by Barefoot Guy

Part 9

Tyler and Sam were sitting and relaxing on the back deck. Jonah and Cole allowed them to spend some time together. Not only to allow Tyler to instruct Sam as to the ways and rules of The Brother’s Club, but so that the two could become better friends.

The two boys were dressed in what seemed to be their customary uniform. It was Tyler’s standard for a long time, Sam’s for only the past week. Tyler was in a pair of canvas shorts, tan with a light blue polo shirt, white sneakers and white ankle socks. When outside Tyler had to put on his shoes if he went inside he had to remove them as per his Big’s, Cole’s orders. Sam was in a pair of shorts, shirtless with his ankles connected with the shackles, something he was now used to; but still didn’t enjoy.

Sam was pretty much up to speed on the ways of The Brother’s Club. How to identify a member, if they were a Big or a little, and how to act toward each depending on the situation. In school, littles could socialize all they wanted too. They had to keep their grades up though. They could socialize after school if okayed with their Big and didn’t interfere with other plans or obligations, such as sports, studying or attending the Big’s soccer games, which was mandatory. Around other Bigs, the littles had to remain respectful and speak in a soft voice. Outsiders might assume it was the deference shown by a freshman for a senior at any high school. Only members of the club knew for sure. Most of the other boys and girls at the school knew about the club. It was an open secret. Actually there were multiple clubs, one for each major sport and separated by gender. Different sports would mix official club functions from time to time, but never the different genders, that was strictly taboo.

A couple of the teachers knew about all the rules and ins and outs of the club, as they where school alumni and had been former club members themselves. Teachers according to club rules were all Bigs, no matter their previous roles within the clubbing structure.

Tyler told Sam about the other members they would be most likely to interact with on a daily basis. Skyler, Kevin, and Ryan were all littles, their Bigs were older and therefore not in the same grade and Sam and Tyler, but they where bound to be around with the littles from time to time. Benji had Skyler, Lance had Kevin and Andrew had Ryan.

“So, Tyler, when will I get my little ankle charm that ID’s me as a little within the soccer club?” Sam asked.
“You’ll get that at the first official meeting of the year, about two weeks after school starts. It’s a big ceremony. Jonah will get to attach it himself. It goes on with pliers so won’t come off. See, like mine…” Tyler placed his ankleted foot onto the chair where Sam was sitting and pointed out the secure attachment of both the chain around his ankle and the charm attached to one of the chain’s small links.
“It never comes off?” Sam asked.
“Nope, I haven’t had mine off, except to add a few links to make it larger as I grew.”
”As you grew? How long has that been on?”
“Uhm, let me think,” Tyler paused and looked up as one does when searching for an answer not on the tip of one’s tongue. “About five years now.”
“Wow.” Sam said.
“Yeah, pretty cool.”
“I don’t know if I’d call it cool. Isn’t it annoying?”
“Na, I don’t even notice it anymore. It itched the first couple weeks it was on, if I remember right. But it is cool; it means I’m part of something. Something special; with all my friends. It’s like we’re all an extended family. Get it?”
“Yeah I guess that is cool.”

The two boys sat back in the patio recliners and looked out over the lake in silence for a few moments.

“Sam, Jonah mentioned you had an issue with the boat out there.”
“Yeah I don’t like boats.”
“Why?”
“I just don’t. Please don’t ask me about it, okay.”
“I’m sorry. I was just curious, that’s all. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay.” He gave Sam a warm friendly smile.
“Thanks man, I don’t mean to be rude. I just don’t talk about it, that’s all.”
“Consider it dropped.” Tyler reassured.

Silence once again over took the boys as they sat and relaxed in the summer sun. A gentle breeze was blowing off the lake keeping them cool.
“Want a soda or something?” Tyler asked.
“Yeah, I’ll get ‘em. Gotta ask the Bigs first.” Sam replied.
“I’ll get ‘em, you don’t have to get up. I know my way around the cabin well enough. I’ll check with the Bigs and be right back, plus I hate making you walk with your ankles like that more then you have too.”
“Thanks Tyler, that’s nice of you. I’ve pretty much gotten used to them now. I actually have to re-think walking normally when they aren’t on rather then having to think about take short steps when they are on. Weird huh?”
“Yeah. But I wouldn’t expect it to be any other way with you, Sam!”
The two laughed and Tyler bounded off for the Bigs and then onto the kitchen.

With in five minutes Tyler was back with two cans of cold soda, he handed one to Sam, after sneaking up on him from behind and placing the cold aluminum against the nape of Sam’s unprotected neck. Eliciting a yelp and good-hearted threats of “getting back at him” from Sam.

After a couple more minutes of silence and soda drinking Sam decided to start a new conversation. “Tyler has a little ever tried to get out of the club.” Sam asked.
“Sammy, you don’t even want to think about that, dude.”
“But has anyone done it?” He pushed Tyler for an answer.
“Look Sammy, this isn't a good idea. But yeah, two littles rebelled and left the club. Before my time, but you don’t want to do that, trust me.”
“What happened, Tyler?”
“Look, I’ll tell you, but once I tell you forget it, okay.”
“Okay.”
“Promise me.” Tyler was dead serious.
“I promise, Tyler, tell me.”
“This was way back, here’s basically what happened. They wanted out, but the rules of the club, and their Bigs wouldn’t allow it. So they hatched a plan to get thrown out.

“They caused all kinds of problems. They disrupted meetings, they were loud and nasty to the Bigs and other littles. Oh they got lots of warnings. Both Bigs and littles tried to talk them out of acting like that. No luck, I guess the both of them just wanted out. So after a while the Bigs agreed to put them out of the club and removed them from membership. Their Bigs were seriously peeved, they’d lost their littles and without their littles, there’s no membership in the club. They got tossed because it was judged to be their failure that their littles rebelled against the rules and the club.
“Anyway they had their ankle chains cut off with a huge bolt cutter and that was it for the club. As far as the rest of ‘em were concerned those littles didn’t exist anymore. They just went back to classes.”
“So everything was okay for them after that?”
“No everything wasn’t okay. The elders within the Bigs put the word out that these two were no longer members. Within days their life was hell. They got picked on mercilessly by other Bigs, and ignored by their friends, the other littles from all the Brother’s Clubs. And that wasn’t all word got to some of the teachers. You know that some of the teachers and even the principal of the school are former members?”

Sam nodded.

“There’s an expression from England. Old School Tie. The teachers began harassing the boys. They flunked them on every test, sent them to the principal’s office almost daily. They got detention for like life. It was really pretty bad for them. One of them ended up leaving the school for public school. The other ended up having to go to summer school and in-school tutoring just to be able to graduate. He didn’t get into the college he wanted ‘cause of his bad grades and supposed behavior problems.” Tyler paused. “Have I made myself clear here, Sammy?”
“Ah, yeah. Leaving the club is a bad idea.”
“You weren't thinking about trying to get out of the club were you? I mean you haven't even tried it yet. It’s actually kinda cool after you get initiated and all. The beginning is the worse part.”
“Was it for you?”
“Honestly, no. Cole pretty much treated me this way his whole life anyway. Being his real little brother and all… I knew I was gunna be his little in the club from about age seven. He actually made me want to be a member long before I could be. I guess it’s that little brother worshiping his big brother thing you hear about.”
“So did you had a choice about joining?” Sam asked.
“Well… not really. It was like I was going to be member because Cole wanted to me be. So that’s how it is.”

© 2007 by Barefoot Guy

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