Westpoint Tales

by Kiwi

George and Jeremy's Tale - Pt 5

So, they went to the movies, just the two of them. Luckily the rain had mostly stopped by the time they walked across the town, so they were mostly dry when they arrived there. They got a few funny looks when they walked in together but didn't care. They each had only one friend, and it wasn't any of that lot.

George bought the tickets while Jeremy got drinks and popcorn and they went in to find their allocated seats. These were upstairs, of course - only kids and old people sat in the cheaper seats downstairs. The seats were well up towards the back but not in the back row or the next two rows that was where courting couples and "smoochers" sat, so they couldn't sit in those. (Jakie never sat anywhere else.)

They found their seats, carefully ignoring their immediate neighbours, and sat there cracking jokes about the slide advertisements for local businesses which were being shown up on the screen. The theatre was filling up rapidly; it was a James bond film after all.

Finally, the curtains closed on the adverts, the lights dimmed and the music faded.

The curtains opened again to show a large color portrait of the Queen, sitting on a horse, side-saddle, in her red house guards uniform. The audience shuffled to their feet as the opening notes of the national anthem played - all except a few young rebels and the older socialists amongst them. Jeremy remained seated

"Gemmy, get up on your feet," George whispered. "It's the Queen."

"No way. Sit down, Georgie," he whispered back. "What's the Queen ever done for you?"

"It's good manners. Show some respect for Queen and country."

"Nah. Stuff the Queen and stuff the country too."

Jeremy had his own values. The only queen that he had respect for was his granny, the matriarch of the Carver clan. She'd box his ears if he didn't. George remained standing until the national anthem finished, mostly because of what people might think if he didn't. He didn't really care two hoots about the queen either, but standing for the anthem was what you did. The old soldiers in the audience were likely to box your ears if you didn't.

This was 1965, and the returned servicemen's generation still largely controlled the country. The government and town councils everywhere were full of ex-servicemen, still proudly serving queen and country, as well as their own interests.

The anthem finished, the audience sat down and the more extreme of the rebels and the old communists of the town shuffled in to find their seats now that that was out of the way. They used to play the national anthem after the end of the film, but too many people were rushing out as soon as it began, so now it was played at the start of the programme.

A news-reel played first - old news, nothing they hadn't read about, or heard on the radio, weeks or even months ago, but it was still interesting. This was followed by a travelogue, which was nothing more than a long, lavish, advertisement for overseas holidays that most of the audience would never afford, but it did show them something of how life was in other parts of the world.

Other "shorts" and trailers for upcoming movies followed. One which really caught Jeremy's attention was about the "Wizard of Oz" being re-released with the soundtrack now in stereo. A young Judy Garland sang her signature tune - Over the Rainbow - and Jeremy was rapt. He loved that song. George couldn't have cared less. He liked beat music, today's rock 'n roll, not that corny old stuff. His mam would be pleased though, she loved that old film, and she even had a hard-covered comic book about it.

The first half of the program finished with a couple of cartoons which were greeted with cheers and applause. There was a ten minute interval, so that the addicts amongst them could rush outside for a cigarette. Some even went to the pub next door for a quick drink. Many others went to queue at the refreshment counter. George and Jeremy stayed in their seats and bought hard ice-creams from the box slung around the slender neck of one of the ice-cream boys working the auditorium.

Finally, the adverts finished, the lights dimmed again, and the opening notes of the James Bond theme summoned everyone back to their seats.

The film started and George sat in the darkness paying careful attention. That soon stopped however, when he became aware of Jeremy's leg pressing against his. Suddenly all his attention was on that leg. He felt the pressure when Jeremy pushed against him, then he pushed back when it stopped. From the side of his eye, he could see Jeremy smiling nervously.

Then it happened. Jeremy's hand flopped down on top of his leg, rested there, then gave a gentle squeeze. Getting more daring, the hand slid across, the fingers cupped around George's thigh, and fingertips squeezed the underside. Jeremy was feeling him up!

