The Hero's Son - Part IV

Part IV

“Hey Rip,” Jenna greeted. “Will you come here for a minute?”

Rip glanced around to see who was likely to heckle him as he followed Jenna out of the room. As he suspected, pretty much everyone made kissing noises and various other teasing remarks.

“Morning sparring just finished,” Rip started, then blushed when he realized that she knew that because she'd been there. “Uh anyway, do you need something?”

Jenna grinned. “As you may remember, my birthday is in two days... Since it is my 16^th birthday, I convinced my parents to let me do something different.”

“You mean the Hero kids aren't going to mob the amusement park this year?” Rip joked.

Jenna laughed. “No, that's still part of my plan, but I got permission to go to a baseball game tomorrow night. Even better, neither my mom nor my dad like baseball, so they're letting me go with whoever I want.”

“O...kay...?” Rip was confused as to where she was going with this.

“So... would you like to go to the game with me?” Jenna asked hopefully.

“Uh... yeah... that would be nice,” Rip responded after his stunned brain had fully processed the question.

“Great!” Jenna burst out excitedly, hugging him. “I've gotta go now. Later!”

“Later!” Rip called after her as she left.

R.J. was waiting just out of sight, and walked up behind Rip. “Wow! It sounds like you've got a real date. It only took you three years!”

“Ha ha!”Rip chuckled sarcastically.

The next afternoon, Rip's dad smirked at him knowingly. “So, when's this date of yours?”

“In a little bit.”

“Well, just remember that you need to be home right after the game is over. No detours!”

“Yeah dad, I know,” Rip agreed. These days, Rip wasn't feeling quite so suppressed and untrusted by his parents, but that was mostly because they were currently giving him more responsibilities than he could handle!

Henry pulled Rip aside until he was absolutely certain that they wouldn't be overheard. “I know it can be tempting to get carried away, especially with a girl as pretty as Jenna is, but I need to you to understand... Heroes especially need to be careful. It really is much better to wait until marriage before risking certain consequences.”

Rip wanted to pretend that he had no idea what his dad was talking about, but he couldn't. He was blushing too hard!

“Dad! Don't worry so much. We've never even kissed, so I highly doubt that we will somehow risk getting her pregnant during the middle of a crowded baseball game!”

“Alright,” Henry capitulated. “I just had to make sure you understood.”

Rip nodded, and then exhaled in relief when Jenna spotted him from across the room and waved. “I've gotta go now.”

“Have fun,” Henry wished his son, smiling with both pride and wistfulness.

Rip took a deep breath, and then walked up to Jenna. He was wearing an appropriate outfit for a ballgame – though his mom had insisted he wear something that was considered fashionable for teenaged boys. Jenna, on the other hand, was wearing a dress. It was dark blue, knee-length, and had short sleeves capping her shoulders.

“Wow! I don't think I've ever seen you wear a dress before,” Rip remarked with a smile. “You look good.”

“Thank you,” Jenna accepted the compliment with a smile.

“So... is your mom or dad driving us?” Rip asked.

“I was hoping that you could bring me on your hoverboard,” Jenna admitted almost shyly.

“Uh... yeah... I guess I could do that,” Rip replied a bit nervously. He usually left it in a closet near the door, so it didn't take him long to get it. A couple minutes later, they were standing outside, ready to step onto the hoverboard.

“I know you've gotten a chance to ride a board before,” Rip stated, “but just remember, you'll need to flow with me.”

Jenna nodded and watched Rip get onto his board. He held out a hand to help Jenna up, and then she she was standing right behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and snuggled into him.

Rip took a deep breath to steady his nerves, and then started the board. He leaned back slightly to get it to ascend, and her arms around him felt confusing. She moved with him though, so the board didn't get knocked off balance.

Having their bodies pressed so closely together was distracting. He had to practically ignore her in order to properly fly the hoverboard, but he got them to their destination with no problems. The crowd was enormous, and Jenna didn't let go of his hand for a second as they searched for their seat, after locking his hoverboard in a big public locker.

Rip watched Jenna watch the game with an amused grin. She was a huge fan of the home team. She screamed encouragement and hissed at the opposing team when they scored a point. She was not just vocal, but moved her whole body as she cheered. He thought she might jump onto the field and literally fight the opposing team if given half a chance.

At the top of the 9^th inning, the home team was behind by three points, and desperately needed to do their best in order to catch up. Each time they scored, Jenna nearly jumped out of her seat. When they tied, Jenna grabbed on to Rip's hand and squeezed as she prayed for them to score again and win the game. He stared at her hand, and then at her, paying no attention at all to the game.

