Eclipse Of The Moon ~ Book 1 of Aaron
Chapter 5
Philadelphia

Wednesday 7 May 2002

"I'm certain you can do better, Mr. Cox. A little more effort and next time should be an A..." Mr. Matthews says as he hands me my English test back with a nice B on top of the sheet.

"Thank you, Sir," I reply almost eagerly.

I wasn't even expecting that much, so I am more than happy with a B, to be honest. Not having put much effort in that essay, I didn't think it deserved better than a C, so the B is more than welcome and should please my parents.

In fact, I could be a straight-A student because I have this innate ability to learn easily like, if I pay enough attention in class, I don't even need to review much before a test to get a decent grade. The truth is that I just don't fit in school.

I can't find any interest in what I'm being taught, and it feels like what I learn won't ever be of any use for what I want to do in the future. Not that I know what I would like to do later, but at least I know what I don't want to do. Working in an office, sitting at a desk all day-long, bearing with annoying colleagues and even worse, dealing with a manager, all these are out of my range. I aspire to be my own boss because I want to lead my life the way I want it. I need joy and fun.

Being studious and serious at school would help in that matter, but I can't resolve myself to it. Instead, I slack. A lot. I gawp. I zone out. I do silly drawings on my notebooks. I chat with classmates. All reasonably so as not to get in trouble, but that will have to change. Until now, things have been easy enough; next year will be the last one before graduation, so I'll have to provide more efforts and eventually make a decision on what I want to do in the future. This is going to be a pain in my ass and will certainly yield quarrels with my parents because their expectations aren't mine.

"You're dismissed, class. Have a nice afternoon and see you tomorrow!"

After Mr. Matthews' announcement, there is a loud brouhaha of scraping chairs and enthusiastic teenagers quickly packing their books inside their backpacks before they hurry out of the classroom. Me first.

Yes! Finally!

I eagerly walk to the lockers where I meet Mark, Joshua and Camden who were attending different classes for the last period of the day.

"Ready, guys?" Joshua asks once we have grabbed our empty lunch boxes, gym clothes and books we might need for homework.

Of course, we are! This is quite silly to lock ourselves in Joshua's bedroom to watch a movie when the weather is so nice and when we could have enjoyed an afternoon in the forest or at the shack, but we have already put off our viewing of Philadelphia twice, and there won't be a third raincheck.

First, there was that charity event at church I was forced to attend two weeks ago and that earned me a boring afternoon. The bingo game and sale of cakes were organized by my parents' closest friends, the Millers, and Father Joseph, in order to raise funds for the renovation of a part of our church. There was such a crowd! I can hardly believe that so many people attended, some of them even coming from nearby towns.

The event was boring in itself as it was, but being assigned to the bakery stall with Noelly, my nun-to-be sister, and the Millers' daughters only made the experience more painful. As if it wasn't enough to bear with their solemn conversations about college, future projects and God, I also had to put up with Josephine Miller's shyly-amorous glances. She is 16 and as far as I can remember, she has always had some little crush on me – with the most honorable intentions, obviously; I even heard our parents once say that we'd make a nice couple when we are older. Please, let me puke... However, I acted as a gentleman and managed to smile.

Then there was this fabulous moment that my mother had promised me. Toward the end of the event, once all the cakes had been sold out – and I was hoping to slip away – Father Joseph invited me for a walk in the park behind the church. The clergyman started our conversation casually, broaching topics such as school and the upcoming summer break, until he brought up more embarrassing matters.

"I am really happy about this summer camp you are going to attend, Son. It seems you have been more involved at church this last year, this is good. I believe this retreat will help you further in your communion with God and to refocus before your last year in high school begins. This is going to be a crucial one for you as you will have to choose a career path," Father Joseph rambled as we strolled.

"I'm fully aware of this, Father," I replied with a sigh I couldn't suppress.

"We have had these conversations during our youth groups meetings already, but I'd like to come back on this after I saw how Josephine Miller and you have gotten closer," he continued, and I swear I almost had a heart attack at that. "You're almost seventeen, Son, and it's sometimes difficult for young men to... fight their teenage urges. Remember that lust is a harmful distraction from God, and that's why I suggested this all-boy summer camp to your parents. God will try you, Son, and you will have to resist against temptation."

