From the last chapter: Hopefully I will be able to get Mark to describe part of the Spring Fling than I have been told by Mike that he will describe his happiness there in the chapter after Mark does his. This part is the Spring Fling described by Mark. Before I start my part of the story describing what it was like to go to the Spring Fling with my date and partner Mike. I would like to thank the guy who has agreed to write our story Mike and his black labrador guide dog Bagger, who has changed names to protect those that he considers as brothers. Also he has asked me to wish all a Safe and Happy 4th of July.
As most of you know I have never been much of sports player nor a star like my neighbor Mike is at New Town High, but once we became real good friends everything started to change for the better for me.
Once New Town had gotten rid of the homophobic Head Football Coach Darr, and replace him with Mike's dad Marty both my attitude towards sports along with the growing friendship that had formed between me and Mike. I was a year behind Mike, when high school started in September. It was easy to decide that I wanted to take as many (AP) Advance Classes and test just so that Mike and I would be in the same grade when it came time to graduate. Yeah I know that I am repeating allot of stuff that has been written before, but I just had to get it all off my chest especially after my mom left for Darr over dad than dad threw me out of the house telling me that he wanted nothing to do with a faggot in his house.
Mike and Marty became my saviors, especially Mike. He was so instrumental in getting me to accept myself just because he loved me as I was, and did not want me to change for anyone. Yeah we played football together that season taking the State Championship again with him being named the MVP of the tournament, and to my surprise I was given the games MVP award which was the use of a limo and a suite at the Sheraton in downtown Baltimore. Well after I saved some money that I had been given by Marty for doing odd jobs, I went to a store in Pikesville called Michael's which is the same jewelry company that is making Marty's Hall of Fame Ring for when he went into the Hall that past July. While there I spoke to the owner and told him who I was and that I wanted a ring size 11 for Mike because he was more than a friend, lover, but was really hopefully my partner for the rest of life.
A few weeks before the Spring Fling Marty took both of us to a place called The Tuxedo House to buy us our own tuxedos for the Spring Fling. Mine matched my eyes as did Mike's his, but the biggest surprise was when Mike asked his dad to stop at Michael's. We where offered a switch of the ring that I had bought for Mike a plain gold band instead we got matching gold bands with engraved stallions on each ring.
The day of the Spring Fling arrived and Mike was dressing in Marty's room while I got dressed and cussed because I could not tie that damn bow tie myself, so Marty came into assist me like the dad he had become to me. Earlier that morning the limo company called to confirm that we where to be picked up at 5:00 P. M. than taken to the restaurant located in the new Hilton not far from us in New Town, followed by a smooth drive the long way to the Sheraton Downtown for the schools Prom also called the Spring Fling. They also agreed that the next day they would pick us up at 11 A. M. than return us to home after we checked out of the Sheraton. I had to take that call as well as the one to the Sheraton to use the suite reserved that I had won last fall.
Its really hard to describe all that happened in just one installment about the Spring Fling, so I am doing something that even our friend and writer does not know but I am going to possibly need another part of this to describe the Spring Fling in total detail to you all. In the mean time I am going to continue until the tape that our friend has provided me to dictate my description of what happen once we got to the Spring Fling.
I was like a kid in a candy store so nervous especially when I saw Mike my date walk down the stairs toward me before the professional photographer to take a number of pictures of the two of us. Marty called us the "Hottest" couple that he ever saw attend a prom before both when he was in high school and than again in college. It was really wild the guy took pictures of us getting into the limo as we walked down the driveway hand in hand. I felt like that story where Prince Charming was found, and yeah Mike is my Prince who was so damn Charming. It was so nice to sit there in the limo holding his hand even though I was scared shitless about what others from school where going to say when we entered the Spring Fling together.
Mike tried to make small talk over the dinner, but I guess he could sense that I was scared not for myself as I was more for him. You gotta remember that Mike is the (BMC) Big Man on Campus, while I was still being called the fag that was sucking both him and Marty dry. That started after my old man threw me out and Darr found out that Mike and I where real close, especially when Mike threatened to quit football unless the school fired Darr and hired a better and more experience football coach. After I took care of dinner with a credit card that Marty told me to use, even though I plan on paying him back for it all. We left the restaurant hand in hand to head off to The Sheraton for the schools prom referred to as The Spring Fling.
It was really wild getting out of the limo to a red carpet that lead inside where the main hall was all maroon and gold our school colors. Mr. Brooks the new Athletic Director came over after Mike and I had our pictures taken to introduce himself to Mike. I kinda guess it was because Marty had signed a three year contract or until Mike graduated to coach football that caused Mr. Brooks ( a real handsome African-American), but it was like I was invisible to him even though he was leaning against my chair while he talked to Mike.
Before they started the music which was a guy that had graduated with Marty and now had a business as a professional DJ that the class president came by to hand out ballots for King and Queen of the Spring Fling/Prom. I was thinking of all the insults that I heard during school Friday where some of the jocks had planned to have me voted as the Queen of the dance. I am not a famine male, but than again I am not as muscular as Mike is no matter how hard I work out.
Mike had gone to the bathroom and I started to hear snotty remarks about how cute it was that Mike had brought his toy with him to the dance. Oh get me the hell out of here I was thinking to myself. As I sat there waiting for Mike to return cause I wanted to leave and go to the suite even though we had only been there for no more than 20 mins. I though about asking Mr. Brooks for a piece of paper and pen to leave a note to Mike stating that I was out of my league here. All I was thinking was get me the hell out of here now before I throw up or something worse happened to me.
I wanted to get some fresh air but the chaperones had stated once you leave that you can not return. Maybe that is what I should do than I was thinking, but all of a sudden I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Mr. Brooks asking me if I was alright because I looked like I was going to pass out, and I was afraid to tell him about what had happened Friday topped off by some of the comments that had been made towards me already here tonight. As I turned to say something to Mr. Brooks, Mike walked up to get my hand to lead me outside, when Mr. Brooks said," Mike please take Mark outside to get some air as I have some people to talk to personally". How did he know since I had not said a word.
Mike took me hand in hand to take me outside for some fresh air when Jerry Potts, Jr. yelled out, " Watch Out Mike that is Our Prom Queen that you are holding hands with". The next thing I remember was being revived by smelling salts out in the lobby by both Mr. Brooks and Dr. Spicer the school principal who ran the school with a zero tolerance policy especially when it came to students that where gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender because her sister is a lesbian along with the fact that she has twin boys who are gay that play on both the soccer and lacrosse teams. I came around just in time to see Potts and his date along with the five guys that have been harassing me being escorted out of the dance, and told to report with their parents first thing in the morning on Monday. Than Dr. Spicer went one step further by also telling the dates that meant them also because she had heard some of the comments that have been made towards me over the last week especially on Friday and the straw that broke the camels back where the ones tonight at the Spring Fling.
That is all for this part as I need to take a break and ask for another tape to dictate more. I was told by Mike that he would give me as many parts that I wanted to describe as I need. Happy July 4th and I hope to get more to you with in a week or so.