TUESDAY, AUGUST 4

Alejandro was excited to fly south to visit his friends. It seemed like years since he'd been in California. Segovia had begun to feel like home, especially as he got to know the folks in town and his Spanish improved. It was nice to be greeted by friendly faces when he rode his bike through town or stopped somewhere for a bite to eat. Thinking about this as Jacob drove to the airport, Alejandro realized he'd lived in Segovia more than twice as long as he'd stayed in East Harbor. But like the saying goes, home is where the heart is, and his heart was still with his friends in East Harbor.

When they passed Boeing Field, also known as King County International Airport, Alejandro figured they must be meeting the jet at SeaTac. When they passed SeaTac, Alejandro was confused. When he asked, Jacob only responded to Alejandro's question by stating they had an errand to run and would be meeting the plane south of Puget Sound. Alejandro was disappointed his arrival in East Harbor would be delayed, but he settled in for the drive. 'It could be worse,' he thought, 'there is plenty to look at.' The beauty of the Olympic Mountains across the sound and their reflection off the water were breath taking. Glimpses of Mount Rainier to the east kept Alejandro craning his neck for another peek. After I-5 veered away from the water, there were plenty of other things to see. The Tacoma Dome was one sight that caught Alejandro's eye. At times it seemed they'd drifted away from the urban areas into wilderness. Eventually, I-5 turned south leaving Olympia behind. The evergreen lined highway was a new experience for Alejandro and he really enjoyed it.

Eventually, the scenery grew stale, and he turned to conversation. "You haven't asked me," stated Alejandro.

"Asked you about what?" replied Jacob in his heavy Irish accent.

"If I liked the school." He had spent the morning visiting The Northwest School, an international boarding school on the border of the Capitol Hill and Downtown neighborhoods in Seattle. After the visit they left for the airport but Jacob had remained silent.

"Aye," admitted Jacob. "I didn't need to ask to know. You'll not be going to that school. Your heart is set on going back to southern California to be close to your friends."

"It wasn't that bad," conceded Alejandro. "It would be cool to go to school with kids from all over the world. And Seattle seems like a pretty cool city. From the school, I could walk to the water or over to Cal Anderson Park, and I'd have plenty of Starbucks to visit."

"And if you think you'd be allowed to just walk all over Seattle by yourself you are sadly mistaken."

Alejandro giggled. He liked pushing Jacob's buttons, especially when it came to his safety. But he was also careful not to cross any lines with Jacob. The man's Irish blood caused Jacob to anger quickly and that was never Alejandro's intention. He'd seen Jacob angry once and planned never to see that again.

"Well, I do have several options besides The Northwest School. I was admitted to Eton. Or I could stay in Spain or that school in Switzerland that serves hot chocolate between classes."

Jacob laughed. "Is that the only thing you remember about Le Rosey? The hot chocolate?"

"Well...Switzerland was really pretty."

"Uh huh," grunted Jacob. "You narrowed your choice down to Eton or Pacific Ridge a long time ago and you haven't even visited Pacific Ridge."

Alejandro sat quietly for a minute before asking, "How did you know?"

"Your Castilian Spanish may be improving, but your poker face has not."

A few more miles down the road, Alejandro changed the subject. "Is this the same I-5 that goes though Los Angeles?"

"The one and the same," said Jacob. "It goes down through the middle of California until it hits LA and then goes down the coast to San Diego. We could drive this road all the way."

"How long would it take?"

"From here? Oh...about 18 or 19 hours."

"I'm glad we're flying."

The SUV took an exit in the middle of nowhere and headed east on highway 12. "Where are we going?"

"We're picking up a passenger." Jacob was vague to play on Alejandro's curiosity.

Alejandro had many questions. 'Who is this passenger?' 'Why are we taking someone with us?' 'Why couldn't the passenger meet us at the airport?'

