The Cherry Ceremony Pt. 03 - END

"You really are thick...," a looming presence hovered over a then 17-year old Brandon, "You don't get it, do you? Get your faggot ass outta here before people think we're the same way, or do we need to convince you?"

Three guys stood in front of the senior high schooler with their fists ready to pummel him. Although these bullies were also in the same year, their time on the football team built them up to look massive and far older than their age. The leader of the trio, Donnie, cracked his knuckles. The discomforting sound echoed in the bathroom.

Brandon sat on the toilet's rim-not to do his business-but because the others had backed him into the stall and he had nowhere else to go.

"You guys? Gay?" the teen snickered, "No way, there's nothing gay about you backing me into a corner. I don't need to convince anyone of anything. You do that all by yourselves."

Donnie grabbed Brandon's button up collar and lifted him up.

"Shut the fuck up! We know what you did, and we'll tell the whole school about it."

"Oh, and what is this thing I did? Seems suspicious how you know about it."

Then, the door to the bathroom opened to reveal Kenneth Ross, Brandon's best friend. The pair were inseparable, until that moment where he walked in on the argument and didn't look the least bit surprised.

"Ken!" Brandon gasped, "Shouldn't you be in class?"

Ken put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

"...Shouldn't you have kept your hands to yourself?"

"What?"

Donnie and his minions walked out of the stall with Brandon still in their grasp. From there, Ken had a clear view of his disheveled buddy and still did nothing about it. The coward looked away and sighed.

"I didn't want to do this, but you left me with no choice. I told you to stop, but you kept going. I was just confused...I didn't want it, but you did it anyway and because of that my scholarship is on the line. It's not fair to see you acting like nothing happened while I have to suffer."

Brandon's eyes widened in disbelief. He didn't understand what was happening at all. He tried to tug away from Donnie's grip, but the meathead was far too strong.

"Ken, what the fuck are you talking about? I never did anything to you!"

"Sure, you didn't," Donnie interjected, "Cause fags don't know anything about consent. You just take what you want and expect society to forgive you because of discrimination or whatever. You know there's a reason why gay people are hated...You're all just a bunch of freaks."

Ken placed a large metal garbage bin against the bathroom's entrance to prevent anyone else from entering the room. Donnie released Brandon from his grasp by shoving him against the tile wall. Brandon held his fists up, not knowing how to fight, but damn sure willing to try.

Brandon glared at the trio, "Whatever you heard, it's not true. I never hurt him," then he looked solemnly at Ken, "...Why are you lying? Are they forcing you to do this?"

"I knew you'd say something like that," Ken replied, "and the answer is: No. I invited you to my home, Brandon. Just for once, I wish we could've studied together without you coming onto me. I wanted to be your friend, but clearly you wanted more...and there has to be consequences for attacking someone against their will...I'm sorry..."

The "attack" Ken was referring to happened weeks ago when he asked Brandon if he wanted a hand job after their study session. Sure, the guy was nervous bringing it up, but that didn't mean he was forced into anything. Ken was really into it, and Brandon provided the same relief to him. So, why did it come to this?

"We got 15 minutes left," one of the minions checked his watch.

Donnie smirked, "That's all the time we need to teach him a lesson." The football players stepped towards Brandon with sinister grins on their faces. Ken stayed in the back guarding the door.

"Ken, please!" the senior begged, "If I did anything to piss you off, just tell me! Just because you play with these guys doesn't mean you have to act like them."

"So, you admit that you raped him!" the second thug claimed.

"I didn't do anything!"

"We heard you loud and clear, pretty boy," Donnie joined in, "Now how about you use that mouth for something better than sucking dick and say your last words before we tear out your throat."

The trio had Brandon surrounded. He couldn't run left or right without being grabbed, and forget about trying to crawl until their legs. The best option Brandon could think of was to try and reach out to Ken, but the pussy wouldn't budge. He had his arms crossed, remained silent and didn't show one hint of regret as he blocked the door.

"Are you ready to have your teeth on the floor?" Donnie said.

The guy that Brandon had stuck by all these years was okay with letting him be lunch meat, and with that realization kicking in, the teenager spat out a response that applied to everybody in that room, but was mostly directed at that particular person. Brandon's last memory was glancing at that person and with the entire situation sinking it, filling up with a deep rage.

"...FUCK YOU!"

