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Return to: All-American Boy (a novel by Jack Wells)
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#Post#: 30437--------------------------------------------------
All-American Boy (Complete Novel)
By: Jack Date: February 24, 2025, 8:43 pm
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I listened for a minute when I woke, but it wasn�t the alarm. I
couldn�t figure out what it was. For a moment, I just lay
there, enjoying that warm feeling, but it was lonely. I
couldn�t help but think of how warm it had been when I�d wake
with Emil snuggled under my arm or spooned up against me, and
how we�d laugh when he tried to be the big spoon.
I tried to go back to sleep, but I just wasn�t tired, so I
reached for my phone. It was a few minutes early, but not long
enough to go back to sleep. I reached into my boxers for a
scratch and thought about dealing with my morning wood, but
really needed to p‍iss, so I forced my way out from the
comforter.
Mister Whiskers, my aunt�s Siamese cat, protested but then
shifted to the warm spot where I�d been lying.
After washing my hands, I splashed some water in my face and
went to dress for a run. I didn�t bother with sweats.
It�s one thing for people to tell you that Texas is hot, but it
was only 6:10 in the morning, and it was still 16 degrees. It
had been up to 27 yesterday, and it was supposed to be nearly
that hot again today. At home, the high for the day would
probably be cooler than this, and the low would probably only be
about 4.
I was really hoping I could convince Uncle Dee to let me go home
for the summer holiday, as much to avoid melting as anything.
Well, that�s not true, but�
I�d talked Aunt Linda into driving around for a while so I could
map some running routes. The worst part was her car�s odometer
only works in miles, and I can only think in kilometers. It was
frustrating, but I finally found a couple of routes that give me
two and ten klick paths.
I was only running two this morning. No need to overdo it on
the first day of school.
One thing I loved about Onkel and Tante�s house is that I had my
own bathroom, and it had a huge shower, and I could stand
completely under the shower head - or is that three things?
Fifteen minutes after starting my run, that�s what I was doing.
A few last stretches to get the kinks out, a thorough wash, hair
conditioner, and then a couple of minutes just standing under
the rush of water, trying to convince myself the day wouldn�t be
horrible.
Linda had already left for work, and Dillon didn�t leave until
9am, so he wasn�t even up yet. Before I finished dressing, I
went to the kitchen. It was good that Linda had left because
she made huge breakfasts that left me feeling like a stuffed
goose. I started the coffee, put a bagel in the toaster, poured
a glass of orange juice, and then pulled out my Jarlsberg. The
cheese was imported and expensive, but so worth it. A couple of
slices of that. Because I knew I would have to eat lunch late,
I added a pear, and then a slice of ham.
When I moved in, Linda and Dillon had a Keurig and an espresso
machine. They agreed to let me spend some of my money so I
could have real coffee. Since I was buying for myself, I went
ahead and got a French press, so it was worth lingering over.
Back in my room, with a second mug of coffee, I started to argue
over what I was going to wear again, but finally quit second
guessing myself and just wore what I�d picked out. I�d seen a
lot of kids when I�d gone to the school to sign up, and I was
pretty sure I at least wasn�t going to stand out too badly.
I nearly jumped when there was a knock at my open door.
�Hey,� Uncle Dillon said.
�You�re up early,� I replied.
�Didn�t want you to start your first day without someone to see
you off. Are you sure you don�t want me to drive you?�
�Nei takk. It�s nice this morning, and it will be easier for me
to get home with my bike.�
�Your aunt could pick you up��
�But what if I need to stay or want to talk to someone? Nei, I
appreciate it, but I will ride.�
He nodded, then waited, so I finished dressing and put on my
trainers. I stood up, and he finally nodded.
�Okay, have a good day then.�
�Takk. You too.�
I got my backpack, then carried my mug back to the kitchen. It
went into the dishwasher, I pulled my lunch from the fridge, and
it was time to go.
#Post#: 30438--------------------------------------------------
All-American Boy Chapter Two
By: Jack Date: February 24, 2025, 8:45 pm
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I missed most of first period. Apparently when they said my
paperwork was finished, and I was all ready to go, what they
meant was �your paperwork will be finished, and you can pick it
up your first day, because you�ll have to tote it around with
you the entire day.�
At least I had time to get my book and a reading assignment.
Second period was horrible. As soon as I walked in the door,
the first thing I heard was �You must be Jo-ep.�
I tried not to cringe.
�It�s pronounced �Yōp��, I corrected quietly, knowing I�d
be doing it many more times this day. �But I go by Sieger.�
�Like Bob?� a girl asked from the class.
�Yes,� I answered, turning to see if I could tell who�d spoken,
�but it�s spelled differently.�
�All right, Sieger,� the teacher continued, making a note in her
grade book, �why don�t you put your backpack in that desk, then
you can tell us a bit about yourself?�
Joy.
Once the bell had rung and everyone was in their seats, the
teacher - Ruth, who apparently expected to be called Ms. Vaughn
- called me to the front of my class, then just repeated �tell
us a bit about yourself.�
�Fy Faen.�
I walked to the front of the class, stood facing the students,
which put the teacher to my side. I closed my eyes, took a deep
breath, and touched the cross under my shirt, then opened my
eyes, opened my mouth, and�
�Is that Pink Floyd?�
�Unnskyld?�
�What?�
�I mean, I�m sor� Oh, you mean the shirt?�
�Yeah.�
Some people, including Ruth, were starting to laugh a bit, and I
could feel myself blushing.
�Yes. Animals. It was a gift from� Well, from friends before I
left.�
I took a deep breath and continued.
�Forgive me if my English is a little weird. My mother was
American and we spoke it often in the home, but also other
languages. I know it pretty good, but maybe my vo� ah,
vocabulary is not so good yet. We watch much American TV and
movies, but in school, we learn more English English.�
�Where are you from?� someone asked.
�My mother was American, as I said, and worked in the State
Department. She was stationed in Europe, where she met my
father. He was from Norway, and that is where I was born, so I
am a� ah� a two nation��
�I think you mean dual citizen,� Ruth offered.
�Yes, thank you. Dual citizen of America and Norway.�
�So, your parents moved here?�
�No,� I admitted, looking down. �My parents died in a car
accident. My only relatives now are my aunt and uncle who live
here, so here I am.�
There were some noises of sympathy, then the room went quiet. I
was trying to think of something else to say, when someone
helped me out.
�Do you play sports?�
I wasn�t sure who had asked. There were five or six boys
sitting in a group in one corner, and I think it was one of
them.
�Some. I mostly like to ride my bike and hike. I do play
football and��
�What�s your favorite team? What position?� people jumped out
to ask.
�Umm� my favorite team is Real Madrid, and I usually play
winger, though I�m not good enough to start.�
�Winger? What position is that?�
I paused for a second.
�I�m sorry. I forget you call it soccer here.�
The sounds of disappointment from the one group were obvious. I
tried to ignore them, which was easy, since I had thought of
another topic.
�I�m actually sixteen, even though I�m in a sophomore homeroom.
They were talking about putting me in Freshman English.
However, in Norway, most people go to school for thirteen years,
then start university, and I�ve had as many English classes as
most of you. I was actually attending the Hartvig Nissen
School, which is an upper secondary, so I��
�Isn�t that where they filmed Skam?�
I was a bit surprised that any of them had heard of it, since I
didn�t know it was in English. Then again, it was a girl who
had asked, so maybe it wasn�t the stories she was so concerned
with.
�Yes, that�s where it was set. I guess they filmed all over.�
�Did you ever meet any of them?�
I shook my head.
�Not really. The show was finished years ago when I was still
small. I think the youngest of them was Tarjei Moe, who did go
there for school, but he is old now, I think 20 or 21. I did
meet him once though.�
�He played Isak. He was so dreamy. Where did you meet him?�
�My mother had tickets from her job to go backstage when he was
starring in Grease, and she took me because I love theater.
I paused a second, then went back to what I�d been saying.
