Page:Jay Little - Maybe—Tomorrow.pdf/276

 A hoarse cough shook him, followed by another and then another. "Damn, I've got a cold, I'm afraid," he uttered, "guess I did catch one last night." He withdrew his hand from his lap and reached for a tissue on a stand next to the bed. Blew his nose. He tossed it into a waste can and relaxed. His hand going back down to its old position. Dreamily he stroked his flesh … pulled and stretched it without realizing it …

Gaylord loved him. He knew that, could feel it, see it in the blue eyes. Joy liked him too … Others liked him … He was lucky to have so many friends. All these faces reflected friendship and love. They respected him … never called him names … They'd better not … Too bad Gaylord couldn't say that …

Gaylord … and again he thought of the warm body that had plunged out of the blanket. Flesh that had been so cold such a short time before now warm again and ready … ready for him he told himself …

There was no sort of warning or premonition … His tense hand stopped moving … Lay there still clutched around his body …

"You little faggot," he grinned and reached for another tissue.

Glenn Rogers was always up by six in the morning in order to milk, stake the cow out afterwards and the family usually had breakfast together at exactly six-thirty. This morning he was kissing his pillow when he opened his eyes. He yawned and then grinned at the memory of the dream that had just left him. Looking down at the softness in his arms, he grinned again and wondered if he should feel ashamed. Ashamed that he had enjoyed what had been going on in dreamland.

He threw off the light sheet, and slipped his hand under his pajamas … touched his body, the part that Gaylord's hand had just been around. Touched his body with the hand that had just touched Gaylord's.

God, what a dream, he thought. I'm glad I woke up when I did. He lay back on the bed, relaxed, his mind centered around his new friend. He was conscious of certain things he had to do but still he lay there thinking. He decided he liked Gaylord more than anyone he had ever met. There was something about this new friend that 266