Eighteen year old Eric Watson unlocked the front door of his house, then flashed a broad grin at his old friend Chance. "Come on in, "he said trying to keep his excitement in check. "I think we have some chips and stuff in the kitchen."

He stood with his back to the door as Chance brushed past, then went and deposited his school books on the living room table. "God, it's been so long, dawg. Can't believe you're really back in town and that we're actually going to be graduating together. I nearly freaked when I saw you walk into physics class today."

He was still grinning and talking excitedly as he led Chance into the kitchen. "You hungry, bro?" he asked before starting to rummage around in the cabinets.

"Sure, sounds good," Chance replied quietly as he leaned back against one of the cabinets and started looking around. "Everything in here is just like I remember. It's almost like I never moved away."

"Yeah, everything is pretty much the same," Eric agreed as he glanced around the kitchen, eyeing the worn wall paper and the old Early American style table and chairs. "Dad's so not into change," he said rolling his eyes.

He grinned broadly at Chance before continuing his search for some decent snacks.

Eric didn't know exactly why he felt such a strong feeling of happiness that his childhood buddy was back in town, but he did. He felt...there was no way to decribe it, but it was like when Chance used to visit his grandparents during the summer when they were kids, and then after all the waiting and wondering, one day his best friend would suddenly reappear, and it had been like a rush of pure joy. He had felt same when he had seen Chance walk into class this afternoon, just blown away with by it.

He shrugged to himself then grabbed a couple of bags of chips from one of the high shelves. He really had missed his first and best friend, but like everyone, when they have to say goodbye, he'd minimized the importance of it.

He heard Chance laugh and he turned with a smile on his lips. "What's funny?" He asked.

"Aw man, it just brings back so many memories, being here again. Remember when we used to raid the kitchen late at night, when I'd stay over?"

Eric nodded and then for the first time since they'd met up again, he really looked closely at his friend. Tall and muscular, Chance looked like a man now, and it was hard for Eric to believe that he was the same scrawny kid with glasses who used to cry every time he fell off his bike.

"Yep, I totally remember. We always had fun, until Dad would get up and tell his to get back to bed."

Eric snagged a couple of Coke's from the fridge then led the way to the den. "I remember we used to watch cartoons in here every afternoon after school. You remember?" He asked as he plopped down on the sofa.

"For sure," Chance replied as he sat down beside Eric and grabbed a bag of chips from Eric's hand. "Hey, You want to watch cartoons again?" he asked quietly, and when Eric looked over at him, it seemed like his friend was a little embarrassed for even asking.

"OK if you want," Eric said,then grabbed the remote from the coffee table and flipped through the channels until he got to the Cartoon Network.

Sipping on his Coke he distractedly watched the cartoon, but his mind was elsewhere. He wondered how Chance had gotten so muscular, and he looked down at his own arms and chest, thinking maybe he should start going to a gym or something.

"Count Spankula!" Chance suddenly crowed out, bringing Eric out of his ruminations. He chuckled, becoming a little more interested in the animations flashing across the tv screen. He watched 'Codename: Kids Next Door' as a vampire with giant hands spanked everyone he could get his hands on.

"Kinky," he mumbled and then smiled over at Chance, his eyes sparkling.

There was an answering sparkle in Chance's eyes as he snickered. "For sure."

The two continued to watch the show in silence, Occasionally laughing but otherwise just concentrating on the show.

While reaching into his bag of chips, Chance gave Eric a little nudge with his elbow. "Hey dude, you remember when we were kids and we used to play school? That was kind of fun, don't you think?"

Eric did remember, and the remembrance made him slightly uneasy. There were lots of spankings in those teacher and student make-believe sessions, Maybe too many. He flushed a little, thinking about it and then looked back at the tv pretending to be engrossed in watching a commercial. "Yeah, we were pretty retarded back then," he said with a laugh.

When the commercials were over Count Spankula was back and had been caught spanking a teddy bear, after solemnly promising not to spank anyone again. The look on the Count's face at that moment was classic. His eyes were big as saucers, and his fangs drooped with sadness as he held his giant gloved palm high.

Eric shifted on the sofa uneasily, starting to feel really uncomfortable for some reason. "He is so busted," he murmered as he shifted slightly on the sofa.

There was another gentle nudge, and when Eric looked over at Chance, the other young man's cheeks were pink with color and his eyes were soft and warm. "You want to play school again, Eric?" he asked and then laughed huskily.

"Um..." Eric pressed his lips together, feeling a tingling in his belly. "We're kind of old to play make-believe, don't you think?"

Chance laughed again, and then shrugged. "Probably."