Suddenly, she jumped out of her seat, screaming ecstatically. Rip decided to get to his feet too since literally everyone in the crowd was jumping up and down and roaring. Jenna hugged Rip, squeezing him tight for a moment before letting him go and resuming her joyful bouncing.

I guess our team must have won, Rip thought. An announcer immediately confirmed his suspicion, and the crowd continued to roar in glee. After a minute, Jenna took Rip's hand and pulled him close so that she could speak in his ear.

“This has been the best birthday ever! Thank you.” She slipped a hand onto the back of his neck, and kissed him. Rip didn't really know what to do, so he placed his hands on her waist. Their kiss was close mouthed, but turned into a series of soft little kisses.

The announcer brought them back to reality a moment later. “How sweet! This young couple here seems to be really happy about the win. Wait... is that Richard Plantagenet?”

Rip and Jenna looked around guiltily. Sure enough, they were on the gigantic screen used to show the audience replays of important moments they might have accidentally missed. “Yes... That is Richard Plantagenet! It seems he and his longtime girlfriend are here on a little date.”

“Nothing like having it announced for the whole world to hear,” Rip muttered unappreciatively.

Jenna wouldn't let go of his hand, but otherwise they maintained appropriate behavior. The crowd slowly started to disperse, but people seemed to flock to them. It was almost scary since they knew that they couldn't hurt anyone, no matter how close they got.

Two security guards pushed through the crowd, creating a path. “Mr. Plantagenet? The team would like to meet you. Would you follow us please?”

Rip couldn't think of any other way to escape the crowd, so he nodded, and tugged Jenna after him as he walked behind the guards.

Jenna promptly began to squeal. “We get to meet the team?!”

The next 45 minutes or so passed in a blur. The teammates all shook Rip's hand, and Jenna insisted on getting pictures with them all, then asked for the photos to be autographed by the entire team. In return, they all asked Rip to autograph things for them.

By the time they were done, and had declined more than a brief interview with the paparazzi, the stadium was mostly empty. Rip was still grateful for the guards who escorted them to the locker where he'd stashed his hoverboard. He was mostly afraid that if people started crowding around him, he'd have to use force to break free. As skilled as he was, that could seriously injure someone!

The guards stayed with them until they reached the outside of the stadium, and then Rip helped Jenna onto the board behind him. She held onto him as they flew away.

“That was unexpected!” Rip said when he finally felt like he could talk to her.

She giggled. “Yes it was! But I must admit that I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.”

Rip flew them towards her house, but she stopped them about a block away.

“My parents will probably be watching for me to return – wondering why I'm so late... So I want to say goodbye here,” she informed him. He carefully turned around to face her.

“Happy birthday,” he wished her.

“Thank you,” Jenna murmured with a pleased blush. She wrapped her arms around Rip's neck, and kissed him. This kiss was like a continuation of before; like they had never been interrupted.

A few short minutes later, Rip ended the kiss. “I should really get you home now before one of our parents decides to send out a search party.”

Jenna laughed, nodding. Rip turned back around, and dropped her off in front of her house a minute later. She jumped to the ground with a small smile and a wave. “See you tomorrow.”

“See ya!” Rip returned the pleasantry.

He wasted no time flying back home, knowing that he was probably already in trouble for being late. His father had specifically told him to come home right away.

“Please don't ground me,” he muttered as he hopped off his hoverboard and prepared to open the door. Sneaking in felt like his best bet. He heard the TV long before he reached his parents.

“Here is a replay from earlier tonight. Richard Plantagenet and his longtime girlfriend were spotted kissing to celebrate the spectacular win. They then spent almost an hour greeting the team members and exchanging autographs. Reporters last saw them cozily flying off on a hoverboard. Aww, aren't they just the cutest couple! I wonder if we'll be hearing anything about an engagement any time soon.”

Rip roared incredulously, completely surprising his parents and R.J. who hadn't heard him come home. “What?! God! I'm only 15! Who get's married at 15?! And how is this news! How can they just broadcast my personal life like that?!”

“Rip...” his mom welcomed him home uncertainly. “I know it's unfair, but anything they catch on video at a public event is considered public domain, and they can use it without permission unless they actually harm someone by doing so.”

Rip sighed in defeat.

Meanwhile, a second reporter had taken over the conversation. “I think they may be too young for marriage, but one thing is certain... after sorting through all the unaired footage of the audience where the couple sat, he wasn't watching the game. His eyes were glued to her!”

