Welcome! This is the first chapter of the newest segment of the continuing saga of Zac, Kayden and their friends. If you’ve just found this story, please check out the previous three segments (“Kayden” / “Kayden II” / “Kayden and Zac”). If you’ve read them already, then you get full access to this chapter… yay!

 

It’s been a while since I wrote, I know. But this is a long chapter, so that makes up for it a bit. Anyway, for those of you who don’t know, this is gay-friendly fiction; therefore, if this type of material offends you it may be great if you stop reading now J

 

If you think you’re too young to read this, I’ll let you be the judge of that. Other than that, enjoy!!

 

 

Zac and Kayden

 

by Ryan Keith

 

Chapter 1 - A Day Revisited

 

 

       The sun seemed to pry Zac’s eyes open. He hadn’t had his full eight hours of sleep, but he knew it was close to seven in the morning. All the weeks of training and waking up early had engraved an alarm clock into his brain.

       He didn’t even complain as he sat up. Jett’s leg was wrapped around his own while he slept on his side with an arm tucked under his head. Jett was a sound sleeper.

       Zac stretched his arms high as he thought about what was coming: his triathlon competition the following day. Even though his dad had warned him to rest his body thoroughly, he just couldn’t stay in bed any longer. He decided he wanted to do some stretching and warm-up exercises outdoors. The problem was in getting his monster of a friend to release his trapped leg.

       Smiling, Zac decided to just screw it and get up as quietly as he could, so that if his friend woke up, it wouldn’t be his fault. When Zac stood up, Jett simply rolled over to the other side and remained asleep.

       After his usual morning ritual, Zac made it to the Emersons’ kitchen, which had access to their backyard. It was a beautiful morning, and he needed the air. He had never thought about meditating until his boyfriend had suggested it. He decided to give it a shot.

       Zac’s mind fell into a state of calm as he went through his exercises. His dad and Diana had returned from their honeymoon the week before, but he hadn’t been able to live comfortably around the happy couple. It got to a point where he was getting sick of his dad and new mother being cute and childish around each other. He decided to crash at Jett’s place. Lenne had the same problem, and stayed with Mai. The newlyweds could have the house to themselves, and he and Lenne wouldn’t have to get sick from watching them. Zac wondered if he and Kayden were that bad, but decided they weren’t.

       Zac thought it was weird that his dad and Diana had gone on a short honeymoon. Even though he didn’t mean to, he wondered if they had sex during it. Diana was closing in on her nine months, but she didn’t look that big. Zac wondered if she had looked big when she was having him. Deep down, he was actually excited to have a little brother or sister. Diana didn’t want to know the gender, so it was still a secret. Either way, he’d be happy, but he and his dad were really hoping for a baby boy.

       Another reason Zac decided to stay with Jett was because of the process of moving. Diana and his dad were setting up the new house, merging furniture and appliances from two households. Zac and Lenne already had their rooms organized, and Zac liked the new house. It was closer to Jett’s and Scott’s houses, but not by much.

       “Hmm, even though you’re gay, you’re still a little cutie, you know that?” a voice like heavenly chimes said from behind Zac.

       He turned slightly during his stretch to see Ashley, Jett’s older sister, eyeing him playfully.

       “Isn’t there a rule against hitting on your sibling’s best friend?” Zac joked.

       “Not when they’re hot.” Ashley winked seductively at Zac. “And? Where’s Jett?”

       “Still sleeping, of course,” Zac said, springing to his feet.

       “And why are you up?” Ashley crossed her arms, not looking as kind as she had moments before. “I heard you and Jett late last night, loud as always. Don’t you need to rest up for your big day?”

       “Couldn’t sleep anymore. Don’t worry, I’ll sleep good tonight.”

       “So,” the older Emerson said, stepping forward and staring at the sky with Zac, “what’s your goal this year?”

       “An hour and eight minutes at most.”

       Whistling, Ashley felt like giving the boy some praise. “You did an hour and twenty-five minutes last year, didn’t you?”

       Zac nodded.

       “Wow, you really are something else. I wonder how you keep all the girls away,” Ashley teased.

       “I’m asking Dad to buy me a taser for my birthday,”

       “Careful, young one,” Ashley warned. “Gay you may be, but a girl is a great ally.”

       “I’ve got all the women I’ll ever need in my life,” Zac said as he began stretching his arms. “But I’m never opposed to making new friends.” Thinking about Alicia, he shivered and added, “Just as long as we have things in common.”

       “Well anyway, stud, I came out here to tell you that Mom saw you were awake and started making you some breakfast. She should be done by now.”

       “Sweet!” Zac grinned, realizing he was hungry.

       Putting an arm around the young athlete, Ashley led the way to what was a champion’s feast.

      

       Jett had just made it into the kitchen, and it was getting close to eight o’clock, when the phone rang.

       “Dude, I had the most messed up dream,” Jett said.

       “Zac, your dad’s on the phone,” Ashley called from another room.

       “So early,” Mrs. Emerson said, smiling peacefully and passing her son his morning glass of O.J.

       “Probably making sure I’m rested up,” Zac said, getting up.

       “Hello?” Zac said after taking the cordless phone from Ashley.

       “Zac, could you come home, son? Like right now? We need to talk,” his dad said in a neutral tone.

       “Uh, yeah, sure thing, Dad.”

       “Good. See you in a bit.”

       Zac turned off the phone and stood for a moment wondering if he had done something to irritate his father. Nothing came to mind, so then he started wondering if something bad had happened.

       “Anyway,” Jett said, seeing Zac had finished on the phone, “about my dream…“

       “Sorry, buddy. I gotta get home.”

       “Right now?”

       “Dad said he needs to talk to me,” Zac explained. “I’m wondering what about.”

       “Do you need a ride, Zac?” Jett’s mom asked.

       Zac shook his head. “No thanks, ma’am. I have my bike. Shouldn’t take me but a few minutes to get home.”

       Zac said goodbye to Jett and his family before racing downhill towards his own house.

       The new house was much bigger than the last, to accommodate four people plus the fifth that was due. It was a bit closer to Jett’s house, but it meant riding uphill for about ten minutes to get to Jett’s.

       Zac got home just in time to see Lenne riding her bike into the garage.

       “You get called home?” Lenne asked.

       “Yeah. Wonder what’s up?”

       “Only one way to find out,” Lenne said as she opened the door.

       “We’re home,” they both said together.

       “Can you two please come to the living room?” Diana’s voice greeted them.

       “Take a seat, you two,” Kevin said with a stern voice, as the two youngsters walked into the room where their parents and guardians sat.

       They sensed that neither adult was especially joyful. In fact, they seemed upset. Lenne had never seen her aunt upset, at least not with her.

       “Something wrong?” Zac asked, looking directly at his dad.

       “Where have you two been sleeping during the past week?” Kevin asked.

       “At Jett’s house,” Zac said.

       “Mai’s place…” Lenne said in a low voice.

       “Don’t you guys think that’s a bit excessive?” Diana asked.

       “It’s never been a problem before,” Zac said to his dad.

       Lenne stared at Zac before facing the adults. “Sorry…”

       “We’re married, yes,” Kevin cut in, “but that doesn’t mean we don’t want you kids around.”

       “I figured you two wanted to be alone for a bit,” Lenne said. “To adjust…you know. Maybe fix up the house?”

       “We have nothing to adjust to,” Kevin told Lenne. “Zac?”

       “I don’t see why you’re making this such a big deal. I always spend nights with Jett,” Zac said defiantly.

       “Zac, you’ve been going to Jett’s and Kayden’s houses for a full week,” Kevin said gently to his son.

       “I have friends I like to be with. I mean, you have Diana here, so I don’t see why me being somewhere else should get you so upset,” Zac said, looking away. His comment brought no response, and that prompted him to continue. “I’m fine with everything, but being around you guys at home isn’t my idea of fun,” he said, trying to lighten the issue.

       “So you don’t like being around us?” Kevin challenged his son.

       Zac didn’t answer.

       “Elly?” Diana said.

       “It’s taking some time to adjust to this new situation. It’s weird, you know?” Lenne tried to explain.

       “Guys, if we’re going to be a family, then we really need to tell one another when these problems arise,” Kevin said, his voice sounding soft.

       “And I’m sorry we’re making you two feel like you need to move out, but that’s far from the case,” Diana said. “In fact, I was upset when I asked you two what you wanted for dinner, and then I cooked for all of us, but you both called shortly before dinner to tell us you were staying over with friends. I cooked your favorite, Elly.”

       “I didn’t ask you to cook,” Zac said under his breath.

       “Zac!” Kevin raised his voice.

       Getting up, Zac rolled his eyes. “It’s like I’m on a ball and chain, now,” he said to his dad. “What’s up with that? I mean, I never complained when you were busy at work. I used to eat by myself at home some nights.”

       “Some, Zac, but never every night for a week,” Kevin said, beginning to get upset.

