story codes:B/B
DISCLAIMER

This story is completely fictional, I made the whole thing up! This story contains descriptions of a sexual nature involving minors. If this subject matter is not for you then don't read it! All characters and situations are fictional; any similarity to real people or events is purely coincidental.

Any comments, criticisms, or flames are to be sent to: turtleboy@turtleboystribe.com
Please do not publish this story anywhere else without the authors consent.




The Scouts' Revenge


TurtleBoy

Arthur Dunam stared blankly at the whiteboard in front of him with a dry-erase marker in his right hand. He could feel his heart pounding heavily against his chest and the clammy feel of his palms as they clung to everything he touched.

"Come on Arthur, you can do it," urged the impatient voice of Mrs. Terry, an awkward looking -- middle aged woman, as she hovered in behind him, fiddling with her narrow-eyed, black picture frame style glasses.

With his mind drawing a blank, he allowed the marker to make contact with the board, the side of his hand squeaking against it on contact. "I don't get it," replied Arthur, giving up and stepping away from the board.

"You're not even giving it a fair chance," Mrs. Terry remarked. "We've done this a thousand times. Algebra should be second nature to the lot of you."

Arthur turned back to the class, trying to avoid eye contact with their blinding gaze that felt to be piercing right through him. He hated this kind of attention; everyone knew he wasn't the outgoing sort, and he couldn't understand why Mrs. Terry always decided to pick on him all the time.

"Is there anyone else willing to give it a shot?" queried Mrs. Terry, panning her death stare across the class at their horrible lack of participation. "All right, fine," she walked back over to the board. "Take a seat Arthur."

Feeling instant relief, Arthur rushed back to his desk in the centre of the class and took his place back in the blend of students.

Mrs. Terry grabbed the marker and placed the tip of its felt to the board. "It appears I must go through all the steps again," she threatened.

"The answers eight!" bellowed the squeaky voice of Jerry Spindol, the class clown, but also Arthur's ex- friend and near-arch enemy.

Everyone in the class turned their head towards the boy then back to Mrs. Terry, who had also turned to face Jerry. "Correct, Jerold. I'm impressed," she said, sporting a proud smile. "Care to show the rest of the class how you came about the answer?"

"Uh... No, not especially," Jerry chuckled, shuffling away from the answers page in the back of his textbook, just as the bell rang to announce school's end.

As everyone reached for their things and poured their belongings into their bags, Mrs. Terry shouted out the weekend's homework assignment, causing the usual moans and complaints.

Moments later, Arthur had grabbed his things from his locker and was making his way towards the school's exit, when Jerry jumped in front of him on the stairs. Arthur sighed and looked up at Jerry. "What do you want, Jair?"

"Nothin'." smiled Jerry. "What're you up to this weekend?"

Arthur rose his head from watching the stairs and looked up at Jerry skeptically; the boy's pale green eyes provoked a feeling of belittlement in Arthur, but his shining golden-blond hair, framing his face to perfection, made it strangely impossible to look away. "I don't know, why?"

"I'm having a few friends over tomorrow -- thought it would be cool if you could drop by," he offered, making sure to stay in front of Arthur, so that he couldn't walk away from him.

Arthur felt a sudden pain of anxiety thump against his nerves. Jerry hadn't wanted to hang out with him since sixth grade, nearly three years ago. "Why? You gonna play pin the tail on the nerd again?" asked Arthur, in more hurt than sarcasm.

Jerry tried not to chuckle at the sudden memory of what him and his friends had done to Arthur the last time they hung out. "No way dude," Jerry promised with a straight, honest looking face. "I said I was sorry about that, like the day after they did it," he reminded Arthur. "Come on, it'll be fun. You don't even have to stay long. Just pop in and say hello."

Arthur stopped and looked up at Jerry; he really, truly wished that he could trust him again, but he knew that whatever Jerry was up to, it was certainly far from innocent. "Forget it, Jair. No offense, but I don't trust you."

Jerry grabbed his chest and dramatically threw himself against the railing of the stairs. "Dude, I'm hurt," he paused then hopped up another stair, closer to Arthur. "Look, if it makes you feel better, bring a friend. You two can stick together, do your thing, then take off," a, nearly, convincing expression of sincerity suddenly appeared on Jerry's face. "It's my birthday, remember? I thought it would be cool if we could catch up a bit. Come on, it'll be like your last birthday present to me ever."

"I dunno," shrugged Arthur. "I'll think about it."

"Good enough for me," smiled Jerry. "Stop by anytime after four tomorrow, if you decide to come that is."

With that said, Jerry stepped out of Arthur's way and let him continue out of the school. Watching as the nerdy ex-friend exited through the doors, he fished his cell phone from his pocket and pressed the number five of his quick dial key. "Hey Brody? Yeah, fish has been hooked. Will you be able to reel him in?" Jerry leaned forward, looking out the window into the schoolyard at Arthur. "Excellent. See yeah tomorrow, bud. Peace."



* * * * *


"Mom I'm home!" announced Arthur, tossing his school bag on a chair beside the front door and looking around. "Mom?"

"I'm up here!" screamed the echoing voice of Arthur's mom, Janet. "How was school?!"

Arthur thought for a moment as he made his way into the kitchen and yanked open the fridge door. "Okay -- I guess."

"Homework?!"

Pulling out a small package of deli-sliced salami, Arthur tossed it to the table and closed the fridge. "Nope!"

"You're not leaving for Scouts until it's done!"

Arthur rolled his eyes while pondering if he would ever be able to pass a fib through his mother without detection. "But mom! I have to go, we're preparing our summer schedule tonight! If I don't go then I won't have a say in where we go camping!"

"Well then, I suggest you get it done fast. Edward's going to pick you up at five-fifteen," replied Janet, from behind her son.

"Holy crap!" flinched Arthur, whipping his head around to face his mom. "How do you do that?"

"Moms have magical powers of teleportation," she teased. "Either that, or you were too caught up in building that sandwich to notice me passing you."

Arthur poked his tongue out at his mom then took a large chomp out of his snack. "Where's dad?"

Janet poured herself a cup of coffee then leaned against the counter. "He's helping his brother pick out a tux for his wedding."

"Uncle Jon's getting married again?" asked Arthur in between bites. "What happened to Aunt Kelly?"

"He's still with her. They're just renewing their vows or something asinine like that," she explained. "Must be nice to have so much money to throw around."

"Ooo, is that a bit of envy I'm hearing?" teased Arthur.

"As romantic as it sounds, renewing your vows every year is a waste of money. They're even going on a fourth honeymoon."

"So -- you're jealous?"

"Slightly, I suppose," thought Janet, then taking a long sip of her coffee. "We should go on vacation this year," she suggested randomly. "We haven't gone anywhere in ages."

"But mom," Arthur interrupted. "I'm going camping this summer, remember? We're planning it out tonight..."

"I know. I meant once you get back," Janet placed her mug on the counter. "Shouldn't you be doing your homework and cleaning yourself up before you go?"

"Oh yeah, right." Arthur quickly consumed the remnants of his sandwich then rushed for his bag to get his homework before running up the stairs to his room.

"And don't forget to call around and make sure everyone's going tonight!" screamed Janet, nearly forgetting to remind Arthur, herself.

* * * * *


Arthur stood in front of a mirror, hanging on the inside of his closet door, as he looped his scarf around his neck and tightened its woggle. He studied himself, scrutinizing every last detail of his appearance. He'd re-comb his light brown hair, carefully arranging every tiny strand so that his bangs did not disrupt his sight, then run a lint brush over his shoulders and down his arms. Once done, he stared emptily into his red-brown eyes while running his mind down the list of 'have too's' of his appearance. Arthur loved the Scouts; it was the one place where he felt accepted. Admittedly, in the real world, he didn't have many friends, not since Jerry pulled that prank several years back, but at Scouts he was somebody. He had friends there, and would even go so far as to say he was popular amongst his group. Scouts offered a side of life that Arthur just couldn't bring himself to grasp in the real world; not to mention, Landon would be there.

Closing his eyes, Arthur let his mind wander. The, almost vivid, image of his best friend Landon forming deep in the clouds of his thoughts. His strawberry blond, almost red, hair that mystically flowed above his eyes and over his ears with its ends gently tickling his creamy-pink cheeks that illuminated his clear blue eyes that could shine so brightly that they looked to be able to glow in the dark. Landon was Arthur's longest running friend, and lately Arthur just could not seem to get him off of his mind...

"Arthur!" screamed Janet, forcing Arthur back into reality.

"Yeah mom!?" Arthur screamed, feeling his thoughts fade back into the fog of his mind.

" Did you call Landon and Zachery?!"

"Crap, I forgot! NO!" hollered Arthur in response, turning towards his desk where he kept the cordless phone. "I'm calling now!"

"Well hurry up! Edward's outside waiting!"

"K!" Arthur paused and listened while the receiver howled its ring into his ear as he called his best friend, next to Landon. "Hey, Zach?"

A slight trace of static overwhelmed the line for a moment as Zach breathed too heavily into the phone. "Yup, it's me. You guys comin' or what?"

"We're on our way now," explained Arthur as he fiddled with his sash which was draped over his shoulder. "Can you call Landon and tell him to be waiting for us outside in like ten minutes?"

"Yeah sure. Who's picking us up?"

"Edward."

"Oh -- okay. Is he leading tonight, or will Brice be there?"

"Dunno," Arthur shrugged. "I haven't heard anything, so I'm guessing Brice'll be there."

"Cool," replied Zach, smiling in relief; a night alone with "Edward the Grouch", as the boys all called him, was sure to put a damper on the summer's planning. "K then, seeya soon Art."