Rip's cheeks were redder than ever as he gaped at the TV. He was so upset and embarrassed that they could broadcast footage from the entire game that he didn't know what to say. He held up a hand as if shielding himself, and looked away.

“I'm going to bed!”

“Wait!” His mom called after him, but he was running like his life depended on it.

R.J. waited for him to calm down a bit before entering their room. “It looks like you had a good time. Sorry it ended so badly.”

Rip laughed derisively. “The ironic thing is that I was only looking at her because I don't care about baseball and she was so funny screaming and shouting like that. Then when she kissed me, I thought it was nice, but I didn't immediately want to propose or anything! Why does the media have to blow it so far out of proportion?”

R.J. shrugged. “I don't know, but I think it's because they love you. You're kind of like a local prince. They just want to know how you're doing and that you're happy.”

Rip growled in frustration, and then changed the subject. “Want to play a video game? Or maybe go annihilate a bunch of bots?”

R.J. laughed. “A video game sounds good.”

They played a combat game for a couple of hours, and then R.J. tossed his controller aside. “I'm beat! I trained in the simulation room the entire time you were gone.”

Rip laughed as R.J. rolled to the side and pretended to be asleep, or so he assumed. “Hey, if you're tired, at least get into bed!”

Rip took a few moments to change into the boxers he liked to sleep in, and then started rearranging his bed the way he liked it. His mom required him to make it each morning, but he liked it messy while he was sleeping. A look at R.J.'s bed confirmed that he hadn't moved from the floor.

“R.J.?” Rip asked in concern. He decided to check for a pulse, and found that everything was normal. R.J. was simply asleep. “Man, you must have been tired!”

Rip decided to set a pillow next to his friend and then cover him with his blanket. Laughing softly, he said, “You look like a cute little kid when you sleep!” It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to lean over and kiss him. The kiss lingered for a moment, and then Rip gasped.

Fleeing to his bed, he dove into it and covered up with his blanket – all the way over his head.

“I kissed R.J.! He's going to kill me if he finds out!” Rip whispered in a panic. “Oh god, what do I do, what do I do?!”

Deciding that the best course of action would be to stop whisper-yelling at himself so that he didn't wake R.J., he shut his mouth. He even covered his mouth with a hand to prevent his natural tendency to start babbling again.

Kissing Jenna had been nice, but kissing R.J. makes me want to do it again... Keep it together! Just forget about it. Pretend it never happened. Act normally!

The events of his day were now completely forgotten as he relived kissing R.J. over and over in his head. He was powerfully tempted to go do it again. Suddenly, he realized that he had a situation in his boxers that demanded attention.

I wonder if it's illegal to masturbate while thinking about your best friend?

He slipped a hand in his boxers, and then decided to just push them down a bit. Using the blankets to hide what he was doing in case R.J. woke up, Rip stroked his shaft slowly; hesitantly. Generally, there was no time alone to play with himself, so he didn't do it often, but tonight it felt like he had to. It felt like if he didn't, he'd be driven crazy before morning!

Rip thought it would take him a long time, but was shocked to discover that thoughts of R.J. made him cum in less than five minutes. He turned his head into his pillow to muffle his groan as he squirted all over the inside of his blanket... and then realized that he didn't have anything to clean it up. Eww...

Surprisingly, he fell asleep almost immediately, a smile on his face. His breathing was soon deep and even,

R.J. sat up, and looked over at Rip; a frown creasing his brow. He gathered up his pillow and blanket, and then climbed into bed. He had been half asleep, and wasn't entirely certain he hadn't simply imagined things.

In the morning, Rip woke before R.J., and rushed to get dressed and leave the room as soon as possible. His face was red, and he didn't think he could look R.J. in the eye or even speak to him without blushing and stammering.

Gulping down his breakfast and then hiding seemed like the only possible solution. He finished his last bite just as R.J. walked into the kitchen.

“Good morning,” R.J. greeted cheerily.

“Morning,” Rip mumbled, inspecting his bowl carefully. Confirming that it was empty, he rushed to put it in the dishwasher, and then ran out of the room to find his hoverboard.

“Good morning, Rip,” Jenna greeted, obviously ready to start morning sparring.

“Jenna!” Rip blurted out in surprise, honestly forgetting that he'd see her.

She pulled him into a rarely used hallway, and then kissed him. “I couldn't stop thinking about you all night. I almost texted you about a thousand times!”

