Free Kiss List by J. S. Abilene Page B

and admired my handiwork.
    David’s back and head were lying perpendicular across my abs. His hands were flailing uselessly above his head. His body was doubled up sharply at the waist so that his butt was sticking up into the air and his legs were spread wide apart like he was doing the splits. I had locked this tall, lean, shirtless stud-muffin up and rendered him completely helpless.
    I couldn’t help it. I giggled excitedly at my victory. “Well?” I asked. “Do you give up?”
    There was silence for a moment and then I heard him say “Yes, I give up.” He said the words quietly and I instantly sensed that something was wrong. Of course. He had been humiliated in front of me and I had just built him up a little to tear him right back down. I instantly released him and knelt beside him.
    “David, I’m so sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to...”
    David sat up and reached out with his hand. He brushed my cheek and then gently pulled my head closer to meet his lips. We kissed and then laid down on the mats and kissed some more. I felt his shirtless body on top of me and rubbed my hands over his muscles as the passionate kiss continued forever.
    I half thought days had passed by the time we finally left the therapy room. David had to put his running bag back so I followed him back into the boy’s locker room. I scrunched up my nose as the stench hit me.
    David put his stuff in his locker and then went back to Sam’s to drop the jockstrap off. He hesitated in front of Sam’s locker, however, as if a thought had just occurred to him.
    “What are you doing?” I asked.
    “Wait here,” he said. He dropped the jockstrap on the bench beside the locker and jogged out of the locker room. He returned a couple minutes later with a jar of gel. I recognized it instantly as the same type of topical gel I applied to my skin after sports injuries. The chemicals in the gel told the nerve receptors in the skin that the gel was ice cold and then hot. Very hot. The gel could be painful on the skin of one’s arm. In a more sensitive spot, the gel would be almost unbearable.
    David pulled open the pouch of the jockstrap and retrieved a plastic cup from inside.
    “What are you doing?” I asked again.
    “It’s an old prank,” David said. “IcyHot in the jockstrap. If you do it this way the prankee won’t feel the gel. After a while, though, the heat and the friction of a workout will make the gel seep through and coat the skin underneath. Sam should start feeling the uncomfortable sensation a few minutes into his workout.”
    “It won’t hurt him permanently, will it?” I asked.
    “No,” David scoffed. “Guys do it all the time. The amount of gel you could put in the cup would not do any permanent damage, it’ll just tell his brain that he is uncomfortable. Ridiculously uncomfortable.”
    “Okay then give me the cup,” I said. I dipped my hand into the jar and scrapped out a massive wad of gel.
    “Don’t put that much in,” David warned. “It’s way too much. Sam will feel it before he even gets out of the locker room and he’ll be able to clean out his cup. It’s better if you catch him when he’s outside.”
    “Don’t worry,” I said as I caked the cup with layer upon layer of gel until it was nearly full of the stuff. “I’ve got a plan.”

Chapter 9 – Revenge
    Sam was the first one down to the locker room. He arrived 20 minutes before the final period had finished, suggesting he had skipped out early. I didn’t blame him. He was probably as eager as we were to avoid talking about the fight.
    David and I ducked behind a table in the therapy room as Sam walked past the window. He didn’t even bother looking in. I figured he wouldn’t but it was always good to have a plan work out. We waited a few minutes and then when we were sure Sam was in the locker room we tiptoed out of the therapy room.
    I reached out and taped a handwritten sign to the door. “Locker room closed due to flooding. Please