�Anyway, there are many classes I have already had, but others I
have to take to graduate from Texas, and some for which I must
take tests, and so� I ended up as a Sophomore, but I�m hoping
to graduate next year.�
Several of them just stared at me, but one boy who was sitting
in the back asked, �If you speak Norwegian, are they going to
make you take a Foreign Language?�
I smiled. �They talked about it, since they don�t teach
Norwegian, but I speak French as well as the teacher here does,
and German also, so they�re allowing me to take tests for
those.�
�How many languages do you speak?�
�Just four,� I replied, which brought some laughter, and I
blushed again, hoping they didn�t think I�d been bragging.
�All right, everyone,� Ruth spoke, before anything else could be
said. �We do need to get to work. I�m sure there will be
plenty of time for you to talk to Sieger later, if you�d like.
Thank you for sharing with us, Sieger.�
I nodded to her and sat, grateful to be able to finally relax.
#Post#: 30439--------------------------------------------------
All-American Boy Chapter Three
By: Jack Date: February 24, 2025, 8:45 pm
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Third period was the weirdest thing that happened all day. It�s
a short period they call �home room�, which is for school wide
announcements, but they start by actually saying the Pledge of
Allegiance. I mean, Mamma told me about it, and I know it, but
hearing everyone saying it like that - and it was kind of a
drone, not like they were even thinking about what they were
saying� It was just weird.
At least no one said anything about me not saying it.
I guess the rest of that period is usually just a study hall,
but I got to take center stage again. At least I remembered
American�s call it �soccer� this time.
I did get to talk to a couple of guys, but none of them were in
my next two classes. They grouped homerooms by grade, so
everyone was about my age, but there weren�t that many people
taking any of the classes I was, much less all of them, which
was a bit depressing.
By the time the bell rang for lunch, I was past ready for it,
and not just because it didn�t come until nearly 1 p.m.
I had decided that, if I was going to eat with Americans, they
probably wouldn�t object if I didn�t carry a standard matpakke.
I had managed to find a thick-sliced oatmeal bread that wasn�t
bland or too sweet , and I laid a slice of that down, unwrapping
lettuce, cucumbers, and real cheese to go atop it. I picked up
my fork, took a bite, then reached into my backpack for the
bottle of Voss I�d brought. Before I could even straighten up,
I sensed someone standing there.
�Hello,� the girl said to me.
I was still chewing, so I just smiled and waved at her.
�You�re the new boy, aren�t you?�
I swallowed, then replied, �Ja� Hello.�
She apparently took that as an invitation. I�d been warned that
Americans had� different manners than to which I was accustomed,
but I still couldn�t understand why she would just walk up and
start talking to someone she didn�t know especially while I was
trying to eat. I�d also been warned that Americans could be
disarmingly friendly. It probably would have been less
confusing if she actually seemed to want to talk to me.
Instead, she seemed to be trying to tell me about every person
involved in her first hearing about me.
While this was going on, a guy came up beside me.
�Mind if I sit here?�
I gestured for him to go ahead, even as I looked up at him. He
seemed to be six or eight centimeters taller than me, but I�ll
bet I outweighed him by at least four kilos.
The girl said, �We�re talking here�, right as I said, �Go
ahead.�
He hesitated, but I held up my fist.
�I�m Sieger.�
�Walker,� he replied, giving me a bump as he set his tray on
the table.
�Texas Ranger?�
He smiled.
�No, and I don�t know Chuck Norris.�
�This is,� I turned, realizing I didn�t know the girl�s name,
but I�d apparently offended her, because she was gone.
I looked back at him and shrugged, but he didn�t seem surprised.
�These are my homies,� he said, gesturing to the other guys who
were taking spots around the table. �Tanner, John, Aiden,
Devon, and Adam.�
�Halla,� I greeted them, waving.
�Hey,� the short, orange-haired boy - Tanner? - replied.
�Remember me?�
�First period? Health?�
�Yeah, the hair�s hard to forget, huh?�
I smiled.
�It does stand out a bit.�
�Don�t worry, I don�t think anyone expects you to remember all
the names.�
�Not today,� said a tall, black guy with very short hair. �But
there�ll be a test tomorrow.�
Everyone else added general greetings, and then all started to
eat. As I picked up my fork again, Walker asked, �What is
that?�
Cutting a bite, I replied, �Cucumber sandwich,� then gestured to
the second container. �That one�s a pickle sandwich.�
�You�re strange,� was his reply.
I�m not sure how my face looked, but he rushed to add, �Don�t
worry. Everyone at this table right now is pretty strange.
You�ll fit right in.�
�Good to know,� I answered, taking a bite.
They talked around the table as they ate, but they let me eat in
peace and just listen.
It was a bit confusing, until I realized there were at least
three different conversations going on, but most of them seemed
to be participating in all of them. I was mostly listening to
it as background noise and eating my dessert when something
caught my attention.
�Excuse me, but did you say comics?�
The discussions closest to me stopped, then the quiet spread
around the table.
�Yeah,� Walker said, a bit defensively. �What is that?� he
added.
�It�s a brunost,� I explained, holding up the hunk of cheese I
had in one hand.
�It�s brown�� one of the other guys mentioned dubiously.
�It�s goat cheese,� I explained.
�Goat cheese?�
They all looked at me.
�It�s hard to get American comics back home,� I commented
weakly.
Suddenly everyone was paying more attention to me than my
cheese.
�American comics?� one person asked, while someone else added,
�Where�s back home.�
�Norway,� Tanner interjected, reminding us that he�d already had
a class with me.
I explained that I mostly read graphic novels, since it was
almost impossible to follow monthly comics on a regular basis,
which led to a discussion of our favorites. Then one of them -
Adam, I think - asked about my t-shirt, and when I assured him
that I liked both the band, Pink Floyd, and the t-shirt, he
asked me about Red Rocket 7, which I had read and loved, and we
veered into an in-depth discussion of the works of Mike Allred.
I prefer to eat in quiet - eat quickly, then take my time the
rest of the break. There wasn�t much chance of that today , so
I�d finished up, while we talked.
�Sorry,� I announced, �but I have to go. I don�t know where my
next class is and��
�Whatcha got?�
I had to take a second to decipher that, but then answered,
�American History.�
�Me, too,� Adam volunteered. �Ms. Snow?�
I looked at my schedule and nodded.
�Great, then I�ll show you. Come on.�
#Post#: 30440--------------------------------------------------
All-American Boy Chapter Four
By: Jack Date: February 24, 2025, 8:50 pm
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Adam and I went by our lockers, then he led us to the history
class, spending the trip discussing Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and
the difference between Prog Rock and Glam Rock. It turned out
his father was a radio deejay, which explained his interest in
classic rock. In turn, I told him about Airbag. He�d never
heard of them before, but we reached class before I could say
much about them.
When you entered the class, the teacher�s desk was almost
directly in front of you, but across the room, while the student
desks were to your right. Sitting on the corner of the
teacher�s desk was a fairly young lady, short but athletic
looking, with very long, very blonde hair piled nicely atop her
head� I�m sure my mother could have told you the name of the
hairstyle. I just knew it looked nice, while giving her a
rather stern look.
I bumped fists with Adam, then walked towards her desk, starting
to extend my paperwork.
She smiled at me when she noticed me coming.
�You must be Joep,� she said.
�It�s�.� I started automatically before realizing she�d
pronounced it correctly. �Umm� Yes, but I go by Sieger.�
She nodded.
�Aren�t those Dutch names? I thought you were from Norway.�
I nodded back.
�I�m named for my mother�s father, who was from Nederland.�
�My father�s family moved here when he was very young, but we
visited several times when I was growing up. We visited Oslo as
well - very beautiful.�
As we spoke, she�d checked and signed my paperwork, and returned
it to me, along with a book that had been on the corner of her
desk.
�You came in with Adam. Do you already know him?
I admitted I did.
�Why don�t you take that chair to his left and one behind? It�s
empty, and he can help you if you get confused about anything.�
After the bell rang, Ms. Snow started the class by asking me to
stand and introducing me. Instead of letting me ramble, or
letting the class question me, she asked questions herself,
After running me quickly through my basic history and the reason
I was here, Ms. Snow said, �So, rumor in the teacher�s lounge is
that, even though you�re listed as a sophomore, you should
probably be a junior?�
I nodded.
�At home, everyone has to attend Grunnskole, which is first
through tenth, until you are sixteen.�
�That�s the same here,� someone replied.