His thoughts were interrupted as they entered a small, lakeside town. At a red traffic light, a traffic light they later found to be the only one in town, Alejandro caught a glimpse of the lake to the north. The light turned to green, and Jacob continued east for a couple of blocks before making a right turn on a tree-line residential street and drove south for just over three blocks.

Pulling up to a modest house in the small town, Jacob turned off the vehicle and popped open the rear hatch. "Come with me," gently ordered Jacob. Alejandro rolled his eyes and exited the rental.

He caught up with Jacob as the front door opened and a small blonde with blue eyes and wavy hair stepped onto the porch. Alejandro's heart skipped a beat. Jacob broke the spell the boy cast on Alejandro. "Please help Mason with his luggage. I need to speak with his mother."

Mrs. Johnson welcomed Jacob into the house leaving the boys on the front porch. Alejandro simply said, "Hi." The goofy smile on his face, however, said a lot more.

"Hi," said Mason. His cheeks suddenly felt like they were burning. His heart dared to burst from his chest.

The adults watched the two boys standing on the porch staring at each other as they talked. Jacob checked his watch and hurried things along. "Alejandro, help Mason with his luggage." The boys remained in place.

"Mason," said Mrs. Johnson. "Mason."

"Huh?" said the little blond, turning to face his mother. "Fetch your suitcase so Alejandro can help you to their vehicle." Mason scooted around his mom to get his suitcase.

Alejandro followed and aided Mason in getting his suitcase, backpack, and guitar out to the SUV. While they rearranged the luggage in the vehicle to fit Mason's, Jacob set about easing Mrs. Johnson's nerves around Mason traveling by himself.

"Alejandro is friends with Dr. Meijer and his boys. We'll be staying there too, so I can assist in looking after Mason in support of Dr. Meijer, his partner Zach who is studying to be a child psychologist, and Carol Novak, Simon's mother."

Jacob checked to see if Mason was within ear shot. Noting the boys were at the SUV, he continued. "Mrs. Johnson, I'm private security. I'm Alejandro's full-time personal bodyguard. When we are with Dr. Meijer's boys, I look after them too. It would be my honor to extend my services to Mason while he is in our presence."

When Mason and Alejandro returned, Mason's mother felt much better about the situation, except her son being away for a couple more weeks. She missed him terribly while he was at the BaseBrawl. She also understood her boy was growing up and had earned opportunities most children his age only dreamed of.

"Mason," she said, "you listen to Jacob and Dr. Meijer and the others. Do your best and work hard. They're taking a chance on you. Don't let them down because you didn't take it seriously."

"I won't mom," said Mason quietly. "I'll miss you, too."

They hugged before Mason followed Alejandro and Jacob to the SUV. Madeline Johnson watched her son start to climb into the back seat. Instead, he turned and ran back to his mother and hugged her again more tightly. "I love you! Thank you for letting me do this." Then Mason ran back and joined Alejandro in the backseat. Mason shut the door and waved to his mother as Jacob started their journey to the Chehalis-Centralia Airport to meet their plane.

Mason didn't know what to expect. He'd only ever flown commercial and hadn't considered that a huge jet couldn't land at such a small airport. The Challenger 350 looked sleek on the ramp. Especially as Jacob drove the SUV right up to the plane. The pilots helped load their luggage while Alejandro took Mason aboard. Mason tried to act cool, like he'd done this a thousand times, but covertly took in all the sensory information of this new experience with barely controlled excitement. The interior was lined with glossy wood and the seats were of the finest leather. The plane had seats facing each other with a table in the middle for dining, TVs, and even a sofa along the fuselage.

"You boys find seats for takeoff," instructed Jacob. "Once we are in the air, you can sit on the sofa and watch a movie or something."

By the time the boys were bucked up, the pilot shut the door and gave the required safety speech. Just a few minutes later, they taxied to the runway and took off.

