Welcome Back, Parker Day: A Gay Young Adult Romance Novel

Kissing Thomas Olsen: A Gay Young Adult Romance Story

By Derek Clendening

Published by Mausoleum Press at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 Derek Clendening

Table of Contents

Welcome Back Parker Day

Chapter1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Other Works by Derek Clendening

Welcome Back Parker Day

Chapter 1

Let me tell you how it really happened. It’s only fair, right? Before you hear anything, you should hear about how much Parker Day was in love with me and how he just wouldn’t quit. He made my life totally miserable sometimes. Most of you would think it was sweet that he was so in love with me and that he was so persistent. Some of you might carry on about how he’s a romantic and how you’d like to have someone like him in your life. Be careful what you wish for. Sometimes an angel is really an amoeba. I’m here to tell you that Parker was an annoying, irritating, insufferable, agonizing, maddening, no good pain in the butt.

To tell this story right, I have to start where it really begins: the first day of kindergarten. Ah, yes, the kindergarten, fully of crayons, story time, naps, plastic scissors and paste. Parker spent a lot of time eating the paste, but that’s not important to this story. (Unless it was the paste that made him so messed up. It was as good of a guess as any).

Aside from my little incident with Parker, what I remember most about my first day of kindergarten—and at ‘Big Boy School’ as my Mom had put it—was that it was pouring rain outside and that Mom had packed Sunmaid raisins in my lunch. Oh, and I had to pee really, really badly. If I’d known what a bladder was, I would’ve cried out about how it was about to explode. The real problem wasn’t that I had to pee, but it was more that I didn’t know where to do it. That sounds like a small problem, but it isn’t when you’re five years old and on your first day of Big Boy School. I was terrified. What if I had an accident? What if I peed my pants right there and then in front of the other children?

That wouldn’t be a very good start to my Big Boy School career, let me tell you.

All us kids were jammed in the hallway for some reason and, when the classroom door finally opened, I rushed inside to look for the teacher. I quickly found a woman named Mrs. Morgan who looked like to be twenty feet tall compared to me.

I didn’t have a clue how to approach her. Heck, I didn’t even know what to call her, not yet anyway. Also, I hated to have to say out loud that I had to go to the bathroom because all the other kids would know I had an emergency on my hands. How embarrassing. Little kids are as entitled to feel shame every bit as much as adults no matter what anyone says.

So, I tugged on her dress and pointed to the area below my belt to give her the picture.

Oh, you must have to use the little boys’ room? she asked.

Little boys’ room? What the heck was that? I was supposed to be in Big Boy School now, not a Little Boy School with Little Boy’s rooms so I just gave her a blank stare.

The bathroom, she said.

I put a finger over my lips to shush her, like my having to pee was a state secret. She wasn’t the least bit deterred by that, so she took my hand and led me to a little room in the corner.

So, I went in and shut the door. Once inside, I found a little stool in front of the toilet that would help make things way easier for me. I climbed onto the stool and barely started to pee when the door opened!

Another boy stood on the other side of the door and I instantly turned away from him. If I hadn’t been so young, I would’ve shouted something like Don’t you know how to knock??? Instead I just said, "Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here, I’m trying to go pee!!"

But he just stood there with wide eyes and a stupid grin like a complete dope. Looking back on it, I wonder if he did it on purpose. I mean, like he’d intentionally walked in on me and stood there like an idiot. Anyway, that was my introduction to Parker—I learned his name later. After something like that, I was sure I’d never forget it.

Finally, he closed the door. I could barely bring myself to finish peeing after that. It’d been hard enough to ask the teacher to tell me where the bathroom was much less having another kid walk in on me during such a private moment. In fact, I was sure I’d never be able to look this Parker kid in the face.

Unfortunately, you’re not aware of certain realities when you’re in kindergarten—or finally in Big Boy School, if you prefer. I’d be seeing an awful lot of Parker and not because I wanted to, either.

But the first day of kindergarten wasn’t all bad. We had circle time and naptime, which were enough to take that ugly little incident off my mind. After that, we had free time, which some kids used to play tag or fart around with toys and stuff. Me, I looked at the picture books on the corner shelf like I should have been wearing a smoking jacket while doing it. I’d started to teach myself to read at a young age because it meant so much to me.

