Chapter 32
“Dennis,”Andy said,looking the boy over.He didn’t like him.He looked older than Craig,though he couldn’t have been much older if he was still in school.His eyes were too close together,or at least his eyebrows met in the middle.Andy remembered his grandmother would take an instant dislike to anyone she thought had eyes that were too close together.
“Pleased to meet you,”Luke said.
“Yo.”
Dennis flicked his cigarette butt to the tarmac before grinding it out with his boot.When he looked over at Luke,his attitude changed from brooding tough-guy to…something more predatory.Andy’s body went on full alert.
“Craig’s talked a lot about you,”Dennis said to Luke.
“Oh,I’m sure none of it was true.”
Craig hasn’t said anything about you,Andy thought,giving the youth another once over.Turning to Craig,he asked,“You ready to go?”
Craig gave Dennis an awkward hug that Dennis didn’t seem to return.“I’ll see you Monday,all right?”
“Whatever.”
Craig shrugged,gave Dennis a cautious smile,then got into the van after Luke.Andy,who had been standing by the passenger door,closed it,walked round the van and got in at the driver’s side.
“So,who was that?”Andy asked,once they were underway.
“Dennis.”Craig didn’t volunteer anything else.
“We gathered that,”Luke chuckled.“Is he a friend of yours?”
“Sort of.”
“He’s older than you,”Andy said.
“He’s in the upper sixth.”Craig squirmed in his seat,clearly uncomfortable about the questions being asked.“I saw the picture of you two on your site.Nice.”
Andy swerved,but quickly regained control of the van.“What were you doing looking on that website?It’s for over-eighteens.”
“Oh,Uncle Andy,you’re so old-fashioned,”Craig sighed.“Anyway,it was on Dennis’computer.He’s eighteen.”
“But you’re not.”
“Whatever.”Craig crossed his arms,stuck out his bottom lip and stayed quiet for the remainder of the journey.
As soon as Andy pulled up at the farm,Craig shot out of his seat and stood impatiently at the front door.
“You need the loo or something?”Andy asked,unlocking the door and opening it for Luke.
“No.”Craig’s face went from sullen to resentful.“Just,”he let out a breath.“just leave me alone.”He pushed past Luke on his way inside,making the blond wince in pain.
“Craig!”Andy had had enough.
“It’s okay,”Luke said.
“He’s behaving like a…a—”
“A teenager?”Luke suggested.
“Well,I’m not having it.Craig,get downstairs,now!”
Sulkily,Craig walked down the stairs,taking as long as possible.Once he reached the bottom,he glared at Andy.
“Now apologise to Luke for pushing into him.You know he has broken ribs.”
Craig rolled his eyes.“Of course I know about Luke and his ribs.You’ve never talked of anything but Luke since he got here.”
“Craig.”Andy was shocked.His nephew was often cheeky but never downright rude.“That’s it,go and get your bags.I’m taking you back to your mother’s.I’m not putting up with this crap.”
“Fine!”Craig stormed upstairs.
Luke stood,biting his bottom lip.“I don’t think you should send him away.There’s obviously something wrong,and…I don’t know,but I think you should try and calm down and…I’m sorry;he’s your nephew,but…”
“Jesus.I’m glad I don’t have kids of my own.”
“You’d make a great dad.”Luke smiled one of his special smiles.They always managed to makeAndy feel better.“Go and see if you can get to the bottom of whatever it is that’s bugging him.”
Andy helped Luke off with his coat,hung it up and asked,“You’ll be all right for a few minutes?”
“I’ll go watch the telly or something.”
Andy took a quick kiss,said,“I love you,”and went upstairs.Remembering Luke’s admonition to stay calm,Andy tapped at Craig’s closed bedroom door and waited to be admitted.When there was no answer,Andy said,“Craig,you all right,mate?”
“Go away,”Craig mumbled.
“You know I can’t.Not when you’re upset.I’m coming in,all right?”
Craig didn’t answer,so Andy opened the door and went in.The curtains had been drawn,the room was in near darkness.Craig was lying on the bed facing away from the door.Andy sat on the bed and couldn’t help remembering being in a similar situation only a few days earlier.
“Want to talk about it?”Andy asked softly.
“Not really.”
Andy waited a few moments before saying,“This isn’t like you.Normally you’re always so excited to come here.Is whatever’s upsetting you because of Luke?”
“Yes.No.Heck,I don’t know.Not really.”
“Well,that’s clear.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s Luke you need to apologise to.I thought you two were friends.”
Craig sniffed.“We are.I’ll say sorry when I go downstairs.”
Andy didn’t know how to proceed,or even if he should.“If it’s not really about Luke,then is it this Dennis guy?”
Craig stiffened.“No.”His denial came out too quickly.
“Only,you know you can tell me anything.I’m your uncle and,although I probably don’t tellyou often enough,I love you.”
Craig sat up and launched himself at Andy,clinging to him.
“Hey,it’ll be all right.Come on,mate.”
Andy felt totally out of his depth.He just held the boy,rubbed his back and made calming noises.After a couple of minutes,Craig settled down,but he still kept a firm hold on Andy.
“Sorry.”
“It’s all right.”What else could Andy say?
“Can I ask you a question?”
In his mind,Andy could hear Miss Bentley,his old English teacher correcting that statement:It’s,‘May I ask you a question?’
“Sure,mate.”
“Have you and Luke had sex yet?”
Whoa,Andy thought.He was about to tell Craig to mind his own business when…
“How long should you wait before having sex with someone?”
Andy remembered Sandy,and how they’d pretty much run back to the man’s flat after that firstlecture.They had been naked and going at it within seconds of the door being locked.“It depends.Has this got anything to do with that Dennis kid?”
“He’s not a kid,he’s eighteen.”
“Okay.”Andy waited.
“Dennis wanted to fuck me,but I…well,I—”Craig buried his head in Andy’s shoulder and mumbled,“But I got scared.”
Andy tried to stay calm;he needed to put aside his dislike for Dennis for the moment.“If you’re not ready,then it’s too soon.That’s about the best advice I can give.”
“But I’m scared he’ll lose interest and find someone else.”
Andy wanted to say“Good,let the bastard go,”but he knew that wasn’t what Craig wanted to hear.“He needs to respect you and your decisions.If he’s putting pressure on you to do something you don’t want to do,then…that’s wrong.”Andy hoped he was making sense.He wanted to go round to Dennis’s house and warn the bastard not to go within a hundred metres of his nephew.
“Yeah.That’s sort of what I thought.”
“Great minds think alike.”Andy kissed the top of Craig’s head.It felt totally different from when he did the self same thing to Luke.“I can remember when I was your age.”
“Yeah,you could go out and have a slap-up dinner for two and still have change out of half a crown.”
“Piss off.”Andy rubbed Craig’s head affectionately.He was delighted Craig’s normal self was coming to the surface again.
“Sorry.”
“Like I said.When I was your age I remembered that the wind changing direction would give me ahard on.”
“Yeah.It’s a pain.”
“I’m not saying you should hold out until after you’re married or anything.”
“Urr,I’m not going to get married.”Craig disengaged from Andy and pulled a face.
“There are civil partnerships for gays these days.”Andy pulled Craig back to his chest.“But you should always be careful when having sex.Use a condom,and,well,it’s not a race.You’ll know when you’re ready.”
“What was your first time like?”