Mason looked out the window as the plane steeply climbed into the sky, looking to see if he could get a glimpse of his hometown, the lake, or even Aiden's house. "This is so cool. No security lines. No lines to load the plane. No checking your luggage. I could get use to this." His enthusiasm made Alejandro and Jacob smile.

"Yeah," said Alejandro. "I can't imagine flying any other way." He knew it sounded pretentious, but it was true. He didn't remember ever flying before finding his family and now that he had, he'd only flown private jets.

The boys moved to the sofa and found a movie to stream. Neither boy could remember what they'd selected. They were too engrossed in getting to know each other.

"So how do you know Michael and his brothers?" asked Alejandro.

"Oh, well..." It was the first time he was embarrassed to admit he was an At the Majestic Superfan. "They saw my videos of me singing. Last week we went down to play in a baseball tournament and that's when I met them all."

"You play baseball and sing?" Alejandro couldn't picture Mason as an athlete.

"Yeah," Mason said proudly. "I play second base and outfield. We played in the SoCal BaseBrawl against teams from all over the southwest and we won!"

Alejandro was very impressed. "Really? Congratulations!"

"Thanks. We just got home yesterday. I can't believe I'm heading back already...and without my friends." Mason felt a twinge of sadness knowing he was leaving Mayfield, Aiden, Nolan, and his other friends behind, even if only for a couple weeks.

"Why are you going down this time?" asked Alejandro.

"I'm going to be recording some songs for Majestic Records."

"Wow!" exclaimed Alejandro. "Like, you have a record deal?"

"Well...yeah." Mason had never thought of it that way, but that was the gist of it.

"I bet you're going to be as famous as At the Majestic!"

"I don't know about that that," said Mason humbly. "How do you know the guys?"

"I met them when they were filming their 'Hash Pipe' video," explained Alejandro. He wasn't certain that more details were necessary at this time.

Mason thought for a few seconds. "That video was filmed in Hollywood. Is that where you're from?"

"No. Well, that's where I was living at the time. I'm originally from New York City."

"Were your parents from there?"

"No. We aren't really sure where my mother was from. She lied about her name and everything. My father was from Spain."

"Was?" asked Mason.

"My father died in a car accident when I was a baby. My mother ran away with me to Hollywood so that was the only home I remembered, but she died when I was twelve. That's when I met Michael. He helped me find my family in Spain."

"What were you doing up in Washington?"

"Looking at a boarding school in Seattle."

Mason looked horrified. "Boarding school? Your family is trying to send you away?"

Alejandro chuckled. "No, it's nothing like that. My family home is in a small city in central Spain. I have family responsibilities and the educational opportunities in Segovia are not to the level of what's expected. I've been looking at boarding schools for the coming school year."

Jacob had been watching the entire exchange. He could tell that Alejandro was doting on Mason and he suspected the feeling was mutual. Jacob also saw the look on Mason's face as he began to put the pieces together. "Alright mates," he said quickly to interrupt Mason's thoughts, "let's have dinner. Come find your places at the table and I'll grab the catering."

"Is that the bathroom?" asked Mason pointing to the door at the rear of the cabin.

Alejandro nodded.

"I'll be right back." Mason hurried to the restroom while Jacob headed to the plane's galley. When the door shut, Alejandro rushed to talk to Jacob.

"OMG! Isn't he cute? Do you think he likes me? Do I look alright? How's my hair? Does my breath smell okay? *haaaaa* *haaaaa* Is it okay? He's so cool. He's a singer and he plays baseball on a championship team and..."

"Alejandro," said Jacob sharply, "I've been sitting right there listening to the entire conversation."

"So, what do you think?"

"I suspect he thinks you are cute too, but I don't think the two of you are ready to get married."

Alejandro shoved Jacob's shoulder.

"Take this." Jacob handed Alejandro a tray of food to take to the table. He grabbed another along with the plates and utensils.

"This looks yummy," said Alejandro unwrapping the first tray. "Thanks for ordering my favs."

