Moral Degeneration

“Are you sure about this?” Peter asked. He had been wearing less makeup lately which I appreciated. 

 

“Yeah, it will be fine,” I said. “Lyle’s sister already agreed to come.” 

“The goth?” George asked. 

“She did?” Lyle asked with a frown. 

 

“Yeah, my guardian is out this weekend, so I needed someone to help make you girls comfortable,” I said. “It’s just a small get together. It will be you guys, Mandi, Constance, Belle, Ryleigh, and probably Luna.” 

 

“Ryleigh? I heard you broke up after you were caught with Brianna,” Peter said.

“That was a while ago. Keep up,” I said. “It will be nice and easy to ease you guys into the real world. I want-”

“Ha!” Micah said, cutting me off. The flamboyant ringleader of the boys sat at the opposite end of the table. Now that the weather was getting nicer he was wearing a muscle shirt that showed off his pasty white skin. “Real world? Why are you always pushing this woman crap?” 

“Have you looked around lately?” I asked, getting sick and tired of his crap. Micah was the main reason I hated sitting with the other boys. “They make up about 99.99% of the population. When was the last time you even talked to a girl you weren’t related to?”

That quieted him. I looked back to the others, but I could see how nervous all of them were. All the boys at the table were. I ran my hand along my face, annoyed by the reaction every time. If I didn’t step up none of them would show.

“You guys ever watch that Real World show?” I asked. It was pretty big though it had been on for a couple of years. One of the first ‘reality’ TV shows, everyone talked about it. 

“Of course,” a few of the guys said. 

“You ever notice how timid the boys on that show are?” I asked. 

“Timid?” One of them asked.

 
“Yeah, only talk with the other boys. Never catching signals from the girls to hang out or whatever.” 

 

“I don’t know, I think they seem pretty normal,” Lyle had the nerve to say.

“You have to be kidding me. Lyle buddy, that one tie dye hair guy, didn’t know how to run a washing machine! He begged one of the girls, she pushed 2 buttons and it was done. I couldn’t get through the whole episode. It was so embarrassing. Those are the representatives to the world for our gender. How can you be happy with that? Jumping every time a girl approaches you? Is that what you want to be? Useless?”

“I’m not useless,” Micah said defensively, drawing my eye. 

“Really? What kind of meal can you make? And don’t say popcorn,” I said.

“Hot dogs,” he said.

“In the microwave? Whoopty doo. What the hell have you all done with your lives? Relied on your moms and sisters for everything?”

“So what?” Micah asked, offended. “What the frick does your stupid party have to do with that?”

“Everything,” I said. “Micah, you graduate this year. You turn 18 soon. Are you going to join the pregnancy program?”

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug. “It’s free money.” 

“Exactly,” I said. “You're replacing your moms with the government. They’ll care and provide for all of you as long as you fill a quota every freaking month. What’s going to happen when you actually have to do the deed? Some terrible porno where you just lay there?” A few of them blushed telling me they’d watched pornography before. 

“Guys,” I said, taking a long and slow breath. “That is not how things are supposed to be. You do the Program, great. You make a kid and you keep the world surviving a little longer. This party, right here, is only the beginning. I just want you to meet and talk to them. Not nervous and surrounded by another dozen girls listening in on your conversation. It will be low key, and simple. No pressure. I will be there holding everyone’s hand the whole time.”

“Why?” Killian asked. “Why are you doing this?” 

“Because I feel like it’s my duty. You older boys are lost causes, but my friends here. You guys could break the cycle. One party leads to another, then another. And eventually, god willing, you ask a girl out on a date, and you get a girlfriend, and when you turn 18 you aren’t some blushing plank on the bed while the woman takes what she wants and leaves disappointed.” 

“A girlfriend? I told you-” Micah tried to say but I cut him off. 

“Yeah, yeah, I heard. You dated Ava and you broke up with her because she kissed you or whatever. Well news flash Sherlock, if you’re in the program you’ll do a lot more than kissing,” I said. “Guys, I shouldn’t have to be begging like this. I know your moms have warned you away from girls. But I know deep down you want to be able to at least talk to someone you’re not related to. What if you get jobs in the future? You’ll have a shit time in the interview if you can’t even talk to the interviewer. This could really help you.” 