I sat down with The Little Engine that Could and read the words as best I could, but I couldn’t help but check out some of the pictures. And then Parker wandered over. Parker, who’d already made himself known to me as a total pain in the butt before I’d even learned his name. I sighed.

I’m Parker, he said.

I’m Daniel.

I love you.

Huh?

I said I love you. My Mom says it’s nice to tell people things like that.

For a moment there I really started to worry. You’re never too young to know if someone has a few loose screws, you know? And it was too bad because Parker was kind of cute with his brown hair and eyes and everything. He was a little shorter than me, but most of the other boys were.

I stood up, hoping to get away from Parker. I knew I liked boys and everything, but I was too young to know what that meant. I wouldn’t have called myself gay or anything. Not until later. Maybe Parker was in the same boat as me, but it wouldn’t matter because I planned to get away from him as quickly as possible.

He kept getting closer and closer like a tiger on the prowl. In fairness to him, it was kindergarten and he probably hadn’t been taught anything about personal space, but I was still going to try and get as far away from him as I could. But, each time I moved, he invaded my space . . . and then some. I just couldn’t win!

And to top it all off, he kissed me!

You read that right. Just as I turned away from him, he reached in and grabbed me, pulling me in close and put a big wet one on me. I said I was a little taller than him, but it seemed like he was ten times stronger than me. I couldn’t break away from him no matter how hard I tried. Like I said, I knew I liked boys, but that didn’t mean I was ready to have one kiss me—and I sure as hell wasn’t ready to be kissed by Parker.

When he let loose, I didn’t spit and I didn’t wipe my lips. No, I balled a fist, wound up and popped Parker right in the face. He tumbled onto the floor in a backwards summersault and then sprawled himself out with his arms and legs spread. When he got up, his face was all red and he started to cry. It was one of those wailing cries that made sure everyone knew you were having a fit.

Before you think I’m some sort of a jerk who solves his problems with violence, let me say this: what the hell was I supposed to do? This was kindergarten and my parents had already taught to me to never let anyone touch me if I didn’t want them to. Sure, they probably meant filthy-minded, creepazoid grownups, but I still didn’t want Parker kissing me and I did something about it. It was a knee-jerk reaction, sure. I’d been taught to tell an adult when those things happen. As it turned out, Parker was one step ahead of the game.

Within seconds, Parker had told Mrs. Morgan what’d happened. My hand was still balled in a fist, so it wasn’t like I could deny it. In pre-school, I had to stand in the corner if I did something bad. But this was Big Boy School where they take things much more seriously. I had to go to the principal’s office. God the first day of kindergarten and I already had a reputation!

My Mom got a phone call that day. I filled her in on everything and she totally agreed with me. Thank God she was willing to take me at my word! She told Mrs. Morgan that under no circumstances did she want me to be kissed by any of the other kids in school, boy or girl. Oh yeah, Mrs. Morgan did the whole that’s no excuse for violence thing but, in the end, she caved in.

The next day at school, Mrs. Morgan took my hand and led me over to Parker. The look in his eyes said the kiss he’d stolen was his prized possession and that he’d gladly steal another if he could.

Now boys, she said, It was wrong for Daniel to hit anyone. So Daniel, I want you to apologize to Parker.

But he—

Just do what you’re told, Daniel.

I’m sorry, Parker. I’m sorry I hit you.

And Parker, she said, You did something wrong, too. Something very, very wrong.

Parker’s mouth dropped open into an O and looked like he really thought he was gonna get through this as clean as a whistle.

We don’t go around kissing people who don’t want to be kissed, she said. That’s a very special and private thing for two people and you can’t force them to do it if they don’t want to. We have a hands-off policy here, Parker, and if you ever do it again, Daniel knows he should come and tell me and there’ll be serious consequences. Understand?

Yes, Mrs. Morgan.

Fine. Then I want you to apologize to Daniel for kissing him.

I’m sorry, Daniel.

It