I nodded, but Ms. Snow�s look discouraged further interruption.
�While you can quit then, you can also go on to Videreg�ende
skole, which is� well, kind of just like high school, I guess.
Because I was homeschooled for a while, when Melissa - min mor..
my mother - had to travel for her job, I started Videreg�ende
skole when I was only fifteen. That means I should be in VG2,
or� twelth out of thirteen. Not all my credits transfer though.
LIke, I�ve had world geography, world history, and European
history, but only one of those counts here, and I haven�t had
any United States history or government, so I have to take those
to graduate.�
�Thank you,� Ms. Snow said with a nod. �It�s interesting how
alike, but how different the systems are. I do need to talk to
you about a couple of things to get you caught up, but we can do
that later. For now, I need everyone to pass your homework to
the front of the row, and then turn to chapter��
�All right,� Ms. Snow said at the end of her lecture.
I had really expected to sleep through her class, between having
just finished a big lunch and not really caring about American
History, but Ms. Snow was a good lecturer, and she kept her
class involved.
�Questions one through five for tomorrow,� she continued, �and I
expect full sentences. You�re all in high school, which means
there�s only one of you in this class with an excuse to make
basic grammar mistakes.�
I blushed as it felt like the entire class turned to look at me,
but she smiled as she said it, so it wasn�t too embarrassing.
�Don�t forget we have a test Friday. Sieger, I�ll talk to you
Wednesday about it. I�ll have to look at it again before I
decide what we�ll do with you for it.
She waited for me to nod, then said, �Go ahead and put your
things away, and you can talk quietly until the bell.�
I slipped my book and supplies into my backpack and looked up to
find Adam had turned around.
�What do you have next?�
�Umm�. kropps�ving� exercises��
�P.E?�
�Yes.�
�Me, too. Track and field or conditioning?�
�I think the second.�
�Great, we can go straight there.�
�I must go to my locker for clothes.�
He shrugged.
�Okay. You�ll probably get your gym locker today, but we�ll
have to hurry. Your locker�s out of the way.�
Adam pointed me towards the coach�s office, then went to get his
gym clothes.
�Coach Taylor?�
The man walking out of the office pointed over his shoulder, to
a young, good looking man sitting at a desk, who looked up as I
walked in.
�You Carlsen?�
�Ja.�
�Have a seat. What kind of conditioning are you looking to do?�
�I�m not sure.�
�What kind of exercise do you do regularly?�
�I hike a lot in the summer, ride my bike a lot, I run, I do��
�How much?�
�I ran two kilometers this morning.�
He looked blank.
�How much is that?�
I took a moment.
�About a mile and a quarter, I think.�
�How long did it take?�
�I wasn�t running for time. About nine or ten minutes?�
He nodded.
�Not bad. What else were you going to say?�
�Oh, I have some small weights at home, and I do MMA.�
He nodded again.
�We don�t have any fight-training equipment. It sounds like you
would do okay in one of our general athletic groups, which
splits focus between weight training and aerobics. We�ll run a
few tests today and tomorrow to set a benchmark for you, then
get you set up in the right group, okay?�
I was a bit distracted. There was a window from his office to
the locker room, and, as we were talking, I�d been watching the
other students as they stripped down to their boxers and put on
their gym clothes. I wasn�t distracted enough that I didn�t
agree with him.
�Good. You brought gym clothes?�
�Ja.�
�Then suit out. I�ll show you where to go for roll call and
assignments each day.�
It only took a few seconds for the coach to give me a lock,
basket, clothes bag, and locker assignment, and then I quickly
stripped to my boxer briefs and pulled on my gym clothes and
trainers. After showing me my assigned spot for roll call, he
introduced me to a younger man whom he called a student coach.�
�Call me, Blaine,� the man said, as soon as Coach Taylor had
left. �I�m not a real teacher yet.�
Blaine had a notepad and a stopwatch, and he timed me through
sit ups, push ups, and chin ups, then walked me out to the
field. He showed me how to mark a mile, then timed me. I never
really run for time, so I was fairly proud I managed 5:42, which
he said was pretty good. After I�d cooled down, we went to the
weight room, where he walked me through a number of stations.
�Take your time on each one, and let me know when you�re ready,�
Blaine explained. �Today, we�re going to be testing you on
reps. Tomorrow, we�ll test your max on everything.�
By the time one of the coaches told us it was time to dress, I
was fairly sweaty, and I could feel the start of that pleasant
ache that says you�ve had a really good workout, but not too
much.
Back in the locker room, I stripped down again, trying not to
pay attention to all the half-naked guys around me. It looked
like there were showers in the corner, but, as Dillon had warned
me, no one was using them. For a brief second, I thought about
all the young guys around me, most of whom were in really good
shape, stripping down and heading for the showers, but that was
way too close to p orn, and as I started to rise to the thought,
I quickly shifted gears.
Grabbing a couple of shower sheets, I wiped my face and upper
body clean. I�d actually found the Axe Apollo products that
Emil liked me to wear locally, so antiperspirant and body spray,
and I was ready to dress. A touch of dry shampoo in my hair,
and I packed up my gym bag, stowing everything away as Coach
Taylor had shown me.
I was at a mirror, combing out my hair, when a voice behind me
said, �Don�t worry, you�re still pretty.�
Snorting, I slid the comb into my back pocket and turned towards
Adam.
�Did the bell ring?�
He shook his head.
�We still have a couple of minutes. Want a Gatorade?�
Adam led me over to some vending machines filled with drinks
that were actually halfway healthy - no soda pop, just juice,
sports drinks, and vitamin water. Really did hit the spot after
a good workout, Adam and I even had a couple of minutes to talk
again before the bell rang, though we�d kind of lost the
conversation we�d had going before. Unfortunately, he was going
the opposite direction for his next class, so I headed off alone
to my locker for the last period of the day.
At least last period was Theater, which gave me something to
look forward to through the first half of the day. It got even
better when I realized that both Walker and John were in the
class.
The teacher seemed pretty casual. I couldn�t see much of her,
because her desk was surrounded by students. On the other hand,
Walker and John both made their way over to greet me, then made
me sit at a table with them. John�s last name was Martinez,
which sounded Spanish, but his skin was a rich, warm sepia. His
eyes were like a deep, dark chocolate, and his hair was black.
His face was okay, but his coloring made him look soft and
cuddly.
I�d barely heard the bell ring as the other guys were explaining
to me how the class worked, but the teacher - Carrie Elliott -
made it very clear when she was ready to get started.
Before she could mangle my name, Walker introduced me, and this
time the song and dance didn�t seem so intrusive. Of course,
Walker seemed really excited to have me in class, or maybe just
to already know me, and he saved me some of the details. The
real difference was, every class had some students who were
interested, but the people in this class seemed like they really
cared.
�What do you like best about Texas?� one girl asked.
�I�ve not been here a week yet, and most of that time was just
unpacking and trying to get all my paperwork - like for school
and stuff done - and I had to deal with jet lag.�
�What do you miss most?�
I felt like I�d been punched in the gut, and I had to shut my
eyes for a moment. I thought of holding Emil on the dance
floor, or of long nights exploring each other�s bodies with
hands and mouth, or long, lazy, weekend mornings, when we�d just
lie in bed, talking or arguing about who had to get up and
prepare breakfast.
I forced my eyes open and found that my right hand had snuck to
my chest, where it rested on the cross.
�La meg se� The fjord, the mountains, the marka. Texas is so
flat.�
�So, just the scenery?�
�No. At home, you can�t buy beer until you are eighteen, my
parents let me have one sometimes. After moving here, Linda,
tante min - ummm� my aunt - let me have one, so I�m going to say
being able to get good beer.�
That stirred a bit of controversy, which Ms. Elliott allowed to
go on a couple of minutes, before she called the class back to
order.
�Sieger,� Ms. Elliott said, after everyone had quieted down,
�I�m sure they told you this in the office, but the middle of
October is already the second half of the first semester. Can
you stay a few minutes after class, so I can catch you up on
everything, and we can get you involved?�
I agreed.