       “Well, if you wanted me to be here you should have said so when I called. I talked to Diana and asked her,” Zac said angrily.

       “You mean you told her, right? I doubt you made any attempt to ask,” Kevin said, crossing his arms.

       Zac glared at his dad and his dad returned the glare.

       “All right, let’s try to calm down, okay? It’s not such a big deal,” Diana said as she got up.

       “Will you please stop trying to be the mediator in everything?” Zac snapped at her.

       Diana paused with her mouth open, suddenly almost frightened of her son.

       “Zac, watch who you’re talking to,” Kevin shouted.

       “I know who I’m talking to. I’ll be in my room.”

       Kevin’s face was flushed red as he was lost as to what to say to Zac. He wanted to tell him to go to his room, but since Zac had already decided to do that, he found himself grinding his teeth. The chance of an explosive incident had been slowly building over the weeks, and it was definitely escalating.

       Lenne, Diana and Kevin remained motionless as they heard Zac’s door slam.

       “What the hell is wrong with that kid?” Kevin said as he fell to the couch.

       “I think he’s taking this a lot harder than I am,” Lenne offered.

       Diana and Kevin turned to her.

       “I’ve only lived with Aunt Diana for a year and a bit, so having this new life isn’t so difficult for me to get used to. But for Zac… I’ve wondered if he was as happy as he was acting. I think it was all a mask for your benefit, you know, during the wedding and all. He’s trying, but it really bothers him. He’s realizing that, little by little.”

       The adults turned to each other and Kevin released a sigh.

       “Maybe we rushed things,” Diana offered.

       “He’s almost sixteen. I thought he’d be really mature about these things,” Kevin said, turning to Diana.

       “Something I’ve noticed about Zac is that, well, he sort of gets everything his way, usually because everyone agrees with what he wants. Zac is a good person in the first place, so he’s very easy to agree with. It even annoys me how well he usually adapts to quick changes. But something like this marriage… Well, I know he’s trying, but it’s just taking him longer to adjust. For me, when Zac’s not here, you guys probe me with all sorts of questions, and it’s overwhelming sometimes.”

       “I’m sorry, Elly. I didn’t realize,” Diana said after a moment.

       “It’s no one’s fault. It’s stupid, really, but I think Zac just needs more time. It’s rough now. And even if I understand the situation a bit, I don’t want to confront him and make him feel worse. So, let him go for now,” Lenne offered.

       “I think Elly is right, Kevin. I think we’ve been a bit selfish in our actions. Think about it. I get pregnant…again, we get married, and now we all live in this house. I don’t think Zac was ready for all of that.”

       “He’s never been like this,” Kevin said, rubbing his forehead.

       “It’s not like he’s doing anything bad, guys,” Lenne pointed out. “He just needs space away from you two. I mean, it’s better he’s with his friends as opposed to other things, right?”

       “So we just let him be?” Kevin asked.

       “I think if you try anything else,” Lenne said, “you’ll only make it worse.”   

 

*******

       As spectators walked on the grass, joining the crowd of people gathering for the event, two young men sat behind a very large tree, hidden from view.

       “Did you drink enough water?” Kayden asked Zac for the millionth time.

       “Kade!” Zac laughed. “For Christ’s sake, yes!”

       “All right,” Kayden said, a bit dejected. “I was just worried.”

       “I know, and thank you for worrying.”

       Kayden beamed, hearing his boyfriend’s approval.

       “You’re going to be number one, babe,” Kayden said, as Zac stretched. “And you look really hot stretching like that,” he added in a lower voice.

       “Stop.” Zac laughed. “I’m going to be hard all day if you talk like that.”

       “Like what?”

       Zac bit his bottom lip as his third leg poked at his thigh. “You are such an ass.”

       “And you have such a fine one,” Kayden whispered, kneeling behind Zac.

       Kayden began putting pressure in Zac’s shoulders. “Now relax. You’re going to do great. You’re going to do your best, and you’re going to beat your dad this year. Then I’m going to have my way with you tonight. In your hot Speedos, too.”

       Zac blushed as his condition began throbbing. “Kayden, you gotta stop. Not here.”

       Zac had a long towel around his shoulders that covered his front as he was sitting. They were in the shade of the tree, facing the opposite direction of the crowd. Kayden could make out with Zac and no one would know, but he had other plans.

       “What do you mean? Are you talking about this here?” Kayden whispered as he brought his left hand to Zac’s erection.

       Zac didn’t attempt to move the hand away, but his heart did begin to race.

       “And what do we have here, Mr. Hunter?” Kayden whispered seductively. “And right before the competition, too.”

       “Kayden…don’t…” Zac closed his eyes as Kayden slipped his hand past the waistband.

       Zac threw his head back as he released a sigh.

       “Don’t what, Zac?” Kayden grinned. “Don’t stop?”

       N-no…don’t, Kayden… stop…” Zac squeezed his eyes shut as Kayden moved his hands skillfully.

       “But I heard ‘No don’t stop’.” Kayden grinned as his hand movements became more aggressive. He focused his fingers on the sensitive part, making Zac whimper.

       Zac’s breathing told Kayden that Zac was enjoying it as much as he was. He moved his right hand to Zac’s chest and began to play there. Another whimper escaped Zac as Kayden moved his hands faster. For a solid minute, nothing was said besides the occasional deep moan Zac released.

       When Zac was finally close, he buried his head between Kayden’s neck and shoulder and clenched his teeth. “Ugh!” Zac convulsed in short pulses.

       Kayden smiled and released Zac’s nipple as he stroked his back. “Good boy…”

       Zac opened his eyes while still breathing hard. “You piece of shit… You made me…my gear!”

       “I caught most of it.” Kayden smiled, removing his other hand and showing Zac. He then wiped his hand on Zac’s towel. “At most, you’ll have a dark spot at the front. Which is why I brought this extra water.” Without warning, Kayden unscrewed the cap and dumped the cold contents on Zac’s crotch.

       “Argh!” Zac jumped a bit off the ground.

       “Now that I’ve relaxed you, you can use the next forty-five minutes to catch your breath,” Kayden said, showing an impish grin.

       “I so hate you right at this moment.” Zac shook his head at his boyfriend.

       Kayden just continued to grin as he patted Zac’s crotch with the towel.

 

*******   

Zac took off the moment the gun went off. The start really didn’t matter, so he let people run in front of him as he took his time getting into the water. His dad was already fifteen minutes ahead. The adult division had gone first, so Zac was with the rest of the kids his age. He dove into the water and took off at a good speed. There were definitely some great swimmers around him, but Zac’s form and technique were like a piston of an engine. In perfect rhythm, he moved quite well at a just-right speed. He was a machine.

       A sudden sensation brought him out of his perfect concentration. He briefly looked back and saw someone right at his feet. At first, he tried not to pay any attention, thinking that perhaps the guy was intending to swim past him. When a hand brushed his foot again, he knew it wasn’t an accident. The guy was following very close behind him.

       Zac blasted forward, trying to outrun the trailing swimmer. He was pissed. Drafting is a technique sometimes used during triathlons, especially during the swimming portion. By following closely behind another swimmer, one can use the wake left by the lead swimmer to his advantage. It is unsportsmanlike, but punishable by disqualification only in the cycling portion of the triathlon.

       Zac was pushing hard, but he couldn’t lose the other swimmer.

       “What I suggest you do is just slow down. You’re a fast swimmer, so you can make up for it later. He’ll get tired of trailing behind you and find someone else.” Zac recalled his dad’s advice. “It could lose you the race, but you won’t help the guy win, either. If you’re like me, you can just swim faster, but it’ll hurt you in the end. You can always zigzag, but that’ll tire you out if the guy can follow it.”

       Suddenly calming down, Zac slowed enough that two other swimmers closed in beside him.

       “Yo!” the guy to his left yelled.

       Zac turned to him as he continued to swim. “What?”

       “Match our speed! You can zigzag, right?” The guy shouted back.

“Yeah!”

“Good! Stick close! We’ll lose him.”

The three swam close together and zigzagged though the water. Zac could tell by their technique that the two were good swimmers. Because three kicking patterns caused turbulence, the drafting swimmer soon fell behind. Somehow, the three even managed to pull ahead of some people.

After they had lost the drafting swimmer, the two at Zac’s sides broke away.

“Good Luck!” one guy shouted to the other one and to Zac.

 “You too! See you guys at the finish line!” Zac shouted back. The silent guy to his right acknowledged with a salute and flew forward.

Zac was amazed. Those two were even faster than he was. Knowing that no one was trailing behind him, Zac was able to swim at his best.

 

*******

As he jogged towards the transition area, Zac noticed he had caught up to some adults. He was reminded that triathlons aren’t just for competitive athletes; a lot of people participate simply because they enjoy it. He didn’t let it get to his head. To him, he was still far behind his dad.