The surveillance footage in the school captured trio leaving the bathroom with bloodied fists, followed shortly by Ken dragging an unconscious Brandon out into the hallway. Ken struggled bringing Brandon to the nurses' office, so he dropped him to the floor in time for students to be released from class. Many kids stood in horror at the bruised senior, but that didn't help Brandon's case.

Donnie and his goons were suspended for a week while Ken was left with no consequences since nothing incriminated him to the crime. Because of this, the rumor about Brandon made its way to everybody's ears and social media feeds.

There was relentless teasing from then on, with some people even screaming when they saw Brandon walking to class. Deep down, everybody knew this rumor wasn't true, but hive mind mentality states that once one person is popular for being an asshole, then the rest will follow.

It took a few months and multiple counseling sessions before Brandon told me this story himself. We were sitting in the backyard of my dorm apartment one night, looking up at the stars with beers in our hands when I caught him with a small tear in his eye.

"Not many stars to see in the city, huh? Makes you wanna cry," I chuckled. Brandon clenched his jaw and looked at me from the corner of his eye with a cynic expression. I raised my hands up in defense.

"H-hey! I was just kidding. You know me, I'm an idiot!"

"You're not an idiot, Matt," Brandon said, "Just thinking...about stuff."

Then, he confessed. With cases like this where it's a "he said-she said" scenario, it can be hard to determine who's in the right. But the man who was sitting beside me was also the same one who couldn't go through with fucking Lily with a guilty conscience. He was the same one who held back on being intimate with me until I confirmed that I didn't have a boyfriend. He has such a morally upright stick in his ass that I couldn't view him ever being an abuser.

I thought that I knew everything about Brandon after we had sex, but when he revealed his past, it proved to me how much I underestimated this freshman. He is far stronger than I could have ever imagined.

"Tell me it's mine, baby" Brandon grunted. I was facing away from my younger lover as I bounced on his dick. We should've been downstairs with the guests, but I just had to sneak in a quick one before we really had no time to ourselves.

All of my friends were at my apartment for the senior sendoff party. Since it was my final year of college, it would only be weeks until I graduated and faced the real world. Brandon was only in his first year, so he wouldn't be leaving for a long time.

"It's yours, daddy. Oh yes, it's all yours!" I moaned, keeping myself steady by pressing my palms against his clothed thighs. We didn't even bother to take off our clothes properly, just slide them down just enough for entry.

I don't remember ever feeling so desperate for someone's cum to fill me up. Then again, I did secure an internship in Paris for a news company. I'd be living there for two months after graduation, so deep down, the concern of being so distant could have heightened my need for this freshman's cock.

"Are you ready to come for daddy?"

"Yes sir!" I cried, "Fuck me harder!"

"You're gonna make me cum too-shit!"

I was taken off guard when my lover's hand grabbed around my neck and pulled me down, pressing our semi naked bodies together. His drenched shirt against my even more soaking black tee. Brandon kept that hand firmly on my throat, tracing a vein along my neck with his thumb as his cock continued to poke at my sensitive prostate.

A growl escaped his lips, "So fucking tight!"

"I'm gonna cum..."

"Me too."

Brandon's other hand reached down to jerk off my bobbing dick, coated in pre-cum.

"Hah!," My body arched off his, "Oh God, I'm gonna...I'm-"

"Hey lovebirds!" A series of rapid knocks hit the door and stopped both of our hearts.

"I brought ice cream," Lily said, "Come down before it's all gone!"

Neither of us had the balls to respond and just pretended the booming hip-hop music downstairs covered our voices. After we waited a couple minutes for Lily to leave, Brandon spoke first.

"You think she heard?" he whispered.

"No way!" I said, trying to not remember all of the nasty words that we shared. I carefully pulled myself off of Brandon's dick and stood up, "It's okay, I still had fun. Ughhh..."

"Too much?"

I balanced myself, feeling my head growing dizzy while a glob of pre-cum leaked out of my gaping asshole. Even when this man doesn't reach his climax, he still provides enough of himself to make me feel spent.

"It's never enough...," I rested a hand on my forehead, "Get the tissues."

Brandon's friends were basically mines since 90% of them were members of our fraternity, Alpha Kappa Phi, but even so, he chose to be silent at the party. Brandon plopped himself on the couch squished between the armrest and some rando while I became the center of attention; it was my party and my place after all (with two roommates, but that's beside the point).