Arthur smiled and quickly hung up the phone. "They'll be waiting Mom!" he screamed while thumping down the stairs. "Seeya 'round ten!"

Closing the door behind him, faster than his mother could say good-bye, Arthur hopped down the three steps of his porch and jogged to Edward's waiting van.

"Evening Artie," greeted Edward, the Scouts' second in command of their group.

"Hi sir," replied Arthur, forcing a smile. "Sorry I took so long."

Edward straightened his owl-eye framed glasses and then shifted the van into drive. "Not a problem. It's Landon I'm worried about, that boy's always so pokey."

"I know, but Zach said he was going to call him to help get him ready faster," explained Arthur, attempting to defend Landon's tardiness.

"Ha!" Edward chuckled over-enthusiastically. "That'll be the day."

Arthur buckled his seat belt and allowed the conversation to die out before he got Edward angry. Edward was a good enough guy, but Arthur, and just about everyone else for that matter, thought that Edward's temper was a bit too short to be in charge of twenty kids. In fact, his anger seemed to be the more controlling feature of his personality, and he didn't seem to like kids all that much, either; which was why nobody could figure out why he chose to volunteer for the Scouts in the first place.

Edward pulled into Zach's driveway and honked the horn to announce his arrival. Only seconds later, the lanky-looking boy with the, always, out of control blond mop of a hairdo, known as Zachery, scampered towards the side door of the van.

"Hey guys," said Zach as he climbed into the back of the van and slid the door shut.

"Evening Zachery," greeted Edward. "Did you speak with Landon?"

"Yup. He said he'll be waiting out front of his house."

"Uh huh," muttered Edward as he pulled out of Zach's driveway and back into the street. "So does that mean his uniform only needs ten more minutes in the dryer this week?"

Both Zach and Arthur kept quiet. If they made Edward angry so early in the evening they knew they would lose all hopes of getting to go to Highlands East for camp again this year, so instead the two quietly stared out through the window, hoping that Landon wouldn't take too long, today of all days.



* * * * *


Pulling up, out front of 'Mr. Pokey's' himself, all eyes were on the front door of Landon's home. There was only one light on inside the living room window; nothing upstairs, nor in the hall that led to the door. Suddenly, Edward began to honk the horn repeatedly. His patience already nonexistent. "Where is that bloody boy?" muttered Edward, as Arthur and Zach crossed their fingers, hoping that Landon wouldn't take too much longer. Landon's always been one of the absent minded sort, but his glowing sense of humour, along with his near-flawless charm made every part of him worth waiting for, or at least that was Arthur's point of view.

"Hey guys," chirped a muffled voice from beside Edward, who was still thumping at the horn with his palm. "We ready to go?"

Everyone's head snapped to the left, towards the voice, as instant giggles fluttered about the van when they saw Landon standing outside Edward's window.

"You dufus," said Edward, obviously, at least partially, amused by Landon's appearance. "Get in, we're going to be late."

Landon jumped in the back, next to Zach, then reached forward and playfully scruffed up the top of Arthur's hair. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Arthur jolted forward with an playfully-irritated moan, as he tried to escape Landon's attack on his head. "Cut it out, nut job!" teased Arthur, trying to straighten his hair.

"Relax, it looks fine," Landon assured him while buckling up his seat belt. "Brice is going to be there tonight, right?"

"Yes," replied Edward. "He's been there most of the day trying to work out this summer's possibilities."

"I hope we can get Highland East again," blurted Zach. "That place was awesome last year."

Edward cleared his throat. "Well, we were planning on trying Lake Nipissing, but it's apparently been over booked."

"Lake what?" chuckled Landon, as all the boys fell into an uproar of laughter.

"Lake..." Edward thought for a second and smiled. "Oh I get it. You dirty sods."

"Lake Ni-pissing?!" chuckled Landon. "Is that near Wantapee Creek?"

"No," Zach said seriously, "it's about three miles south of Mount Needapooh."

"Sick puppies, the lot of you," moaned Edward, trying to conceal his grin.

A hiss of laughter circled the van, and for the remainder of the ride the boys continued to giggle while Edward, of course, tried not to. Fortunately, before the boys' laughter became too out of control for Edward to bear, they arrived at the community centre where their meetings were held each week.

Everyone piled out of the van while Edward waited to make sure that it was properly locked up. Zach had run ahead of Landon and Arthur to greet the other Scouts as Arthur recalled Jerry's invitation for the following day.

"Hey Landon," started Arthur.

"Huh?"

"Guess who invited me to his birthday party tomorrow."

Landon thought for a moment, trying to recall any forgotten birthdays. "Who?"

"Jerry Spindol," Arthur announced in a humorous tone.

"Really?" Landon's expression portrayed the same look of scepticism that Arthur's had, previously. "You're not gonna go, are you?"

"Haven't decided."

"Arthur -- don't be stupid," Landon warned, trying to remind Arthur of Jerry's previous birthday party. "What do you think he's planning for you this time?"

Arthur reached for the community centre's door and pulled it open. "Dunno," he shrugged. "Wanna come with and find out?"

"Dude you're crazy!" Landon yelped in a hiss. "Those guys that Jerry hang out with ALONE are enough reason not to go, but with Jerry's nutjob of a mind working with them... Forget it dude. I'm not going, and you're not either."

Landon followed Arthur into the gymnasium and walked over to a row of tables where Brice was sitting.

"Hey Brice," greeted Arthur, only to be shushed by Brice's gesturing hand, placed in front of his lips.

Arthur quickly realized that Brice was on the phone, vigorously jotting down undecipherable chicken scratch on a notepad. Landon tugged Arthur's arm and pulled him away from the table.

"Hey!" Arthur whined out of surprise.

"Shut up," Landon teased. "I didn't hurt you."

Arthur noticed Landon's trademark visage that depicted a brewing scheme. "Uh oh, what's up?"

Landon smiled deviously and tilted his head slightly to the left side. "I've decided we're going to Jerry's party."



* * * * *


Both boys were forced to excuse themselves from the gymnasium immediatly after Landon's sudden interest in Jerry's party was explained. "Dude, you're a genius!" Arthur praised his friend with excitement.

"Shh!" hushed Landon. "Not so loud."

Landon pulled Arthur off to the side of the hall and into the boys' washroom. Arthur attempted to gain control of his giggling, but was already too far gone for such dicipline. "Dude, you're gonna piss off Edward," warned Landon, with a slight chuckle, as he walked over to the urinal.

Leaning over the sink, Arthur turned on the faucet to splash some water in his face, which he hoped would help silence his laughter. As he splashed the cool liquid against his cheeks, his vision became transfixed on his friend. Landon's tan shirt was snugly tucked into his navy blue slacks and framed by the ugly bright green Scout's belt. The belt, surprisingly, was not the lure; instead, it was the subtle curves of the boy's pert behind as he stood up straight, back facing Arthur, while making use of the urinal.

"You're checking out my butt, aren't you?" Landon teased, giving his tush a slight shake from side-to-side.

Arthur immediately blushed and diverted his attention back to the running water. "You wish!" he blurted through a slight gurgle of water.

Landon snickered stroppily. "No -- I know."

Just as Arthur was about to enter that awkward moment of silence between thought and a witty come back, the loud, nagging holler of Edward echoed throughout the building to summon the start of the evening's meeting. Landon quickly washed his hands as Arthur dried his face, and the two ran out through the hallway and into the gym.

The entire group obediently assembled into a line and prepared for the opening ceremony. Each boy recited a separate piece of the Scout Law then the flag was raised. Immediately after, before the debating and planning commenced, Brice organized a "quick" game of British Bulldog and ushered the Scouts outside.

The evening's attendance was quite good. As a result, twenty-six boys, between eleven and fourteen, were bouncing from side-to-side waiting for the game to start. Braydan, the group's strongest member, volunteered himself to be the bulldog. All eyes were on Brice as he held a green flag in his right hand, pointing towards the ground, and a whistle hanging from his lips.

"All right!" screamed Brice. "Are we ready!?"

"YES!" roared the troupes in unison.

"What?!" teased Brice. "I can't hear you!"

"YES!!" they screamed even louder.

"READY!" Brice's flag began to shake back and fourth in his hand. "SET!" the flag randomly twitched upward to psych everyone's nerves. "GO!"

The flag flew into the air as the boys scrambled across the field in all directions. Braydan chuckled and hopped into a sprint towards a small cluster of the larger boys, so that he could collect some muscle.

Zach clumsily staggered up a small hill, towards some trees, as he attempted to signal Landon and Arthur to follow. "Dudes!" he screamed in a screeching whisper. "Over here!"

Landon was first to see Zach waving at them, but as he turned to look for Arthur a large, dark shadow consumed him. Before he could register what was happening, his legs were flying into the air with someone's arms wrapped around his waist.

"One, two, three! British Bulldog!" screamed the shadow of a boy, then dropped Landon back down on his feet.

"NO!" Landon cried, bouncing to the ground and falling over as he tried to proportion his balance.

Looking down the hill, Zach's eyes bulged in their sockets. "Crap!" he whined when he realized that his hiding spot would now be compromised. "Arthur!?"

Arthur jumped in the air and fell into a barrel role while attempting to escape Braydan's new henchmen, when he suddenly heard the echo of his name whistling through the air. He looked towards the hill, where Zach was running away from several other kids, then turned to find safe ground.

"Arthur!" summoned a familiar voice.

Looking over his shoulder, Arthur saw Landon walking up beside him. "Are you caught yet?" asked Arthur.

