chapter 4

"You can put on a record or something if you want," Joseph said offhandedly, unbuttoning his jeans.

"Uh, yeah, sure," PB said, thankful for a reason not to stare at the bloated jock. He thumbed through Joe's record collection and realized quickly they had incredibly different tastes in music. "You don't have the new Diana Ross album?"

"Why would I have an album for girls?" Joe asked. He stood up and walked over to the records. "This is man's music. Listen." The record began to play and PB knew it wasn't his cup of tea.

"It's not really something you dance to, huh?" PB asked, disappointed, but amused at Joseph's enthusiasm.

"Sure you can, just not like a girl." Joseph began to strut around the room singing loudly. He played air guitar as well. "It's a rock 'n' roll damnation!" he sang loudly. Joe struck some bodybuilder poses and PB laughed loudly. PB began to strut in an overtly masculine fashion, copying Joseph. "That's the way to do it!"

"I'll have to bring some records next time. You'd like Diana Ross if you gave her a chance."

"Ha, maybe," Joseph laughed continuing his pose-dancing. "When I get the new Grateful Dead album you should come listen to it."

"Sounds cool," PB replied. There was a silence for a moment between the two boys, the AC/DC album the only source of sound. "I'm sorry if you really do hate me. I don't know what I did but I didn't mean to do it."

"I--I don't hate you, man."

"You *** with me every day. We used to actually be friends."

"You're too perfect," Joseph replied. "And that probably has a lot more to do with me and not you. I'm just a ***ing ***."

"Can I be honest?" PB asked. "You eat a lot. Like more than anybody I've ever seen in my life." Joseph blushed. He remembered that he had undone his jeans. "You look huge, is what I'm getting at."

"What do you mean?" Joseph asked.

"Well, don't you notice how much you eat during lunch?" They looked at each other closely. "You just ate half the meal tonight by yourself. I guess that's what being a man is all about though, huh?"

"I'm bulking up," Joe replied. "Can't you tell, you pansy." PB rolled his eyes. Joe flexed his arms again, and admittedly he was a beast of a man, but PB mainly took note of his sizeable gut and monstrous thighs. PB's silence made Joseph anxious. "We--we all can't be handsome like you. So what that I'm ugly."

Joseph had large ears and a large nose. His face was freckled and tan from football. His hair was cut low and thick brown. His brow was heavy and his eyebrows were slightly bushy.

"You're not ugly, Joey."

"Don't call me Joey. I'm not a ***ing kid."

"You're making it hard to be friends with you," PB said angrily. Joe's t-shirt had ridden up slightly on his gut and PB was sprouting an erection. PB couldn't stand how turned on he was getting because of some fat bull. Sure, he tuned into The Incredible Hulk every week, but that was for the plot. At least that was what he told himself. That's also what Joe told himself when he watched it from his own couch every week.

"I don't wanna be friends with you," Joe said.

"You used to want to be friends with me. Remember when Vick Harrison called me an n-word? You kicked the crap out of him."

"Well Vick is a dumb sack of shit."

"You can be friends with a dumb sack of shit but not with me?" PB asked.

"Stop ***ing with my head, you faggot." PB felt his face get hot and he pushed Joseph as hard as he could. He balled his hand up into a fist and socked him in the jaw. Joe was taken aback slightly but pushed PB back even harder.

PB crashed against the floor and Joe was on top of him before he could make it to his feet. "Get off of me you fat gorilla." Joe's thighs were around PB's waist and he found himself getting aroused. His massive hands had PB's wrist pinned against the floor. "Get off!" PB hollered.

Joseph began to act on instinct and leaned forward. His mind was blank aside from how turned on he felt. He knew he was about to do the gayest thing in his life. His lips met PB's, who shockingly stopped resisting and kissed back. This lasted until Joseph removed himself from on top of PB.

"I'm gonna go," PB said. "I'll--I'll see you at lunch I guess." PB exited the room quickly and stood in the hallway.

"***," Joe said angrily. "***!"