As original as the Horror Hotel was, there were still many of the same staples found in every haunted house, such as the pitch-black maze. These always stirred up claustrophobia in Ben, but his fear dissipated when Tim put a hand over his mouth and pulled him aside. They stumbled along the wall until reaching a dead end, the voices of Allison and Ronnie fading away as they sought their way out. Ben found himself pressed up against a wall, Tim’s voice tickling his ear.

“I broke up with her.”

“With Krista?”

“Yeah. You were right. It’s you I like and it’s you I want.”

Before Ben could respond, Tim’s mouth was on his. They pawed and groped at each other in the dark, their bodies pressing together. The hardness of Tim’s pecs was soon joined by the hardness in his pants. Ben reached down for his zipper when someone bumped into them from behind and screamed.

“Boo!” Tim yelled, causing a chorus of girlish squeals to flee from them. “Let’s get out of here,” he laughed as he took Ben by the hand. He held on to it until the very end when the inevitable chainsaw-wielding cannibal sent them scrambling out the exit.

Allison and Ronnie were waiting for them, one looking clueless, the other wise to what might have delayed them. Stomachs grumbling, they found a steakhouse, the topic of sports once again dominating every conversation. Allison and Ben swore to each other to never double date again.

* * * * *

“I have another present for you,” Tim murmured as the SUV drove away from Ben’s house, taking Allison and Ronnie with it.

“I’m sure I can guess what that is,” Ben said.

“Maybe not,” Tim retorted. He pulled something from his pocket and shook it once, causing a simple necklace of metal beads to unravel, the sort that military dog tags usually hung from. Tim placed it around Ben’s neck.

Ben looked down to see what was hanging from it and found a perfectly common house key. “What’s this?” he asked.

“It’s just in case you ever get the urge to come see me in the middle of the night.”

“A key to your parent’s house?” Ben asked disbelievingly. “So I can sneak in? Sounds dangerous!”

“Sounds exciting,” Tim corrected. “You can try it out tonight. My parents are probably getting in bed right about now. Meet me in half an hour?”

Tim didn’t wait for an answer. He just grinned seductively and headed down the street. Ben went inside and made an appearance for his parents, mentally debating whether or not to tell them he was going out again. He decided against it, just in case they tried to keep him home. Instead he said he was going to bed early and headed up to his room.

The painting Tim had given him was already there. Of course Tim had painted it. During dinner Ben had noticed paint on his fingernails that matched the colors exactly. If only stupid Karen hadn’t opened her big trap. Still, it was incredibly romantic. Ben never had suspected that Tim had artistic impulses, but it made him love him even more.

The word surprised him. Did he love Tim? If he didn’t, what else could it be? Ben pondered this while waiting for his parents to settle down for the night, before sneaking down the stairs and out the front door. Before long he was on Tim’s porch. His hand shook as he used the key, thinking any moment that a light would turn on or an alarm would sound. At least the door was new enough not to squeak as he pushed it open. The house was dead silent, every window dark, but what if the Wymans heard him? How would he ever explain why he was there?

The air conditioner kicked on as he ascended the stairs, causing him to jump. This was twice as scary as the haunted house had been! Ben took a moment to calm himself before creeping down the hallway. He opened the door to Tim’s room as silently as possible and slid inside.

The shadows in the room were long. Ben had expected to find Tim lying on the bed, but he could see in the limited light that the bed was still made and unoccupied.

“Hey,” came a voice from behind.

“Gah!” Ben exclaimed loudly. “Oh shit!” he whispered, clamping his hand over his mouth, but Tim laughed as if there was nothing to worry about.

“Your parents!” Ben hissed.

“Business trip,” he chuckled. “They won’t be back until tomorrow, but that was a good test run. I didn’t hear you until you were at my door.”

Ben slugged him playfully and laughed himself. He reached for the light switch, but Tim moved his hand away, pulling out a Zippo lighter instead, which he used to light a handful of candles in the room.

Ben smiled from ear to ear, knowing what would happen next. He untied his shoes, kicked them off, and tossed himself into bed. “So I hear that you are officially single,” he said playfully. “Does this mean that you are back on the prowl again?”

“I never stop prowling.” Tim growled like a tiger as he flicked the Zippo shut.

“I see, but at the ripe old age of seventeen, don’t you think it’s time you settled down with someone special?”

“Meaning?” Tim inquired.

“I want to be your boyfriend.”

“Jesus, Benjamin!” Tim swore. “You don’t let up do you?” He forced away a smile and shook his head. “It’s not enough that you make me dump my girlfriend?”

“If she was good enough for you to date, then I am twice as qualified,” Ben grinned. “Anything a girl can do, I can better,” he singsonged.

“Off hand, I can think of a few things that you can’t!” Tim taunted.

“Well, anyway. What do you think? Seriously.”

“I think I want a test drive before I buy the car.” Tim leapt on him, kissing his face, biting his neck, and making him laugh. They rolled and wrestled with each other until their playfulness became more serious. Tim tore at Ben’s clothes as if he hadn’t seen him for years. Ben followed suit, and their passion became almost a struggle, each more desperate than the other to touch, taste, explore. Once wasn’t enough tonight. After a break to raid the kitchen for food, they were back at it again, this time taking things slowly. The candles had all burnt down by the time they fell asleep, their bodies tangled comfortably together.

When the screeching of the alarm clock woke them. They moaned and griped in unison, not wanting to face the reality of another week of school. Tim got out of bed first. The sight of him standing there naked, sporting morning wood as he scratched his chest, was enough to brush away the last remnants of sleep from Ben.

“Wanna take a shower together?” he offered.

“We’re going to be late,” Tim countered.

“We can skip first period, you know.” Ben told him how the attendance system worked, Tim listening with an intrigued expression.

“I wondered how you were able to take care of me without getting in trouble. You really know how to play things to your advantage, don’t you? You’ve shaved an hour off the school day, and now you’re manipulating me into being your boyfriend.”

“So we are?” Ben beamed.

“Yeah,” Tim smiled back. “Why not? But listen, I don’t want anyone getting in our way. My parents can’t know about this. No one at school, either.”

“So just like things were before?” Ben said with some disappointment.

“Not like before. No Krista, no other girls, and definitely no other guys. Just me and you. I want it to stay that way.”

Ben didn’t think there was anything to fear from parents or school. Those were all demons he had faced already. Tim just needed time to realize these things for himself. Rather than argue the point, Ben rose and dragged his new boyfriend into the shower.

__________

Chapter 11

“He hit me.”

Ben was dumbstruck, staring at his best friend and waiting for a mischievous smile to show that she was kidding. It never came. Tears formed in her eyes as he stood there holding the front door open. He had been on the verge of sneaking out to stay the night at Tim’s house, as he had done so many nights in the past month, when she had started throwing pebbles at his window.