“Really? … I had trouble sleeping too...” Rip confessed, neglecting to mention that it was for a very different reason. Talking to Jenna was easy and calmed him down.

“Spar with me this morning?” She asked.

“Sure,” he agreed with a relieved smile.

When they walked into the sparring room, the kids all naturally burst into a heckling cheer.

“Hey, we saw you on TV last night!”

“Aren't you two just so cute,” Josh stated in a babyish voice, and then pointed a finger in his mouth like he was trying to gag himself.

“Hey loverboy, kiss her again so we can all see it!”

Jenna laughed and muttered. “It's probably the only way they'll leave us alone.” She turned to Rip, threw her arms around his neck, and pressed her body to his as she claimed a hungry kiss.

Rip returned her kiss, fully aware now that it was missing something. He didn't feel bothered or embarrassed by it. It was like he had no problem pretending with her.

Pretending? Rip wondered what that meant.

The goading whistles and cheers got louder and louder until Renee loudly cleared her throat. She stood in the doorway with her arms crossed next to R.J. “Ahem! This is morning sparring, not morning makeout!”

Rip and Jenna separated with a soft giggle.

“Sorry!” Rip apologized.

“It's not our fault,” Jenna insisted. “They begged us too!”

“Begged? Riiiight...” Josh rolled his eyes as he replied.

“Whatever, just get busy!”

Rip bowed to Jenna, and she returned the bow before attacking him.

R.J. was almost resentful, but partnered up with someone else before anyone could see him glaring at Rip.

*******

Three months later, Rip disappeared so that he could think by himself for a while. His 16^th birthday was coming up and he had to decide how he wanted to spend it. Jenna wanted to go on a date with him, and R.J. had suggested that they spend the day hoverboarding around the city. Lastly, his parents were hoping to throw him a huge party, inviting everyone they knew.

The problem was that Rip had no idea what he wanted to do. He liked the idea of a party, but he also liked the idea of spending the day quietly and relatively alone. Part of him actually wanted to sneak away just after sunrise and spend the entire day doing nothing at all. No training, no Hero duties, no hanging out with anyone, just wandering around watching people be people.

The silence was broken by a short jungle that alerted him to a new text message. Pulling out his phone, he read it out loud. “I thought you were with Jenna, but she just came looking for you. So, where are you?”

Rip put his phone away, and then pulled his knees to his chest. “Oh R.J.,” he sighed sadly.

Jenna kept hinting that she wanted to make their relationship official. Everyone and their brother thought the two of them were together, but Rip had never actually asked her out, and when it seemed like Jenna was going to ask him, he'd come up with an excuse to end the conversation and run away. She now kissed him almost everyday, but other than that, their relationship really hadn't changed.

R.J. - on the other hand – had been really quiet lately. Even when Rip managed to spend time him; managed to speak to him without becoming inexplicably embarrassed or tongue-tied, R.J. seemed to be distancing himself. It almost felt like there was a wall being built between them.

The more time he spent with Jenna, the more it felt like he was losing his best friend.

His cellphone jingled again. “Are you okay?”

A second text came in; this time from Jenna. “Where are you?”

Rip sighed and put his phone back in his pocket.

“What am I going to do?” He asked himself. Talking aloud seemed to help. “I like Jenna, but I'm not sure I want to date her. I'd trust her to have my back in a fight, but...” He didn't even know how to finish that sentence.

Unbeknownst to him, R.J. had gotten worried because Rip had never just disappeared without a reason – generally he was upset about something. When Rip hadn't answered his text, R.J. started searching for him, actually finding him on the roof of Hero Headquarters. Watching him through a window without letting him know he was there, R.J. texted Rip again.

“What's wrong?” Rip read the text. He sighed again. “I don't know what to do, that's what's wrong,” he admitted, but didn't text back. “If spending time with Jenna is creating a wall between me and R.J., then I need to figure out how to bring that wall back down, or... I need to stop hanging out with Jenna.”

R.J. could see Rip muttering to himself, but couldn't hear him. However, he was certain that Rip was checking his texts, so he sent another.

“You know, talking about a problem is the easiest way to solve it.” Rip shook his head and turned his cell off so that he couldn't receive anymore texts.

Flopping onto his back allowed him to clear his mind and think of nothing for a while. He lay with his arms and legs spread, almost like he was making a snow angel in the dirt on the roof.

R.J. was tempted to open the door and go to him, but decided to keep watching him through the window. It was obvious that Rip wanted to be alone, but it still hurt that he wouldn't respond. The urge to go over and start a fight with Rip was slowly getting stronger!