"Uh..." a large, guilty grin crawled over Landon's face as he nonchalantly crept closer to his friend. "YES!"

Arthur screamed like that of a crying toddler and spun around in an attempt to escape capture. He felt Landon's fingers clawing at the back of his shirt, then the pinching of fingers at his sides. "Noo! Get away!" Arthur cried, as he fell to the ground and tried to crawl away.

Landon's taunting laughter vibrated against Arthur's ears while he felt arms wrapping around his waist. Trying feebly for one last chance at freedom, Arthur dropped his weight against the ground and hugged the grass, bringing Landon down with him.

The sweet scent of vanilla and freshly baked cookies filled Arthur's lungs; an aroma befittingly unique to Landon, himself. Arthur inhaled, filling his lungs as much as he could, then sighed deeply into blade of grass, tickling his nose. For all but a moment his world seemed complete and true, accompanied by a strange sense of innocence. Landon's stomach filled and pressed into Arthur's back, fitting snugly against its subtle curve. Just as Arthur felt as if he could curl up and fall asleep, a sudden tug pressing into his hips urged him back into the clutches of reality.

Landon curled backwards onto his knees, holding Arthur's rear firmly into his stomach, and climbed to his feet. Arthur squealed a breathless shriek as his feet left the ground. "One, two, three, British Bulldog!" screamed Landon through a wheeze.

"No fair!" Arthur said in a chuckle, as his feet thumped back onto the ground.

"Life isn't fair," said Edward, butting in as he passed by with a cooler.

Arthur turned back to face Landon, both boys smiled at each other while half-watching Ed making his way towards where Brice was standing, waving a white flag.

"Truce!" Brice yelled. "Time to come in guys! We've got to get down to business!"

Edward bent down and dropped the cooler onto the grass then popped open the lid. "One per person!" he warned, and then took two steps back.

Everyone got in line as they waited their turn to fish out a can of orange juice, the cooler still under Edward's careful watch, as Brice directed the boy's back inside. "Where's Zach?" asked Brice, to Landon when he arrived at the cooler.

"Dunno," Landon replied. "I haven't seen him since I got caught. He was up on the hill."

Brice turned his head to face the tiny hill. "Zach!" he called out, then waited a moment. "Zach, we're going inside!"

"He's probably already in the gym," offered Ed, keeping his eyes down at the cooler as it emptied.

"Wait..." said Arthur, tilting his head as if to hear better. "Can you hear that?"

Brice held his arms out to signal for everyone to keep quiet, then listened carefully. After a long moment of silence, a pleading whisper began to gently soar through the wind. "...Help! ...Somebody!"

Edward turned to Brice, as Arthur turned to Landon. "I think I hear him," said Ed, turning back to face the hill.

"Me too," replied Brice. "Can you get the boys inside, Ed? I'll go see what's happening."

"All right boys, you heard the man! Inside! Come on, let's go!" yelled Edward, waving his arms at his sides in a circular motion to round up the group.

"Landon," started Brice, as he began jogging towards the hill, "come with me, in case I need a hand."

Arthur looked over at Landon, then to Brice, as Landon left his side and ran over to Brice and the hill, then with a partial frown turned to walk alone into the gymnasium.

As Brice and Landon climbed the hill, Zach's cries became louder. "Help!" screamed Zach when he saw the tops of two heads from the other side of the hill. "Oh thank God!"

When Landon's eyes found Zach, he instantly started to giggle. "How the hell did you get up there?!"

"Hey, watch the language," said Brice, who then realized what Landon was laughing about.

Zach laid, about twenty feet in the air, on the branch of an oak tree with his arms and legs wrapped tightly around it. Brice took a moment to suppress his amusement. "What on Earth are you doing up there, Zach?"

"I was hiding!" he whimpered, as he watched Landon and Brice approach the trunk of the tree.

"Dude, that's cheating!" Landon yelled. "You're not allowed to climb trees!"

"I know!" admitted Zach. "And I won't do it again, honest! Just get me down!"

Brice chuckled below his breath then turned his head upward to look at Zach. "Can't you climb down?"

"No, I sprained my ankle," Zach explained. "I think I cut it too."

"How did you manage that?" asked Landon, gripping his fingers into the bark of the tree's trunk.

"I fell from another branch -- my foot got stuck, and I slipped."

Brice thought for a moment and then stepped back from the tree. "Try not to move. I'll go fetch a ladder, bud. Okay?"

"All right... I'm not going anywhere," replied Zach as he scratched his cheek against the bark.

"Landon?" said Brice, while turning back to the tree. "Can you keep an eye on him while I'm gone -- if he falls... well, try not to let him fall."

Landon nodded, then jumped back from the tree. "Gotcha."

Zach stared down at Landon, and Landon stared up at Zach. Both boys waiting in silence. Kicking at the grass with his foot, Landon looked down at it and jumped. "Hey Zach, why don't you just jump -- the ground's pretty soft.

"Forget that!"

Landon grinned up at his friend. "Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?"



* * * * *


After Brice had fetched Zach from the tree and patched up his foot, the meeting finally began. Zach sat at the end of a table, with his ankle on ice, and Landon sat in between him and Arthur.

Brice had prepared a slide-show presentation of all possibilities for the upcoming summer camp and all that would have to be done to get there. Aside from Highland East, there were several other lakes that seemed nearly or even equally as good of a campsite to visit, so instead of picking just one, Edward suggested that they book the top three campsites and see how well they can raise the funds. By the end of the night, it was decided that if they managed to raise under two thousand they would go to Camp Red Fox on Duck Lake, between two thousand and twenty-five hundred they would then go to Camp Caribou on White Lake, and if they managed to raised over twenty-five hundred then they would be able to attend Camp Highland in Highland East.

"Hey, that's only like one hundred dollars each. Less if everyone goes," said Landon, as he played with the calculator on his phone.

"Exactly," replied Brice. "That's not much at all, and better yet, we've still got two months before we have to have the money in. There should be no reason why anyone has to pay a cent of their own money to go on this trip."

"How are we going to get the money then?" asked Braydan from the back of the group.

Edward cleared his throat quickly and stood up. "That's where we have to get crafty," he announced. "Starting next meeting, we'll begin making bird things like bird houses and mailboxes and hold a barbecue on June fifth, where we'll sell the our handmade crafts and lots of food. To get the money for the food we're going to go door-to-door selling popcorn, cotton candy, and other snacks like that; all made by us," Edward stopped and took a quick sip of his orange juice. "To get the ball rolling, this week your mission is to EARN five dollars each. No asking your parents for money, I'll find out if you do!" he warned with a half smile.

"How?" asked Landon.

"How? How what?" replied Edward. "How are you going to earn the money? Mow a neighbours lawn, or offer to do some other chores for them. But! And I do mean BUT, do not go into anyone's home that you don't know. If you go door-to-door, do it with a friend of family member -- and never without a parent's permission."

"Um, actually I meant, how will you find out?" said Landon with a snicker.

Brice covered his mouth to conceal a giggle. "We have our ways," he said, noticing the time. "All right guys, looks like we're done here for today. Make sure to bring five EARNED dollars for the next meeting, anyone who doesn't bring their share will be off to Edward's house to scrub the toilets -- with a toothbrush!" he threatened.

A choir of moaning and nauseating noises circled the group as everyone stood from their chairs and stretched out. "Artie!" bellowed Edward. "You boys meet me by the van, I'll be right out."

"Yes sir," agreed Arthur, following Landon who was helping Zach hop to the doors.

"Art!" said Landon, attempting to turn his head and face his friend. "Wanna hold Zach up for me? I've gotta make a call home."

Zach leaned himself against the wall. "Why? You'll be there in like fifteen minutes anyway." he pointed out.

"Yeah," started Landon. "But weren't you listening when you were stuck in the tree?"

"Oh..." replied Zach, recalling the conversation he had in the tree. "So how exactly are we going to do this?"

Arthur looked at the two boys with a confused look on his face. "What's going on?"

Pushing himself away from the wall, Landon turned toward Arthur. "I told Zach about Jerry's birthday tomorrow. I figured we could use his help," he explained. "But I figured, I'd call home and see if I could spend the night at your place, so we could plan this out properly -- your parents won't mind would they?"

"Nah," thought Arthur. "I doubt it, but why don't you use your cell?"

"No minutes -- but I'll be right back," promised Landon. "Don't led Ed leave without me!"

Landon ran down the hall and around the corner to the office phone, while Arthur helped Zach outside to the van. "So? How's this going to work?" repeated Zach, leaning himself against the van's door.

"I really don't know," admitted Arthur. "But if we can pull it off -- that'd be epic!"

Zach became suddenly excited and nearly fell over, trying to balance on one foot. "I know! I'll bring my brother's camera! Could you imagine if we could get this stuff on tape?"

Arthur chuckled, thinking of what he'd call the YouTube video. "That would rock! Do you think Ian will lend it to you?"

"I dunno," shrugged Zach. "He probably won't even be home again this weekend, so -- what he doesn't know, can't kill ME."

"Okay, it's your life, man," said Arthur, turning his head towards the community centre as Edward came out through the doors.

"Where's Landon?" he sighed as he approached the van and tinkered with his keys.

"He'll be right here," said Zach. "He had to call home quickly.

Just as Zach finished explaining, Landon came ploughing through the doors. "There he is," said Arthur, pointing over to Landon.

"I can go!" he hollered, while stomping his galloping feet to a halt as he neared the van.

"Go where?" asked Edward, wearily.

"I'm spending the night at Arthur's house tonight Edward. If it's all right with you, could you drop me off there?"

