Best Buds (Part 4)

[arpeejay]

By Richard Jasper

Part 1: http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/sh...ad.php?t=16622

Part 2: http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/sh...ad.php?t=16708

Part 3: http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/sh...ad.php?t=16710

News that he'd managed to gain 15 lbs. in eight weeks without even noticing only spurred James to redouble his efforts in the gym -- and in the dining hall!

"I've been reading up on this stuff," James told John. "If we increase our protein intake so we're getting at least a gram per pound of bodyweight..."

John held up his hands.

"Whoa, big boy, what's this 'we' business? You're the one who wants to get bigger. I'm fine with the size I am now."

James looked at his roommate.

"You're already bigger than when we started working out," he pointed out.

John nodded.

"Well, 5 lbs. maybe."

"Don't you WANT to get bigger?"

John shrugged.

"Well, sure, but only if it's quality muscle," he said. "And not MUCH bigger, thanks. Stronger is good, yeah, but not if it slows me down."

It occurred to James that John was actually an athlete.

"Oh!" he said. "You mean, like, for LaCrosse?"

John patted his friend on the head, as if he were a little boy figuring out how to tie his shoelaces.

"Exactly."

James looked disappointed.

"You, though," John said. "You should go for it. Get as big and as strong as you want. There are plenty of sports where fast isn't what it's all about. Assuming you even want to do sports."

James shook his head.

"To tell you the truth, I never thought about it."

John pulled a book off the shelf above his desk.

"Take a look at this one," John said.

It was the Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, and Weightlifting.

"And just don't look at the pictures!"

James had the good grace to blush as he flipped through the pages.

"Oh!" he said again, another lightbulb going off in his head. "So THESE are sports, too?!"

John laughed.

"Doofus, for a near-genius sometimes I really wonder about you!"

But he didn't have to wonder long. During the remaining eight weeks of the semester, John gained another 5 lbs. of solid muscle while actually improving his speed and endurance on the Lacrosse field.

As for James:

20 lbs. of solid muscle!!

"Jeez," John said. "150 lbs.! I've heard of 'beginner gains' but 35 lbs. in four months is pretty damned spectacular!"

James' grin was a mile wide.

"And I benched 225 this morning, first time ever!"

John choked on his gatorade.

"Really?! That's fucking awesome!"

James beamed.

James and John had continued their workouts together throughout the semester but over the previous month they'd had to change things up on a couple of days. James had started doing chest on his own, with assists from the other guys in the gym.

"Uh, James, I gotta tell you something," John said. "Don't take it the wrong way, OK?"

Uh oh, James thought, what have I done?

"The thing is," John said. "I'm jealous, OK? That's as much as I bench and I outweigh you by 20 lbs.!"

Whoosh! What a relief!

"And you can run circles around me on the track," James pointed out. "Your point?"

John laughed at that.

"Okay, then, if that's the way you want it. I'll be the FAST one and you'll be, well, let's think..."

He pondered a minute, then:

"Meathead, that's it. No more 'Doofus' -- from now on you're 'Meathead'!"

James lit up.

"Really? How very cool! I like it!"

After all, he thought, I've been called MUCH worse things!

* * *

James' parents were quite taken aback by their son's appearance when he arrived home for Christmas. His father was an inch or so taller than James but only 140 lbs., with narrow, rounded shoulders and a little tummy poking out. When James had left for Wyndham, his father outweighed him by 25 lbs. or so, not much but clearly the difference between man and boy. Now, although James was no taller, he outweighed his dad by a good 10 lbs. -- and seemied bent on growing more!

They insisted that James go see the family physician, which James agreed to on the condition that they buy him a one-month membership at the nearby suburban gym. Startled, they readily agreed, figuring it was just another adolescent fad. They were relieved, although a bit surprised, when James' physician, who had known the boy since birth, pronounced him in splendid health.

"Best ever, in fact," Dr. Barclay declared. "He's never been this healthy."

James' father and mom looked at each other.

"So it's OK if he goes to this gym?"

The good doctor barked a laugh.

"OK?! Hell, he should have been going long since. Definitely let him go!"

With the exception of Christmas and New Years' Day, James spent an hour or two every day of break at the gym. His appetite when he was at home was quite surprising -- and would have been alarming if his parents had known that he was supplementing their meager meals with protein shakes and cans of tuna three or four times a day.

