Sure, we are talking mind games, especially so, from our present points of view...
Yet, from a perspective of a street wise teenager, the 'coded wording' we were using pretty aptly in those days suggested that we were 'the players' in the game of sex - no small thing for a young guy. Step-by-step, we stopped being just 'kids' and transitioned into the adult world with some of its incredible pleasures and many trappings to be aware of, too.
The old HS bonds started getting rearranged. The undecided, the shy, i.e. the non-players started fading away. And some of the guys whom you would not consider your close friends suddenly became very important because they were either potential sexual partners or because they were playing for the same team...
Our cliques grew. Some people were pretty transient as summer guests in a popular resort tend to be. The others established strong links and stayed in touch, arranging for more clandestine, m2m sex under both the usual and unusual excuses.
Looking back at those days, I recognize that we were all walking on pretty thin ice, as they say. But we learnt a few indispensable survival skills, too.
First off, you knew that you had to trust some people. You were going to sweat it, and try to develop a good gut sense about it, but you could move on only as a part of a functioning team.
Second off, you learnt that being an asshole was not going to work for you unless you wanted to completely change your environment. The guys felt that they were in it together, and though no one would openly admit this, you had to follow some unwritten rules or you were out of the team.
Third off, you learnt that sex favored the daring and the smart. If you were watching the people you encountered very carefully, you would realize if they were for some little activity on the side or not. A resourceful and fast guy would almost always win the day by not leaving his mates too much time to think and look for possibly better alternatives.
Fourth off, you learnt to live with the competition. The more aces down your sleeve you had the better it was. True, the general vibe was that of friendship and silent reciprocal support for the little underground activity we were practicing. Yet, you tried to bag the hottest dude for yourself whenever the opportunity presented itself.
"In sex and war..." I'd say.
Last but not least, you learnt to win sometimes and learn when someone outplayed you, too. No small thing for a teenager.
KD
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