       “Zac!”

       Zac immediately saw Scott with Shin. Yes! he said to himself.

       Scott held Zac’s shorts and jocks as Shin tossed Zac his towel.

       “Your dad is a beast,” Scott said, as Zac wrapped the towel around his waist.

       “Yeah! He just stripped in front of everyone and tossed his shorts on. So many girls were watching him,” Shin laughed. “He’s going to have a huge fan club at the end of this.”

       Zac smiled as he pulled his trunks off under the towel and placed his biking underwear on.

       “You’re too slow!” Shin shouted, ripping the towel from Zac’s waist. Zac had barely covered his crotch when Shin did that. Before he could shout at his friend, he noticed some flashes. Several females and even one guy were snapping away at him. Suddenly self conscious, Zac grabbed the shorts from Scott and nearly fell over trying to put them on. His face was flushed from embarrassment while Shin laughed his ass off.

       “Don’t worry, man, you look hot,” Scott told him, grinning.

       Zac just gave him a look.

       “Anyway, sport gel – check, water – check, helmet – check, sun glasses – check. You still have your chip, right?” Scott asked.

       “Shit!” Zac said, crouching down to grab the timing-chip pin from his Speedo.

       “All right, Mai and Maya are at the other end, and you should be able to find them fast, just like we planned. You have everything?” Scott asked.

       “Where’s my shirt?” Zac looked around.

       “Oh…ah…”

       “I left them in the car!” Shin said proudly.

       “You what?”
       “Don’t worry, man.” Scott grinned his stupid grin. “You’re hot! Give the girls some camera action!”

       “You are both so dead when I’m done with this!” Zac swore through his clenched teeth.

       “Good luck!” they both said as Zac jogged shirtless towards the bike area. He noticed a few others were shirtless and wondered if they were victims of their friends’ pranks as well.

      

*******

       The biking section was Zac’s weakness. He figured that even Scott would be able to easily overtake him if he trained a bit, because his skateboarding helped develop strong legs.

       Zac knew he wasn’t at a good pace when several people passed him. There was nothing he could do. He kept his pace steady and didn’t try to push himself too hard. He knew he could make up for it during the running segment.

       The lineup of bikers began to get denser as Zac approached the transition point. He was hoping he could pick out the girls as easily as he had found Scott and Shin.

       “ZAC!” A booming voice pierced the air.

       Zac turned to the direction of Mai’s voice. He wasn’t the only one. Mostly everyone in a hundred meter radius turned to the thunderous sound. Mai wasn’t a loud shouter, but the megaphone she held in her hands definitely amplified her yell.

       Already embarrassed, Zac headed towards Mai, Maya and Diana. “Where the hell did you get that?” he asked Mai.

       “I borrowed it.” She winked at Zac.

       “I swear it’s like you all planned on drawing attention to me.” Several people were still staring at them with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. Zac wiped his head with the back of his hand.

       “Where’s your shirt?” Diana asked as she passed Zac a towel.

       Taking the towel and handing off his helmet, Zac did his best to speed up his transition process. “My stupid buddies decided it would be funny to have me do this shirtless,” he seethed.

       Maya and Mai laughed, giving Zac the impression they were in on the plot.

       “I brought an extra shirt for your dad, but he took off after passing us his bike. He was right behind someone. I think they were competing against each other,” Diana said, opening her bag.

       Maya immediately snagged the shirt from the bag and threw it to Mai, who then took off in the opposite direction.

       Zac just stared in disbelief. “I can’t believe you guys. You’re so immature! I don’t have time for this,” he said, obviously annoyed as he reached into the bag for a bottle of water.

       “I’m sure they mean no harm, Zac,” Diana said, as she smiled and tried hard not to laugh.       

       “Embarrassment is a form of harm,” Zac gasped after taking a healthy chug of water. “Anyway, thanks for all this. I leave the rest to you.”

       Zac took off as Diana and Maya cheered behind him. A loud, booming voice tore through the air. “Knock ‘em dead, Zac!”

       “I’m not competing against anyone!”

       The encouragement from his friends overshadowed the embarrassment he had been feeling.

      

*******   

       When Zac was within a few kilometers of the end of the triathlon, a spot just below his chest started to cramp up. His dad had warned him against losing his form at that point. He did his best to keep his body straight, his breathing steady, and his arms moving harmonically with his legs.

       He noticed that the crowd ahead was more dense. He saw several ambulances stationed by the side. He knew that was just a safeguard for those who might overexert themselves. 

       Zac sensed that someone was close by his side. Turning briefly, he saw that it was one of the guys who had helped him during the swimming section.

       “Looks like you caught up,” the guy said loudly, over the cheers around them.

       “This is it!” Zac said, louder than he expected. “Final stretch!”

       The response he received was unbelievable. Several people around him acknowledged his words, thinking they had been directed to everyone in general. People followed up with “Let’s do this” and “Feel that burn!” There were more, but already motivated by his own words, Zac flew ahead as everyone else did.

       He reached a point where all parts of his body performed as one unit. He saw the finish line, and he saw his prize. He could make out the considerable size of his best friend. Beside Jett were his dad and Lenne. He saw them, but his eyes focused on one boy. It was like peering into Kayden’s soul. He saw the excitement, he felt the encouragement, and he was aware of Kayden’s thoughts. “You can do this, Zac!” He saw the encouragement in his eyes.

       Zac was flying towards the person who was drawing him in.

 

********

       Seeing Zac finish the triathlon was a thrill for all. The crew decided they would have dinner together later, after Zac and Kevin had naps. They were not only physically drained, but also psychologically.

       With extra time on his hands, Jett headed towards the gym to work off some of his adrenaline overload. He was in the middle of a set when he noticed someone was watching him. He tried to ignore it as he finished and then lowered the weights to the floor. As he glanced up, he saw that it was a guy near his own age who had been watching him.

       “Hey, mind if I grab a spot?” the boy asked.

       Jett could tell the boy was at least a year older. “Sure,” he said, standing up.

       They walked toward the boy’s bench, where the setup looked like the boy would be doing inclined presses with dumbbells.

       “How do you want to do this?” Jett asked the boy, realizing he was probably going to try to lift more than he could manage.

       “I’m aiming for six, but I’ll need help getting it up.” The boy’s lips curved almost mischievously.       

       Jett tried not to make a big deal out of the choice of words, but he found the way he said it pretty funny.

       “Need help getting it up, huh?” Jett joked.

       The boy’s smile grew and was followed by a wink.

       “Elbows or wrists?” Jett asked.

       “What?”
       “Do you want support for the elbows or the wrists on the lift?”

       “Uh, whichever,” the boy answered unsurely.

       “I’ll help on wrists initially and elbows when you need support,” Jett said casually.

       “Sure.”

       “All right, you ready?”

.      The boy nodded before lifting the weights onto his thighs. “Okay, one, two…humph!”

       The boy lifted his arms and Jett caught his wrists, aiding the lift until the weights were over his head.

       “Okay, its all you…” Jett said.

       The guy grinned as he began pumping his arms.

       In his head, Jett counted. At six, he bent down and readied his hands below the boy’s elbows and whispered, “Two more. It’s all you.”

       The boy managed to press one more before having his arms fail on him. Jett was there, his big hands supporting the elbows.

       “One more, buddy,” Jett said in a gruff voice. “One more, give it to me…”

       With great effort, the guy managed to do the eighth lift before Jett let him slowly lower his arms.

       Sweat was tracing along the young man’s face and Jett was proud of helping him surpass his goal. Jett’s hockey coaches had always taught him to never let goals limit his potential. He took that to heart, in exercise and in life.

       “Wow!” the teen exclaimed after a deep breath. “First time I ever did all that. Thanks a lot!”

       “What are you talking about, it was all you, man,” Jett said sincerely.

       “Well, your hot voice made me so weak at the beginning, I thought the weights were going to fall on me.”
       Jett was surprised at the boy’s bold statement. He thought he had just been joking before, but the boy’s eyes were telling him otherwise.

       When Jett didn’t answer, the kid looked up at him with a sly grin. “Oh shit, did I say that out loud?”

       The larger boy nodded. Jett was speechless; it was the first time a guy had openly hit on him, other than Brad.

       “Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag. What should we do about it? Your call.”

       “My call?” Jett said immediately. “What do you mean?”

       The boy smiled. “Oh, wow, you’re like so innocent I could take you here on this bench.”

       “Ahh…” Jett raised an eyebrow as he looked around.

       “Wanna come back to my place? My parents are gone,” the boy said, grabbing his bottle of water.

       “Um, are you…like, asking me to, um…”

       “We could do whatever you want, buff man.”

       “Nah, it’s all right. I gotta get back to my workout. I’m Jett, by the way.” Jett extended his hand.

       “Al. I’ve seen you come here like every day for a month.”

       “Really? This is the first time I’ve noticed you,” Jett said.