"No complaints here," replied Edward. "Now pile in guys. I'm tired."

Arthur and Landon were the first to be dropped off, and after promising to call Zach in the morning and thanking Edward for the ride, they two ran inside.

"Mom! I'm home!" announced Arthur. "Can Landon spend the night?"

"How'd the meeting go?" asked Janet, from inside the living room.

"Good, but if we want to go to Highland East again we have to raise one hundred dollars each," Arthur explained. "So? Is it all right if Landon spends the night? We got a lot that we want to do tomorrow."

Janet looked back at her son, seeing Landon standing beside him. "Yeah, but I'm not cleaning up after you two this time, so keep it clean, okay?"

"Sure thing Mom," Arthur agreed. "Is there anything to eat around here? We didn't get anything at Scouts."

"Uh... Just heat up some pizza pops or something. I'm far too lazy to think right now."

Arthur looked around the room where his mom was lazing on the couch. "Dad's not home yet?"

"Nope," replied Janet. "He called, and says your Uncle Jon was 'dragging him against his will' to the bar for some drinks."

"Uh... Uncle Jon's not spending the night again, too, is he?"

Janet gasped, remembering the last time that Uncle Jon drank with her husband. "God I hope not. That man doesn't shut up after he's been drinking."

"I like your Uncle Jon," admitted Landon.

"Pft, you would," teased Janet while turning back to face the TV.

"Come on," said Arthur. "Let's get some food and head upstairs."

Arthur heated up four pizza-pops at the same time, tossed them on a couple napkins, and grabbed some cans of soda from the fridge. Following in behind Landon up the stairs, Arthur couldn't help but stare directly ahead of him watching Landon's seemingly streamlined pants as they slid and caressed his backside. The way the fabric stretched and hugged against the boy's rump was like a baited lure, just waiting for a bite, and for a moment, Arthur was almost tempted to do so.

"Stop looking at my butt, pervert," teased Landon when he reached the top of the stairs.

"I was not. You just wish that I was," replied Arthur, attempting to keep himself from blushing.

Landon turned around and grabbed two of the pizza-pops from Arthur's hand. "Liar! You just wish that I wished!"

"Hey," Arthur suddenly realized. "You didn't go pick up any clothes... You're gonna be stuck in that uniform until you go home."

"What? You're not going to lend me anything?"whined Landon.

"Well I was -- but you hurt my feelings, so..."

Landon burst out laughing. "Oh shut up, you big baby!"

"Ha-ha, well I do have some old pyjamas that you might fit."

"Oh come on!" Landon stood up tall. "I'm bigger than you. There's no way that I'll fit anything that you can't wear anymore."

"You are not," chuckled Arthur, standing beside Landon. "Let's prove it."

Landon stood right in front of Arthur, as Arthur placed his hand on top of his head. They pressed the tips of their toes together and straightened out their bodies as best the could with the ends of their noses barely an inch away from the others. Arthur slid his hand straight across, from the very top of his head, but then curved it downward and karate chopped Landon in the centre of his forehead.

"See!" screamed Arthur, jumping away from Landon's reach. "I told you I was bigger."

"Ow!" Landon whined. "Liar!"

"Aw, who's the big baby now?!"

Landon grew a large grin, as Arthur backed down the hall towards his room. "Where are you going?" asked Landon, inching closer to Arthur.

"Nowhere... just never mind."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah..."

Landon roared and Arthur squealed, turning around, then ran into his bedroom. "Get back here pervert!" screamed Landon as the door slammed shut in his face.

"What?!" queried Arthur from the other side of the door. "Pervert? Where the hell did that come from?"

"You're the one staring at my butt, so don't pretend like you've gone and forgotten already! No one forgets my bum that easily!"

"Ha! Dream on lover boy."

Landon wrinkled up his nose as he thought about what he was just called. "You didn't seriously call me that, did you?"

"Maybe... What're you gonna do about it?"

"Open the door. You'll find out," dared Landon.

"Okay... If I open the door and you attack me, you'll be sleeping in your uniform!" threatened Arthur.

"Oh well. Better than old, tiny midget pyjamas!"

"Shut up small fry!"

"Can it butt ogler!"

Arthur stopped yelling and thought for a moment. "Did you just call me a butt ogler?"

"Yeah," giggled Landon. "Pretty slick, huh?"

Arthur would have replied, but his giggling prevented him from doing so. Landon chuckled then, remembering the food in his hand, took a chomp out of his pizza-pop. "Dude, let me in," he pleaded.

"It's open dummy," replied Arthur, bolting through the door and right into the bathroom.

"Ha-ha, I should've held the door shut -- damn."

Landon walked in through the door and sat down on the bed, munching on his dinner and staring at all the Wolverine and miscellaneous King Arthur posters on Arthur's walls. "Dude," Landon called out. "You're like obsessed with The Sword in the Stone."

Shortly after, Arthur walked back into the room. "No I'm not. I'm obsessed with the knights of the round table."

"I think you just have a authority complex. You want to be ruler, don't you?"

"Nah," replied Arthur, looking at all of his posters. "It's just a coincidence that the king's name was Arthur."

"Yeah -- right," Landon teased. "Wanna play some Left for Dead?"

Arthur walked over to his dresser to his dresser and opened the top drawer. "Sure," he replied, while digging deep into the pile of unsorted clothes. "Here, this might fit," he announced, tossing Landon a pair of flannel pyjama bottoms.

Landon caught the flying fabric and examined it. "Good enough for me, thanks."

"Just let me go get changed out of this uniform, then we'll fire up the XBOX," said Arthur, selecting another pair of pyjama bottoms and walking back towards the door.

"Still shy, huh?" Landon giggled as he slid off his scarf.

"Nah, I just have no desire to see you change."

"Uh huh,then quit looking at my butt," suggested Landon, playfully.

Arthur walked out into the hall, wondering if Landon was serious, or if he actually knew it to be true. "Dream on pervert."

When Arthur returned to his bedroom, Landon was sitting on the floor, in front of the TV, holding a controller in his hand. His Scout uniform was draped over the back of a chair, in front of a desk. Arthur stared at Landon's bare chest and the well-worn, blue flannel pyjama bottoms that he lent him. "Come on dude, let's play," said Landon, looking up at Arthur as he entered the room.

Walking across the room, Arthur hung his uniform in the closet then went and sat down next to Landon on the floor. "Online or what?" he asked.

"Online. It'll be more fun," decided Landon, as he leaned back against the bed.

Arthur grabbed a controller, waiting for Landon to set up the game, while trying to force his eyes to watch the screen and not Landon's stomach. Fortunately, the game quickly started and Arthur's attention narrowed in on his character.

"Dude!" screamed Landon. "Revive me!"

"You died already?" Arthur chuckled, steering his character up the stairs of an arena, towards Landon's.

"Shut up. I would've been fine if you weren't busy undressing me with your eyes," Landon replied behind a grin.

Arthur ignored Landon's last remark, and instead, revived his character. "Careful!" cried Arthur, jumping back toward the bed as he tried to avoid the monsters coming at him on the screen.

"Dude, you're such a spaz," Landon chuckled. "They can't get us out here."

Sitting back up, Arthur leaned into the back of the bed and crossed his legs. "Don't hate, it's how I stay alive."

"Ha-ha, true," said Landon, looking beside himself, at Arthur who was now right beside him. "You're trying to get closer to me, aren't you?"

Arthur turned to look at Landon, realizing their shoulders and knees were touching. "Oh yeah," replied Arthur. "I just love the feel of your knee against me," he said, rolling his eyes.

"I know, right?" Landon said in a strangely serious tone.

Arthur rose an eyebrow and looked his friend in the eye. "Are you hitting on me?" he teased, proud of himself for finally having a chance to reverse Landon's game.

"Dream on, pervert," quoted Landon, in the same tone that Arthur had used when he had said it. "This is boring, wanna watch a movie instead?"

"Uh," Arthur was thrown off guard, Landon had never gotten board of a video game before. "For real?"

"Yeah," getting up off the floor, Landon walked over to the TV and turned off the console. "I think they're showing one of the Halloween movies. We should watch it."

"O -- kay..." Arthur gathered the controllers and placed them on top of the console. "You feeling all right tonight?"

"Yeah," Landon said casually. "I just feel like doing something different, and you like movies, so..."

"No, I'm not complaining. It's just weirding me out a little -- or actually a lot."

"Shut up and go make some popcorn," Landon demanded with a smile. "I'll see what's on."

Arthur didn't want to argue. Landon had never wanted to sit around and watch a movie before. The very concept felt strange to Arthur, but it was his favourite thing in the world to do, so he wasn't going to stand around and question Landon's decision for too long. The strangest thing was, the glowing feeling that was simmering in his chest. It was like something was trying to bust its way out of him, but he couldn't figure out how something as simple as watching a movie would cause him to feel so out of place. "Mom, I'm gonna make some popcorn, is that okay?" he asked when he arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

"Sure, just clean up once you're done," replied Janet, lazily hopping channels on the television.

"Did you want some?" offered Arthur, grabbing the popper from the cupboard.

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

Slowly spinning the bowl in circles as the popcorn poured out of the top of the popper, Arthur awkwardly fumbled with a small bowl of butter as he tried to get it in the microwave. For a moment he thought about Jerry's party to next day, and then realized that he and Landon were yet to discuss the details of their plan. He still wasn't sure how they would pull everything off, and he was even less sure that they would be able to avoid any repercussions afterwards. However, the thought of taking revenge on Jerry and his friends was just too tempting of a thought to just cower away and not go through with it.