Lyle and Peter looked to Micah, as the leader of the group he had final say. But he didn’t have an answer. He frowned at me for a long time. Eventually he said, “You’re making a mistake. Let’s say you get a girlfriend. If you go past much more than kissing, what are you going to do? She could get pregnant, then what was the point?”

All the boys turned to me with that. “Tell you what. You actually get a girlfriend, and you want to go further than just heavy petting, let me know. Until then don’t sweat the future that might not happen.”

The boys shared looks with one another. “Do you care if I bring my girlfriend?” Killian surprised me by asking. 

“You have a girlfriend?” I asked, trying to hide my shock, others at the table openly gaped at him. He was a little effeminate, but I had gym class with him. Killian at least wasn’t as bad as Micah. He blushed but nodded. “Yeah, I don’t care. Jeez, I guess all of you aren’t lost causes. Anyone else?” 

 

“I’d like to go,” Henry admitted. Micah looked like he was backstabbed. “Oh come on, man. I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of hanging out in your mom’s basement. And he’s got a point. The last girl I talked to thanked me for picking up her pencil and I froze up.”

“You guys?” I asked Peter, Lyle, and George. The 3 in my class, they were originally the only people I asked. 

“I’m in if Mandi is going,” George said a little more confidently. He and the girl had been talking and joking in class more after I pushed him to talk to her.

“She will go,” I assured. The other 2 nodded, and I was getting nods from everyone else at the table. All in all 10 boys, 11 with me. This party was turning out to be bigger than I expected. It was going to be hard to keep things quiet, but it was a start at least. 

The lunch hour ended and I made a B-Line for Mandi and her friends, which included Ryleigh. “Alright, boys are coming,” I said.

“Yes!” Mandi said raising her fist in the air. “How many?”

“Uh just the 3 other boys from our class,” I lied. Mandi couldn’t keep a secret. One look at her with the pink streaks in her hair told me that much. “So it will be the 8 of us,” I said. “Ryleigh, you’re my date.”

Ryleigh rolled her eyes but nodded. We still hadn’t talked about what Luna said to her, but she didn’t seem angry at me. That was a start. “Saturday. Noon to 4.” 

“Noon to 4? What is this, a 9 year olds party?” Mandi asked.

 
“This is a start,” I reminded. “These boys are skittish. Gotta do this during daylight hours or they’ll get scared. Put up with it this time and we will try to get another going.”

“Fine, fine,” she said. “I can’t believe it. I’m so excited. What should we wear?” 

“Oh and don’t tell anyone,” I reminded. 

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, but I knew she would brag about it. I hoped to not get any party crashers, but I’d seen plenty of teen movies, there would be. I split off from them and moved to Luna as she left the cafeteria.

“I need a favor,” I said, pulling Luna from her friends.

“Now?” She asked, raising her eyebrows. “You need it that bad?” She whispered. 

“I do,” I said, chuckling. Throwing my arm over her shoulder I whispered, “I think I talked all the boys in school to go to this thing Saturday.”

“What?!” She yelled, causing some eyes to point our way. 

 

“Quiet,” I hissed. “Things got a little heated and I think I shamed them all into coming.”

“Even Micah?” She asked, aghast. I nodded. “What does this mean?” 

“I need more women,” I said. “Do you have 7 girlfriends that would want to go?” 

“I have about 100 that would want to go to this party,” she confessed. 

“I know. But I need 7. No more, no less. We can’t have this turning into a taco party with everyone eyeing the meat like prey,” I said.

“A taco-Oh I get it,” she said. “That’s good. And I see your point. Let me mention it to my friends. I’ll try not to give away that there will be boys there. At least until Friday. I can scrounge together 7-” 

“Wait no, 6. I forgot, Killian has a girlfriend,” I said.

“Killian has a girlfriend!?” She yelled, just as scandalized. 

