Ganymede: Part 1

"Despite what some of you may think, the Greeks knew about the great variety of sexual expression. And while they may have not exactly looked upon homosexuality as something a man would experience throughout his entire life, homosexual practices were accepted as a form of sexual education. Older males of society would take on a younger male and instruct him on the various aspects of sexual pleasure." Professor Lopez paused at this point, allowing his words to sink into his students' minds.

Gazing upon his class, the professor watched his students' reactions. They were mixed, some uncomfortable (usually the straight males), some indifferent but curious (usually the straight females), and others unusually interested (usually the gay ones). It was to this last group he paid the most attention. This particular class provided a couple of students whose eyes shot to the front of the class, ears absorbing every word. However, there was one in particular Professor Lopez was interested in, a student by the name of Tanner Loeb.

Tanner was small, slender, dark-haired, with dark and intelligent eyes, and for lack of a better term, gorgeous. Professor Lopez found it hard to look at his other students with Tanner there, and it was Tanner's reaction he was most interested in. Just before Professor Lopez took his customary pause he locked eyes with Tanner for the briefest of moments, and in that moment the professor knew the answer to his question: Tanner is attracted to men. Professor Lopez only hoped that that attraction extended to slightly older men.

With a smile, the professor continued his lecture, "The expression of homosexual desire is especially present in two stories, although there are others, of course. Ganymede and Hyacinth were two youths who attracted the lust of two gods: Zeus and Apollo. Now, Hyacinth didn't come off too well from his encounter with the god Apollo, but his image has been immortalized in the flower that bares his name. Ganymede, on the other hand, was the luckier of the two, because he was chosen to bare the cup of the gods on Mount Olympus, forever young, forever beautiful." Professor Lopez looked at his watch and realized that class was over. "But, we'll get into that next time."

Knowing the signal for the end of class, the students immediately started packing away their notebooks and books. "Be sure to read Book Ten of Ovid's Metamorphoses by next time, and we'll discuss some of the consequences mortals faced when directly encountering the gods." His last words were drowned out by the departing students, and he knew only a handful of them would actually read the assigned selection, a pity since the selection was a quick and entertaining read.

He was beginning to pack away his own things when he noticed one student had stayed behind, Tanner. The professor smiled. Tanner's arms were full of books as he approached the professor's desk.

"Yes, Tanner. What can I do for you?" The professor tried to hide his excitement.

"Well, I was wondering about the story of Ganymede, professor." The boy seemed nervous, but excited.

"Yes?"

"The story's very short, only a couple of stanzas. Why did it hold such a fascination with the Greeks?"

"A good question." Professor Lopez suppressed his surprise that Tanner had already read the book, but then again, Tanner was a special student. "I suppose it had something to do with a kind of hope."

"Hope, sir?"

"Yes, a hope that any Greek could also, one day, take his or her place among the gods." The professor paused. "And it also expresses the Greek's interest in the aesthetic qualities of the adolescent male, which at the time was considered the height of beauty."

"I see." Tanner paused, blushing slightly. "Thanks." As he turned to leave, the mountain of books in Tanner's arms slipped and fell to the floor, bouncing in all directions, "Shit!" He said without thinking.

The professor bent to help Tanner and noticed something strange. As Tanner squatted to pick up his books, his shirt lifted at the back to revel his smooth skin and the band of his underwear. Seeing the underwear in and of itself was nothing unusual, or cause for surprise, but Professor Lopez noticed that the band was a bright red, and beneath that bright red band was a white brief decorated with playful images of Superman. It seems Tanner has a more youthful side beneath his intelligent exterior.

The Professor said nothing regarding what he saw, but helped Tanner collect his books.

"Thanks," Tanner said and left the classroom.

The Professor looked after him and muttered to himself, "Finally. He'll be the one." And in his mind, as a smile spread across his face, a plan was all ready forming.