Honestly, I didn't know if I should burst out laughing or cry. Where the heck did he get that need to give me the sex talk? Was this a request from my parents? Did they think that my behavior of the last three or four years was due to puberty kicking in? Were they afraid to broach this subject with me themselves? No, knowing my father, he would make his point clear wherever it's needed.

Whoever's idea it was, they are so mistaken though! It's true that my hormones are boiling down there, I can't deny this. I rarely wake up without morning wood and I often get boners from the porn pictures that constantly flood my head. I also jack off on a regular basis, either in my bed or under the shower. However, they have it all wrong about my sexual orientation and little do they know that sending me to an all-boy camp will be the trickiest temptation of all. My only hope is that I won't be the only one there against my will and that for lack of meeting other gays, I will at least be around fun guys.

So, we had given our movie afternoon a raincheck to the following one, but then it was Joshua's turn to request an adjournment after he had a bad fight with his father regarding his choice for a college after graduation. The only thing they agree upon is the Ivy League, but as much as Pierce Senior wants to unroll him into the University of Pennsylvania – which would allow Josh to stay home and drive there every day since it's only a twenty-minute ride – our friend has set his eyes on Yale. Not for its prestige since the first one is just as good, but because it would require him to dwell on the campus; meaning more freedom, outside of his parents' place.

Their fight resulted in a one-week grounding and we had to put off our movie afternoon to the following Wednesday, since that's the only day his mom is out for sure. Today is the day, though, and the four of us happily walk toward the Pierce mansion which is situated in the classier neighborhood of Collingswood.

However, a quarrel in the park next to our high school catches our attention. More precisely, one big guy is annoying a smaller one, one we all share classes with even if I can't remember his name. As much as we rarely mingle with others, it doesn't mean we can't be helpful when needed and the four of us immediately stride across the lawn to rescue the blond guy. The jock is holding up one of the boy's books in the air and keeps pushing him back with slaps each time he tries to jump and catch it.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" Joshua yells as we reach them.

"Hey, guys, want to help me beat up that little shit of a fag?"

"I'm not a fag!!" the cute blonde whines.

"You're gay as fuck!" the jock laughs out. "I'm gonna smash your face..."

"And what's your problem with them fags?" I ask, smacking his wrist and consequently making him drop the book to the ground. "Did he try to assault you? Or kiss you? Or suck your small dick?"

"Fuck off! Are you gay too?" he replies with disgust.

"I'm not, but what if I were? It wouldn't be your problem. Just let him live his sexuality the way he wants it."

"That's... disgusting..."

The deep rumble that echoes from Camden's chest is almost inhuman even if he kept it muffled, and I am already fearing an ineluctable fight, but the twinky has seized the opportunity to gather his books and flee.

"Hey!! Where are you going, queer!?"

Josh and Mark immediately grab the dude's shoulders and push him against a tree while I hold back Cam. He would definitely turn this into a fistfight, but although I wouldn't mind seeing that homophobic bastard bleed, I don't want Cam to lose his self-control. Our friends' anger seems to be enough of intimidation in any case as the jerk's eyes are ready to pop out of their sockets.

"Listen well, dumbass," Joshua seethes. "If you ever so much as touch one of Danny's hair, I swear you'll have to deal with me and my friends, understood?"

"Leave him the fuck alone, because we're not joking, got it?" Mark adds as they release him.

"Okay, okay..."

"We'll watch out, you're warned," Camden concludes before we head away, leaving him as he collapses on the floor. "Stupid asshole. Why didn't you let me go, Ron?"

"That's okay, Cam, Mark and Josh had it, and their threats were enough, you'd have been worse."

"I would have beaten the shit out of him..."

"See? That's why Ron didn't let you," Josh teases, shouldering him playfully as we pick up speed on our way to his place.

Of course, this yields to a bit of bickering, but mostly, we ramble on and on about how people can be so narrow-minded at times. I just don't get what it does to them. Why the fuck do they feel compelled to interfere into other people's lives and to resort to violence right away?