R.J.'s cellphone started to vibrate, and he answered it without looking at who was calling.

“Did you find him?” Jenna asked. “I tried calling him, but it went straight to voicemail.”

“I know, and he isn't responding to my texts either.”

Jenna sighed. “Do you suppose that he's caught up in stopping a crime and just doesn't have time to let us know what's going on?”

“I don't think that's it, but if I talk to him, I'll tell him to call you,” R.J. replied.

“Okay,” Jenna accepted airily. “Thanks!”

R.J. hung up, deciding that he couldn't take the suspense anymore. He opened the door a crack, but then hesitated. If Rip wasn't responding to his texts, then that could mean that Rip specifically didn't want to talk to him.

“That's it!” Rip announced, jumping up suddenly. “I know what to do now!” R.J. immediately realized that he had to pretend like he just found Rip or he was going to get caught spying. He opened the door, and nearly collided with Rip.

“There you are!” R.J. blurted. “Why didn't you answer my texts?”

“I had my phone off,” Rip lied. “Do you know where my parents are?

“No,” R.J. shrugged. “But Jenna wants you to call her when you get a minute.”

Rip simply nodded and ran off to find his mom. He found her in the kitchen making lunch. Impulsively, he hugged her tight.

“I decided I do want a party after all!”

*******

Two weeks later, Rip was amazed to see that literally almost everyone he knew came to his party. The highlight was when – after he had opened all his presents; Jenna had gotten him a gold necklace that said Rip – his parents took him outside for a minute to give him their gift. He gaped at it in awe.

“A car!”

“Yep,” Renee replied with a grin. “We decided that it was the most useful gift we could give you.”

Rip stroked the hood appreciatively. It was an official Hero car, and so it was black with white lettering. It had the special plates – same as squad cars did – assigned to Hero cars; which read HV: R.I.P. which stood for Hero Vehicle: Richard Indigo Plantagenet.

It took him a few moments to find his tongue, but finally he managed to joke. “I guess I had better get my license soon, huh?”

Later on, after most of the guests had left, Rip and R.J. were dragged to a smaller after party thrown by just the guys. They had permission from Rip's parents, but it was a mostly adult free party... with alcohol. The logic – which confused Rip – was that Heroes were not expected to never drink, and occasionally emergencies came up when a Hero was drunk, so they needed to learn how to somewhat function while drunk.

Um... okay...

Both of them completely overdid it since it was their first time drinking. Rip started feeling nauseous after his fifth mixed drink, but R.J. bragged that he could handle anything they gave him, so he damn near passed out just after midnight. Instead, R.J. rushed to the bathroom and threw up.

Rip felt more euphoric than nauseous, so he volunteered to help R.J. get to bed. The rest of the guys were trying to play pool or several different card games, so they just waved and wished Rip a happy birthday one last time.

After R.J. was tossed on his bed, Rip plopped into a chair to give himself time to decide if he was tired or not. He realized he had an urgent need to go to the bathroom, and then – after he'd returned – he decided to change into his favorite boxers.

“Wait,” he blurted to himself. “R.J. doesn't like to sleep in his clothes... I should make him comfortable and then cover him with his blanket.”

Doing so proved to be more difficult that Rip thought it would be. Pulling R.J.'s shirt and then pants off was a struggle, and almost made Rip fall off the bed. Finally, R.J. was wearing nothing but his boxers, and Rip had to figure out how to get the blanket out from under him without knocking him onto the floor.

In the wrestling match with the blanket, Rip noticed something... R.J. had a bulge in the front of his boxers! Rip was immediately fascinated, and completely forgot why he was bothering with the blanket. He stared at the bulge, his mind going blank.

His hand got curious, and decided to feel the bulge. Doing so inadvertently made R.J.'s rigid shaft poke through the opening in his boxers. Even though Rip had one of his own, he inspected the shaft as if he had never seen one in his life.

He stroked it, liking how silky smooth it was. Using his other hand to free and then cup R.J.'s balls seemed only natural – but proved to be too difficult due to the size of the opening in the boxers.

He leaned over to get a really good look at the shaft, and then just had to see what it tasted like. R.J. moaned in response which made Rip feel proud of himself for some reason. He let himself freely explore every inch of R.J.'s shaft with his tongue and mouth; challenging himself to figure out what made R.J. respond the most.