       “You sure you don’t wanna do something later, after you finish your workout?” Al asked, lifting an eyebrow.

       Jett gave his answer without even considering Al’s invitation. “I’m sorry, Al. I don’t do random hookups.” It was clear to Jett what the boy wanted.

       “Why not? It’s sort of fun with no strings attached.”

       Jett felt sad for him. “You’re an interesting guy. And cute, too.”

       “Well then, there you go!”

       “It’s just not me.”

       “Have you ever hooked up randomly?” Al asked.

       A vision of Brad popped into Jett’s head and it took him a moment to cast the thought away. That’s different…

       “There’s someone I’m trying to reach for…” Jett told Al honestly.

       “For how long?”

       “Ah, for a long time now,” Jett said.

       “How do you know if the guy likes you back?” Al asked sharply.

       Jett was surprised by Al’s questions.

       “I mean, I’m offering you a chance of a lifetime, man. There are plenty of guys in this town who want my ass. And you’re not seeing him, so I’m not asking you to cheat.” Al seemed annoyed at Jett’s refusal to leave the gym with him. “And besides, you might be aiming for a guy you have no chance with.”

       “I have a chance with him!” Jett refuted. “I’ll make it happen.”
       “Really? And with this boy you have an eye for, have you made any moves? Guys like you are so typical. So strong looking on the outside and feeble on the inside. You don’t even know what you want, do you? This is my final offer, man.”

       Jett found himself searching for a reply. “I do know what I want. Soon… I plan on telling him my feelings soon.”

       “Well, good luck to you. I wish you the very best,” the teen said before walking away. His tone didn’t seem to convey well wishes.

       Jett was internally shaken. He sat down at his bench and grabbed the weights before starting his own set.

       What have I been doing this whole time… Why can’t I find the courage to tell him...

       Lost in his own world, he fell into the conflict within himself.

 

*******

       Brad felt all eyes turn to him as he entered the room full of young men. Each of them was cute or hot in his own way, but Brad felt that some of them looked too plain. He felt that having good looks was one thing, but if you didn’t have certain features that would attract crowds, you could never be a model. A model needed more than one face. With Brad’s cocky smiles and his eyes, he could give any agency what they wanted. He felt no competition from the others in the room, especially since several models were needed for the shoot with Point Zero.

       Taking a seat, Brad smiled smugly as he noticed how people were still watching him.

       “They’ll need at least eight models, and you’ll definitely be one of them. Don’t get too carried away; you don’t need the money like a lot of the boys do.” Brad’s sister’s voice echoed in his head.

       His sister had told him the details over the phone that morning. Their father had somehow scored Brad into a Point Zero commercial and magazine photo shoot. He could hate his dad all he wanted, but they both knew they needed each other. Brad needed his father's connections and could only imagine what having a model as a son could do for his father’s image. Everyone at his father’s company knew Brad.

       Brad looked around and compared his looks with the other models. He could have sworn that one guy was at least twenty-eight years old. Brad was seventeen, but he could easily pass for nineteen, or even twenty.

       Looking at his watch, he realized he was fifteen minutes early. Instead of nervously waiting, Brad used his time to think of executing his plan with Kayden. While back home, it hadn’t taken long to locate where the mysterious Kayden was from. At first, he doubted it was the same Kayden, but he realized that not many boys have that unusual name. He had luckily found that a former ‘friend’ from his old high school had gone to the same elementary school as the missing Kayden. Brad almost jumped for joy, seeing it was his one and only Kayden Pierce, oddly under the name Kayden Freemen. Digging into Kayden’s life turned out to be more interesting than imagined. Brad knew people. In fact, he knew people who owed him ‘favours’. He didn’t have any lawyers his age, but his sister did, and he actually happened to know something about a certain other ‘friend’ that most people wouldn’t believe. It didn’t take long for Brad to convince him to personally look into Kayden’s life.

       The opening of a door brought Brad out of his thoughts. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he watched a beautiful specimen walk in. All eyes were on the new boy, who had the boy-next-door look and had wavy brown hair. In a way, he reminded Brad of Joe, except this boy had a fantastic body. He noticed how the boy's perfectly sculpted lips looked delicious and drew attention from his other features. Brad’s mouth hurt as a result of biting the inside of his lip.

       The new entry sat down, not realizing the effect his entrance had on Brad and the other models.

       Brad looked around as everyone continued to stare. Without a second though, he stood up and headed toward the beautiful boy.

       “Hey!” Brad smiled as he sat beside his rival.

       “Hi,” the boy replied timidly.

       Brad’s smile grew larger as he figured the boy out from just one word. He recognized the type, since he used to be like him – fresh and modest. The model who doesn’t know he’s hot, and is a model because he was recommended by an influential friend or relative. A fresh model, as Brad called them. In a way, the boy might have been like Brad, just without the arrogance.

       “I take it this is your first time here,” Brad said, smiling superficially.

       “Yeah,” the boy said, rubbing his fingers. From the look of it, he was nervous, typical of a virgin model.

       “So, which agency do you belong to?” Brad probed.

       “A-agency?”

       “Yeah, aren’t you with a theatrical or talent agency?”

       “N-no.” The boy looked down. “My cousin told me to take his place today. He’s a model but he went to do a commercial in the U.S. He knows I want to be a model and he thought I could take his place.” The innocent boy turned to Brad. “I don’t think I can do this. I’m only eighteen! I’m not old like you.”

Brad’s eye twitched with irritation. If it hadn’t been for the boy’s worried look, Brad wouldn’t have been able to hide his anger. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. If he snapped at the boy it would all be over. He wanted to let the boy down easy, but something about him ticked Brad off.

       “That sucks that you’re not with any agency.”

       “Well, I’m trying to get with my cousin’s agency. But they want sample work, so George, my cousin, told me to try this today,” the boy said rapidly. Brad thought he probably felt he was making a new friend.

       “Well, you poor thing, you won’t make it.” Brad tried to look sad. “This is between you and me, but it appears that the models have already been chosen.”

       A look of horror spread across the boys face. “What?”

       “Yeah, how the process works is like this,” Brad said. “The day of the shoot, they call the agencies after reviewing the photos of the models and tell them who is going to be in the ads,” Brad lied through his teeth.

       “Then why are there still people around?” the boy asked, quite upset.

       “Shh… They already have the models for the jeans and stuff, but they still might need models for the underwear and shorts. We’re talking about up close, cropped picture…no face. That’s what these people are here for. And backups, but it seems like everyone’s here. So you’ll probably… yeah…”

       “Oh…” The boy replied dejectedly.

       “You should have at least joined an amateur league agency. They may have called you.” Brad smiled.

       “Are you one of the models?”

       “Oh, you can tell?” Brad sat back and crossed his arms. “I hate the underwear shoots. I used to do them when I was younger. The photographer kept copping a feel of my package. It pissed me off.”

       Brad watched the boy’s face turn feverishly red.

       “Don’t tell me you’re shy,” Brad said, faking surprise. “Man, you need to be stronger than that. You won’t survive if you can’t handle that kind of thing. But if you’re trying to get into a high-class agency, showing sample shots of your package might be a bit bizarre. You might want to settle for ads with face and body shots. Any agency you’re trying to get into might think you’re stuck up and arrogant. And they hate that. You’re not stuck up, right?” Brad asked innocently.

       “I-I, n-no… I don’t think so,” the boy replied.

       “I didn’t think so. Well, if you can handle a dude playing with your package, then this is for you. You’re an all right looking guy; you could probably do something in the lower agencies. This is a bit out of your league. I’m thirsty… water?”

       The boy didn’t reply. He stared down at his shoes as Brad smiled and stood up.

       Brad walked to the drinks table and opened a bottle of water. As he chugged away, he heard a door open and close. The hot model was gone. Brad did feel a bit bad, but only because that was one fine ass he’d have liked to sample.

 

*******

       “I like your style,” a model said as he approached Brad.

       “Excuse me?”

       The photo shoot was over, and as he’d expected, Brad had been the center of attention. The cameraman had loved him.

       “I know your game, Brad,” the boy said. “And I know your type. You don’t like competition and you want to take the lead.”

       “And your name is?” Brad asked smugly. All the models names had been announced before the photo shoot began. It had turned out that all of the models were needed. Brad hadn’t bothered remembering any names. He’d been too busy chatting with the agency representatives.

       “My name is Trent,” the model said, extending his hand, which Brad just looked at but didn’t grasp. “Well, I noticed your amazing skills. They were all over you in the shoot today.”

       “Yeah, I noticed,” Brad replied arrogantly.

       “My eyes were all over you,” Trent said in a lowered voice, giving Brad a wicked look.

       Brad smiled. “There’s a Starbucks close by. Want to buy me a café latte?”
       “Sure!” Trent grinned.

 

       “So what got you into modeling?” Trent asked.

