybe she'd vie with Jill for his attention.
Since Jill was now obviously out of the equation, she quickly finished her lunch, dumped her tray and followed Bob out. She caught up with him leaning against a tree looking glum. Walking up to him, she asked. "Are y'all okay, Bob?"
Bob raised his head and looked at the lovely young lady with short nearly black hair and a delicious smile. Noting her concerned expression, he half-heartedly smiled, and nodded his head. "You know my name… what's yours?"
"I'm Sandi Valenti. I'm new here, too."
"It's nice to meet you, Sandi."
"I've been noticing you since school started. I... I'm sorry about Jill."
Bob ducked his head.
"I liked how y'all didn't let Bruce bully you. That was a cool maneuver."
Bobby smiled at her, charmed by her accent. "Thanks."
Sandi smiled, suddenly feeling a bit shy.
"I've noticed you, too," Bobby said, "but you're always with that other guy, so I figured that..."
"No, we're just best friends. Fred's my neighbor. That's how we first met."
"Oh." Bob thought about Fred, tall slender, almost what he'd call pretty except that he was a guy. He thought about running his fingers through Fred's longish blonde hair that hung over his forehead on one side. He wondered what he looked like naked and felt a stirring below, which he forcefully ignored, made a mental note to talk to Nathan about this ambiguity in his feelings and turned his thoughts back to Sandi. She wasn't as willowy as Jill, nor as tall. He liked her cute face with her big blue eyes and the freckles across her nose. He tried not to compare breast size, but couldn't help but notice that Sandi's were near the same size as Jill's. He wondered what it would be like to touch them.
"So where are you from?" he asked.
Sandi grinned. "Gee, can't you tell from the way I talk?"
"Somewhere in the South?"
"The South… indeed… I'm from Texas. Fort Worth. Daddy got promoted and we moved out here. Are you from California?"
"Can't you tell?"
She grinned and said, "You do talk funny. But all y'all Californians do."
Bob laughed, and noticed Fred sauntering towards them. Whatever Sandi was saying went unheard. The boy was graceful in his movements. He didn't play any sports and other than that, Bob didn't know much about the boy. He wondered why he was walking directly towards them, but looking like he was going elsewhere. Then it dawned on him that Fred was shy. Having lived on the streets of Hollywood, Bobby had long ago learned not to be shy, no matter how he felt. Shyness only got you taken advantage of.
Bob thought about how Fred wouldn't have been accepted by his peers if he was going to school in Fresno. In Fresno, Fred would have been picked on and called all kinds of rude, crude names. Here in Pasadena, everyone seemed so liberal and accepting of each other.
Sandi turned to see what had caught Bob's attention and smiled at her friend as he took her out-held hand. "Have you met Bob?" she asked.
Fred glanced at Bob and then looked down. "Hi, Bob," he said to the ground.
"Hey, Fred. It's nice to meet you."
Fred glanced up, met Bobby's smile and smiled back before blushing and looking away.
"Y'all have to forgive Fred for his reticence. Once he learns to trust you, he's not at all shy."
"You remind me of a friend I had before I moved here, Fred. You don't look at all like him, but he was the same way. Shy until you got to know him, and then you couldn't turn him off."
Fred frowned and glanced up again.
Bob grinned and winked.
Sandi grinned, too, as she said, "I don't think you turn him off, Bob."
"Sandi," Fred whined.
Bob blushed along with Fred.
Feeling brazen, Bobby looked her in the eyes and with a big grin, said, "I thought you were after my bones for yourself."
Fred giggled, and Sandi blushed and stuttered.
"So, you want to keep me, or are you going to let Fred have me?" he asked.
Fred's anger flared and he shoved Bob. "What makes you think I want you, Asshole?"
"Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't."
Fred mumbled, "Fuck off", and shambled away.
Sandi slapped his arm. "What's your problem? One minute you're someone I'd like to know and then you...you're not."
Bobby kicked at a stone, stared at the ground and mumbled, "Sorry, I'm just fucked up."