After a few minutes, Eric, still looking at the television set, casually said, "If you want to play that again, you know for old times sake, or something, um...I guess it might be OK."

His heart started thudding and the tingling in his belly moved lower down, but he grabbed his Coke and took a gulp, trying to make it seem like it didn't matter one way or another to him. Secretly though, he was deeply excited at the prospect of spanking and being spanked by Chance. An image of himself firmly planted across his buddy's knee, flickered through his brain and he once again shifted on the sofa, trying to hide the fact that he was becoming aroused. He placed a hand casually across his crotch of his jeans and stared steadily at the tv screen, waiting for Chance's response.

"Cool, turn off the tv and stuff and we can do that."

Eric heard the controlled excitement in Chance's deep voice, and he couldn't control the bright smile that spread across his face as he stared into his friend's eyes. He knew his face must be lit up like a Christmas tree, but he just couldn't help it.

Clicking off the remote, he turned to face Chance. Surpressing nervous laughter, he tried to sound blase when he suggested, "So, how about this then? I'll get my Science book, and then we can play like you are supposed to be studying and I'll be the teacher and punish you for not doing your work." He raised his light-brown brows to see if his friend thought that was a good idea.

"Yeah, OK." Chance's voice sounded thick and eager. "That's kind of how we used to do it. Then we would trade and I'd be the teacher. You want to do that too?"

Eric nodded, feeling his heart racing with anticipation. He stood up and headed toward the door. "Just a sec, and I'll get my book and be right back. There's a ruler in my dad's top desk drawer if you want to get that."

As he grabbed at his biology book he glanced up at the black-numbered clock on the living-room wall and noted that it was already four-thirty. His dad would be home from work at five. He knew they'd need to hurry if they didn't want to risk getting caught in their make believe. Slightly disappointed that they didn't have more time to play, he hurried back to the den.

Chance was holding the thick wooden ruler in his hand and was swinging it in the air as Eric walked over to him, and Eric's body gave a hard throb at the sight. He reached out a sweaty palm for the ruler, then said eagerly, "I got my book. Go ahead and sit at the desk and we'll play, just like we used to. OK?"

Chance licked his lips, while taking the book from Eric, then without a word, he walked over to the desk chair, sat down, and opened one of them. Dipping his head, he appeared to be in deep concentration over his schoolwork.

Eric cleared his throat then strode up to his friend. Bending over and looking over the "student's" shoulder, he caught a whiff of Chance's after shave. It was a warm, spicy aroma, and Eric felt giddy as he inhaled.

Clearing his throat once more, he said int he most authoritative tone he could muster, "All right, young man, you should be finished studying by now. Are you ready for me to quiz you on the material?"

Chance leaned back in the chair until the two teens head's were practically touching, then cast an appealing upward glance at the "teacher". "But, Mr Watson, I didn't know there was going to be a test today. I really haven't learned the whole chapter yet."

Eric caught the slight whine in his friend's voice and his excitement grew. "Well, Chance, you've had plenty of time to study and you know what happens when you don't. Stand up and pull down your jeans. I'm afraid I'm going to have to punish you for slacking."

He heard a nervous ripple of laughter from his buddy as Chance stood up, and he tittered in response, He quickly stopped himself--not wanting to spoil his stern demeanor--and arranged his youthful face into hard unyielding lines. "Jeans down, young man." he ordered, then he watched as his buddy fumbled with the front of his pants before slowly lowering them, revealing a pair of brightly-colored boxers.

"Nice," he murmered as he took in the lines of the muscular butt under the thin cotton, and suddenly a feeling of strong unease came over him. He wondered if it was right for them to playing like this. They weren't kids anymore, after all, and it just didn't seem quite as innocent as it once had.

He gulped, and stood motionless and uncertain for what seemed like forever. "Um, Chance," he finally mumbled. "I don't know man, Um..." he flushed and looked at the ruler he was holding.

Chance turned, with his jeans at his knees, and looked questioningly at Eric. After a couple of seconds he spoke, and his tone of voice was low and subdued. "I know I should've studied harder, Mr Watson, and I'm ready to be punished because I didn't." There was a note of pleading there, and Eric couldn't help but respond to it.

He lifted his head and looked directly into Chance's eyes. "All right, young man, bend over the chair," he ordered as he pointed at the seat of the chair with the ruler. Taking a deep breath, he watched the other teen shuffle over and plant his hands palms down on the seat.

Putting a hand on Chance's boxer-clad hip and feeling the warmth of his buddy's skin emanating from beneath the soft material, he brought the ruler back and delivered four or five very hard swats. The crack of the ruler rang out through the room, and both Eric and Chance jumped slightly at the sound.