"What took you so long?" asked Landon, as Arthur reappeared in the doorway. "The movie's starting, you better hurry up and get over here.

Arthur glanced over at the TV, the picture was in black and white and the speakers were playing horribly cheesy sounding music, which was when Arthur realized why he was feeling so strangely. He looked from the television, over to Landon laying down on the bed with his head propped up on the pillows; his smooth, creamy looking chest was bare as can be. Usually Landon would laze on the mattress that slid out from under Arthur's bed but it didn't provide an ideal view of the television.

Pulling a couple more can drinks from his pyjama bottom's pockets, Arthur approached the bed and placed them on his side table. "What are we watching?"

Landon looked up at Arthur, taking the bowl of popcorn from his hands. "The Innocents," he replied. "We missed Halloween, but I figured you were a movie buff so you'd probably enjoy a classic."

Arthur turned back to the TV while he sat down on the edge of the bed. "I've never seen it before."

"Me neither," said Landon. "But it's too early to fall asleep, so this will have to do."

Arthur leaned back on the pillow, next to Landon, and slid his feet under the blankets. He half-looked up at Landon while reaching for the popcorn. "This is weird," he announced without thinking.

"What's weird?"

"This -- watching a movie. You feeling all right?" asked Arthur, only partially joking.

"Yeah, why? Can't a guy watch a movie with a friend?"

"Sure," Arthur thought out loud. "It's just weird. You've never wanted to before."

Landon didn't reply. Instead, he snuggled into the pillows and stretched out his limbs, allowing his left foot to rest over Arthur's right.

"So, how is tomorrow going to work?" asked Arthur, feeling uneasy in the silence.

"Don't worry about it," suggested Landon. "We'll work it out tomorrow when Zach comes by. We'll have the whole day."

Reluctantly, Arthur settled into the silence of the room, but couldn't bring himself to focus on the room. His mind kept nagging at him as his eyes kept wandering over to Landon. He could smell Landon's distinct scent and feel his warmth against his own skin, but his eyes were the most misbehaved. They kept finding their way across Landon's chest and stomach, where they would then stare at the loose fitting waistband of the blue pyjama bottoms. He would try to look away, but every time he did, he'd find his eyes right back to where they left off.

Landon shifted his weight partially onto his side, so his waist was facing towards Arthur's. A small gap in the top of Landon's pants caused Arthur's throat to dry out as his eyes found a new addiction; the slight edge of a white waistband, hugging Landon's abdomen, had been revealed as a result of his movement, and Arthur could not bring himself to look away.

"You done with this?" said Landon, wobbling the half-empty bowl of popcorn in the air.

Arthur blinked and looked over to the bowl then up at Landon. "Yeah, I'm good."

Landon rolled slightly, away from Arthur, and placed the popcorn down on the floor, beside the bed. "You okay?" he asked, realizing his friends strange expression across his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Arthur blurted, keeping his eyes on the screen in front of them.

"Cool," Landon whispered while lowering his head back onto the pillows and snuggling into the mattress.

A sudden blast of smooth feeling warmth surged through Arthur's nerves as Landon settled into the bed. He felt his hand pressing into something soft yet firm but couldn't bring himself to look at what it was. Landon smiled and giggled softly. "Your hand's freezing," he whispered with a shiver.

Arthur didn't reply, nor did he move. He just waited as Landon shuffled around a bit more, feeling his hand trace against the edge of something that seemed to be fabric. Landon closed his eyes, smiling comfortably, and sighed to express his feeling. "Wow, I'm so freaken comfortable," said Landon, breathing in heavily with his nose pressed against the side of a pillow.

Arthur forced himself to release a faint, but awkward sounding giggle. "Me too."

"But your hand's still cold," Landon decided and then curled up, grabbing Arthur's hand, and rubbing it with both of his own.

"What the hell are you doing?" Arthur said in a squeal of surprise.

"Warming up your stupid hand. It's giving me goose-bumps."

Landon rubbed his hands over Arthur's hand and curled his legs upward, so that they were pressed against his friend's hip, then brought his hands down between his torso and thighs where he released his grip on Arthur's.

Arthur instantly realized that his hand was placed right back to where it had been, only this time his hand was stuck between a tangle of limbs.

As the television flickered its light across the room, Arthur turned his head slightly, feeling a soft tickling sensation against his bare shoulder. When he looked down to see what it was, he saw Landon's nose less than an inch from his arm, as he snuggled sleepily in beside him. Arthur wasn't sure what to do, or if there was anything he should do. He had never been this close to Landon before, not once in the six years that they had been friends; well not like this anyway. He felt a strange urge to turn his head, breathe in the sweet scent of Landon's hair; but worse, he also wanted to place his lips on top of his head, just to leave them there.

Landon scratched his cheek against the pillow, still smiling, then rested his forehead against the side of Arthur's shoulder. The contact caused Arthur's throat to feel as if it had clogged itself off permanently, and he found himself unable to move. Landon's breathing was causing the warmth of his stomach to consume Arthur's hand, making it become moist and clammy, but when he tried to move his hand, his fingers ran across the hem of Landon's pyjama bottoms. As if by impulse, Arthur's fingers slowly began to slide across the edge of the fabric, and occasionally a fingernail would become caught on the white elastic band which he had previously seen. Each time this would happen, a very slight snap would vibrate against the tips of his fingers, daring him to do it again.

Eventually, Arthur's pinky finger found comfort in gently circling itself, back and fourth, against Landon's stomach, as his other fingers slowly trailed up and down the edge of his friend's waistband. Looking to his side, Arthur examined Landon's face; his eyes were closed, but a smile was still spread across his face. Unable to tell if Landon was sleeping, Arthur pressed his fingers firmly into Landon's abdomen, but Landon only wrinkled his nose and shuffled his hips a bit, oddly scooting closer and sprawling his knee over Arthur's midsection.

Just as Arthur was about to panic, due to his friend's leg on top of his embarrassing excitement, he felt something move against the outside of his fingers. Realizing where they were, Arthur held his breath while probing his fingers along the fabric below them. Tracing his fingers over something warm and firm, Arthur released a muffled gasp, accidentally. His fingers travelled across the object and his palm automatically pressed down against it then without thought his hand encased its sides and squeezed.

Landon's hips drew back then slowly pressed forward, into Arthur's hand, followed by some slight movement of his upper half. Arthur felt the warmth of Landon's lips press softly against the curve of his shoulder as they gently pinched his flesh.

The very top of Landon's strawberry-blond hair was directly under Arthur's nose, and his scent was becoming overpowering. Arthur pressed his hand inward and pulled back, allowing his fingers the freedom to study the hardened object, causing it to twitch. Feeling as if his heart had forgotten to beat, Arthur dropped his lips on top of Landon's head and breathed in with an urgency he never thought possible.

Landon's knee suddenly rocked back and fourth, the movement instantly sending a rush of shivers throughout Arthur's body, then his lips pressed in and released a faint popping sound against Arthur's shoulder. Arthur's hand slid back, up to Landon's stomach, then pried its way underneath the waistband of his friend's pyjama bottoms. As his fingers trailed along the cotton cloth, Landon's hand slid across Arthur's torso and pressed into his chest.

As Arthur felt Landon's touch cross his chest, his fingers squeezed into the fabric, causing the hardened object to twitch. Landon then moved his head, and pressed his lips against Arthur's neck, while sliding his fingers down Arthur's chest. Arthur turned his head and placed his own lips on Landon's forehead, kissing once in uncertainty, then allowing his lips to separate while the tip of his tongue tasted Landon's skin.

Landon's knee slid downward as his hand travelled lower. He stretched out his neck and kissed Arthur's jawline just as his fingers enveloped Arthur's prodding excitement. The very moment that Arthur felt Landon's touch around his midsection, his lips became plagued with desire. He turned his head and reached outward, his fingers tightening their grip against Landon's centre, until his lips were met with his friends.

Feeling Landon's fingers struggling to find their way underneath his pyjamas, Arthur reached down and slid them just below the curve of his behind. Landon stopped what he was doing and looked down at Arthur's exposed, green underwear with orange scorpions printed on them. He allowed himself to smile briefly, then reached for his own pyjamas and slid them down his legs. Looking, once more, at Arthur's boxer-briefs, Landon noticed the very tip of Arthur's penis, peeking out from under the waistband with a slight trace of moisture that was slowly trickling down to his abdomen.

Arthur reached out, wrapping his hands in behind Landon's waist, and pulled him downward, allowing the boy to slide on top of him. His hands squeezed Landon's buttocks while Landon began to press his groin firmly into Arthur's. Their lips met once again, and a slick liquid began to spread across their lower abdomen. As Landon began to rock back and fourth, Arthur noticed that their underwear was slowly sliding downward, causing stiff flesh to slide against bare skin. A whimper hummed from Landon's lips to Arthur's, as Landon began to shiver and spasm in all directions. Arthur suddenly felt a warm, slippery liquid spreading across his stomach just as Landon's quivering length made contact with his own. At that exact moment, Arthur felt his toes curl and his fingers clutch firmly into Landon's tense but still soft mounds; he then pushed his hips upward, complying to the indescribable itch within his belly, as he too gave in to the building pressure in his loins.

As the two lay, peacefully roaming through their thoughts over what they had just done, Landon's body began to shake, a wheezing squeak whistled from his throat, and suddenly he was laughing.

Arthur curled his chin to his neck to look down at Landon with confusion. "What?"

Landon giggled and huffed, then wiped a tear from his eye. "I told yah you wanted my bum."

"What?" Arthur thought for a moment, "Do not, pervert."