Much to his parents' satisfaction, James was still completely enamored of his Star Wars collection and overjoyed with additions he found under the Christmas tree. It was quite reassuring, really, to see that he was still their son, not some overgrown changeling! (On the other hand, James made a point of trying on his gift clothing in his bedroom -- nothing fit! It was all at least 2 sizes too small! Thankfully, James knew JUST where Mom kept the receipts; she and James' dad never knew that he exchanged ALL the clothing for identical items in larger sizes!)

I dunno, James thought, how much more of this I can take!

Fortunately, the weekend after New Year's, it was time to head back to Wyndham.

* * *

John was waiting for him when James walked into their dorm room.

"Meathead," he cried. "Good to see you man!"

James grabbed John and squeezed him up in a big bear hug.

"Oof!" John said. "I can tell you're even bigger than when you left!"

James chuckled, then peeled off his winter gear.

"Holy moly," John exclaimed. "You musta gained 20 lbs.!"

Blushing, James pointed out that, no, in fact he'd gained only 10 lbs. over break!

"Crikey," John said. "That puts you at what? 160?"

James nodded.

"How about you?" he asked.

"Ha! I gained 5 lbs. of flab from eating all that Christmas crap, but then I started jogging again on New Year's Day and I've already lost it all. I'm exactly the same weight as when I left."

James pondered that.

"So..."

John smirked.

"So, yeah, Meathead, I still outweigh you by a staggering, gigantic 10 lbs., woo hoo!"

He looked at James again.

"And, no, I didn't spend a minute in the gym," he pointed out. "Unlike you, who apparently lived there!"

It was James' turn to grin.

"I got my bench press up, at least!" he noted proudly.

"Oh, Christ," John replied, "I hate to think what it must be now. 250, 275?"

James squared his shoulders and poofed out his chest.

Fuck, John thought, he HAS a chest.

"315," James said, matter of factly.

"Holy hell!" John replied. "That's fucking twice your body weight!"

The expression on James' face would have done justice to the cat who ate the canary.

"Wanna know what else I can do?" he asked.

John stepped back a pace, laughing.

"Hey, if it's sexual, I don't want to hear about it. I know how you 'mos get when you're all horned up on testosterone," he joked.

James twisted his neck from side to side and rolled his shoulders.

Jeez, he looks like a frickin' wrestler, John realized.

"Oh, nothing sexual at all," James said. "Just a little trick, that's all. Come stand in front of me."

It was the first time James had ever ordered John to do anything and John found himself obeying without thinking. And then James' thick, meaty (when did THAT happen?) hands were under his armpits and James was pumping him up and down for reps, like he was barbell or something, only John sure as hell had never managed to do push press with 170 lbs.!

After 15 reps, James dropped John back down to the floor.

"Whoosh!" John exclaimed. "Where the hell did that come from?"

James laughed.

"Pretty good trick, huh?"

And why do I have a stiffy? John asked himself.

[More to cum...]

[scot158f]

Excellent story, arpeejay! I love the awesome characters, and I can't wait to see further growth

[sierraca]

Ah, a stiffy. Now things should really begin to heat up between the two of them. I like that James is getting huge from his own dedication and sweat, and not necessarily because of a "magic pill." It adds a greater reality to the story. Thanks!

[arpeejay]

When I started writing this story, I was pretty sure that John was straight but he seems to be telling me something else! We'll see what happens! :-)

xoox

richard

[ohiobuck47]

Can't wait for the next installment and see what direction you direct our characters in. Like the previous replier stated, the fact that James is growing gradually in a credible manner, makes the story all more believable. I'll bet the number of readers picks up faster than James is putting on muscle! Thanks for the story Richard.

[tagsnola]

I can't wait to see what comes next! Nice to read about a guy like John, pulling a guy like James out of his shell and showing him the way to become more than he might have been otherwise. You can't help but like both of these characters. John, who made the first move to befriend James. And James who responded and seized the opportunity to grow in a way he never had before. I also like his having sneaked off to exchange the clothing gifts from his parents in such a way as not to hurt their feelings because the sizes they'd gotten him were too small. The Jews have a word for guys like John and James, "mentsch." In Yiddish it means literally, "man." But it actually means a good man. Or, as the beatnik (proto-hippie) Maynard G. Krebs of the 1950's TV comedy "Doby Gillis" would've said, "a real human being." Great story RP.
xoxo
TagsNOLA