"Ouch!" Chance yelped out, then put his hands back to rub at his butt.

Eric felt worried and ashamed that he had slammed the ruler down so hard, so he dropped it on the floor, walked over to the sofa and plopped down in defeat. "Sorry man, Didn't mean to hit you so hard. you OK?"

When there was no reply he looked up to find Chance grinning over at him. he noticed that his friend's eyes were still shining, and that his face was diffused with color. "I'm OK dude," CHance assured, obviously close to laughter. "What's wrong with you, don't you know how to play make believe anymore?"

Eric shrugged, still feeling miserable at having smacked his friend so hard. "I don't know. I guess maybe we're too old to play now, or something. It seems different now."

Pulling up his jeans and fastening them Chance walked over to the sofa and sat down beside Eric. "Don't worry about it, dude. It was fun once, but maybe you're right. Maybe we're too old for this shit now." He then wrapped an arm around Eric's shoulder and squeezed hard. "But, you know, I still owe you for those whacks. You aren't going to wuss out on it, are you? It's payback time!"

The grin on Chance's face was infectious and Eric responded with an equally huge smile. He felt a strong tingling in his crotch as he saw the wickedly mischievous look in his buddy's eyes. "Well, All right, I'll pretend to study now," he replied as he started to get up.

"Oh, no, no, no," Chance growled as he snagged Eric's arm and pulled him back down. "You're going over my knee."

Within a few seconds, they were wrestling, with Eric trying to get back up and Chance pulling him back down on the couch. Finally, the stronger teen won, and Eric found himself lying face down across his friends muscular thighs. "Let me up!" He half-screeched, while adrenaline coursed through his body, magnifying every touch.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Eric exhaled hard as he felt the sting of Eric's palm connecting to his jeaned butt, but he stopped struggling, and lay quietly, feeling stuff he didn't want to feel, and not understanding exactly what it was that he did feel. "What kind of make believe is this?" He panted out in exasperation, while twisting his head so he could look into Chance's face.

"Not make-believe, buddy, just pay back," Chance answered, his grin so big that it looked like it was going to go off the edges of his face.

"For real, Dude?" Eric questioned angrily as he struggled to get off of Chance's lap. "Well, you payed me back, OK? Now let me up!"

Chance moved his head down into Eric's line of vision and then winked at him. "Dude, Chill! Can't you see we're just having fun?"

Relaxing a little, Eric stopped struggling and lay still, his eyes wide and his breathing hitching in his throat. "It would be more fair if my pants were down too, since yours were," he nearly whispered, as he held onto Chance's leg tightly.

"So, so right," His friend replied as he snaked his hand under Eric and deftly unfastened his jeans. Putting his thumbs in the waistband he gave a quick hard tug, and before Eric could say anything, Chance's hand landed solidly on the back of his white briefs.

The sting of Chance's broad palm landing across his butt was sending wild shivers through him and the strong arm holding him securely felt so right. And, even though in the back of his mind, he still didn't know if what they there doing was something they should be doing, he held on tight to Chance's leg and let it happen.

Amidst the sound of some hearty smacks, Eric heard the front door close and he tensed. "Oh shit! My dad must be home!" he whispered frantically. "Let me up!"

Chance loosened his grip immediately, and Eric quickly jumped up and pulled his jeans up. He dashed over and grabbed the ruler from the floor and put it back in the drawer, then quickly sat back down on the sofa.

Reaching for the remote, he flicked on the tv.

"Well, if it isn't Chance!" Eric's dad jovially burst out when he walked in and saw the young man who had spent so much time at their house so many years ago. "It's so good to see you again!"

Eric nodded and then looked over at Chance, and they shared a quick smile of relief at not getting caught.

Eric's Dad sat down in a chair and looked smilingly from one boy to the other. "So what have you guys been up to?" He asked. "Been catching up on things?"

"Yeah Dad, we have," Eric responded hoping his father didn't notice the guilty flush in his cheeks at the question. "Chance's family has moved back to town now, so we have lots of time to catch up."

"Yeah, it's so tight to be back here after all these years! I'd almost forgotten what a blast me and Eric used to have together," Chance enthused while smiling sweetly at Eric, then giving him a quick, discrete wink.

"Well, that's just great. You guys always had so much fun together. Maybe you can go to to same college in the Fall. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Eric took a deep breath to slow the pounding of his heart. "Um...yeah, that would be way cool."

He didn't add that maybe he and Chance would get to play their make-believe--or whatever it had turned into--for four more years if they went to the same college, but that's what he was thinking.

Copyright © 2004 by Tris Revised Copyright&cop 2007 by Tris