Don't Touch Me! - 33

 

Cody took a deep breath, drank some coffee then continued.

"He may have hated what I was, but apparently it didn't stop him from telling at least a couple of the guys. There was a company picnic that summer at… You know the preserve outside of town?"

Brent nodded.

"I didn't want to go, but he said it was for all the families and, by God, I wasn't going to embarrass him by not coming with him and Mother. When we got there, before we left the car, he warned me I'd better be a man like all the others there, not some wussy little fag." Cody managed to smile. "Not that I ever came across as gay. I might not have been big, but I was fast and made the track team. He was proud of me when it happened. Bragged a lot to his buddies. Then…" Cody tried to keep his hands from shaking when he picked up the cup to take another drink.

"If you want to stop," Brent said quietly.

"No. I have to get this out, now that I've started." He closed his eyes…remembering.

                                                             * * * *

"I think your father's had a few too many," Cody's mother said, pointing to where his father was standing—well, leaning actually—against a tree by the edge of the picnic area. Three of his buddies—Cody guessed they were his buddies though he'd never seen them before—were with him, and whatever Cody's father was telling them had them laughing up a storm. Cody could hear the words 'fag' and 'queer' being bandied around and figured they were trading demeaning jokes, as often happened when they got wasted. So he turned away, going to join some of the older teens who were setting up a volleyball net. He joined in the game and even scored a couple of times. That should make Dad happy.

The game had just finished when one of the men he'd seen with his father grabbed Cody's arm. "Your dad needs a hand with something," he said.

"Okay. Where is he?" Cody looked around. His father was nowhere in sight.

"Come on. I'll show you." The man kept his hold on Cody's arm, which was a bit weird, but Cody figured maybe he was drunk enough he needed some support. He sure smells like he is.

The man took Cody through the trees, away from the picnic area. They arrived, a few minutes later, in a small, open space. Cody's father and two other men were standing there.

"What do you need?" Cody asked, going over to them.

"He wants us to teach you a lesson," the tallest man said. He seized Cody, pushing him against a tree.

Another man stuffed a rag in Cody's mouth. "We don't want anyone interrupting us."

Cody looked at his father, pleading with his eyes for his father to stop them. Instead, his father backhanded him, almost falling over in the process. He caught himself, saying angrily, "By the time they're done with you, you'll change your evil ways." Then he stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest as he nodded to the others.