Even Lily wasn't enough to get him out of his shell and they've been going to the LGBT club every week since they met. I mean, Brandon even earned Lily's role as Secretary for next semester after she graduates with me- so he wasn't only a friend, but a trustworthy club member. But no, Brandon just watched me crush people's spirits at Mario Kart while Lily was off in the adjoining kitchen drinking with her girlfriends.

The hip-hop music was blaring in my ears, yet I could still hear Lily's phone ringing on the counter. She answered the call and I saw her dash out the front door in glee. After a few minutes, she invited a new friend inside to join the party.

It wasn't uncommon to have strangers stopping by my place. One time a dude was taking a late-night drive and stopped by because my party was so insane. He ended up doing a keg stand, vomiting on the driveway, and leaving in the morning. My motto is cliché but true: the more the merrier.

The new guy made his way towards me. I could tell he was less than an inch away trying to break the ice somehow, but I said, "Hey man. Give me a minute to finish this round and I'll be right with you...and DONE!" I passed the controller off to a friend.

"Welcome to the party, Stranger," I stood up, extending my hand, "You must be pretty awesome for Lily to invite you." The stranger took my hand and shook it like a proper school boy.

He had platinum blond locks, but his natural brunette roots were still seen- giving him a multicolored hairdo. He had a noticeable dark beard and mustache growing in, making him look older than his late teens. Not to mention, his body was in peak shape.

His jean jacket and graphic tee couldn't hide those large pecs of his and he just had to wear the tightest of ripped jeans ever to give a perfect image of his juicy ass. I couldn't deny the fact that if I spotted this guy in a nightclub, my first instinct would be to tell him to take me in his car- no questions asked.

"Nice to meet you," he said, "My cousin says you're the president of Alpha Kappa Phi."

"The one and only!" I grinned, "How may I be of service?"

"Ayy, you're blocking the view!" some rando on the couch whined.

"And you're blocking the couch, fuck off!" I yelled back. I took the stranger by the hand and led him to an empty space beside Brandon who was now entranced by some gem matching game on his phone.

"Assholes, right?" I said to break away from the tension, "but anyway, as we were saying..."

"Yes!" the newcomer chimed, "I'm transferring to this college next semester. I heard Lily liked to volunteer for this frat a lot..."

I wondered what Lily defined as "Volunteer Work."

"...so, I felt it would be best to join, you know?"

"That's fantastic, my brother!" I cheered, "You'll be in good hands. I'll let the new president know you're interested. Most of these guys are members too. They can tell you all about it...In fact..."

As if Brandon could sense my intentions, he lifted his head up from his phone to meet my gaze. I directed the stranger's attention to the freshman, "This guy is one of our newest members. He can clue you in on what to expect. Wait here, I'll bring something for you to sit on!"

My leader instincts kicked in as I dashed upstairs to my bedroom to retrieve a bean bag to offer my new guest. When you hear that someone wants to join your chapter, you can't not embrace them. I returned to see Brandon and the other guy chatting it up like great chums. Brandon seemed super invested in the conversation too; his eyes were lit up with enthusiasm as were the stranger's. I figured Brandon must be super pumped about recruiting a new member.

"Well well well, I'm happy to see you two are getting along" I placed the bean bag beside the couch. Brandon got up from his seat and gestured for the stranger to take it, making Brandon sit on the bag instead. He looked at me with a warm smile.

"Matt, you didn't tell me you'd be bringing my old friend here."

My lips pursed in confusion, "I did what now?"

A light chuckle left Brandon's lips, "This is Ken from high school. Remember? I told you about him before." The new guest looked up at me and I could tell that the burden of not fitting into the party drained from his face. He appeared completely relaxed around Brandon. But did Brandon take shots of Fireball while I was away? It's the only explanation as to why he'd be happy to see someone like him...

"Kenneth Ross?"

"Yeah, of course" Brandon turned to Ken, "I can't believe I didn't recognize you right away. What did you do to your hair, man?"

Ken scratched behind his head, "Lily's all about her goth phase, so thought I'd jump on board."

Brandon leaned forward to play with a strand of his hair, "I wouldn't call this goth though. More like a hipster surfer dude."

"I get ya, but the blond isn't too yellow, right?"