�In that case, we need to talk about the Christmas Show and the
Spring Musical. I�ve already had a few suggestions, but we need
to�.�
#Post#: 30441--------------------------------------------------
All-American Boy Chapter Five
By: Jack Date: February 24, 2025, 9:01 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Back at my locker, I pulled out my planner and double checked my
homework before loading my bag. It was a pain in the ass, but I
actually had two sets of homework - the stuff due tomorrow and
the stuff the teacher�s felt I needed to make up to catch up.
Most of the classes hadn�t been too confusing, so I just put my
daily homework and my pre-calculus into my backpack and headed
for my bike. It had been a long day, and I was ready to get
home.
A few people said hello to me as I walked down the hall, which
made me feel a bit better. It might not be like back home, but
at least I was starting to know some people.
At the bike rack, I took my phone and earbuds out, turned the
phone on, and slipped it into the carry pocket on the backpack,
but before I even had the buds all the way in, the phone began
to ring. I quickly pulled it out, and answered.
�Did I time it right?�
�Emil!�
I must have been louder, and more excited, than I�d thought,
because several people turned to look at me. I really couldn�t
give a damn right then.
�Jeg elsker deg,� I told him, �but you weren�t supposed to call
me during the week. You should be asleep�*
(* The phone conversation is in Norwegian, but translated for
the readers� convenience.)
Emil moved the phone back to show that he was already undressed
and in bed. I hadn�t even noticed that his glasses were already
off. As he turned the phone back to his face, he mentioned,
�Maybe you have forgotten, but I am a big boy, and I can often
take care of myself even without daddy around. Besides, Magnus
suggested it, and Hilde agreed. We all worry about you, min
kj�rlighet.�
I had no trouble believing that, since his parents had fussed
over me during the time I lived with them more than they had
him. Of course, Emil was a year older than me, though it was
hard to remember since I was the taller.
�So, how was your first day? Any cute boys?�
�It was fine, and I didn't look.�
�Isn�t it hard to walk if you don�t look?�
�Smart ass, you know what I mean.�
�Yes, I do. I also know you�re as stubborn as a glacier.�
�Then why do you keep trying?�
�Because I�m as stubborn as a mountain?�
I rolled my eyes, but he changed the subject.
�Tell me about your classes.�
We talked about twenty minutes. At first I was the center of
attention, but as more and more students were picked up, the
crowd thinned. It wasn�t until Emil yawned to split his head
that I thought about the fact that it was getting close to 1:00
am there. I knew he really was as stubborn as I am, when he
thought it was important, so I tried a different tactic.
�You know I love talking to you, but I have a ton of homework
and I still have to get home.�
�Sounds horrible. I love you,� he added, with a slight,
puppy-dog pout.
I smiled.
�I love you too, and I miss you. Good night.�
�Night,� he replied, cutting the connection.
I sat there for a minute, then moved back to the bike rack and
unchained mine. I pulled up a good playlist for riding home and
started it, put my phone in its pocket, slipped my backpack in
place, and headed home, trying not to feel abandoned and lost.
#Post#: 30442--------------------------------------------------
All-American Boy Chapter Six
By: Jack Date: February 24, 2025, 9:04 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
It was five o�clock by the time I got home, which was very
frustrating. Since Dillon didn�t get home until nearly 6:30, we
ate dinner comparatively late, but I still decided it was too
late for much of a snack, despite the fact I was starving.
After my first couple of days with them, which were mainly spent
recovering from jet lag (and moping a bit, they claim, though
I�m sure they were mistaken), I took a real look around me and
insisted on some changes. While Linda complained that I was
taking over her kitchen, the honest truth is that they didn�t
seem to cook much, and I enjoy it occasionally.
I hadn�t always enjoyed cooking. I usually ignored it, except
to eat what Melissa, my mother, had cooked. However, after
she�d passed, when we learned I might have to move to the U.S.,
Hilde had been willing to teach me a lot about it, so I�d be
able to eat some real home food even here. It turns out that I
really like cooking, though, so I get the taste of home and a
new hobby.
Linda had beaten me home, so I said hello to her, as I dropped
my backpack at the kitchen table and started some coffee. I
desperately wanted a waffle, but made myself keep it to just a
bagel. I�m a growing boy, but I knew I needed to adjust to my
new schedule before I started stuffing myself at every meal.
Ten minutes later, I was sitting at the table, my books and
planner spread in front of me, a cup of strong, black coffee at
hand, and nibbling on an everything bagel with garden vegetable
cream cheese and a bit of pickled herring. Linda might have
cried in disgust and ran off, but I was happy.
It was right at seven o�clock, and I�d finished the hard
homework before moving to my room to read. I�d changed to
lounge pants and was stretched across my bed, trying to
concentrate to read. Biology wasn�t too hard, but I needed to
make friends with someone in the class to find out how the tests
were. Pre-cal was hard, but it was also straight forward, and
numbers are the same in English as in Norwegian, even if they�re
called something different. Between the two of courses, I�d
spent nearly ninety minutes. On the other hand, health was as
useless as I�d expected, and it only took me ten minutes to
finish it because I had to set up my printer for a paper to turn
in. No homework to turn in in English, but a story to read,
which I was saving for after dinner. At least Adam had told me
that Ms. Snow made sure that, if you paid attention in class and
did the homework, you�d do well on the tests, so I spent a bit
of time on each question. I was down to the last one when there
was a knock at my door. I rolled over to see Dillon standing
there.
�You�re cooking dinner tonight?�
I nodded.
�Do I have time for a shower?�
I checked my phone.
�Yeah. As soon as I finish this question, I�ll go finish things
up. Fifteen or twenty minutes.�
Almost exactly twenty minutes later, we were sitting down at the
table.
�Now what is this again?� Dee enquired.
�Gravlaks - that�s grave salmon, literally. It�s actually
marinated salmon. You serve it over the boiled potatoes, then
add the sauce. The hagesalat - Ummm, garden salad - is on the
side. Linda said you don�t like rye bread, so I toasted some
brioche. Poppa min, Jan, always preferred an alsace riesling
with it, so... � I said gesturing at the bottle.
I was a bit worried, because I�d never made lax on my own
before, but Hilde had Facetimed me to help, and it turned out
really well. Dee only let me have one glass of wine with
dinner, but it was enough to take a bit of the tension out of my
shoulders. They asked a lot of questions about school, and I
told them what stood out to me. I did not tell them about Emil
calling. They knew about him, and that I was gay, and I didn�t
not want them to know he�d called. I think I just wanted to
keep it private a bit longer before I mentioned it.
Since I�d cooked, Linda and Dee offered to clean. As I headed
for my room, Linda stopped me.
�Any big plans for the evening?�
I thought a second. I�d considered going bike riding for a
while, but it was already pretty dark, and I really did have a
little more homework to do. I hadn�t really had time to check
out the US television listings, and I�d already had a good
workout.
�No,� I finally answered after a few seconds. �I do have a ton
of homework - I finished the stuff they assigned today, but I
still have some catch up to do - and I�ll be busy after school
tomorrow. I think I�ll just do some reading until I�m ready for
bed.�
Like every night lately, I started feeling... strangely
restless. I managed to force my way through the literature
assignment, but I couldn�t concentrate on anything else. By
that point, it was getting close to ten, and I was yawning
pretty hard. I gave up on anything else.
I went and said good night to Dillon and Linda, then went back
to my room and stripped to my boxers. I spent fifteen or twenty
minutes doing long, slow, almost yoga-like stretches to work out
all the kinks, then I went to take a long hot shower. By the
time I was finished, I was barely awake. Back in my room, I
flipped out the lights and crawled into bed. I grabbed a mostly
clean rag and thought of Emil until I was ready to sleep.
#Post#: 30443--------------------------------------------------
All-American Boy Chapter 07
By: Jack Date: February 24, 2025, 9:09 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
What�s that joke about shampoo? Lather, rinse, repeat? The
least fun thing about school is how alike the days quickly
become.
At least I wasn�t so stressed Tuesday morning, and I slept until
nearly seven o�clock. A quick stretch, then a quick run, and I
wondered if I should map out a couple of longer routes.
After a shower, and with a better idea of how the day would go,
I made a slightly bigger breakfast; boiling an egg while I
ground my beans, then some Mills Kaviar and cucumber on one
slice of rye toast and butter, ham, cheese, and tomato on the
other, with some juice, and I felt ready to face the world. At
least after one more mug of coffee.
