A RECON-nection to the Community: Part 2 by ckbald

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A RECON-nection to the Community
By ckbald

This story is a complete fantasy. It also reintroduces a grown up version of Douglas from CleanCut’s awesome story "Douglas Meets the Bros." I introduced adult Douglas in my earlier, still unfinished story "The Scholarship Student." This new story takes place about ten years later, and isn’t a continuation of "The Scholarship Student." This is now a three-part story.

Part 2

"You got a minute, Dougie?" Sam Watanabe asked, poking his head into Douglas’ classroom after school on a Wednesday, three weeks after auditions for "The King and I" had taken place, and Sam had been cast in the lead role of the King.
"Sammy, I always have a minute for his highness!" said Douglas with a grin, and offered Sam a deep bow from the waist.
"Bro, you’re killing me! I’m not the King of Siam…not yet," laughed Sam, "not lookin’ like this." He indicated his tweed sport jacket, khaki slacks, and tie.
"Hey, buddy, you’ve made great progress getting your "royal" body in shape over the last three weeks," Douglas exclaimed, grabbing Sam around the shoulders and pointing a finger at his colleague’s mid-section. "By the time the show opens in a week, you are going to be one hot AF King of Siam!"
"All thanks to you and the bros…," Sam started to say, before Douglas interrupted him.
"Hold on, hold on! You gave us an awesome starting point, bro! You were in great shape!" said Douglas, as he held Sam at arms length and gave him an appraising look. "All we did was get you thinking about nutrition, and the various muscle groups, and we've kept you on a tight schedule. Your enthusiasm has kept all of us pumped, Sammy."
"Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m just vain enough to own that I am looking forward to dress rehearsals, when I can get into that purple and gold embroidered vest, and those baggy shorts cinched just below the knee, and strut my stuff," Sam said, as he positioned himself in classic bodybuilder poses. Douglas joined him in a pose, and the two burst out laughing, knowing how funny two professionally dressed English teachers looked striking these poses.
"Speaking of dress rehearsals…," Douglas began before Sam interrupted him.
"The reason I came by is…well, can we talk about the King’s haircut?" Sam asked.
"Uh huh. Talk," answered Douglas with a wink.
Since the day the two men had met in early August at Figgleton High’s mentor-mentee meeting, it had been clear to Douglas that Sam Wantanabe couldn’t take his eyes off of Douglas’ severe high and tight recon haircut. And since Douglas was his mentor, Sam got lots of opportunities to cast what he imagined were covert glances at Douglas’ tight cut. They met twice a week in one or the other’s classroom to go over school policies, bounce ideas around for ways to teach a particular book to their students, and discuss ways to support various students socially and emotionally. Once rehearsals for "The King and I" had begun, they began to spend three nights a week in rehearsals at the community playhouse. Since Douglas was the theater company’s musical director, as well as the director of "The King and I", all eyes, including Sam’s, were regularly required to be on Douglas. Douglas quickly noticed that Sam’s gaze lingered longest in his direction.
"So, the King…Yul Brynner, shaved head…Lou Diamond Phillips, not sure what that haircut was called. I want to go in a different direction," said Sam, looking directly at Douglas’ haircut.
Douglas brushed his hand across the extremely short, almost oval-shaped patch of hair on top of his head and gave one of his infamous (learned from Trainer Dick) sh*t-eating grins. "Bro, a recon! I like what I’m hearing!"
"Riiight! My King presents as a bad-ass, a warrior, but he’s still.. sensitive, I guess that’s the word," Sam said excitedly.
"If you’re ready now, you can follow me to Brick’s and he can mow all that off, get ya lookin’ all royal and respect-worthy," Douglas said, "then we can grab some dinner and head to rehearsals."
"Brick?" Sam looked puzzled.
"My bro, Robert. We’ve been friends since middle school. He owns the East Side Plaza Barber Shop. On account of his size and red hair, he’s ‘Brick’," explained Douglas.
"Man, I thought I’d be getting the famous Trainer Dougie recon. What’s up with that? I’m not one of your bros after all?"
"Sammy, relax! Brick is the "recon whisperer". I do recon maintenance with my bros, and you’ll be seeing me twice weekly, just like the rest of them, ya royal pain in the butt."
As they fist bumped, Douglas ran his other hand through Sam’s carefully groomed black hair, and said, "buzzzzzz, you can kiss this coiffure goodbye."
"Man, the show runs for three weekends. After that, I…," Trainer Dougie interrupted Sam before he could finish.
"I said ‘twice weekly maintenance, bro."
Sam raised his eyebrows skeptically as they headed out of the classroom.

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