Landon pushed himself upward with his arms to look down at his friend. "Then what was all this about?"

Arthur blushed, but then laughed, briefly. "I think you set me up."

Dropping his head back down on Arthur's shoulder, Landon smiled. "Maybe, but if I left it to you, nothing would ever happen."

"Well how was I supposed to know?"

"See, that's the thing; I think you did know."

Arthur remained quiet for a strangely long time. "So -- are we still gonna go screw with Jerry tomorrow, or was that all just a farce you put on to get into my pants? ...pervert."

"Hell yeah," Landon said in a near-squeal. "Tomorrow, the Scouts get revenge!"

* * * * *


Arthur lay in bed, next to Landon. He wasn't sure on how long he had been staring, but he knew it had been a long time. He felt strange, both inside and out, and could not seem to turn off his head. The day had been stranger then usual from the start, but what had happened with him and Landon was like discovering life on Mars, to Arthur. He had certainly dreamt about what had happened numerous times, but for it to actually happen, he found himself having problems adjusting, or at least settling his mind's thoughts.

The questions scrambling through his head, like a thousand cats chasing a single tail, were smashing into each other, creating more mess and more questions. Was Landon just experimenting? Had he done what he did as a favour? Did he actually want what they had done, or was it a one time thing? And those questions were just to start. The main question was: "Does Landon actually have feelings for me?" Arthur rolled onto his side, his nose barely an inch from Landon's, and just studied him. The way he breathed while he slept. How his nose would wrinkle up, and his eyelids would tighten every once and a while.

Arthur fought the urge to run his fingers through his sleeping friend's hair; instead, he settled on enjoying its scent from afar, while admiring each individual strand as it gently caressed his soft, creamy cheek. A smile broke-out across Arthur's face as he found himself wondering what it would be like to be a hair on Landon's head. At first, he found the thought sad and pathetic, but as the reality of what his mind was obsessing over sunk in, all he could do was quietly chuckle at himself.

Eventually, without even realizing it, Arthur drifted off into sleep. In what seemed to be only moments afterwards, a rhythmic tapping was slapping against his forehead, chanting a familiar tune.

"Wake-up, wake-up, wake-up!"

Very slowly, Arthur pried open his eyes and lazily peered up towards the ceiling. A smile strung across his face when, instead of ceiling, his gaze was met with Landon's. "Hey," whispered Arthur.

"Morning," greeted Landon. "Did I wake you?"

Arthur snickered and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah," he groaned sleepily, "but I'll forgive you."

"Good, because we got lots to do today," Landon jumped off of the bed and circled towards the door. "Did you know that your nose twitches in your sleep? Like a lot?"

"Uh, no..." replied Arthur, sitting up. "I'm usually sleeping at the time."

Landon reached for the doorknob and swung open the door. "Come on, get up!" he demanded. "You've got to feed me now."

With a giggle, Arthur rolled out of bed and waddled across the room. "I do?"

"Of course you do," Landon grinned. "It's the least you could do for creaming all over my stomach last night -- when I woke up, I was practically fused to the bed!"

Arthur felt his face motion towards a smile, but then realized what Landon said. "Crap!" he said in a panic. "We better get these things in the washer before my mom finds them."

Landon's eyebrow wrinkled his forehead as he walked back towards the bed. "Why?" he asked, leaning over to examine the sheets.

Arthur lifted the mattress cover from the bed to show Landon a large, round gleaming and crusted dry smear across the fabric. "That's why."

Landon giggled softly. "That's not that bad. It kinda looks like you spilt glitter or something... I wonder why it shines like that?" he reached over and scratched his fingernail against the dried mess. "Hmm, we must have super sperm!"

"Shh!" begged Arthur in a pleading hiss. "Chill out! Mom will hear you."

"Oh yeah..." Landon blushed. "Sorry dude."

With the promise of absolute discreetness having been made, Landon helped Arthur strip the bed and cautiously sneak the sheets down to the laundry room.

"So what did you want to eat?" asked Arthur, dropping the sheets into the washer's barrel.

"Brain food," replied Landon. "We need to think."

"Brain food? What the heck would that be?"

Landon placed his hand against his chin, as if pondering upon an evil scheme. "Got chocolate?"

"Uh, like cereal?"

Landon shrugged. "Cake would be best, but I guess chocolate cereal would be okay too," he decided.

"Hm, well I think we've got Nesquik. You know, the one that turns your milk all chocolaty?"

"Put cinnamon toast on the side and you've got yourself a deal," Landon bargained.

Arthur had just buttered Landon's toast and was sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on top, while Landon was serving placing the cereal at the kitchen's table, when Janet entered the room. "Morning boys," she said in a half-daze.

"Morning Mom," replied Arthur, sitting down at the table.

"Oh, that looks good," smiled Janet, taking a moment to breathe in the aroma of the toast. "And smells even better."

"Want us to make you some Mrs. Dunam?" offered Landon.

"I'm okay for now, thanks," decided Janet, wandering over to the coffee pot. "What are you boys up to today?"

Landon lowered his head towards his bowl and filled his mouth with Nesquik, as Arthur fumbled with his thoughts to try and devise what to say without lying. "Uh... dunno," he shrugged, knowing full well that a mere shrug would satisfy his mother.

"Uh-huh," said Janet, rolling her eyes. "So what are you doing that you're not supposed to be doing?"

"Nothing," Landon said plainly. "We were invited to Jerry's birthday party, but that's probably not happening..."

Janet's face scrunched into an expression of near-disgust. "Not that horrible child!" she reminisced. "I really hope you boys are smart enough to recognize a trap when you're invited to one."

"Of course," said Landon, trying to speak before Arthur had the chance. "We were just sort of 'toying' with the idea, but I doubt we'll actually go -- Clash of the Titans looks fun, we should go see that."

Arthur glanced over to Landon, curiously. "I heard it sucked," he retorted.

"Oh? And what do you suggest?" asked Landon, glaring at Arthur for ruining his excuse to drop the previous subject.

"Percy Jackson and the Olympians is meant to be good," said Arthur, clueless to what Landon was trying to accomplish.

Landon shook his head. "How would that be better than the Titans one?"

"Easy," replied Arthur with a smile. "We'll be able to get into it."

"Oh yeah -- guess that works," Landon settled.

Janet sat down at the table with a mug of coffee. "Well I'm heading down to the mall to meet with Aunt Lacy, later. I could give you boys a ride there."

Arthur smiled and nodded. "Cool, thanks Mom."

Landon dropped his face into his hand and shook his head, then looked over at Arthur. "Yeah, thanks Mrs. Dunam."

"Ow!" Arthur screamed, randomly. "What was that for?" he asked, rubbing at his shin, where Landon had just kicked him with his foot.

"Oops, sorry," he apologized, and then whispered, "dufus."

It was then that it registered to Arthur why Landon had kicked him, and an apologetic half- grin found the corner of his cheek. "Guess we'll call up Zach and let him know what's happening..." said Arthur, quietly.

Landon smirked, pushing his hair out of his face, and then picked up his bowl from the table. "Mm-hm," he replied, while gulping down the remnants of milk from his cereal and setting it back down on the table. "Could I borrow a change of clothes from you?" he asked. "I don't really want to go to the movies wearing my Scout uniform."

Arthur nodded. "Sure, help yourself," he replied, watching Landon as he stood up.

After cleaning up the kitchen's breakfast mess, Arthur made his way back to his room. Landon was standing in front of the closet, wearing nothing but his underwear, with his arms stretched out at his sides, holding the closet's doors open. Arthur felt his heart begin to flutter, as if it were trying to fly from the confines of his chest, while his eyes absorbed the remarkable sight before them. He felt guilty and intrigued at the same time; Landon's smooth, long legs as they disappeared into the fabric of his bright blue briefs with the white hemmed legs and waist that perfectly cradled his round but firm looking behind. "I don't know what to wear," said Landon, turning his head to face Arthur without turning around. "What do you suggest?"

"Uh," struggled Arthur. "I dunno."

"Oh come on," Landon whined. "I can't go like this," he said, while shaking his tush from side-to-side.

Arthur's eyes remained glued to Landon's underwear, as he tried to force himself to think. "Uh..."

"Geeze, you're out of it today, aren't you?" Landon said with a smile.

"Arthur!" Janet yelled up the stairs. "I'm just running down to the hairdressers and picking up your father from your Uncle Jon's! Be back by noon, so be ready?!"

Landon glanced over towards Arthur's alarm clock. "That's like two hours..."

"Okay Mom!" Arthur screamed in reply. "We'll be ready!"

Moments later they heard the front door close, followed by the deadbolt click and lock. "Hm, we're locked in... alone," said Landon, turning around and slowly walking towards Arthur. "Whatever shall we do?"

Arthur stared at Landon as he approached him; his smooth skin hugging his muscles as he walked across the room. Arthur felt his his face grow red as Landon neared, giggling involuntarily.

"What?" Landon stopped in front Arthur.

"Nothing. I just didn't picture you as a briefs kind of guy.

"Oh," Landon shrugged. "Boxers make my balls hurt -- I think it's all that wobbling."

Arthur wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that, so instead he cleared his throat. "I should probably take a shower."

Landon smiled. "Oh, okay then."

Following Landon back to the closet, Arthur picked out some clean clothes, tossing Landon something to wear as well. "Here, these should fit."

"Thanks," replied Landon, looking at the faded blue jeans and white shirt that Arthur gave him.

Turning on the taps and testing the water's temperature, Arthur turned on the shower then turned to undress as the door opened. "Hey..." said Landon, smiling.