       Taking a sip from his latte, Brad looked up at the boy who had caught his interest. “I like how everyone watches me. Whoever meets me won’t ever forget me. I enjoy the fame. You can say that’s what made me want to do all this.”

       “Selfish…”

       “Excuse me?” Brad gave Trent a poisonous look.

       “Such selfish motives. I never thought people like you existed. But here you are, and a mastermind at games, too.”

       “You make it sound wrong.” Brad returned to his drink.

       “I didn’t say it’s wrong. It’s a way of living, right? There are people who pretend to have good intentions. All they’re really concerned about is how people perceive them.”

       Brad took another sip of his latte. “I’m just myself. Take it or leave it.”

       Trent flipped his hair from his eyes. “But you’re different. You’re honest about who you are and open to your true image.”
       “So you’re saying my true image is bounded by selfish ambitions and manipulation?” Brad held a serious face before giving a thin smile. “I take that as a compliment.”

       “That’s exactly what it is,” Trent told him. “People who believe in purely good intentions are the worst. They’re next to ugliness.”

       Brad smiled. “I like your language.”

       “It’s true, right? People may not admit it, but they’re attracted to looks. Only ugly people seek things like inner beauty. I mean, they obviously can’t depend on outer beauty.” 

       “I couldn’t agree more. Ugly people piss me off,” Brad told Trent.

       “What’s with the look?”

       Brad realized he had a sour look on his face. “Nothing. Just thinking about this loser kid I know in my class. He thinks he’s a tragic hero or something. He pretends to be so nice to people, but he’s really just fooling himself. I can imagine him saying ‘looks aren’t important’ or some shit like that.”

       “Sounds like a loser,” Trent said, grinning.

       “Yeah, he is.” Brad hesitated and then added, “I’m trying to steal his boyfriend.”

       “Shut up!” Trent’s eyes widened. “That is so hot!”

       “And guess what… I’m sleeping with his best friend.”

       “Bullshit!”

       Brad shrugged his shoulders.

       “You are more evil than I imagined. So this boy toy you have, is he hot?”

       “Only the captain of the hockey team I’m on,” Brad said in an airy voice.  “Eww, hockey players are hairy.”

       “Are you saying I’m hairy? Excuse me, I’m a model.”

       Trent hummed. “I didn’t check you out everywhere. I checked everything that was exposed, though. But still, I picture some gruff hockey player with facial hair.”

       “Hmm, facial hair on Jett. Now that’s hot. But no, you have it all wrong. He’s a total hottie. Short, blond hair. Killer eyes, about six-two. Not a single hair on his chiseled body. God, it’s heaven running my tongue up and down his stomach.”

       “Fuck yeah…”

       “And his muscles. Oh, man, he’s not like a body builder. More like… damn, I can’t explain it. But he has all the right muscles, and one very large one.” Brad grinned. “Trust me, if you saw him, you’d want to tap it, too.”

       “Now I want to meet him. Sounds like a stud.” Trent licked his bottom lip. “Wanna come over to my place for a bit? I have a flat I share with a couple of buddies. They still haven’t returned. Not until the second week of classes.”

       “You’re in university?”

       “Yeah, aren’t you?”

       “High school.”

       “Oh, man. I have a twink on my hands.”

       “Watch it! I’m no twink,” Brad told him flatly.

       “Sure thing, stud. How about it? All this talk about your boy toy got me all boned.”

       “Fine,” Brad sipped his drink. He’d never had a university guy. He was more excited that he let on.

       “You’re really mature for a high school kid.”

       Brad found the compliment refreshing. He wondered if there was any life better than his own. He was next to bliss. All he needed was to add Kayden to his bed of boys.

 

*******

       “God, it’s hot!” Lenne complained, fanning her face. “When is that idiot gonna get here?”

       “Maya, call Scott again. He’d better be up!” Mai said.

       “Shin’s not here either, you know,” Maya bantered back.

       “He has a perfectly good reason to be late!”
       “And that is?” Maya challenged.

       “We’ll know when he gets here.” Mai smiled.

       “Can’t we head into the shade?” Lenne whined.

       Kayden and Zac stared at the three girls. “You girls are like cats in heat!” Zac whispered.

       It appeared that the girl’s hearing wasn’t as impaired as the rest of their senses.

“Cool it, Zac,” Jett warned. “Crossing the diva sisters will earn you a cold shoulder today, and you don’t know a woman’s wrath like I do. I’ve actually dated women.”

Whatever anger the girls had towards Zac was redirected to Jett. All three of them gave him a glare before walking off to the shade, trying to appear composed.

“You owe me, buddy,” Jett whispered to his friend before taking off after the girls. “Ladies…”

“Makes you a bit happy to be gay sometimes, doesn’t it?” Kayden asked.

“That’s for sure,” Zac said, turning to his boyfriend. “Being straight could be a good life, too, but if I had to choose, I’d choose you every time.”

“Okay, Romeo, keep talking. Not yet.” Kayden grinned before following Jett.

“You’re so stingy!” Zac called out after Kayden.

       Scott and Shin arrived together, dropped off by Shin’s dad. They knew they were late, but both were grinning.

       “What’s so funny, Dumb and Dumber?” Jett smirked.

       With a flick of their wrists, both Scott and Shin produced several tickets.

       The group stared at them for a moment, not sure what they were holding.

       “Remember how I said I have the night covered?” Scott asked. “Well, here’s the main attraction of the night! You can thank my dad later.”

       “Lion…KING!” Lenne exclaimed. “Oh my God, you got tickets!”

       Excitement rippled though the gang.

       “The movie?” Kayden asked.

       “The musical, you idiot!” Scott laughed.

       “A musical?” Kayden said, unenthusiastically.

       “Don’t worry, Kade.” Zac took his boyfriend’s hand. “I’ve heard it’s really good.”

       Kayden smiled at Zac’s simple explanation. “Well, if you say so, then it must be.”

       “Honestly, Zac says jump and Kayden is aimed to please,” Lenne said, rolling her eyes.

       “You’re just jealous,” Mai said, elbowing Lenne. “We need to find you a boyfriend.”

       “No way!” Lenne exclaimed while everyone laughed. “I’ll find someone myself.”

       “And why are you late?” Mai asked Shin.

       “We were on our way here and Scott realized he’d forgot the tickets at my house,” Shin explained, taking hold of Mai’s hand.

       “You lying piece of shit!” Scott yelled. “You took them out of the envelope at your house!”

       Shin sighed. “All right, Scott, if you insist. But you know there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. We’re among friends,” he said, treating Scott like a child and then walking away.

       “Argh! You piss me off!” Scott called after him angrily.

       “Guys, we need to haul ass. The train is going to be here in a few,” Jett said, checking his watch.

       “All right, let’s go!” Scott said. “Oh, and Zac, Happy Birthday, man!”

       “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZAC!” all the others shouted together.

       Zac blushed at the attention his friends were drawing to him.      “You guys are too much,” he told them in a whisper.

       “What’s that, Zac? You want us to sing to you?” Scott said as they walked along the platform.

       “Don’t you dare…”

       “Happy Birthday to you!” his friend chanted.

       Zac went completely red. If he hadn’t seen the train coming, he would have headed into the train shelter. He stood rigid with everyone on the platform smiling at him while his friends and boyfriend sang ”Happy Birthday”.

 

       “I still can’t believe we lucked out this semester,” Kayden said as the group took their seats on the train.

       For the new semester, they all would share the same lunch period.

       “I know what you mean,” Jett said. “I think Scott paid off the principal.”

       “Or Lenne is sleeping with him!” Shin added.

       Everyone stared at Shin and shook their heads as their Asian friend drew the other passengers’ attention with his laugh.

       “Sweetie,” Mai said, pinching his leg, “behave yourself.”

       In an instant, Shin zipped his mouth with a smile.

       “Haha, Shin’s whipped,” Scott teased.

       “Scott?” Maya gave him a look.

       “Yes, ma’am,” Scott said, lowering his head.

       Maya and Mai smiled at each other before turning to Jett. “Now we just need to rein in this one,” Mai schemed.

       “Hey, what about Kayden and me?” Zac smiled.

       “Oh, please,” Lenne scoffed, “you’re whipped by each other.”

       The two turned to each other and smiled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Zac said, and they both laughed.

       “So, what’s on the itinerary for today?” Maya asked.

       “Well, I’m thinking we go to the CN Tower. We didn’t go last year because someone got into a fight,” Zac joked, turning to his friends. They all then turned and smiled at Kayden.

       “Right, I’ll be careful this time,” Kayden said as he rolled his eyes.

       “Why don’t we go to the tower after dark, like we planned to last year?” Scott said. “It’s much better at night, with the lights and stuff.”
       “Yeah, good point,” Zac agreed. “We’ll go after the play. Before the play, we can eat dinner. And so I guess when we get downtown we can have lunch first,” Zac said, trying to piece out a plan.