What? What to do? He definitely didn't want him to stop - he liked this. So he lifted the ton-weight of his own right hand and carefully placed it on Jeremy's leg.

Jeremy's grin grew wider and his hand moved along stroking the inside of George's thigh. George did the same back to him, and he grinned even wider. Instant erections!

Their hands moved up to each other's crotches and they stroked and squeezed gently, fingertips feeling erections through the material of their tight blue jeans. However, when he felt Jeremy's fingers working, trying to undo the zip-fly of his pants, George demurred and he pushed the hand away. He wasn't ready for that.

Jeremy, in panic, pulled his hand away altogether, but after a few seconds, George reached over, picked it up and placed it back on his leg. So they sat through the movie, watching it sometimes, but mostly concentrating on feeling each other up through their jeans and enjoying,(loving!), the sensations.

The movie finished all too soon. The lights came on and the audience rose, shuffling their way out of the theatre. George and Jeremy both had to carry their jackets carefully positioned in front of them.

Now the lights were on they were both embarrassed and shy again. They had just enjoyed a long and intimate hour, but now they were not prepared to talk about it.

They came out of the theatre and it was raining again - not heavily, but raining - so they both shrugged into their jackets and headed off home by way of the long main street. Most of the distance along there was sheltered by the shops' big verandah roofs.

Not many premises were still open at that time of night, (10.45pm.), but several pubs were, (illegally), and the Adelphi Milk Bar and Tearooms was still going strong. Some of the movie goers headed into the Adelphi, but George and Jeremy just kept walking.

Loud music was playing in there, ("Yeah, Yeah, Yeah"), and through the front windows they could see local sports hero and teenage girls' dream, Bob Reynolds, smiling widely as he leaned across the counter chatting to young Kathy Adams. Jeremy frowned when he saw his twin, Jakie. He was sitting in a booth talking to Reynolds' current girlfriend. Surely he wasn't putting the moves on Doris Bartlett was he? Jeremy hoped not. (So did George.)

When they came to the end of the brightly-lit main street, still in the rain, Jeremy grabbed George's arm and pulled him over to the dark shelter underneath the unlit verandah of Haglund's Funeral Services, which was set back a little from the street.

 "Come in here for a few minutes, Georgie. Wait 'til the rain stops."

"That could be days away." However, he went willing enough into the dark shadows. "Is this another snogging place?"

"A snogging place? That depends. Do you want it to be?"

"Do you want it to be, Gemmy?"

"I asked first. So, do you?"

"Oh, yes!"

"Oh yes, me too."

And it was. Almost all reserve was gone now as they stood kissing, cuddling and caressing each other in the dark, but George was still not having any stray hands inside his clothing. He wasn't ready for that.

There was one major difference between these well matched, hungry boys. George wanted to love and be loved in return. Jeremy, mostly, just wanted to get his rocks off. And who better to do it with than this hot boy here in his arms? He wanted it, and he did, but not here, not yet.

The rain stopped and they carried on home. Reluctantly, but they didn't want to be late. Nobody would care when Jeremy got home, but they didn't want George to be late. Grounding would spoil things for sure.

Along Cobham Street they passed the Miners' Union Hall where they could hear raised voices inside. The union meeting still hadn't finished, Jimmy would be late home tonight. George grinned as a vision of his mam grounding Jimmy flashed across his mind.

They parted company at the corner of Romney Street with a quick kiss and one last embrace in the shadow of an over-grown hedge, and each went home to their own beds.

Jeremy loved this living in town and he really liked George. George was in love.

"I have often walked down this street before, but the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before," George sighed and wished that he really could sing, he had a terrible voice - like a dog. Gemmy didn't, he'd seen him singing at the Competitions Society's shows last year. He should have won. Gemmy was great.

Around the corner, Jeremy was also singing to himself. "Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow, why, then oh why, can't I?" He loved that song.