"Hey," replied Arthur, staring at his friend, still wearing nothing but his underwear.

"I uh -- I figured... well you know," struggled Landon, awkwardly wobbling his thin body.

Arthur stared up at Landon, then looked back to the shower. "Oh -- uh... together?"

"Yeah. I mean, I don't see why not?" he asked.

"Really?" Arthur replied, feeling his face redden again.

Landon closed the door and walked over to Arthur and slowly wrapped his arms around him and hummed quietly as he breathed in. Unsure of what else to do, Arthur's arms slid up Landon's back and pulled him into his chest.

With a sigh, Landon slid his cheek across Arthur's shoulder. "I've wanted to do this for the longest time," he admitted.

"What? Shower with me?" Arthur asked nervously.

"Well... yeah that too, but I meant this, right now."

"Really? So -- why didn't you?"

"Because," Landon breathed in again and moved his head away from Arthur to look him in his eyes. "I was kinda scared to, you know?"

Arthur saw an expression on Landon's face that he had never seen on him before. An expression that seemed nervous and vulnerable; two oddities that Arthur was sure Landon was not capable of. "Yeah," said Arthur. "I know."

Feeling bold and strangely secure, Arthur stepped back from Landon, slid his thumbs under the waistband of his boxer-briefs, and slid them down to his ankles. After stepping out of them, Arthur stood back up and looked back over to Landon. "You okay?" he asked, noticing Landon's stillness, as if he had forgotten how to breathe.

"Yeah -- I'm cool," Landon assured him through a whispered tone as his eyes wandered across Arthur's nude form. "This is probably going to sound gayer than gay, but you're -- beautiful."

Arthur's entire body suddenly felt as if it had just doubled its weight as his blood flow increased, causing him to lose his breath and feel dizzy.

"Wow dude, are you okay?" asked Landon through concern.

"Yeah," Arthur assured him, while trying to come to terms with his bodies sudden reaction. "You just... I dunno."

Landon forced a smile to try and hide his embarrassment, as he too removed his underwear and quickly followed Arthur into the shower.

The two remained silent, unsure of what to do. Allowing the water to gently trickle down their bodies and fall to the tub's floor, their gaze was locked to the others. Their skin began to glisten in the moisture as the room filled with steam. Their excitement was more the evident, but neither boy dare to break their eyes' hold.

Before Arthur knew what was happening, he felt arms wrapping around him as his own wrapped around Landon's. He felt fingers trailing up his back, and then slowly back down again, causing shivers to break through the heat of the room.

Landon's began to fear his heart would burst through his chest, but he could not force himself apart from his friend. The feeling of Arthur's warmth, just the mere thought of who he was with, was both overwhelming and empowering at once. He could feel Arthur's erection cradled next to his own, but felt no need to do more.

In what seemed like only moments, the shower's steam disappeared and the water turned from warm to cold. Arthur opened his eyes to see Landon staring back at him, smiling, as they lay against each other on the floor of the tub. Neither of them were able to recall when they had laid down, nor did they care. "Are you cold?" asked Arthur.

Landon smiled. "Freezing," he replied.

"Wanna get dressed?"

Landon sighed and squeezed Arthur's body into his own. "No," he giggled. "But we probably should."

"Arthur!" screamed the voice of Janet, from down the stairs.

Arthur felt his eyes bulge from their sockets, and he jumped up to his feet. The tub squeaked and echoed throughout the room as Landon slapped his hands against his face to muffle his giggles. "Yeah Mom?!" screamed Arthur while pulling back the shower curtain. "Be right there!"

"Shoot!" said Landon. "I left my clothes in your room," he realized, while picking up the towel, "and we've only got one of these..."

"Crap -- we're screwed," Arthur scampered across the bathroom, towards the door. "I'll make a break for it," he said, whipping the door open, jumping out into the hall, and slamming the door behind him.

"Arthur wait!" Landon said in a whispered hiss, "Your clothes..."

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Landon collected their things and tip-toed to the door. "Come on boys! Hurry up, I'm going to be late!" screamed Janet, her voice nearing the stairs.

Landon reached for the doorknob and slowly gave it a turn just as it sprung open.

A loud thud echoed through Landon's skull as he felt his head fly backwards. "AGH!" he screamed, staggering back to the sink.

Arthur stood in the doorway, staring at Landon. "Crap! Sorry..." he whispered, while scampering in the room and closing the door behind him. "I forgot my stuff, but I got yours," he said, tossing Landon his things. "There's some clean undies there if you want."

Landon rubbed his forehead while taking the clothes from Arthur's hands. "Thanks, I think."



* * * * *


The two boys sat at a table in the food court of the mall, waiting for Zach to arrive. Landon was toying with some, now cold, fries on the table, and Arthur was sipping on a milkshake. "I'm sorry," Arthur said, still feeling stupid for not catching on to Landon's intentions sooner.

"Dude, it's cool," Landon assured him. "We'll still be able to get things done, so stop worrying about it. Besides, we need to get a few things from the Reno-Shop anyway. Oh, and my head's fine," he teased.

Arthur's eyebrow curled upward. "Uh... Should I even ask?"

Landon's lips stretched apart as a large, conspiring grin consumed his face. "About what? My head... or my head?"

"Pervert. But I was talking about what we need."

"Oh, well... You'll see."

"Hey guys!" said Zach, announcing his arrival. "Can someone tell me why I had to bus out all the way down here? And why are we watching a movie? Don't we have to, uh, do things today?"

Landon's grin transformed into amusement. "We need to get some things," he offered as explanation.

"So... we're not going to a movie?" asked Zach, looking disappointed.

"Probably not, why?" Landon asked.

"No big deal. My mom just asked if I could bring her back some popcorn, but I guess I can tell her I forgot..." Zach explained. "So where do we start?"

Landon leaned forward and reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. "We consult the list."



* * * * *


"Dude, are you sure we're going to need all of this?" Zach whined, struggling to navigate a shopping cart through the narrow aisles. "Landon?" Zach whined again, noticing he was alone. "Where'd you guys go?"

Zach ditched the shopping cart and walked up ahead of it. "Arthur?" Turning the corner, Zach found Landon and Arthur, right next to each other, blushing and giggling. "What's with you guys today?"

Landon turned around, his face deepened in colour. "What -- oh, nothing. Sorry," he apologized. "We get everything?"

Zach reviewed the list again. "Yeah, we got everything... what's going on?"

"Nothing," Arthur said with a smile. "I just can't wait to see Jerry's face tonight."

"Uh-huh," replied Zach in scepticism. "You guys are weird today," he pointed out.

Landon ignored Zach's remark and returned to their cart. "Okay, money pool. Come on guys, fork it over," he demanded while holding out his hands.

Zach and Arthur fished through their pockets and pulled out everything they had. "Damn, this better be worth it," said Zach, watching Landon put the money in his pocket. "That's like two weeks worth of allowance.

"It'll be worth it. Don't worry," Landon assured him, while turning the cart around. "Let's get out of here, we've got work to do."


* * * * *


The three boys made their way back to Arthur's place, and dumped the contents of their bags out on his bed. "Damn, maybe we're going too far," said Zach, staring down at everything they had bought.

"Are you kidding me?" said Landon. "Jerry deserves whatever we throw at him. He's been a jerk towards us forever, especially Arthur. Don't back out on us now, dude."

"I'm not. I'm just saying, what happens after?"

Landon looked up at Zach. "Can you get your brother's camera?"

"Yeah, but..."

"But nothing. That's our leverage," Landon reminded him. "If he tries to get back at us, we'll post the video online for the whole school to see."

"Well yeah, but..." Zach circled the bed and picked up a small package. "Superglue? We're going to get in so much trouble if we get busted, especially if this works."

"Calm down Zach," Arthur butted in. "All you gotta do is operate the camera. You don't even have to go inside. Just be shooting when we run out."

"All right..." Zach plopped down on the bed. "Guess I could always transfer schools," he said, turning around to face Landon. "But what I don't get is, why do we have to wear our Scout uniforms?"

Landon chuckled. "Because it's funny, that's all. He's been calling us nerds forever, so we might as well go as ones."

"Really?" asked Arthur. "That's why we're wearing them? I thought it was something more... I dunno... profound."

"Profound?" Landon teased. "Did you just want to use a big word?"

Arthur dropped his head and blushed. "Yeah... maybe a little, but I thought there was a better reason than making it funny."

"Doesn't Edward live around Jerry?" Zach realized.

"Shoot," said Arthur. "That's right -- what if he sees us?"

Landon appeared to be unnerved by the sudden worry. "Edward can't tell the junior Scouts from the Seniors, I doubt he'll be able to recognize us in the dark."

Zach and Arthur seemed to settle with Landon's answer. "So when are we going?"

"We'll meet at six, when the sun starts going down, at the bus stop near Jerry's place.

"Cool, we'll be able to enjoy our last supper before we die," said Zach in a half-humour.


* * * * *


After Zach had left for his "last supper", Arthur and Landon cleared the bed and turned on the TV, snuggling up to each other. "You really think this is going to work?" asked Arthur as he sunk into Landon's side.

"Well... if it doesn't, at least we would have a great story to tell," he replied, kissing the top of Arthur's head.

Arthur breathed in deeply, filling his lungs, and then exhaled through a sigh. "I wish we had done this sooner."

"Done what? Embarrass the snot outta Jerry?"

"No," replied Arthur. "This -- us. You know?"

"Yeah," Landon agreed. "I tried. It's not my fault you never pay attention."

"I do too," Arthur said defensively. "It's not like I was just going to ask... I mean, you know, that's scary."