I certainly wasn�t worried about clothes anymore. Despite the
fact that my clothes were pretty much all European, there just
didn�t seem to be much difference. I mean, the legs on my
boxers looked shorter, their socks were pretty boring, and my
t-shirts were a little different. I decided to mix and match a
bit, and wore grey sports shorts with a blue, button down, dress
shirt, and my dark blue trainers. My legs were a bit pale, but
if they were going to keep having summer weather, I might as
well enjoy it.
The first big change came between the bike rack and my locker.
�Sieger!�
I didn�t see anyone at first, but then the crowd parted and I
saw a shock of bright orange hair moving towards me.
�Tanner?�
�You remembered. How are you? How was your first day? Oh, this
is Austin.�
Austin was actually a bit shorter than Tanner. I doubt either
of them was much over 160 cm, but where Tanner was cute and
boyish, Austin, while still boyish, was actually pretty handsome
- almost disturbingly so for someone who looked so young, even
though he couldn�t be more than a couple of years younger than
me.
�Hei, Austin,� I replied. �I�m well, thank you, and the first
day was good. How are you this morning?�
I quickly discovered that Tanner had a tendency to chatter, but
I didn�t mind too much. His voice was a pleasant tenor, and he
tried to talk about things he knew interested me. As they
accompanied me to my locker, I learned that Austin and Tanner
had been friends since before they started school, and that,
while Austin didn�t play the same games as his friends or read
comics, he did love mysteries, and Tanner had heard me mention
those at lunch yesterday. Once Austin and I started discussing
authors we both liked, Tanner quieted down and just listened.
At my locker, I took most of my books and folders out and
organized them in the locker, took my phone from my pocket long
enough to turn it off and put it in my backpack, then I let them
lead on.
Tanner led me to a spot where Adam, Walker, the other guys I�d
met the day before, and a couple of other guys, along with
several girls, were already grouped and talking. Walker
introduced me to the people I�d not met before, and I quickly
became the center of attention. Not in a rude way, but with
them asking about my classes and discussing the various teachers
I had. It was nice, and it continued until the bell rang.
The morning dragged.
The good thing is, my classes seemed to have been arranged from
most to least boring, until lunch. The bad thing about that is,
I�m pretty sure I spent most of health class dreaming about
having time for one more cup of coffee before leaving for
school.
Language Arts seemed like it might actually be interesting,
since it was a combination of writing and literature. The worst
thing about that class, it turns out, is that, when it came to
English� As Professor Higgins put it, �... in America, they
haven�t spoken it for years.� It seems I�d spent the last ten
years learning to speak English, not American, though TV and the
movies at least helped with that.
Biology was actually great. Mr. Dennis had a good sense of
humor, and he interacted with us, instead of just talking at us
like some instructors do. Pre-Cal was a bit dense, but at least
that meant you had to pay attention.
By lunch time, I was hungry, but not so hungry that I was
distracted - just about right.
I decided to try that same table again, and walked in to find
two of the guys were already sitting there. It was funny
watching them, as I came up beside them. One was the tall,
black guy, who had really curly hair. The other was a bit
shorter and had wavy blond hair. As I walked up, the two of
them were rocking back and forth, bumping each other with
shoulders and elbows as they unpacked sack lunches. As I came
closer, it sounded like they were cursing each other, but the
tone was light and playful.
�Hallo,� I greeted them.
�Oh,� the taller fellow said, turning to look at me, �Hey,
Sieger.�
�Devon, right?�
�Yeah, he said. �You remembered because of the curly hair,
right? It�s a dead giveaway.�
Deadpan, I replied, �No, I remembered because you�re the tallest
one.�
His smile broke into a wide grin. �Touche, dude. You remember
Aiden?�
I nodded at the blond. �The face, but not the name. Sorry.�
�No problem,� he assured me. �We can�t all be as tall as Dev.�
�Mind if I join you?�
They both shook their heads. �Knock yourself out,� Aiden added.
I took out my oat bread, spread it with butter, then added some
ham and tomatoes. By the time I finished that, the other guys
were arriving with lunch trays. At Dee�s suggestion, I spread a
slice of rye with dill relish, then topped it with leftover lax.
�Is this sushi?�
I looked up to see John asking me.
�It�s gravlax,� I explained. �Cured salmon. It�s Norwegian,
not Japanese, but I guess it�s kind of the same.�
�Man,� Devon said. �I only brought PB&J. I never thought about
bringing sushi for lunch.
�I thought you wouldn�t eat sushi,� Aiden commented.
Dude, that�s when I was like nine years old. Let it go, homes.�
I still wasn�t accustomed to the American fashion of talking all
the time while they ate lunch, but the other guys seemed to
notice that, and respected my quiet, until I finished eating.
Then, as they finished their meals, they began to ask me about
Norwegian food, which led to discussing our meals, which led to
why I eat like I do. The most frustrating part was how late
school ran, and not being able to get home for an afternoon
snack.
Walker, who was sitting next to me, finished up, looked at his
watch, and said, �Plenty of time. I�m going to go get a
coffee.�
�Where?�
I think I started him a bit with my� enthusiasm, but he managed
to keep his chair and mentioned a coffee shop by the library
that was open before school and for lunch. Fortunately he was
willing to show me, and Adam joined us.
The line wasn�t too long, and we were quickly at the front.
Walker ordered an �iced caramel macchiato.� I shivered a bit,
but stepped up and asked, �Do you have a medium roast Peruvian?�
The girl behind the counter stared at me with wide eyes, making
me wonder if I�d accidentally ordered in Norwegian.
�Ummm� No?�
There were several people behind me, and I didn�t want to make
trouble, so I just ordered a dark roast, black. I noticed
several people were staring at me now, like I�d just ordered
cooked child.
The day was a bit warm, but very nice, and the three of us sat
outside as we enjoyed our drinks. They kidded me a bit about
being a coffee snob, but I countered that, if they wanted to
have a candy bar, why were they ordering coffee? They just
laughed.
We took our time to enjoy the drinks, and finished a few minutes
before the bell rang for next period. Adam and I said good-bye
to Walker, and headed to get our books before history.
By the end of P.E., I was aching. Blaine and I had spent nearly
the entire class in the weight room, finding my max on the
different lifts. It was a good feeling, but I really wished I
could spend a bit of time in a sauna before going to my next
class.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone�s hands rested on my
bare shoulders.
�Sorry,� Adam said, �you just look tense.�
I looked over my shoulder at him.
�Not tense, just stiff. I did maxes today.�
�That�ll do it,� he replied with a smile.
He gave my shoulders a squeeze, then leaned on the locker next
to me. I continued cleaning up, then dressed, as he started
talking about music again.
�Say,� he said, as we left the locker room to wait for the bell
to ring, �I talked to my dad, and he said it�d be okay to show
you his record collection. You want to come over this
afternoon?�
�I can�t,� I replied quickly.
I glanced at him at the same time and noticed he looked a bit�
disappointed?
�I�d like to,� I rushed to assure him, �but I have practice
after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.�
�Oh,� he said, and I was a bit touched at the relief in his
voice.
�Could we do it tomorrow?�
It was his turn to shake his head.
�Tomorrow�s the day we all go to the comic store for new books.�
He thought for a second.
�Walker probably wouldn�t care if you came with us.
Interested?�
I smiled.
�I�d love to. I�ll ask him about it next period.�
The bell rang just then, as Adam replied, �Great,� and gave me a
tap in the shoulder as we headed our separate ways.
#Post#: 30444--------------------------------------------------
All-American Boy Chapter 08
By: Jack Date: February 24, 2025, 9:17 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
After the final bell rang, I made my way back to my locker,
packed for homework, and headed for the bike rack. Once there, I
double checked the address and typed it into my phone, to make
sure I wouldn�t get lost, since it was my first time riding
there. I wanted to be early my first day, so I�d packed a
sports drink and a protein bar for a quick snack. I put in my
ear buds while I ate, picked out a high energy playlist, and
headed off.
It only took fifteen minutes to arrive, and that was mostly
because of traffic leaving the school and a couple of long
lights through which I had to sit.