Just as we are about to walk into the house, a black SUV pulls over by the porch and a tall man whom we know quite well steps off, his habitual stern expression on his face. A man we don't really fear; just a man who prompts respect. We almost startle when the front door opens, and a petite woman quickly ushers us in.

"Hello, Boys, come in, I'll be with you in a minute," Liz says before she rushes outside to her husband and drops a light kiss on his lips. "Oh, Tony, here you are at last. Come on in, the documents are almost ready."

Ah, Liz... Liz is one of the sweetest things God put on Earth for us, she's like a mother-figure for Joshua – and several of us. Josh's parents hired her when she was 19, at the time his mother was pregnant with him. As far as I know, what used to be three afternoons per week as a cleaning lady in the beginning became a full-time nanny job when our friend became a toddler. Joshua's mother has never been maternal, spending most of her time with her girl friends – and boy friends too, it seems – so Josh has grown much closer to Liz than he is to his own mother. No wonder, she's such a sweetheart. Despite her gruff appearances, she is really kind, and we have gotten to work around her.

Tony, her 38-year-old husband, is quite a different story. Gruff doesn't even begin to describe him, and he is much more impressive. An ex-military, he now works as a freelance bodyguard for VIPs, though he has never given us any name. He often drops over by Joshua's place for a coffee with his spouse when he's off-duty, which is why we know him so well, and although he used to impress us a lot when we were younger – to be honest, he still does at times – we didn't hesitate to ask him for help when we started building our treehouse six years ago, which for some reason he gladly accepted.

Anyway, Tony isn't the type of guy you want to mess with, and his powerful rigor has always forced respect. My father might even pass off as an angel beside him. Yeah, not. Who am I fooling? Tony is certainly strict, but there's this deep fatherly sense emanating from him, a sense of security and an innate good-heartedness that allows us to feel comfortable enough around him.

"Good afternoon, Boys," he greets us as he and Liz enter the house.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Jacobson!" we all chant with mock deference, before Joshua adds: "Boys... we're men!"

"Joshua, it looks like you forgot to dry off behind your ears this morning," the man retorts, giving him a little flick of middle finger and thumb on his ear.

"Ouch!" Joshua yelps with exaggeration, causing Tony to sigh in exasperation.

"Such a diva... What are you little creeps up to?" he then asks dryly, squinting at us.

"Homework, Mr. Jacobson!" Mark deadpans, as if it wasn't obvious.

"And watching a bit of TV," I add.

"Yeah, right. You guys had better work seriously before the schoolyear ends, it's important," he grumbles as we all settle in the large kitchen where Liz has served us glasses of soda and coffee for herself and Tony.

"As if we didn't know," Joshua snorts with an eyeroll.

"Watch your tone, Mr. Pierce," Liz scolds him, making him grimace. "And don't you roll your eyes at Tony."

"Ugh!!! Liz!!! Please! Stop calling me Mr. Pierce! At least not when my parents aren't around!"

Joshua's whimper achieves to lighten the atmosphere as we all burst out laughing. Our friend plainly hates this new rule that his parents imposed about two years ago when they decided he was old enough for Liz to call him Mr. Pierce. After fifteen years looking after him like a mother and calling him Joshua, both had a bit of a hard time to get used to it – in fact, they haven't.

It just sounds so silly, but some people believe that the sun shines out of their ass. Without being billionaires, the Pierce family is filthy rich and they like to think they belong with the highest classes of society, indulging in all their pompous manners. Josh isn't like them – because we raised him better – but I sometimes feel compassion for him. He may have all he wants – and even more – it doesn't make him happier than we are.

"Not my decision, young man, now off you go upstairs do your homework!" Liz says firmly, dismissing us.

We take this as our cue to leave as Liz hands a stack of documents to her husband, and once we have put our glasses into the dishwasher and bid Tony goodbye, we hurry to the second floor and lock ourselves in Joshua's bedroom. Like the good kids we are, we spend a short hour doing our homework while listening to music, then settle on the couch to watch Philadelphia.

Released in 1993, Philadelphia isn't a recent movie, but it was one of the first mainstream films to acknowledge homophobia, homosexuality and HIV. Although it's a drama and doesn't raise as many fun comments as a comedy would, it unquestionably speaks to us and we quickly drown ourselves into the story of Andrew Beckett who was an associate in a law firm in Philadelphia. The guy hid his homosexuality and status as an AIDS patient, fearing for his reputation as a lawyer, until he developed the Kaposi's sarcoma, could no longer hide it and got fired by the company.