       “Shopping!” Lenne said, beaming.

       “I’m there,” Mai said.

       The two gave each other gentle high fives as they clasped hands, showing their excitement.

       Mai’s response was agreed to by Shin, as well.

       “Wait a second! Why shopping? There’s so much more to do in Toronto!” Scott stepped in.

       “Yeah!” Jett agreed. Maya agreed with Jett, but with less enthusiasm.

       “Scott,” Mai said warningly.

       Scott turned to Mai. “No! You always go shopping; the answer is no. Shin, talk some sense into this woman!”      

       “I don’t really care. I’ll do what she wants to do.” Shin smiled and wrapped his arms around Mai.

       “Traitor!” Jett and Scott accused.

       Zac and Kayden exchanged looks as their friends took opposite sides.

       “What else can we do?” Maya asked.

       “Play pool!”

       “We can do that anytime!”

       “Pool is gay!” Shin injected, but no one paid attention to him. They all knew that Shin was the master pool player.

       “We can go shopping anytime!”

       “But this is Toronto!”

       “Zac!”

       “Zac?”

       His friends turned to the birthday boy with determined looks.

       “Uh…”

       “How about we decide where to eat lunch, first?” Kayden suggested.

       “Oh, Thai Empire!” Maya suggested. “Remember? Kayden said it’s really good. This is a perfect day!”

       “I’m for it, but let’s go there for dinner,” Jett suggested.

       “Everyone in agreement?” Mai asked.

       The eight of them agreed.

       “So, when you taking the G1 test?” Jett asked Zac, hoping to redirect the conversation.

       “Tomorrow. And I plan to pass,” Zac said, rubbing his hands together.

       “If Jett could pass, then you can too, man,” Scott reassured him.

       Jett nodded. “Yeah, exactly… Hey, wait a minute!”

       “Jett, how can you be so adorable and still be single?” Mai asked.

       “I’m working on someone.” 

       “Who?” Everyone asked simultaneously.

       “Well,” Jett began, crossing his arms as his friends leaned towards him. “The person is…”

       “The person is…” several of the crew repeated.

       “Phil!”

       “Phil?” they shouted.

       Jett turned to the group. “No, I mean – Phil!” he said, pointing past them.

       “Hey, aren’t those your friends?” the girl attached to Joe’s arm asked excitedly.

       “Hey, guys!” Phil said, approaching with Joe and Melody.

       “Wow what are you guys doing here?” Zac asked as he stood up to greet his friends.

       Melody quickly embraced the three girls and then they went into their own discussion.

       “We’re heading downtown,” Phil said.

       “Yeah, same. It’s sort of my birthday so we’re going to just have some fun,” Zac told Phil.

       Jett and Joe were busy talking about the upcoming hockey season, and Shin and Scott drifted into their own world.

       “Oh, it’s your birthday?” Mel jumped in suddenly. “Happy Birthday, Zac!”

       Happy Birthday!” Joe and Phil followed with smiles.

       After thanking them, Zac asked, “What are you three up to?”

       “We’re going shopping,” Mel said sarcastically, while looking at her nails.

       “You didn’t have to come,” Joe reminded her. “I told you I need new clothes.”

       “Joe asked me, and I wanted to grab some books, anyways,” Phil told them.

       “Oh, good, where are you going shopping?” Lenne asked.

       “I usually go to the fashion district,” Joe said. “A lot of people go to Eaton Centre. It’s big and all, but Queen Street has so many great places, and a lot of people don’t know they exist. The real good ones are in like the basements and upper floors. They don’t look impressive on the outside, but inside…oh, God, it’s like heaven. There are shops for girls and shops for guys, like right next to each other. I can show you girls where they are. They have some real nice vintage clothing.”

       Mai and Lenne hung onto every word, their eyes glowing.

       “I’m dating a metrosexual,” Melody joked. “I’d rather go to arcades or play pool.”

       “Booyeah! That’s what I’m talking about!” Scott clapped his hands.

       Shin, who hadn’t been paying much attention, suddenly showed interest at the mention of arcades.

       “Let’s go shopping!”

       “Arcades!”

       “Shin!” Mai complained.

       “But, Mai!!!” Shin whined.

       Phil, Zac and Kayden watched in amusement the free-for-all developing on the train.

       “Will you stupid kids shut up!” some guy stood up and shouted at them.

       The crew all sat in their seats, embarrassed about forgetting their surroundings.

       Zac suddenly had a plan. “How about we all go to lunch together? My treat… No interruptions,” he warned Scott and Mai who already had their mouths open. “My dad said he’s going to pay for the lunch.”

       “You’re not paying for dinner, and that’s final. Now, I’ll shut up,” Mai cut in.

       Zac smiled. “We’ll decide that later. But after lunch, Lenne, Mai and Joe can go do their shopping, while Mel, Shin, Jett, Scott and Maya…”

       “Actually, I want to go shopping,” Maya interrupted sheepishly. “But I knew Scott really didn’t want to…”

       All right, Maya will join Joe, Lenne and Mai,” Zac continued, “and Kayden, Phil and I will go to the Chapters store to pick up Phil’s books. I want to grab some books, too. Is everyone cool with that?”

       “Wow, Zac,” Mai said, “You’re amazing!”

       “I try,” Zac, said, smiling.

       “You sure we can join you guys for lunch?” Joe asked.

       “For sure, man! It’s no prob,” Scott answered for Zac.

       “The day won’t be over, yet,” Zac told them. “We can split up after lunch and meet again at three. That’ll give us about three hours to do what we want. Then we head to the Royal Ontario Museum.”

       “Hell yeah!” Jett said, his eyes lighting up.

       “Ohh, I wanna go there!” Mel said, bouncing in her seat.

       “Of course the invitation is open to you guys,” Kayden said for Zac. “We’re all going.”

       “We can go for dinner at Thai Empire,” Zac continued.

       “You’re not paying!” everyone interrupted.

       “Shut up!” the same man shouted out.

       Scott turned in his seat and stood up. “You know what? If we’re too loud then there are like twenty other cars, all right? You’re not limited to just this one. It’s my friend’s birthday; now screw off!”   Scott sat down, his face red. “What an asshole, huh?”

       Everyone smiled at him.

       “Thanks, buddy. Anyway, we’ll decide dinner later. After…”

       “Scott, didn’t you say you have extra tickets?” Maya cut in.

       “I gave them to Shin.”

       Everyone turned to Shin, who produced three more tickets. “I was going to sell them at the door, but…“

       Scott snatched the tickets from Shin.

       “All right, we can all go!”

       “Where?” Phil asked.

       “Lion King,” several of them shouted.

       They expected the man to tell them to shut up again, but surprisingly it didn’t happen.

       “Are you guys sure?” Joe asked. “I feel like we’ll be crashing your birthday celebration.”

       “No, man, we have extras, so if you guys want to join us, you can.”

       “Mel? Phil?” Joe asked.

       “B-but I’m not dressed for…” Mel started, suddenly self-conscious.

       “Don’t worry,” Mai and Lenne replied instantly.

       “Phil?”

       “Well, if you don’t mind, yeah, sure. I’ve wanted to see The Lion King on stage,” Phil said, a bit sheepishly.

       “And afterwards, we can go to the CN Tower to finish off the night,” Zac said, seeming satisfied with the arrangements.

       There was total silence.

       “Guys?” Zac asked.

       “Zac, I think they’re speechless,” Kayden said. “Funny how everything suddenly fits together in the end, right, guys?”

       Everyone nodded.

       “So… go or no go?”

       “Go!” they all shouted.

 

       Although it was only eleven in the morning, the crew was starving when they reached downtown Toronto. Circling Dundas Square, they decided on lunch at Hard Rock Café. They had to wait a bit for enough space to be freed up to accommodate them, but no one minded. In such a large group, the minutes passed quickly. Talk jumped from Zac’s participation in his triathlon, to Kayden’s competition, to Maya’s trip to Europe and to Scott’s lack of a life while Maya wasn’t around. There was some brief talk about Zac’s parents’ wedding, but Zac quickly changed the topic. That wasn’t lost on the crew, but they didn’t push.

       “So, what have you guys been up to all summer?” Kayden asked the three drop-ins.

       “I was working at a camp for elementary kids. Space Camp,” Phil said. “That was a lot of fun.”

       “Not much of a summer when you’re being dragged around by him” Mel joked, indicating Joe.

       “Hey, you’re the one who calls me every morning. And most of the time I’m working with my dad in landscaping.”

       “I was about to comment about your tan,” Lenne said. “I was wondering if you went traveling like Miss Maya did. Hopefully, there are no weird shirt tan lines like Mai’s and mine.”

       Joe laughed. “Nah, most the time I just work without a shirt, it’s so hot. That evens out my tan.”

       Zac turned to Kayden, who turned to him with a knowing smile. They both turned to Phil, who looked away immediately.

