"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been, umm, quite some time since my last confession." A thud sound came from the other side of the booth and a distinct sound of shuffling feet. Tommy shifted nervously on his knees and gazed up at the grating, waiting for a response.
"I'm happy to hear your voice, young man. What seems to be troubling you?"
"Father Mulroney? Are you okay? Your voice seems a lot deeper than usual."
A series of deep coughs followed before Tommy heard the voice again. "Thank you for your concern, my son. I must be coming down with a bit of a cold. Pay it no mind, let's focus on you first."
The confessional, and the church around them, was deathly quiet. Tommy had purposefully waited until the last parishioner left before making his way to the booth. The church would likely be empty until the morning. After his previous confession, he was left with such an upbeat and happy outlook that Tommy had forgotten how nervous he had been. Clearing his throat, he began.
"Well, you remember what I told you before, Father? About my coach and the shower."
"Vividly child, continue."
"Well, It--It happened again." Tommy swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "You see, Father, ever since that Friday, I've--well, I've been helping men." Tommy squeezed his eyes together tightly as if a bolt of lightning would strike at any moment, but it didn't.
"Hmm, I see. How many, err, men, have you helped, my son?" The voice came out clear enough, but the breathing became ragged.
"Four so far, Father."
"So far?"
The confessional felt like it was rocking slighty. Tommy thought he was imagining it and continued. "Yes, Father, so far. And that's why I'm here today." Tommy was starting to relax, and his voice sounded less crackled and nervous. "I enjoy it."
The sounds from the other stall were a cacophony of coughs and spluttering. "Enjoy--oh Lord, enjoy what, my son?"
The confessional booth was silent except for a light, continuous creaking. Tommy smelt the familiar aroma of musky lockerrooms and breathed it in deeply. "The attention, Father." Tommy didn't wait for another response; he had broken the seal on his guilt, and he didn't want to be stopped from revealing the secret that burned inside him. "I enjoy helping these men because they make me feel good like I'm wanted. Every time Coach Masters introduces me to one of his friends; I feel needed."
"Your coach is pimp--arranging these meetings for you?" His voice was raspy now, staggered like speaking with a dry mouth.
"Yes, almost every Friday, one of his friends needs help. Coach Masters has even started paying me $20 a go for my time. The last time, with Mr Francis, he said I was cheap at triple the price. He told me that the last time he had such good service was when he was in Thailand." Tommy was beginning to boast about his talents. "And I've heard about those Thai massages, so if Mr Francis thinks I'm that good, I must be doing well. Don't you think, Father?"
"Oh, I don't doubt it at all, boy." There was a deep sigh, and he continued slowly. "And these encounters, are they always at school?"
"Yep, every time. Coach says it's because the showers are big enough for me to work. Oh, and he can make sure that I'm safe." Tommy beamed a big smile, warming at the thought of his Coach taking such good care of him.
"Oh, does your Coach stay in the showers while you work?"
"No. Coach Masters can see me from the security cameras he had installed."
All movement ceased in the other compartment until an intrigued voice replied. "Security cameras in the school showers?"
"Yeah, Coach said that there's been bullying in the school, and he wanted to make sure it didn't happen during his classes. I've not noticed any myself, but Coach assured me that he takes the videos home every night and watches them closely. Coach also said he's already had personal one-to-ones with at least ten students thanks to what he's seen on the cameras."
"I bet he has, the lucky--" The voice trailed off as his mind wandered for a moment before circling back. "Tell me, my son, do you give these men--the full service?"
"What do you mean, Father?" Tommy asked, honestly clueless.
Tommy couldn't see his confidant smiling at his naivety. "Those certain things that only wives normally do."
"Oh, you mean working the tension out of their penises and removing the excess protein build-up?"
It took a moment for Tommy's reply to be fully understood. "Umm, yes?"
"Yes, I do that each time. Coach says it's because I'm so good, I force the protein build-up to the penis as the last place I work on." Tommy smiled a smug, satisfied smile. "It's how all the professional massage therapists do it."
"Wow."
"I know, right. I feel so lucky that Coach Masters chose me for this duty. I still can't help but feel guilty." Tommy looked up the roof of the confessional and placed a hand on each wall. He could hear the same creaking noises as last time. "Father, you have a problem with your wood. You should get it treated."
A silence fell over the confessional until a spluttering breath replied, "Wha--?"
"Your wood needs to be treated properly. You know, by a professional."
The silence lingered for a moment. "My wood?" A single finger poked at the grating, ensuring nothing could be seen. "A professional? Like you, perhaps?"
Tommy looked at the grating, a little confused, "No, I can't work wood that well."
"What about what these men have told you? I think they would disagree."
"Silly! No, they think I'm a professional masseuse, not a carpenter. It would help if you had someone look at this booth; It keeps creaking."
It felt as though the temperature in the confessional had risen several degrees. The older man could feel his face changing to a mix of red and purple hues as the image of Tommy on his knees in a shower cubicle circled in his mind. "Oh, yes, of course."
"Now, if you had a protein build-up, well, I could help with that; Carpentry, no chance."
A fit of coughing erupted from the other side of the partition. "Fu--"
"Father? Are you alright? Did you want me to get you a glass of water?"
"Sweet--child, no--thank you, I'm----okay. But perhaps--no, no, never mind, continue."
Tommy shuffled closer to the partition and placed his hands on either side, facing the grate. "Please go on, Father, I'll do anything you want," Tommy could see the priests vestments rise and fall with his breathing, although he didn't think it was healthy for the Father's breathing to move quite that quickly. "Just tell me what you want."