The whole trial which is led by another lawyer, brilliantly interpreted by the handsome Denzel Washington, is just amazing. Tough as we may be, most of us can't help shedding tears during Washington's performance at court or when Beckett dies toward the end of the movie. Even Camden, who is the most cold-hearted one of us cannot avoid tearing up and once the credits unroll, there are quite a few coughs and clearings of throat.

"Wow... That was something..." Mark says with emotion as we are now all sitting on the floor in a circle.

"Yeah..." we all agree before I add: "That's still freaking scary. That was like... more than ten years ago and... even if things have started to change, I can't believe I live in a family that is so homophobic..."

"You're not the only one, Aaron," Josh sighs. "Just the other night at dinner, we were watching the news and they were talking about the sexual abuse scandal in Boston again, you know...?" he asks, peeking at me warily before he adds: "My father said: all these faggots should rot in hell, they should be lynched and beaten up!"

"Really?" Cam asks.

"Yeah, that's what he said, word for word. I swear I'm not gonna come out anytime soon."

"Ron...?" Mark calls out softly. "Is... Is your priest... I mean... Has he ever tried stuff... or made inappropriate gestures?"

"Father Joseph? God, no! He's not like that. At least, I don't think so."

"He'd better not touch one of your hair or I'm gonna cut his dick and feed it to him!" Cam grouses, his body so tense that he might implode.

"Calm down, Bro, I wouldn't let him," I reassure him. "How about your mother? Does she make such comments?"

"Nope, not that I know of, but we barely speak, so I wouldn't know her opinion."

"Does Sony know you're gay?" I then stupidly ask.

"Come on, Ron! He's only 6 and I'm sure he doesn't even know what gay means!"

"Yes, you're right, sorry, that was a silly question. So Mark's the lucky guy whose parents would certainly accept him as he is!" I cheer, making our friend blush a bit. "When will you come out to them?"

"I don't know," he replies, shrugging his shoulders. "I think my mom has already guessed, but I'll certainly tell her and my dad soon."

"Anyway, it was a great movie, but a bit depressing," Josh sighs before smugness brightens his face. "Next time, we need to watch porn!"

"Seriously, Josh... It's becoming an obsession!" Mark exclaims.

"I know, but I'm freaking horny and I want to see the real action!"

"I can show you if you want..." Cam smirks as he palms his groin and we all burst out laughing.

"Hey, wait!" I call out for their attention. "I was thinking about American Pie again and you know... that pact they make to lose their virginity before the end of the schoolyear. We should do the same..."

"Such a great idea," Cam deadpans with heavy sarcasm. "Except that we spend all our time locked here or at the shack, so we'd need to meet more people."

"Cam has a point," Joshua concurs. "We need to talk to more guys at school."

"Ugh... without me," I sigh. "I'm not taking anyone in Collingswood. Can't take risks with being ratted out to my parents."

"True..." Mark agrees. "Anyway, I don't want to lose my virginity to just anyone."

"Aww... Listen to our adorable little prude!" Camden teases him as he scoots closer to Mark and wrap an arm around his shoulders. "You want some love before sex? Let me give you some... and pound into your ass..."

"Will you cut me some slack!?" Mark grumbles, pushing him away.

I don't know what it is with Cam always being after Mark, but their antics never fail to make us laugh, and it takes quite a few minutes before we calm down.

"Honestly, though, I think Mark's right," I trail off after a while. "I don't think I'd like to lose my virginity to just anyone either."

"Finally someone who has some sense," Mark mumbles. "It's not that I have strict principles and I wouldn't mind fuck-buddies later, but the first time... It's important and I want to do it with someone I truly appreciate. I don't want my first time to be a disaster."

"You're so philosophical, Marky..." Camden sighs, batting his eyelashes.

"It's nothing to do with philosophy, you jerk. The first is not necessarily pleasurable, so if it has to fuck up, I want that guy to be important to me at least, you know to... make things a little less... awkward."