       “All right, you three, enough fantasizing,” Jett said, elbowing Kayden.

       The whole table broke into laughter as the three went red. Zac could have sworn that Lenne was a little red, too. In due time, their food arrived.

 

       “I can’t believe the girls weren’t complaining about the heat. They didn’t seem to mind that it’s worse than this morning,” Kayden pointed out.

       “Ah, the magic of shopping,” Zac said. “It can make some women forget their feet hurt until they get home.”

       Phil and Kayden laughed at his joke.

       “That’s why we’re inside Eaton Centre. Good ol’ AC.”

       “I really appreciate you guys coming with me,” Phil said. “I was worried since Joe can get carried away with shopping sometimes, and I know Mel doesn’t read more than school requires her to.”

       Kayden and Zac didn’t know if Phil was joking about Mel, but nothing about his expression indicated friendly banter.

       “You don’t like her?” Zac probed.

       “She’s a sweet girl…” Phil began.

       “Oh, waay too sugar-coated, man.” Kayden laughed.

       “It’s just that she and Joe often fight over little things. And most of the time it’s because she’s complaining. I don’t think they’re compatible. Joe is even starting to tell me he’s getting annoyed.”

       “Is that the real reason?” Zac asked, joking. It was obvious that Joe was really good looking.

       “Well, she said that science is boring,” Phil said, dropping his head down.

       Zac laughed so hard that he had to grab Kayden’s shoulders to remain standing. Kayden had a huge grin on his face.

       “What?” Phil asked.

       “You and my dad should really get together. He’s a science nut, too. Completely blows my mind. And if you’re really interested, maybe next year you could work with him. He’s working on a project with CSA and other space companies. He was trying to get me to work with him at his office.”

       “Sounds cool!”

       “Wow, you guys are too weird,” Zac said, showing an amused smile.

       When the boys walked into the large bookstore, Phil quickly took off, with Kayden just a few steps behind him.

       “What’s wrong?” Zac asked when Kayden suddenly stopped.

       Kayden was staring around, scanning the crowd.

       “Nothing…” he replied. “It’s nothing.” Kayden then smiled at Zac.

       Shaking his head, Zac crossed his arms. “Come on, Mr. Karate, nothing is going to happen here.”

 

       After about an hour in the bookstore, Phil, Kayden and Zac left the mall. Zac had bought the newest Harry Potter book, while Kayden had grabbed an action novel that caught his eye. Phil had purchased seven books, including a biography about an openly gay athlete, two science fiction novels, a mystery, and a computer-programming book on JAVA structures.

       “You’re amazing,” Kayden said to Phil.

       “It’s all I’m good at. I mean, I can’t do what you can. I can’t fight. You do amazing competitions, but my competitions are boring,” Phil said, looking down.

       “Don’t look down, man,” Kayden said. “Be proud. You’re probably the smartest guy I know. You’re up there with Scott and with Zac’s dad. All I’m good at is hurting people. And you won’t ever have to fight. Until you find a boyfriend, I’ll fight your battles, too.”

       “You don’t fight my battles!” Zac said, slapping his boyfriend’s chest.

       “Yeah, well, not recently.”

       No one’s going to want a guy like me,” Phil said, sadly.

       Both Zac and Kayden were shocked.

       “Dude, do you realize how cute the girls find you?” Zac asked.

       “No, they don’t. I’m plain. All I have are my brain, my skinny body, and my glasses.”

       Zac stopped in his tracks. “You serious?”

       “What?” Phil asked.

       “I’m going to prove you wrong,” Zac said. Kayden grinned as if he knew what his boyfriend was planning.

       Zac scanned the crowd. It was easy to find various types of people in downtown Toronto.

       “Over there!” Zac pointed out. “That tall guy with glasses.”

       There was a man talking on his phone. He looked like he’d walked out of a designer’s catalogue. He walked with confidence and had an attractive style.

“What about him?” Phil and Kayden asked. Kayden crossed his arms, waiting for Zac to explain himself.

“Is he good looking?”

“Yeah,” Phil said shyly.

“He’s skinny, you know. And he has glasses,” Zac pointed out.

“But he’s tall!”

“And you think you’ve reached your peak? Maybe you’re a bit on the skinny side, but if you want to work on that, I know more than one person who would be happy to help you. And you’re one of those people who definitely look better in glasses. You’re a cute guy, Phil.”

“He’s right,” Kayden added. “You just need to work a bit on your confidence.”

Phil looked away shyly, and Zac knew they hadn’t convinced him.

“Excuse me, miss?” Zac said to an attractive woman who looked to be about twenty.

“Me?” The woman paused.

“Yes, may I ask you a very quick question?”

“You just asked me one, cutie.” The young woman smiled at Zac.

Zac pointed and grinned. “You’re good! But the real question is…” he turned towards Phil, “over here, actually.”

Zac had to walk towards Kayden and Phil. Phil sensed what Zac was trying to do, and he tried to walk away. It was unfortunate for him that Kayden knew what was going through Zac’s mind and held an arm around his chest.

“Do you think my friend here is cute?” Zac asked, flat out.

The girl crossed her arms and gave out a deep breath. It looked like she was in deep thought.

“I might need help with this one,” she said, turning to Zac.

“Hey, you three, come here a second,” the woman asked some high school girls who were nearby.

“Help me out with this. Those two boys,” the woman said, pointing out Phil and Kayden to the girls, who moved in closer. “Which one do you think is cute? I was thinking the taller one looks a bit gruff. Too mainstream. But the shorter one…”

The four alternated their attention between Kayden and Phil.

“What do you girls think?” the woman asked.

“Yeah, the taller one is hot, for sure!” one girl said.

Kayden flashed a big grin.

“But he seems like the womanizer type,” she continued, showing a bit of disgust.

“Yeah, he might be a model or something, but it doesn’t look like he’d know how to treat a girl right,” one of the other girls added.

“He’s the type who’d mostly cheat on you,” the third observed.

Zac’s knees were buckling from the responses. He covered his mouth to hold his laugher in while Kayden glared at him.

“Very good!” The woman put her hands together. “I had trouble putting a finger on it, but you three nailed it.” Turning to Zac, she said, “The tall one is hot, but he’s the type you’d have a fling with and move on. No potential.”

Zac kept his lips tight as he smirked at their response, and he thought that Kayden looked like he’d been kicked in the balls.

“The shorter one, though…” the woman began, turning to Phil.

“Hmm…” The girls all crossed their arms.

“He’s just… normal,” one girl stated.

Phil went completely red as he looked down.

Zac began to think maybe he hadn’t made the best of moves after all.

“It’s hard to find regular guys. I mean, he’s definitely cute. But he’s a bit young,” the girl continued. “Add a few more years, though, and cute becomes handsome. He looks like he could become a real looker. I think it’s those eyes…”

“Yeah, he’s the type you want to show your parents. You can tell he’s mature and well mannered. He’d know how to treat a girl. He’s definitely a keeper,” another one commented.

“I’d date him,” added the third. 

“I agree,” the woman nodded. “He may seem like just a cute kid, but there’s something about him that tugs at me. He definitely has potential. I just know he’ll grow up to be sophisticated and handsome. There's more substance to him than to someone who's just hot. If he’s single now, he won’t be in the future.”

       The four turned to Zac, and the woman asked, “Does that help?”

       Zac was almost speechless. “Yeah! Wow, that’s great. You girls were great! Thanks!”
       “I’m not kidding. I’m a model, and these three are in the same agency as me. We know what we’re talking about. What about you? Are you interested in modeling?”

       In an instant, the woman had a pad of paper and pen out. “The agency is always looking for models who fit a certain profile. I think you’re a good match.”

       “Ah, no, that’s all right,” Zac said, backing away. “Uh, thanks again!”

       In an instant, the three boys were walking at a fast pace through the busy crowd.

       “Obviously, I wouldn’t be able to treat a woman right!” Kayden said in a gruff tone.

       The three burst into laughter.

 

********

       Lenne turned her head, staring a third time at the large number of people who walked the busy street.

       “A bit overwhelming, isn’t it?” Joe asked.

       Lenne turned and saw Joe holding all their bags. Maya and Mai were already looking into another store.

       “It’s not that. It’s just…” Lenne paused. “I don’t usually feel paranoid like this, but I feel like there’s someone watching me.”

       “Well, you’re definitely someone worth watching,” Joe said, flashing a smile.

       Lenne was taken by surprise. “Oh, thanks, Joe.”

       “I really mean it. Half these guys you see walking here probably wish they were me right now. I have three gorgeous girls as escorts.”

       Lenne’s face fell. “Escorts?”

       “Well, yeah,” Joe said, scratching the back of his head.

       “If anything, Mr. Joe Diaz,” Lenne said, walking past him, “you are OUR escort. As the only man, you will hold our bags and go to the stores we point out.”

