Free Something Like Summer by Jay Bell Page B

eating.
    “ Isn’t it?” Ben tried to
chuckle casually.
    “ It’s funny. It’s like
fate has some crazy plan in mind for us. You running into me that
day and dragging me to the hospital. Then you take care of me, do
all the stuff you’ve been doing, and now this.” He gestured to the
nearly empty plates in front of them. “Dining in candlelight. It’s
so close.”
    “ What do you
mean?”
    “ Well, you know. If you
were a girl it would be perfect.”
    Ben raised his head to make
eye contact, and for one electrical moment, Tim looked at him as if
he were just that. Then the amorous expression was replaced by one
of confusion followed by a few sniffs. “Is something
burning?”
    Ben sniffed a couple of
times himself. “Shit! The garlic bread!” He darted into the kitchen
or at least intended to. With the lights out he ran into a number
of walls, probably dislodging a multitude of crucifixes. Eventually
he spotted a glow that revealed itself to be the smoldering remains
of the bread loaf. He felt around for oven mitts, took the pan from
the oven, and tossed the charred bread into the sink, running water
over it for good measure.
    With the emergency over,
Ben leaned against the kitchen counter and took a deep breath. If
only he were a girl, huh? On one hand Tim’s words meant that he was
the wrong gender and didn’t stand a chance in hell. On the other
they also said, with a few physical differences aside, that Ben was
everything that Tim was looking for in a guy. Girl.
Whatever.
    * * * * *
    The lawnmower sputtered and
chugged, running off fumes now. Ben eyed the three remaining strips
of grass yet to be mowed and hoped he could finish without having
to refill the tank. He broke into a run, pushing the mower ahead of
him with all his strength. A few strenuous moments later and the
lawnmower gave one final protesting cough before dying just seconds
after the last blades of grass had been sheared.
    Ben smiled in satisfaction
as he surveyed his work. The yard didn’t look perfect, but then it
never did. As he cast his eye over the lawn, a movement drew his
attention to the house where his mother stood in the window. She
was peering at him intently as she had been all day, treating Ben
with suspicion ever since he had come home this morning. She had
assigned him an unmerciful number of chores and regularly checked
on him as he worked, as if to catch him doing drugs or whatever
else she suspected. Once the mower was put away, he stepped into
the kitchen which connected to the garage.
    “ All done then?” his
mother asked as she handed him a glass of Kool-Aid.
    “ Yeah, with everything,”
Ben gasped after chugging the drink. “I’m going to take a shower
now.”
    “ Afterwards you can help
me make dinner, since you’ve been so interested in cooking
lately.”
    “ Yeah, all
right.”
    Ben took his time in the
shower, since it was apparently the only time he would get any rest
today. Some way to spend a Sunday! After he relieved himself
sexually, he stood tranquilly under the stream of hot water for
what felt like half an hour. Eventually he reluctantly turned off
the water and stepped out. Wiping the steam from the bathroom
mirror, he eyed himself as he dried off, wondering all the while
what Tim would think of his body. Was it good that Ben was so
slender because it was more like a girl? Or would it be better if
he had muscles that could compete with Tim’s?
    Once he was downstairs
again, his mother switched off her usual decorating TV program and
hustled him into the kitchen.
    “ Chili,” she announced as
she began pulling ingredients from the cabinets. “This is one of
the easiest things to cook.”
    Ben helped her to reach
some of the items on the higher shelves. His mother was so short
that she actually made him feel tall. He had inherited his small
build from her, as well as the blond hair. Really, he didn’t
resemble his father very much. “What did you eat last night at your
friend’s house?”