After locking up my bike, I walked into the gym and headed
towards the office. A guy stopped me before I got to it.
�Help you?�
�I�m Sieger Carlsen. I was supposed��
�Right. Glad to meet you Sieger. I�m Coach Hall. C�mon in and
sit down a minute.�
We entered the office, and he waved me at one chair, sitting
down next to me, instead of behind the desk.
�Now, you talked to Mark when you came in with your Mom��
�My aunt.�
�Sorry, your aunt. Anyway, Mark told me a bit about your
situation, but why don�t you tell me yourself?�
�Well, what you have to understand is that, until recently,
sports like boxing and mixed martial arts - basically where you
hit people in the head - were illegal in Norway; certainly they
were competitively. That kind of put a hard limit on my muay
thai training. Brazilian jiu jitsu is different. I have
competed there, and I�m a purple belt.�
�Do you have any particular goals?�
I thought a moment.
�Well, I don�t really see myself in UFC, if that�s what you
mean.�
He smiled.
�Fair enough. What I meant was, we train in several arts. Do
you want to keep working where you have been, do you want to
focus on general MMA, or would you like to try something
different?�
�Oh� Uh� Well, I�d like to keep working on jiu jitsu, and I�d
like to at least polish up my kick boxing a bit and see if I�m
really any good or not, before I move on.�
He nodded.
�Fair enough,� he repeated, with a slightly different
inflection. �What I�d like to do today is get in the ring with
you myself and test you out a bit. I�m sure you know that
jumping someone to purple from� What did you have before?�
�Green and black.�
�I�m sure you know that�s allowed, but a bit unusual, so I�d
like to start by testing you there, if that�s all right.�
�Certainly.�
�Then why don�t you suit out and we�ll get started.�
As I headed towards the locker room, I noticed there were a
number of people coming in - guys and girls, and some kids. A
lot of them were already dressed for a workout, but a few of
them were headed back to the locker room.
Coach Hall put me with some other guys who looked about my age -
one of them I�m pretty sure I�d seen at school already - and ran
us through some warm ups. After that, he encouraged them to
watch a bit while he and I sparred.
To put it briefly, he tossed me around and tied me into knots.
After about fifteen minutes, Coach stood up and allowed me to
try to untangle myself, while he dusted off his hands.
�Pretty good,� he admitted. �You certainly have a firm grip on
the basics, and you�re reasonably fluid. Feel up to more?�
I nodded hesitantly.
�Don�t worry - not with me this time. Jake, you feel up to some
sparring?�
Apparently Jake did.
Coach Hall led the other boys off to spar, while sending a
referee over to us. In the meantime, Jake climbed into the
ring, walked towards me, and held out his fist.
Jake was slightly shorter than me - maybe six or seven
centimeters, so I�d have the reach.
As the ref came towards us, I bumped Jake�s fist, then took a
moment to study him. He was dressed about like I was - shorts
and a rash guard - though his shorts were white MMA shorts and
his top was green, as opposed to my muay thai shorts, and black
and purple top, but still pretty similar. His light brown hair
was cut very short on the side - a fade? - but long, thick, and
curly-wavy on top. He was actually fairly good looking, which
was nice, I guess, since this was probably going to be the only
time I�d be rolling around getting sweaty with another boy for a
long while.
I think I was slightly better, but Jake gave me a good run. We
were both able to control each other several times, and we even
managed to trade submissions, with him pulling off a beautiful
flying armbar. In the end, I got a second submission when I
locked in a guillotine after he went for a takedown.
�Good job, both of you,� the ref said, after calling it. He
then spent a few minutes critiquing each of us, before sending
Jake to join the other guys.
�I�ll talk with Coach Hall later, but I think you�re pretty
solid for a new purple belt. What I want to do now is spend the
rest of the class with you working the pads, so I can watch your
kickboxing techniques, if you�re up for it.�
I was, as soon as I took a quick water break.
Coach Petersen - the ref - turned out to be the head kickboxing
instructor for the dojo, He and an assistant wrapped my hands,
and helped me into a pair of MMA style gloves. I mentioned that
I had my own equipment, and he reminded me that I had storage
space as part of my gym membership, if I wanted to drop it off
for regular use.
I�m afraid I was a little bit sloppy, but I also have to admit
to being a little bit tired by that point, between doing maxes
in gym, then all the sparring this afternoon. Coach laughed at
that, and suggested that he�d get hold of me first on Thursday,
so he could see how I did fresh. Overall, he said that he was
happy with my knowledge, and he wanted to work on my form a bit,
before we made any decisions.
It was only a few minutes after that, that class was dismissed,
and I was happy enough about it. I went back to my locker to
grab my backpack. I didn�t see much reason to change, between
how sweaty I was, and the fact that I was heading straight home.
Jake was out front when I went out for my bike.
�Hey, Sieger!�
�Hallo,� I returned.
�You�re the new guy at school, right?�
�Yeah,� I admitted.
�I�d heard about you, but I guess we don�t have any classes
together.�
That seemed obvious, so I just shrugged.
�How long have you been doing MMA?� he asked.
The talk remained light until a car pulled up after a few
minutes. He glanced over his shoulder.
�Gotta go, that�s my mom.�
I waved at him.
�Catch you later,� he said to me.
�Later.�
#Post#: 30445--------------------------------------------------
All-American Boy Chapter Nine
By: Jack Date: February 24, 2025, 9:22 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I didn�t wake until my alarm went off Wednesday morning, and I
seriously considered skipping my run. I knew what a bad idea
that would end up being in the long term, so I forced myself up
to dress and stretch.
By the time I�d gone the first block, I was starting to feel
human again, and I was able to pick up my pace. Despite a later
start, I was able to get into the shower only a few minutes
later than I�d done the past couple of days.
The thought of a mug of coffee before my run flickered through
my mind as a very good idea, but that first sip made me realize
I was starving. I didn�t feel like cooking much beyond my hard
boiled egg, so I ended up adding a bowl of Dee�s Cheerios.
At least I had a few minutes extra in my schedule, since Walker
had volunteered to pick me up, after I�d asked him about joining
them for the afternoon trip.
The school day went as the previous days had gone. I was
starting to get used to the longer class days they had here, and
at least I was beginning to know some people.
I have to admit the day did drag a bit, but finally the last
bell rang. Knowing my plans, I�d already packed my homework for
the evening, so I just followed Walker to his locker.
�I can not believe,� he said, �that you suggested Spring
Awakening as our spring musical.�
�Why not? It�s an important show that deals with real world
issues that actually affect teenagers.�
�Well, that�s your first reason right there. Do you think
they�re really going to let us do something relevant? Your
second reason is there is literally a song called Totally Fu
cked.�
I couldn�t stop an eye roll at how provincial my new home was.
�Mind you, I wish we could do it. I�d love to play Hanschen,�
Walker added.
�You would?�
�Sure, a chance to make out with a guy on stage, three nights in
a row? It�d be awesome.�
I guess I was looking a bit quizzical or confused, because he
waved one hand at me, the wrist a bit theatrically limp.
�Don�t worry, dahling� I don�t go around flying the rainbow flag
or anything, but I�m not really in the closet either.�
He looked at me for a long moment, I guess awaiting a reaction.
�Does that bother you?�
�No,� I rushed to assure him. �I just didn�t realize that it
was� safe for� uh, for skeiv people to be open here.�
�Skeiv? Does that mean LGBTQ?�
I nodded.
�It�s not. Not really. At best, you get a lot of bullying. I
know a few people who are out, but many more who are still
living in the closet.�
He really sounded sad.
�Then why�?�
�Because if everyone hides and pretends, nothing will ever
change.�
We walked a few steps, while I thought of Emil and how happy I�d
been at home.
�But what if someone just wants to keep to themselves?�
�Hey,� he said, stepping closer to put his arm around my
shoulders. �I�m not telling anyone how they have to live their
life. How I feel is right for me, but I�m not going to hold
anyone else to my standards. You have to do what�s right for
you.�
Before I could think of a reply, John called out to us, and we
looked to see him, Aiden, and Adam coming towards us. Walker
dropped his arm and took a step away from me.