       “I know a place that would have clothes that would fit you perfectly,” Joe said in a whisper.

       Blushing, Lenne tried to brush him off. She didn’t feel right. Joe had a girlfriend.

       “Whatever, Joe. When you see it, show us. We’ll be the judge of it,” Lenne said, walking into the next store behind the other two girls.

 

********

       “Hey, guys!” Zac called out as he entered the large arcade building. It had been easy to locate, since it was on Yonge Street and was the arcade closest to Eaton Centre.

       “Yo!” Scott answered, as he turned his attention from the dance game Shin and Mel were playing. “This is hilarious. Mel’s pretty cool, too.”

       Zac smiled as Kayden and Phil watched Mel and Shin battle it out in a complicated game with flashing lights, called Dance Dance Revolution. Zac noticed that although they were “dancing”, he doubted either would ever actually dance at a party the way they were in the game.

       “Have you guys been here the whole time?” Zac asked Jett.

       “Yeah, man. I’m not a videogame whore like Shin, but this definitely beats shopping. Oh, man! Kayden, you need to play that fighting game over there. It has some sick moves that I think you can actually pull off!”

       Jett pulled Kayden along, but Zac pointed to where he was standing, indicating he would wait.

       Zac turned back to talk to Scott, but he had moved off to a shooting game. Phil was missing, and it took Zac a moment to find the small boy sitting down beside one of the most intimidating Asian kids Zac had ever seen. He had longer and spikier hair that Shin, and about eight piercings in his ear. It wasn’t so much that the kid was intimidating, but the crowd he was with. Zac thought Phil had a few screws loose when he inserted coins and said something to the guy he was challenging.

       “Phil isn’t new at this,” Shin said, by Zac’s side. Shin and Mel had lost to the group, but Mel wanted to play again.

       “Will he be okay?”

       “He’ll be fine. None of them will start anything unless Phil says something to piss them off. If someone loses because they lack skill, they don’t take it out on the winner. Especially in a place like this,” Shin stated. “And Phil doesn’t look like he’d use cheap tricks to win, anyway.”

       It appeared that Shin was right. In the middle of the battle, Phil successfully pulled off what the game called an ‘Air Combo’ and the gang of thug-looking teens actually cheered for Phil and teased their friend. Everyone was smiling, so Zac knew it would be all right.

       Zac walked over to Scott, whose game looked interesting. Placing the bags at his feet, Zac inserted a loonie into the slot and joined Scott.

       “Man, are you going to slow me down?” Scott joked. “I’m killing zombies here.”

       “I’ll try not to hold you back, man.”

       Shin watched Zac and Scott for a moment before walking towards Jett and Kayden. Jett was playing a fighting game while talking about how cool it would be if Kayden could pull off some of the moves the game character was doing.

       Kayden nodded, but almost too seriously.

       “If you’re giving that look, then maybe I’m not as paranoid as I thought,” Shin whispered, at a volume no one but Kayden heard.

       Kayden tilted his head slightly to see Shin before looking back at the screen, “How long ago did you feel like you were being watched?”

       “When we first arrived… and then again when you guys came back,” Shin said.

       “And now?”

       “He’s gone…”

       “How do you know it was a he?” Kayden asked.

       “Just a feeling.”

       Kayden didn’t doubt for a moment that Shin was more alert than he let on. He had thought it was his imagination when he felt that he was being followed. It was great to have a friend like Shin who worked the background as the goofy guy, but actually saw things most people didn’t see.

       “Nothing will happen here,” Shin said. “And maybe he just thought one of us looked hot, or something.”

       The old Shin was back and Kayden smiled. “Don’t tell anyone.”

       “Don’t plan on it,” Shin said, before slipping away and going towards the dancing game.

       “Did you see that?” Jett nearly made Kayden jump.

       Sighing, Kayden placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. “Jett, I’m not Zac’s dad or Phil, but I’m pretty sure the laws of science work differently in this game than in real life… I can’t turn into a dragon…”

      

*******

       Across the street, a man placed a camera into the breast pocket of his suit jacket as he flipped open his phone. After choosing the number he wanted, he placed the phone to his ear and waited.

       “Yeah, I saw him,” the man said. “He’s with his friends. Yeah, I’m certain it’s him. What do you want me to do? Are you sure? All right, I’ll contact you soon.”

       The man placed the phone on the table and took a sip of his coffee. He watched as across the street the gang of kids walked out of the arcade, smiling and laughing.

 

*******

       Everyone had somehow lost track of time before they all met up again. Zac had actually spent more time in the arcade than he’d intended, caught up in the fun. It didn’t seem to faze Joe’s group, since they were late as well.

       The museum was less impressive than the kids had anticipated. Phil had insisted it was going to be good, but the museum was in the middle of wrapping up a traveling exhibit, and some sections of the building were closed off.

       “There’s a bat cave!” Phil said excitedly. “I’ve never been there. Let’s check it out.”

       Only Maya objected. “Can’t we look at the World Culture exhibit instead?” she pleaded.

       “What’s wrong?” Scott smiled, putting an arm around Maya. “I’ll protect you from the pesky bats.”

       “It’s just… I don’t like things that fly.”

       “Yeah, I hate planes, too,” Scott said, “but we won’t be riding the bats. How big do you think they are?”

       Everyone turned to Maya as she seemed to pull herself inward. “It’s just…I don’t like anything that flies. Animals.”

       The group of friends turned to one another after discovering Maya’s phobia.

       “What happened? Did some birds nip at you?” Scott joked.

       “I was chased by penguins at the zoo when I was small. I tried to get away, but… they wouldn’t…”

       Within moments, Shin was laughing hysterically, with Zac and Jett close behind. Kayden turned away, hoping that Maya wouldn’t see him chuckle, but she did. Even Scott and Joe had amused smiles on their faces. The only ones who looked on with concern were the girls and Phil.

       “Guys, that’s not nice,” Phil said with a straight face.

       “Penguins?” Scott tried to answer. He wasn’t doing a good job comforting his girlfriend and Maya seemed to be getting annoyed and embarrassed at his attempted humor.

       “Well then, I guess this is where we split again,” Mai said hotly as she gave Shin a glare. “We’re going to the World Culture exhibit. You insensitive pricks can check out the stupid bat cave!”

       All the guys except Phil were still laughing as the girls walked away, dragging Phil along.

       “B-but…aw, man…” Phil gave up as he let himself be dragged away.

       “Does anyone here actually want to check out the cave?” Scott asked.

       That earned another round of laughter, as the only one who had wanted to go to the cave in the first place was Phil.

       The group of guys ended up wandering through the museum without a plan or destination. They did more talking than viewing exhibits.

       “Guys, we need to head out soon,” Kayden said, checking his watch.

       “The girls aren’t here yet,” Zac said, looking around.

       “Let me try Phil and Mel again,” Joe said, taking out his phone.

       “I don’t think that’s going to help. I really think they turned it off,” Scott said. “Why are we so worried?”

       “I made the reservation for six fifteen. They only hold a reservation for fifteen minutes,” Kayden said. “If we’re late, we lose the reservation, plus I’ll get charged a big fee. I gave them my credit card number.”

       “Sick! You have a credit card?” Jett’s eyes opened wide.

       No one but Jett seemed too impressed, but Zac wondered if Kayden had always had a credit card.

       “Did we tell the girls what time the reservation was?” Joe asked.

       The boys turned to each other with questioning looks.

       “Let’s have some of us go and someone stay and wait for the girls,” Shin suggested. “I’m hungry. I don’t mind going first.”

       “We need at least half of our party there,” Kayden said. “One of us can stay.”

       “I vote Jett,” Shin voiced.

       “What?” Jett raised an eyebrow, turning to his friend.

       “You going to let those women defend themselves?” Scott grinned.

       “There is Phil, you know.” Joe suddenly realized what he’d said. “Ah, I guess we do need Jett to protect them.”

       “I don’t wanna…”

       “You’re going to let the girls and Phil walk around downtown by themselves? Jett, use your body, shit! What good are those muscles if you don’t do your duty as a man?” Scott nearly yelled.

       Scott’s challenge of Jett’s masculinity suddenly had the large boy sticking out his chest.

       “If there’s one guy who's dependable, it’s Jett,” Zac said thoughtfully.

       Jett turned to all his friends and shrugged. “Well, if you put it that way, I guess I gotta.”

       “Give us a call when you find them. We’ll go ahead,” Kayden said, nodding to Jett.     

       Kayden lead the way towards the restaurant at Yonge St. and Dundas, urging his friends to pick up the pace. His concern was about making sure his boyfriend didn’t miss out on the dinner he had planned for him. Scott and Shin played at trying to take as long as they could to get to the destination, which literally had Kayden on pins and needles. Zac watched with amusement as his friends coaxed and teased Kayden. Joe talked to Zac about school and student council, as Zac continued to watch Kayden boil. Kayden’s effor