R.J.'s moans and groans made it fun for Rip to continue sucking on him for almost a half an hour before Rip realized that he was utterly hard himself now. He was going to stop and retreat to his bed to stroke his own shaft for a while, but R.J. gave a soft breathy grunt just then.

“Richard,” R.J. mumbled as he started gushing.

Rip was stunned. Not because R.J. was cumming in his mouth – which he reflexively swallowed – but because he had called out Rip's real name.

Is he awake after all? Why is he calling out my real name? It was utterly confusing to Rip's drunk mind. Even so... he felt strangely happy.

When there was nothing left, Rip slowly sat up. He kept his eyes on R.J. to determine if he had to apologize or maybe duck a punch. When a minute passed and R.J. seemed to be sound asleep once more, Rip shifted so that he could examine R.J.'s face.

“Please don't hate me if you find out,” Rip whispered, and then kissed R.J.

It was extremely tempting to kiss and play with R.J. all night, but Rip realized that it was unfair and probably illegal to actually do so. Instead, after a few more deep, lingering kisses – R.J.'s mouth tasted like tequila – Rip left him alone. He returned to his bed and played with his throbbing shaft until his intense achy need was temporarily relieved.

In the morning, R.J. woke first. He lay in bed wondering how he had gotten there. It was all a blur after his quick prayer to the porcelain god. An image of Rip sucking on him flashed through his mind, and he shook his head.

“Nah... couldn't have happened!”

He sat up in bed and realized that he was on top of his blanket with his boxers exposing the fact that he was definitely limp at the moment. This seemed odd to him, and he scratched his head as he looked at Rip.

“Nah...”

Rip stretched with a loud yawn, and then gasped and covered his head with his blanket. “Oh my god oh my god!” He yelled into his pillow. “I can't believe I did that!”

“Did what?” R.J. asked curiously... with a hint of suspicion.

Rip nearly choked on his blanket he gasped so hard. “Eh, uh, um, ah, er, um, uuuuuhhhh... I. Can't. Tell. You...” He finally managed to spit out.

“Uh huh...” R.J. was definitely suspicious now. He looked down at his lap once more, and then over at Rip, who was still hiding under his blankets and practically hyperventilating. “O... kay... I think I'm going to go get something to eat.”

“That's a great idea!” Rip shouted. “You do that! I'm gonna um... sleep some more!”

R.J. cringed. “Not so loud! My head is killing me!”

“Sorry,” Rip whispered loudly, still cowering under his blanket.

R.J. felt a smirk twist his lips. He got out of his bed, readjusted his boxers, and then sat on Rip's bed for a moment. “I had the strangest dream last night.”

Rip whimpered, and then cleared his throat. “You did?”

R.J. nodded. “Please tell me that I didn't get up on the pool table, strip, and then sing and dance the Macarena.”

“What?!” Rip demanded, nearly choking. He sat up and stared at R.J. incredulously. “You think you did what?”

“The Macarena... naked... in front of every one. Please tell me I didn't!”

“No! You puked and then I helped you get to bed. You passed out immediately,” Rip assured him.

“That's a relief!” R.J. grinned, and then frowned with puzzlement. “But wait, so you dragged me to our room, and then put me to bed... So how did I end up undressed?”

Rip shifted so that he could exit the bed on the opposite side, facing away from R.J. “I didn't think you'd want to sleep in the clothes you puked on, so I took them off.” His face was red, and he was uncomfortable again. If he thought that R.J. wouldn't notice his strange behavior, he'd dive under his bed!

“Thanks for that,” R.J. acknowledged, stood up, and walked to his dresser. “So the other thing must have been a dream too. It felt so real! I guess getting drunk makes the wet dreams very vivid...”

Rip completely held his breath in order to suppressed the urge to panic. After he counted to ten, he slowly exhaled, and then chuckled nervously. “Lucky you. I didn't dream anything!”

At this point, Rip's behavior pretty much confirmed R.J.'s suspicions, but he had no idea what to do. He needed time to think the information over. In the meantime, he decided to try one last attempt to make Rip confess.

“Well...” He began as he found a clean shirt and pulled in on. “Whatever you did can't be more embarrassing than dancing the Macarena naked in front of everyone. What'd you do?”

Rip was still sitting on the edge of his bed facing away from R.J. He slumped forward, putting his head in his hands; his elbows resting on his knees. “I can't tell you.”

“Why not? Are you ashamed? Horrified?”

Rip shook his head. “No. Just... afraid... of what might happen if anybody found out.”

“Oh...” R.J. mumbled, unable to think of anything else to say.

Go To Part V