"Well..." Cam whispers, snuggling again against Mark. "I'm your best friend... I'm important to you... I'll be honored if you let me pop your cherry..."

"The fuck, Cam! I'm not a bottom and you're not getting up my ass! Never!" Mark whisper-yells before a mischievous expression covers his face. "However, if you let me get up yours, I'll gladly offer you my front virginity," he says, leaning forward to surprisingly drop a peck on Cam's lips, which has the latter cower back to his place as Mark turns to Josh and me. "Any of you, by the way, since you're my three best friends."

"Go to hell, Mark, I'm not bottoming either," Josh snorts.

"Me neither," I chuckle.

"Oh yeah? Then I have an interesting question, guys!" Camden interferes, squinting at us. "How do you know you wouldn't like bottoming?"

"I know!" the three of us exclaim simultaneously.

"I'm being serious, guys," our friend grouses. "I know too that I don't want a dick up my ass, like... I don't want a man to take me, but how do you know you won't like it for sure? Bottoms seem to enjoy being fucked, so there must be some sort of pleasure..."

"Because we're big guys?" Mark offers.

"Bullshit, Mark," Josh counters. "If you guys didn't only look at the pictures in the porn magazines but also read the articles, you'd know that even tops can enjoy anal penetration. If it's properly done, they say that the sensations around your prostate can be wild."

"I don't even know where the prostate is exactly," I laugh out.

"Come on, Ron, pay more attention in biology classes! It's right here, between your bladder and your rectum," Josh explains, pressing his fingers just above his pubic area. "And when it's massaged, it can provide very warm sensations."

"Have you been fingering your asshole, Josh?" I tease him.

"Dumbass, I'm just saying what I read in these articles and you can't know you won't like it until you've tried it!"

"Hmm... Makes sense..." Mark murmurs thoughtfully. "But I already know I wouldn't like it. All I want is to fuck a guy!"

"Same, Marky... same..." I add and silence falls for a few minutes as we lose ourselves in our respective thoughts.

Ever since I realized I was attracted to boys, I have never imagined myself as a bottom. In all events, at first it was mostly about kissing and sucking on dicks, but in the past few months, watching all these porn pictures in certain magazines, I have grown aware of my desire to play the top rather than the bottom. However, Joshua has raised my curiosity with what he said about these sensations. Thinking about a man taking me clearly makes me shudder, but I can't help wondering about these prostate tingles.

"I think we should all give it a try," I blurt out, my brain-to-mouth filter failing me again.

"Try what?" Cam asks curiously.

"Err... You know... Bottoming and topping."

"I'll pass my turn," Mark laughs out.

"Come on, Mark, Josh is right, you've seen the pleasure on all these guys' faces when they're fucked, there has to be some sort of pleasure."

"I don't want to find out."

"Ronron, I'll happily volunteer if you want a cock up your butt," Cam whispers huskily, that bastard palming a huge erection through his jeans.

"You're such a horn dog, Cam, I'm not letting you inside my ass if you don't let me inside yours."

"You guys have to be kidding..." Mark sighs, yet unable to suppress a chuckle. "We're like brothers!"

"Says the one who offered to pop Cam's cherry ten minutes ago..." I huff back at him. "Our bond goes far beyond brotherhood, and to be honest, I'd rather lose my virginity to one of my best friends than to any stranger."

"Hey!!!!!" Joshua suddenly exclaims with that special glint in his blue eyes that usually scares me. "I have an idea!!" he adds, and I swear he almost looks like a pervert.

"Spill the beans..." Mark trails off warily after a whole minute of silence.

"You guys are my best friends and even more than that... You know how much you mean to me... we've been friends for like... forever... You're clearly the most important persons in my life..."

"SPILL, JOSH!!!" Camden growls.

"Okay, okay... So, if we take into account these facts: one, we want our first time to be with someone we truly appreciate; two, we should experience both topping and bottoming; three, we'll be seventeen in four months and we're still virgins..."

"Holy shit... I see where you're headed..." I whisper, smiling smugly at my friend.

"I don't, so please explain!" Cam grouses.

"In my humble opinion... We should have our first time together."

"And I agree one hundred percent!" I cheer.