Landon giggled. "Yeah. Guess we should have watched a movie sooner, huh?"

"I tried. You're just always too excited to sit still."

"I dunno -- I think I've been doing pretty good," Landon pointed out, squeezing Arthur closer.


* * * * *


The sun slowly rolled out of the sky as Zach sat at the bus stop watching the remnants of red and orange light trickle into nothingness. He clung his brother's camera tightly to his side, patiently waiting for Arthur and Landon to arrive. Paranoia played at his ears and eyes as every passing person or random noise would somehow end up being Edward, coming to ban him from the Scouts forever.

Finally, he saw a bus turn the corner with Arthur and Landon waiting at the rear door to exit. As the bus squealed to a halt in front of him, Zach had to shake his head slightly for a double take as the doors opened and the two boys hopped out of the bus.

"Were you two holding hands?" asked Zach, slowly standing up off of the bench.

Arthur turned away, remaining quiet, as Landon laughed. "What? Dude, you're losing your mind."

"Right..." replied Zach, watching Arthur move away from Landon.

"Let's get this started," said Landon, hoping to divert Zach's attention.

The three boys crossed the street and jogged towards Jerry's house. "Okay, where should I hide?" asked Zach, taking the camera out of its case.

Landon surveyed the area and smiled almost instantly. "Right there," he pointed. "See that tree? That branch would be perfect."

Zach peered up the trunk of the tree where Landon was pointing at a 'V' where the trunk parted. "That'll work, but I'll need a boost."

"Okay, but you'll have to jump down on your own. Once we're out of the house, we're not going to be able to STICK around very long." said Landon, as the boys hid in behind a row of hedges.

The boys fell into laughter as Landon pulled out several strands of rope that had been tied at the end with pink ribbon to hold a ball of yarn. "Those are some pimpin' tails, dudes." Landon snickered. "Artie, grab the bucket and pour in the water," he directed while fishing a box of powdered plaster out from a bag. "Zach, tie the ends of those cement bags up. See if we can get those up the tree with you."

Landon poured the plaster inside the bucket of water, making sure that it was really watery. Then sliced the bottoms of the cement as Arthur wove string through the opening, to keep the bags securely shut while Zach tied several slipknots to the ends of the ropes.

Arthur helped Zach up into the tree, while Landon finished off their preparations. "You guys all set?" asked Landon, peering back at the others.

"All set," replied Zach from up in the tree. "And action!" he said in a whispered yell.

Landon rolled up the three pieces of rope, handing two to Arthur. "Put these in your pocket, but be careful, they're ready for use," he warned. "Don't let the ends touch anything.

The two straightened out their uniforms, making themselves look as presentable as they would on a formal evening with the Scouts, then climbed the two steps where Landon rang the door bell.

"Holy shit," sung the voice of Jerry. "You guys came -- and all dressed up, too."

Landon smiled and handed Jerry a present. "Happy Birthday Jeir," he said with a smile. "Thanks for the invite.

Jerry took the gift from Landon's hands and looked to both of the boys awkwardly. "Why are you guys dressed like that?"

"We're Scouts. We always dress like this for special occasions," blurted Landon, fearing Arthur would blow their cover.

"Uh -- yeah okay," said Jerry. "Why don't you guys come in?" he offered, stepping out of the way.

Arthur followed Landon into the house, watching as Jerry closed the door behind him, then around the room at the twenty or so other guys. "Where's all the chicks at?" said Landon, getting a weird look from Arthur.

"They don't come till later," Jerry started to explain. "The first half is for guys only."

Arthur felt his toes curl in his shoes as he took note of all the grinning faces that were staring right at them. "Uh, hi..." he waved cautiously, as Jerry circled in front of them. "We're so dead..." he whispered to Landon, but Landon just walked away from him.

"It's quiet in here. What's going on? Where's the music?" Landon enquired, walking over to the stereo. "Let's get this place pumpin'!" he declared, fiddling with the volume control.

Music suddenly blared out from all directions, causing half of the rooms occupants to jump. Landon chuckled as he turned the music up even louder. "Got any drinks in this place?!" he screamed to Jerry.

"DUDE!" Jerry hollered. "YOU'RE GONNA GET ME IN SHIT WITH THE NEIGHBOURS!"

"WHAT?" bellowed Landon. "LOUDER?" he turned back to the stereo and turned it up even louder.

Jerry jumped in front of the stereo, pushing Landon to the side, and whipping the volume back down. "Shit dude, that wasn't cool. What's the deal?"

Landon smiled with a shrug. "Sorry Jeir, didn't realize. My bad."

Arthur remained near the door, unable to bring himself to move. All he could see were plotting, tooth baring grins that were staring right at him.

"So what do you got for drinks?" asked Landon, seemingly unconcerned with the situation.

"In the kitchen," replied one of Jerry's friends. "Help yourself."

Landon thanked the guy and walked into the other room, leaving Arthur on his own. "So, Arthur. How've you been dude?" asked Jerry in a friendly tone.

Arthur shrugged and stepped away from the door. "Okay I guess," he replied while looking around the room. "This place looks exactly the same as it did the last time I was here."

Jerry followed Arthur's gaze and nodded. "Yeah, my parents don't like change. The stereo's new thought... Pretty loud, huh?" he said while getting closer to Arthur.

"Yeah -- it is... So why did you invite me here anyway?" asked Arthur, feeling compelled to question his old friend. "We haven't really talked since..."

"Since my birthday party? Yeah," said Jerry, rubbing the back of his head. "About that..."

Arthur noticed several of the guys that had been sitting were now slowly moving closer to him. "Why don't you open the present we brought for you!?" Arthur said in a near yell.

"Woah, dude," Jerry said, rubbing his ears. "Not so loud -- but yeah, all right."

Jerry went back to the door where he had left the gift that Landon had given him, and had just picked it up when a loud thud, followed by an even louder hissing noise came from the kitchen.

"Shoot! Sorry!" screamed Landon from the other room. "A little help in here please?!"

Jerry glanced over to the kitchen and sighed. "Go see what he broke," he said to the kid who had directed Landon to the kitchen previously.

The hefty look guy pulled himself off of the couch and left the room. "Shit! Jeir!? We're gonna need a hand in here.... Where's the mop?"

"In the closet next the the fridge!" shouted Jerry while shaking the present in his hands. "Someone go give him a hand?"

A few other guys obediently jumped from their seats and ran into the kitchen. "Holy fuck!" the screamed. "DUDE!"

Jerry shook his head as he saw Landon circling the kitchen table in behind the other boys. "Forget them," Arthur suggested, trying to regain Jerry's attention. "Just open it."

Looking back down to the gift, Jerry dug his fingers into the wrapping paper and tore it open, as Landon reentered the room shaking something in his hands. Jerry paid him no attention and opened the box that he had just revealed below the wrapping paper. "What's this?" he asked in confusion, sifting his fingers through tissue paper and pulling out a long, sticky tail.

"What do you think it is?" asked Landon, getting Jerry's attention.

"It's a tail... Hey, what are you doing?!" Jerry dropped the box and turned to face Landon who was shaking four cans of unopened beer in his hands.

"Shaking these cans... what's it look like?" Landon chuckled, watching as Arthur fished into his pockets.

"What the hell?" Jerry flailed his hand in the air, realizing that his 'gift' was stuck to his hand.

"Recognize it?!" Arthur screamed, and slapped both of his hands on Jerry's behind, leaving two super-glued tails where his hands had been. "It's the tail you stuck to my forehead!"

Jerry staggered forward just as Landon opened a can of beer. A massive hiss echoed throughout the room, then a spray of bubbly liquid shot in all directions. Landon tossed the can over to Jerry, and quickly spun around to hand Arthur a couple of the cans, to free up his own. He quickly opened another and tossed it into the room, causing all the other boys to fall back into the couches as they tried to dodge the sprays. Arthur shook the cans and opened them up, while Landon jumped at Jerry and slapped the final tail directly on his forehead. "There!"

Arthur tossed the cans into the room and turned for the door with Landon right behind him. "Run quick!" screamed Landon as Arthur struggled with the doorknob. Jerry turned and ran out after the two boys, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"You guys are dead!" he threatened, barging out the front door. "Just wait!"

Suddenly, Jerry heard a loud * GALOOP * followed by an odd, cool sensation consuming his entirety. "What the hell?!"

Arthur slid to the grass and pulled at one of the ropes, releasing a slip knot, and watched as a large cloud of cement consumed Jerry's body.

"We gotcha you prick!" screamed Landon, as several other guys ran out into the yard, from inside the house. "Crap... RUN!"

Zach fell from the tree and rolled into a sprint as he struggled to catch up with his friends. "Holy crap!" he bellowed. "I got it all guys! I got it all!"

Laughter could be heard from nearly a block away signalling that no one had bothered to chase after them, so the three boys decreased their speed until they were barely even walking.

"That was freaken awesome!" cooed Zach, while fiddling with the camera. "I can't believe it worked! God, did you see his face?" Zach pressed the rewind button to review their success. "Guys?"

Lifting his attention from the camera, Zach stared in front of himself, at Landon and Arthur. He remained silent for a moment, thinking of what he was supposed to say, or even do. "Uh, guys?" he asked again, staring at his two closest friends, celebrating amongst themselves. An unexpected smirk crawled upon Zach's face as he watched his friends arms that had wrapped around the others, embraced in an excited and incredibly long kiss...

Zach tried to turn away, tried to think of what he was supposed to do, or how to react, but then it came to him. "I knew it!"



* * * * *

Written by TurtleBoy