Sandi was astute. She studied Bobby for a minute then asked, "So, you like Fred?"
"Yeah, he's a nice guy."
"And you like me."
Bobby grinned at her. "Yeah, you're real ballsy… and cute, too."
She raised an eyebrow as she studied him some more, then said, "I have to think about this," and walked away, leaving Bobby to wonder what she was going to think about as he admired the pert little swing to her step. He wondered what it would be like to be naked with her and stuck his hand in his pockets to hide the results of his imagination. When she disappeared around the corner, Bobby came to his senses and wondered what had gotten into him. It was like he was someone else there for a few minutes.
Later, when his last class ended, he noticed Sandi waiting by Fred's locker as the blond boy was shuffling things inside it. She frowned at him when she saw him approaching.
"Can I talk to the two of you?" Bob asked.
They both looked at him and Sandi nodded.
He looked at her, then Fred, and said, "I'm sorry for what I said at lunch. I was just teasing. I didn't really mean anything by it. Can we be friends?"
Sandi looked at Fred for his response. Seeing his tenuous little smile, she grinned at Bob. "We all would like that."
Bob looked at Fred who shyly glanced up and smiled at him before he nodded.
"Thank you," Bob said with an exaggerate sigh of relief, making his new friends laugh. "I've got to run. My cousin will be waiting for me."
The next morning he ran into his buddy, Joe, first thing.
"Hey, Bob, I saw you talking to that new chick and her boyfriend yesterday."
"Yeah, she came on to me when I left the cafeteria."
"I thought that she and that blond dude were an item."
Bob shrugged. He wasn't about to voice his thoughts about Fred. "Maybe."
"So are you going to pursue her?"
Bobby shrugged again. "Maybe. It's too early to tell."
"Well, Bette says she's really a nice girl and her Daddy's a bigwig with IBM."
Bob thought about how that could raise his status among his classmates, then he thought about Fred.
At lunch time, he walked into the cafeteria carrying a bagged lunch that Jim had made for him. He waved at Joe and his soccer buddies, then looked around until he spotted Sandi off in a corner sitting with Fred. He caught her eye and smiled, but even though she smiled back, she gave no sign that she wanted him to join them. Fred glanced at him then ducked his head. Bob mentally shrugged and started towards the jock table. Not seeing his buddy Joe, he changed his mind and direction, and headed for Sandi and Fred's table.
They'd been involved in conversation and didn't notice him until he stopped in front of them. "May I join you?" he asked.
Fred glanced up with a little smile and then back at his food, while Sandi studied him. Bob gave her a pleading look and she smiled. "Sure, y'all can sit with us, though your buddies will probably be missing ya."
"I'll see enough of those guys at practice," Bobby said, as he watched Fred reach over and push out the chair next to him for him to sit.
Bob quickly analyzed the situation. If he accepted the chair, he'd be sitting next to Fred across the table from Sandi. If he ignored the chair and sat down next to Sandi, he'd be hurting Fred's feelings. Thankful for round tables, he grabbed the other chair and swung it away from the round table, then moved the proffered chair to sit equidistant from both of them. Fred smiled, and Sandi simply arched an eyebrow at him. Bob rolled his eyes, shook his head and grinned. "Gotta be PC, ya know."
Fred chuckled. Bob was relieved that he wasn't offended. He glanced at Sandi who was looking at him with a critical expression. He raised his eyebrows at her. She nodded, her lips smiled, but her eyes were still considering something else. Bob glanced at Fred who was shyly watching.
Bob shifted in his chair. "Okay, what's going on?"
"Bob, can you go home with us after school?"
"I've got soccer practice."
"So? What if we stay and watch? Then can you?"
"I have to get permission, but I don't think there's any problem."
"Good, get your permission and we'll give you a ride home."
Bobby called Jim and told him he'd like to go study with a couple of friends that lived down in San Marino and asked if it was okay. Jim was delighted that Bobby was making friends, and was impressed that a couple of rich kids wanted to befriend him. Bobby promised to be home by six for dinner.