You're training in martial arts continues.
Pops is a good teacher, but it's Grizz that gives you challenges. He seems less concerned that you're going to be hurt and pushes you a bit harder.
Then the day comes that you are to spar with another young man about your age. He's a bit bigger than you are and he's quite a bit hairier. He's got a dark goatee and his cheeks are covered in dark day old stubble and he's got the high and tight style you had seen at the gathering. You both pad up for the match.
"That's my son Richie." Grizz whispers to you. "Don't hold back, he's bigger than you and has been doin' this a little longer. My 'ex' keeps him most of the time, but he keeps up his training."
You greet Richie on the mat by gripping his forearm and shaking. He smiles at you and it's genuine.
"Alright gentlemen," Grizz says, "keep it clean. You'll get to use the dirty stuff in your advanced training. Pops and I will ref. Begin on three. One - Two - Three."
Before you know it your face down on the mat. You've lost your first round. Richie is fast and you didn't see the kick that knocked your legs out from under you. Richie offers you a hand up and you take it. He's not laughing or boasting, he's completely professional and controlled about it.
"You gotta do better than that Gus, now focus like Pops taught you." Grizz says.
"Yes sir." you say to Grizz and prepare for the next round.
Grizz signals to start. This time you get three blocks in and a punch to the chest before Richie drops and pins you to the mat.
"Much better!" Grizz says, "Well done Richie."
"Thanks." Richie says. It's the first you've heard him speak. Apparently Richie isn't much of a talker.
In you're third and fourth matches you stretch out the time but still lose, however, you are doing better and you can tell by the way Grizz is smiling as you get up.
In your fifth match you sweep the legs out from under Richie and you think you've won as you prepare to pin him, but he evades you and turns your victory into defeat. You've winded him and you yourself are breathing hard as you both get up.
"OK, enough for now. Well done. Richie, you need to get your butt over here more often, Gus here is a good match for you. That means Gus, who has been here only a couple of months is pickin' up on it faster than you are and from what I've seen today, I'd say you're not trainin' hard enough at that school your mom's sendin' you to. You two hit the showers." Grizz says.
Richie says, "Nice match man." and offers his arm. You grip it and he draws you into a hug and pats your back. You pat his back and then you release each other's grip.
You both head up to the shower.
*********
"Well, what do ya think?" Pops says to Grizz as the young men leave the room.
"I think Richie is fuckin' off instead of learnin'. Either that or that school isn't teaching him enough. I think he'll learn more sparring with Gus. They seem to inspire each other to do their best. I think I'm gonna talk to Lynn an' tell her I'm takin' Richie to live here." Grizz says as he lights up a cigar.
"Think she'll go for it?" Pops asks.
"Probably. He's been givin' her grief about bein' treated like a kid and she's called me up a couple of times askin' me to take him. With that new fuckin' boyfriend of hers I guess she just doesn't fuckin' have the time to raise him."
"Yeah, you could probably sweet talk her into lettin' Richie stay here. You two just have a separation, not a divorce, so there ain't any custody crap to deal with but I imagine she'll want that if it gets serious with her new boyfriend." Pops said.
"Perhaps, but the kid's sixteen and a half. She'd probably let him stay here and a year and a half now he can make that decision for himself." Grizz said and took a long draw on his cigar.
"Well, talk to her and see how it goes." Pops says.
*********
After your shower, Richie jumps in. He's got the ‘casual about nudity’ attitude that kids who shower at school all have. The towel wrapped around your waist starts to slip and you tighten it up. You wipe the steam off the mirror and realize it's time to shave again. You spread the shaving cream on your cheeks and get a disposable razor out.
You're getting better at this as you only nick yourself once.
You check your underarms and see that there's definitely coarser darker hair under there now. You smear some new gel deodorant into the new growth of hair. You splash on some of the aftershave that Grizz uses. He's told you to use it as the musk you were wearing 'stank' in his opinion. He dumped it down the drain and gave you his bottle.
The cheap stuff he uses doesn't smell much better, but it does have a certain 'manly' appeal in that you associate the scent with Grizz. It's a spicy and warm scent and you have to admit it's better than the musk you were wearing.
You go to your room and find Richie’s stuff on the bunk above yours. Looks like you'll be sharing the room with Snake AND him.
Richie comes into the room with a towel around his waist as your finishing up dressing. Richie is freshly shaved too leaving a neat line between his clean cheeks and his dark black goatee.
He gently punches you on the shoulder in a friendly way and says, "You and me are gonna be roommates."
"Cool." You say and turn to do something to give Richie enough privacy to put some briefs on. You turn around and Richie is putting on a black T-shirt. His head pops out of the neck hole and notice that Richie wears black bikini briefs and he laughs when he notices you've noticed.
"My girlfriend likes me in these, says they’re sexy." Richie says. "Chicks dig men in black... at least mine does."
"Uh... yeah..." you say, a bit embarrassed.
Richie finishes up and says, "I'm gonna ask my ol' man if you and me can go to the movies, if you wanna go that is. I know you got work with my uncle Snake, but we can go after you get back."
You say, "I don't have any money."
"It's cool dude, my treat bro. I ain't never had a li'l bro before." Richie says and smiles.
"Well... OK... bro." You say and smile back. "I ain't never had a bro, big or li'l before either." You say.
"I gotta get over to the shop. Dad wants me to help out. Says I'll earn my keep while I'm here... slave driver." Richie says and chuckles in a way that sounds just like Grizz.
"Richie!" Grizz bellows, "Get your butt down here, we gotta go."
"Later bro!" He says and heads down the stairs.
You run a had over your chest and feel the new muscle that has been built by the hormone shakes, good food and exercise. You turn and strike a body builder pose in the mirror and feel a bit silly. You flex you arm and look at how your biceps have grown, how your neck is begining to get larger and you smile. This group of bikers has made you more a part of their family than your real family ever did. Wouldn't your step dad be pissed if you decided to stay on with them after your 'private schooling' was over? Thinking about this, you laugh as you head down the stairs not long after to go to the store to work with Snake.