"Are you serious, guys?" Mark asks with a grimace. "How would that even work? Who's going to top who? Cause I'm not bottoming!"

"Ugh, shut up, party-pooper!" Joshua scolds him. "Drawing lots. That's the best option and it'll avoid fights over who does what, because anyway, everyone gets to top and to bottom!"

"Jesus Christ..."

"Oh please, Mark! Can you avoid that name!?"

"Sorry, Ron... But I'm still not bottoming!"

" Marky..." I say softly as I crawl to kneel behind him and wrap my arms around his shoulders. "I think it's a great idea, actually," I then whisper in his ear, loud enough for the others to hear. "You guys are more than family to me, without you, I'd have run away from this zealous family a long time ago and..."

"You'd better never do that!" Cam growls, and I just roll my eyes at him. Of course, I'd never that!

"All I'm saying is that this bond between us, I'm sure it's very special. All these coincidences... our birth month, the fact that we're all gays... It has a deeper meaning. And to make this bond even tighter, sharing the loss of our virginity together does make sense, don't you think?"

"I agree, Ron... but I'm not bott..."

"I'll convince you, Marky. Because this a group experience. It's the four of us or nothing. The four of us will top and the four of us will bottom."

"I'm all for it," Joshua approves.

"I'm... quite up for it..." Cam hesitates. "I'm not looking forward to bottoming, but just for you guys, I'm willing to give it a try.

"And you, Mark?" I insist softly, still pressed against his back with my chin resting his shoulder.

"I... I don't know... I'll have to think about it..."

"We'll all be here, Mark... Imagine the four of us having sex in the same room...? Imagine pounding into Cam's ass while I ram into Joshua's..." I murmur as one of my hands slowly slides down his chest to meet his crotch and that bastard is already hard!

"Ugh, stop it, Ron!" he grumbles, breaking away from my hold. "I said I'll think about it!"

Yes, it might require a little more convincing with the right words, but I'm certain we will get there. Meanwhile, it doesn't prevent us from beginning to think about how and where we are going to do this, but time is flying and we soon have to go home.

That evening, after a boring dinner with my family – though my mother and father praised me for my B in English – I spend a couple more hours on my homework, but it's hard focusing. All this talk and the expectation to finally lose my virginity keep distracting my thoughts and although I already jacked off in the shower when I got back home, I still feel horny as hell.

When I eventually lie in bed, my left hand inevitably slips inside my pants and my fingers wrap around my rock-hard stick. As I begin to slowly stroke my erection, our afternoon conversation flashes back inside my head and I can already imagine what it will be like. Once we have discussed this in further detail, we will have to set up a date, though it might be some last-minute event as we'll need to find a day when both Liz and Joshua's mother are out.

That drawing-lot idea is exciting too and I can't wait to find out which of my best friends I will be given to deflower, though honestly, I don't really care. Mark could be fun. Cam, Josh and I will try our best over the coming days to reassure him because he's still quite reluctant despite the freaking boner he was sporting.

If I'm to top him, I'll make him enjoy this.

Oh yeah...

I can imagine him on all-fours... Me gripping his hips and ramming into his tight asshole.

Just this thought has me over the edge and as I come all over my chest, my right hand reaches my mouth to muffle my moans. It's not a time to get in trouble, is it?

With a sigh of content, I grab some paper tissues to wipe myself clean, and after a quick trip to the toilets to flush the evidence, I lie back in bed, eventually satiated, and fall into a dreamless sleep.

Published on 21 March 2019

As you have guessed, we're getting to the infamous teasing you have endured in the first four books about the guys' loss of virginity, at last! As I wrote it, it turned out to be so long that I had to split it in two events, so you'll get the first part in the next chapter. At least you know how this came up in their minds ;)

Also, I would like to thank you for all the messages you left on the #StopHomophobia part I posted and to which I didn't answer because, well, there's not much to add, these homophobic aggressions happen daily unfortunately and they're just terrible. I think I will leave this part after this chapter actually since there's a certain link with what was broached here, and if you've never seen that movie, I strongly recommend you to do so because it's a beautiful one with brilliant interpretations by Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington.

See you all soon, and don't forget to stay safe... i.e.: use condoms and meet strangers in crowded areas ;)