"No way! It's bordering on snow white. It looks good on you though."

"Thanks. I also got a tattoo."

"Seriously?! Where is it?"

"Like I'm gonna tell you right away. You're gonna have to guess."

"Come on! Guess?"

"Yeah, I'll give you three chances-"

"You want some more water?" I said. The duo halted their conversation to look towards me. I smiled, trying to be a gracious host.

"That's nice of you, but I'll get it myself," Brandon answered, "You want anything, Ken?"

"If they have lemonade, I'll take that."

Brandon inhaled through his teeth, "Shit, I don't know if we have that...Do we have lemonade, Matt?"

The smile remained on my face, "Should be some in the fridge."

"Sweet!" Brandon said, "I'll be right back."

Once Brandon left the area, it was only me and Ken left. The music was still booming. The fellas cheering over the game, girls drinking in the corner, but my world had suddenly become smaller and this discomforting sensation made me feel ill.

"You can take your jacket off if you want," I told Ken, "Just throw it over the back."

I grabbed the end of my tee and lifted it to my brows which were carrying drops of sweat. After wiping them off, I wiped the sides of my nose, then my cheeks, the skin on my upper lip until finally I just said, "Fuck it" and removed the tee altogether. I balled it up and threw it in the corner of the living room- exposing my hard earned six pack abs. Ken removed his jacket and put it over the couch, showing off his brawny arms that could barely be contained in his short sleeve shirt.

"Tell Brandon I'm going outside to get some air," I winked, "Have fun, all right?"

"No problem."

With a large grin on my face I walked to the kitchen, approached Lily, and politely requested her to follow me into the backyard...

"I hate you."

"What?!" Lily cried, "What for?"

"You brought Brandon's old friend to my party and now things are a mess."

"How was I supposed to know my cousin was Brandon's friend? And why does that piss you off? Brandon can't have friends now?"

"It's not just that they're friends," I clarified, "It's that they weren't only that..."

Lily's eyebrows raised up, "...They were lovers?"

"No! I mean-"

"Oh my God, did Brandon lie to you about being a virgin?!"

"No!"

"I could see that happening. For all we know, they could've fucked behind the bleachers during gym class," Lily released a wide grin, "Ken having Brandon's legs in the air while thrusting his cock in his tight asshole ever so gently to not alert the other students...Or maybe they went home to fuck instead. Brandon cries in ecstasy as Ken sucks his cock under a blanket. He would say something like, "Please stop!" and Ken would be all like, "You don't like it?" but Brandon would say, "No...I want you inside me" and they bang until Uncle Gerald and Aunt Lynn come home from work and-Ah!"

I picked up an empty solo cup that was in the yard and threw it at Lily's head.

"Save the fan fiction for the internet, Incest Queen."

Lily rubbed her forehead, consoling her lack of a bruise, "So what? You hate me because I invited my cousin to a party where he met with an old friend and "maybe" lover? Why should that matter? Brandon's with you now."

"You don't get it. It's not because they're close!"

Lily knew me since our sophomore year. She saw the best and worst of who I am, so I get why she would think I'm just jealous over their friendship. If I was the same guy I was a few years back, I probably would've made this all about me. But I couldn't properly explain how that was far from the truth this time.

I wasn't sure how much of Brandon's past Lily knew of, and if she didn't know any of it, then it wasn't my responsibility to tell the story. I couldn't tell her about how her cousin orchestrated Brandon to be beat up in the bathroom over a disgusting rumor. I couldn't say how this incident hurt Brandon so deeply that he was struggling with his sexuality. I especially didn't have the right to tell her of the times Brandon suffered depressive episodes because of this.

The first time I really got hit with such rawness was the same night he told me that story. We finished our drinks in the yard, and before we went inside I caught him crying again. The water in his eyes didn't stay there like the last time; it spilled down his cheeks and fell off his chin.

I patted him on the back and said, "How about we end this on a fun note?" wiggling my eyebrows to try and lighten the mood, but Brandon was too far gone. He sniffled twice before a strained cry ripped out from his throat and spilled into the air. His jeans were watered with fat tears and he leaned forward in his chair to bow his head.

My legs grew numb at the sight of seeing him break down like that. It didn't seem like my touch nor my words were comforting, but I stayed because I didn't know what else to do. I wanted my presence to be enough and I didn't think it was.