�Hey, guys,� he called back. �We ready to spend some money?�
Dee said that the allowance I was provided from my trust was
pretty good, but I still had no idea how much it was really
worth each week, especially not with the weird way Americans did
taxes. Honestly, I still had to convert to Kroner to have an
idea how much I was really spending. Besides that, it�s not
like I�d had much time to just read, what with catching up on
homework and everything.
Foreldre min - my parents - had always encouraged me in
reading, and I had a good collection of graphic novels - many of
which Mamma had gotten shipped for me from the U.S., but this
place�. It was like the Library of Oz.
The other guys knew what they were doing, but I think I could
have happily wandered around in there an hour, just browsing.
Once everyone else was waiting to go, Adam walked over to me.
�I�m sure Walker will bring you back next week,� he assured me.
�Sorry, they just have so much stuff, and I don�t want to spend
too much.�
I sighed, picked two from the stack, put the rest back, then
paused and grabbed one more.
Adam laughed at me, but I could live with that.
As Walker was dropping people off, Adam turned to me. �You
didn�t say what kind of practice you have after school.�
�Oh, I do BJJ - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. My practice is Tuesday,
Thursday, and Saturday.�
He nodded.
�I had a� a friend who was into MMA,� he said.
He sounded sad, and I wondered if his friend had moved away.
After a moment, he seemed to shake it off.
�So, the offer to see Dad�s music collection is still open. I
mean, if you�re interested�?�
�Sure, that�d be cool. Friday?�
�You wanna come over right after school?�
�I think that�d work, but I�ll have to check with Dillon and
Linda to be sure.�
�Great. Why don�t you call and let me know?�
By the time we�d traded phone numbers, Walker was pulling up at
my house. It was just me, Adam, Tanner, and himself, so I
bumped fists with them all, thanked Walker for taking me, and
headed inside.
#Post#: 30446--------------------------------------------------
All-American Boy Chapter Ten
By: Jack Date: February 24, 2025, 9:26 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
By Thursday evening, I was worn out. Physically it was a good
tired. I wasn�t having much chance to work out at home, but my
conditioning class was pushing me to do exercises I didn�t like
that much. At the dojo, Coach Petersen had been true to his
word, and ran me through another set of muay thai exercises
again. He�d been happier with me, and suggested that I work
with a group of intermediate kickboxing students during the
week, then concentrate on BJJ on Saturdays. He made it clear it
was my choice, but it sounded like a good idea for me.
I think what was really getting to me was the stack of homework.
None of my classes were grading me on work I�d missed, but I
still had reading to do in order to catch up. After all, I�d be
held responsible for it on the final exams. It was even harder,
since even the classes I�d started at home hadn�t been exactly
the same. That meant I was kind of having to search through the
work they�d done here to find anything I might have missed.
Pair that with doing the daily assignments they were handing out
now, and I guess it�s no surprise I wasn�t having much time to
myself.
The best thing was that Linda had worked late, so we decided to
just have take out, and she let me choose, so Dillon stopped at
the Mongolian Grill on his way home and I got to have chicken
and shrimp phad thai, which hit the spot.
By the time I was finished with the homework I had due tomorrow,
I couldn�t concentrate, so I finally gave up and drew myself a
hot bath. I added some bath salts, which smelled kind of girly,
but really did do a great job of helping me relax and feel
better, and put Porcupine Tree�s Voyage 34 on my phone.
Normally I like to read while I�m soaking, but all I did this
time was shut my eyes and relax.
That�s a long song, and by the time it ended, about thirty
minutes later, the water was starting to cool, so I forced
myself up long enough to dry off and drag myself to my room. I
managed to turn back the covers before I collapsed into bed, and
I don�t think I moved until the next morning.
Friday was better. The long days were still wearing me down,
but at least I was feeling more comfortable in the classes, and
I was pretty sure of what was going on in all of them.
Of course, not everything can ever go completely smooth.
I�m walking down the hall, minding my own, mostly wondering
about an appointment I have with the guidance counselor in ninth
period today. I�m not even sure what a guidance counselor is.
Don�t all counselors give guidance? Suddenly, I seem to find
myself on the set of an American high school TV show. This guy
is just standing in front of me.
This guy is a good ten centimeters taller than me, probably a
little taller than Walker, but where Walker�s pretty skinny,
this guy is a bit heavyset.
�Excuse me,� I say, stepping to my right, but there�s another
guy, not quite as big, already there. A glance to my left shows
the same thing. A quick look over my shoulder doesn�t reveal
anyone behind me, but I have the feeling backing up wouldn�t be
a good idea.
�Excuse me,� the guy up front repeats in a falsetto, and what I
take to be a really bad mockery of my accent.
�You the new guy?� he asks after a second.
The guy to my left is too far away to grab me. The guy to my
right is too close, but slghtly to my front. The one standing
directly in front is about a half-meter away. Right elbow,
front low kick, and I should be able to step away before lefty
can do anything.
�Ja, what about it, Fittetryne,� I replied, not feeling
particularly subtle.
�You getting smart with me?� the apparent lead asked.
�Why, is it confusing you?�
�You son of a��
�What�s going on here?�
�Hey, Coach.�
�Sieger. Hey. What�s going on?� Coach Taylor repeated.
�Nothing,� I assured him.
He obviously didn�t believe me, but still nodded.
�If it�s nothing, get on to class.�
�Yes, sir. See you later,� I said.
This time the other guys separated and I walked on.
�As for you three,� I heard Coach as I headed off.
�Man, that was intense. You okay?�
I nearly jumped, then turned to see Austin walking beside me.
�Sure. Why wouldn�t I be?�
�Dude, that was Jackson, Lynch, and Fincher . They�re the three
biggest bullies in this school. I couldn�t get close enough to
warn you. I think you made them mad.�
I shrugged.
�No big deal.�
�No big deal? Seriously? The way you talked to them?�
�Austin, those three aren�t anything to worry about, except
maybe their breath. They�re so stupid that they tried to cause
trouble without knowing a thing about me, and they did it right
in front of the Coach�s class room. They didn�t know anything
about how to stand, and all three of them were clumsy. The one
on my left��
�Fincher.�
�Fincher was the only one that wasn�t off-balance, and all of
them were pretty slow.�
He looked about as dubious as he sounded.
�If you say so. I�m scared of them, though. Just don�t give
them a chance to get ahold of you.�
�Don�t plan on it,� I assured him.
�Hey, Sieger,� Tanner said after a moment.
�Ja?�
�What�s a �Fittetryne�?�
�Umm..,� I hesitated, suddenly feeling embarrassed. �It�s a
word that you probably shouldn�t use.�
I could practically hear him roll his eyes as he grunted at me.
�I am not a little kid!�
Lunch was the bright spot of every day. I was really starting
to like Walker and Adam and the other guys, and they were fun to
listen to, even when they started talking about things I really
didn�t understand or relate to that well. They still teased me
about things like eating sandwiches with one slice of bread and
using a fork, but it was the type of teasing my friends back
home would have given, if not for the same reasons.
�So, did you know Sieger carries a bulletproof vest?�
Everyone looked at John, then at me. I suddenly envied John and
Devon their dark complexions, because I could feel myself going
full blush.
�Seriously?�
I tried to look down and concentrate on my sandwich, but I saw
John nod.
�I saw it in theater yesterday. I probably wouldn�t have
noticed it if he hadn�t given me a band-aid from his first aid
kit, but his backpack turns into a bulletproof vest!.�
�You carry a first aid kit?�
I wanted to deny it, or at least ignore it, but I knew that�d
just provoke them, so I nodded.
�Why?�
�Why a first aid kit? I want to know why he has a bulletproof
vest!�
�C�mon. I come from Norway. This is America. You�re famous
for Hollywood, huge portions, and shootings. My friends were
worried about me.�
Suddenly everyone was quiet, and I wondered if I�d offended
them.
�You have to admit there hasn�t been a school shooting here��
Walker said weakly, after a long, uncomfortable silence.
�No, not here, but in Norway, we measure events like that in
decades, not days.�
I didn�t want to offend my new friends, so I tried to think of
something to say, but Tanner stepped in.
�He ran into Jackson and them this morning,� the red-head
announced.