“Goddang it, Luna, tell the whole school, please,” I said.

“Sorry, sorry. Like it’s earth shattering news when the boys do anything. Like I’ve already heard like 10 times today how you were seen at the water park with like 30 girls fawning over you,” she said, squinting her eyes. 

“I can’t help it if everywhere I go women flock to me,” I said. “Did you also hear how about 20 kids had me throwing them in the pool?”

“Hear about it?” She asked. Opening her textbook she pulled out pictures of me doing just that. I looked pretty good, 6-pack abs, throwing some girl that had a huge smile on her face and all these other kids around me. “These have been circulating around.”

“Oh my god, hilarious,” I said, smiling. “What? It’s funny.”

“It’s not funny, it’s the cutest fucking thing I’ve seen in ages. And we will be going there as soon as you have a free freakin weekend,” she said.

“What? We are going to the beach this summer,” I said.

“I don’t care. I’m in the mood to swim now, so set aside time,” she ordered. Her eyes heated. I could see that she was actually horny. 

“Yes, dear,” I said. “Anything else?” 

“Yes, I love you but I am going to kick Brianna’s ass if I hear you had another fun-filled weekend with her,” she said.

“Luna,” I said, getting serious. “I like her.” 

“Then you need to be open about it,” she said, poking my chest. “Full transparency…invite her to the thing this weekend.”

“What?”

“I’m sick of being in the dark. I want her and any other girl I don’t know about. I want to sit down and meet them and start laying some ground rules,” she said.

“Ground rules?” I asked. “What kind of rules?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Something though. I’m sick of feeling jealous, and not being sure when I can have you.”

“I’m sure to wake you up every morning I can,” I said with a frown. 

“I know, and I appreciate it, but come on. Can you please get a schedule or something? I want to plan stuff. Not cross my fingers that you’ll ask me or-”

“Oh, this is about prom, isn’t it?” I asked. She froze up. I eyed her. She was nervous again, holding a breath as I studied her. “You’re right.” 

“What?” She asked.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ve been hesitant to commit too much. And I probably should have a calendar. I’ve forgotten a few things here and there. I tell you what. I’ll work on a calendar today. I’ll write down everything I have already booked.” 

“And?” She asked.

“And…I would love it if you would go to prom with me,” I said. She beamed a smile at me. “And Brianna, and Ryleigh.”

“What?” She asked, her good mood disappearing. 

“What yourself,” I said. “You said you don’t mind sharing me. Why not prom too? I’ll wear a suit, rent a limo, pick you up. But I want to take Ryleigh and Brianna too.” 

“Fine,” she said immediately.

“Really?”

“Really,” she said with a shrug. “It’s not like you’ll be sleeping with Ryleigh. She let slip how far you’ve gotten and it’s not anywhere close to what you and I do. And you’ll be coming home with me anyway.” 

“And Brianna?” I asked.

“What about her?”

“What if I want to bring her home too?” I asked. 

“I don’t care,” Luna said. “Tell you what, take Penny as your date too. She would love it. We can have a good old fashioned orgy afterward for all I care.”

“Seriously?” I asked, surprised where the conversation had turned. 

“Russ, I’m with you, all the way. Besides, I’d love to see Brianna try to pull any of her crap with Penny there,” she said. 

“You know I love you, right?” I asked. 

“I know,” she said. “And I love you. Which is the only reason I put up with you. Now get to class. Write up that calendar. I’ll work on the other stuff.” The bell had rang a while ago, but as she turned I couldn’t help but pull her back and kiss her.

She finally broke and blushed as I held her there. When I was satisfied that I expressed some of the love I felt for her I let her go. She giggled and swatted me away and was running to her own class. Shaking my head I headed to my own class, trying to fight my erection was a real struggle now that it was bigger. 

 

Along with working on the calendar I realized that I had a lot of plans in effect. Too many plans to keep this Nightingale crap going. I decided I had to put an end to it sooner rather than later. It wasn’t long until all the pieces were moved into place though. The answer to my problem really was simple enough when I started thinking about it.