Everyone made worried noises about me, but I assured them that
nothing had happened, and it wasn�t a big deal. Then I thought
of something peaceful to say.
�I know this is a nice place, and it seems like a good school,
but seriously - what were people supposed to think when they
heard I was coming here - especially to Texas, where it sounds
like everyone carries a gun everywhere? I mean, back home
�Texas� is literally our term for wild and crazy.�
Well, maybe not peaceful exactly.
�Wait, are you serious?�
I nodded.
�People literally say, �Det er helt Texas�, which means �that is
so Texas. It means something is crazy or wild.�
I�m sure I sounded very apologetic as I said it, but it was all
true.
There were some murmurs of apology, then a few questions about
my backpack. It is heavy, but it really is a nice backpack, so
I didn�t mind answering, though I had no idea how much Hilde and
Magnus - Emil�s parents - had paid for it.
�So what else is different?�
I looked at Aiden, who was usually pretty quiet.
�I don�t mean like the weather, or eating that weird fish you
had the other day, I mean like really serious stuff,� Aiden
clarified.
I thought for a second.
�It�s illegal to beat your kids,� I finally answered.
�That�s illegal here too,� Walker replied.
�No it�s not,� I disagreed. �They even do it in schools.�
�You mean paddling? That�s not �beating�, and they don�t do it
here.�
�Who says it�s not beating? And they don�t do it here, but it�s
still legal in Texas, isn�t it?�
Several of them nodded.
�But not in every state,� Walker continued to argue.
�Not in schools, but it�s still legal to hit your kids here.�
�Wait,� Adam interjected, �you mean it�s illegal for parents to
spank their kids there?�
I nodded.
�Of course.�
�Oh man, that�d be great,� Tanner said.
As the youngest, Tanner was usually pretty quiet and just
watched the conversation, but now everyone turned to him.
Several of the guys got huge smiles. Tanner saw that and turned
a dark red.
�I mean when I was little,� he protested.
�Sure, Tanner,� Devon assured him. �Was that last week or the
week before?�
�I hate you guys,� Tanner mumbled.
I felt sorry for him, but at least the attention was finally off
me. I gave his foot a gentle prod under the table. He looked
up at me. I smiled at him and winked, and he smiled back.
At the end of the day, Adam met me at my locker, and we walked
out to wait for his dad to pick us up.
I�d never really thought about what a radio deejay would be like
in person, but if I had, I think I would have imagined Adam�s
Dad. He wasn�t loud, but his voice was very� resonant?
And he talked.
A lot.
Adam and I climbed into the back seat. His father pulled away
from the curb, and after a few seconds, he glanced back over his
shoulder.
�So, you�re Sieger, huh? Adam�s said a lot about you.�
�Da-ad,� Adam complained for some reason. I glanced over to see
he appeared to be blushing.
�What? It�s not often we get someone moving in mid-semester,
much less someone from another country. I think that�s worth a
bit of discussion.�
I was wondering why Adam might blush over discussing me with his
parents, but before I could think about it much, his father
continued the conversation.
�You can call me Jim, by the way. Adam says you like classic
rock?�
�Not all of it. Mostly just prog and glam.�
Adam was quiet as his father and I talked. I was worried that
he might be feeling left out, but a quick glance showed he was
looking back and forth between us as we spoke, and he seemed
interested. However, when I asked Jim if he considered Bowie�s
Berlin Trilogy to be prog rock, Adam jumped right into the
discussion, showing he was at least a bit into classic rock
himself.
At their house, as we climbed out of the car, I mentioned that I
needed to get their address, and asked if it was all right if my
uncle picked me up about 6:45.
�That early? Aren�t you going to stay for dinner?�
I didn�t answer, and Jim turned to Adam.
�I forgot to ask him,� Adam admitted.
His father reached up and gave him a mild tap on the back of the
head.
�It�s a good thing that�s attached��
�I know, I know,� Adam replied, flinching away and blushing, �or
I�d forget where I left it.�
Jim shook his head.
�It�s such a nice day, I was going to fire up the grill and do
burgers tonight. You interested?�
I shrugged and nodded. �I�ll have to ask my aunt to make sure,
but I think it�s okay.�
�Good. Tell her I can bring you home whenever you boys are
finished, so they don�t have to bother.�
I agreed and turned away to call.
I dropped my backpack in Adam�s room. Adam put his backpack next
to a desk, then walked over to the dresser, pulling his hoodie
off as he went. His skin was fair, but a bit darker than mine.
His upper body was smooth. He had a bit of definition to his
pecs, and his stomach was flat. His jeans had ridden down just
a bit, exposing the waistband of his boxers.
I quickly turned away and examined his room. I think it was a
little bigger than mine. It was hard to be sure, because he had
a full-sized bed that took up a lot of space. However, he also
had his own bathroom connected to his room and a walk-in closet.
Besides the regular furniture, he also had a desk and a couple
of bookcases. The walls displayed several movie posters, but
between the bathroom and closet doors were hung photos. School
pictures of him, teams of him in soccer and baseball, and
pictures of him and his parents, but also pictures of the three
of them along with three and six young adults and then with
other kids.
�Who are these?� I asked.
�Oh, the girl is Jenna, this is Carl, and that�s Clay. They�re
my sister and brothers.�
I looked at him.
�Really?�
�Yeah, I think I was kind of a surprise. Clay is the youngest
besides me, and he was in high school when I was born. These
are my nieces and nephews, and she�s already in high school too.
Not here, though.�
I looked at the pictures for a minute, wandering what that must
have been like, but Adam interrupted me.
�C�mon. Dad wanted to show you his albums before he started on
dinner.�
Several hours later, I sat heavily on the foot of Adam�s bed,
then collapsed back.
�I am stuffed. How do you stay skinny eating like that?�
�I don�t. I think Dad was just showing off for you. We hardly
ever eat like that.�
�I should NOT have had the pie.�
�Sorry, man, but once Mom makes up her mind about something, us
mere mortals don�t have much choice but to go along.�
I laughed a bit.
I held my belly and groaned, then added, �I so don�t want to
move.�
�Don�t. You could stay the night if you wanted.�
I turned my head to look at Adam, realized I was looking almost
right at his crotch, and quickly turned away. The problem
wasn�t that he was good looking, though he was. It wasn�t even
that I liked him, though I did. The problem is I was so lonely.
It hadn�t even been two weeks since I�d seen Emil, but I just
felt so cut off. It wasn�t even about sex. I would have been
happy to lie near him, not even touching - just knowing he was
there. The problem is, that wouldn�t be fair to him, and it
would feel like cheating on Emil.
His hand rested on my shoulder and I nearly jumped.
�You don�t have to,� he said.
�I�d like to, but I have gym in the morning, and I still have a
ton of make-up work to do. This week was pretty killer, and I
really just want to try to get everything done, so I can get to
normal.�
I�d turned to look at him, so I saw him nod.
�Okay. Want me to tell Dad you�re ready to go home?�
�Ohhh�� I moaned. �I guess you�d better.�
Adam and I were in the back seat again, both of us wearing seat
belts, but as his dad took a turn, Adam leaned towards me and
bumped me with his shoulder.
�You know next weekend is Halloween?�
�Ja.�
�Y�all celebrate that over there?�
�I think not like you here, but some.�
�Great. Well, me, Walker, and some of the guys are going to a
haunted house or two on Friday, then Saturday we�re having a
small party at Walker�s house - nothing big, probably snacks,
some stupid games, and a couple of scary movies. You
interested?�
�What is a �haunted house�?�
Adam explained the concept to me.
�Ah, yes, they do something like that at TusenFryd.�
�What�s that?�
�It�s an� ah� like Disney World or Six Flags.�
�An amusement park?�
�Yes. And yes, I�d like to go.�
�Great,� Adam said, reaching over to squeeze my arm, �just
regular clothes, no costumes, and I�ll let Walker know so he can
tell you what to bring.�
�Which one?,� Jim interrupted, turning onto the street where I
lived.
I directed him to it, and turned back to Adam as we pulled into
the driveway.
I held my fist out. Adam gave me a bump and I opened the car
door.
�Thanks for dinner and having me over, Jim.�
�It was a pleasure, Sieger. You�re welcome anytime.�
*****************************************************
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