Once Mason had sealed himself inside the plane's surprisingly spacious bathroom, he slipped his ear buds in and played one of his favorite songs -- a song that seemed very appropriate at this moment. He danced away his nervous energy as he mouthed Carly Rae Jespen's lyrics silently.

Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy
But here's my number, so call me, maybe
It's hard to look right at you, baby
But here's my number, so call me, maybe

Mason didn't know what he was feeling, but he didn't want it to stop. He wished he could call Aiden, but he knew he didn't have time. He worried he'd already been in the bathroom too long. He checked his hair in the mirror. He tried to fix it one way, then another. With a huff, he settled for his typical crazy mop of wavy blond hair and joined the other two for dinner.

He took the open seat next to Alejandro and eyed the spread. Nothing on the table looked familiar. Mason let out another huff as he tried to decide what, if anything, on the table he would like.

Jacob recognized that look. It was the same look Alejandro had when presented with the same catering on his first flight. "Well gentlemen," started Jacob. He wisely treated both boys the same even though Alejandro knew his way around the food. "These, the ones with bread or pastry and toppings, are called canapés, I ordered an assortment so there are a lot of different toppings. On this side of the table is meze. You can take the different breads and dig into these dips or serve yourself some of these different Mediterranean dishes."

"Don't worry, Mason. It's all delicious," encouraged Alejandro.

"Which ones do you like?"

"I like them all!" said Alejandro with a laugh. "I'll tell you what, let's eat the same thing at the same time."

"Okay," agreed Mason. "What first?"

Alejandro scanned the catering and picked out a canapé. Mason grabbed the matching morsel. Mason examined it closely. The flakey, buttery pastry was topped with a dollop of a white, creamy sauce and an orangish meat or something and some of these little black balls bunched together almost looking like tiny grapes. A small piece of a green leaf was stuck in the top.

"Don't worry. This is one of my favorites," stated Alejandro. Then he grinned at Mason. In that moment, Mason trusted Alejandro completely. "Stuff it all in your mouth at once on three. One...Two...Three!" They both crammed their canapé into their mouth.

Mason closed his eyes and savored the incredible flavors exploding in his mouth. He slowed his chewing so he would have more time to enjoy the delicious food. After he finally swallowed, he asked, "What was on that?"

"Raw salmon and caviar," stated Alejandro.

"What's caviar?" asked Mason.

"The black stuff was the caviar. It's basically fish eggs."

Mason froze momentarily at that news.

Jacob helped explain in more detail. "Caviar is salt-cured roe. Roe is the fish eggs harvested from the ovaries from the fish. Most commonly, you'll have salmon roe, which is about the same color as the raw salmon on your canapé, or sturgeon roe, another kind of fish, which is smaller and black. So, your canapé has a small piece of raw salmon and sturgeon caviar."

"That sounds totally gross. I think if I knew that before I ate it, I wouldn't have put that in my mouth!" said Mason with a huge smile.

Alejandro found it equally amusing. "I told you to trust me."

"I do!" laughed Mason. "That's why I ate it in the first place!"

Jacob smiled. The boys had a chemistry he couldn't put his finger on, but he suspected this friendship would be beneficial to both. Looking after these two was going to be fun.

The meal took about an hour. The boys took their time and discussed each of the treats. Jacob, having learned everything he knows by working for the Diaz family all these years, added to their conversation when they had questions or mistaken information.

"Ohhhhh..." groaned Mason. "I still haven't tried those, or those, or those two dishes. But I don't think I can eat anything else."

"I'm stuffed too," moaned Alejandro.

"Don't tell my mom, but that was the best food I've ever eaten. And I can't tell you how many things I just ate for the first time. I bet Aiden and them won't believe I ate fish eggs!"

"Well, I'm glad you lads left something for me," joked Jacob.

"Ha, ha," said Alejandro playfully giving Jacob some sass. "Com'on Mason, let's go sit somewhere and relax." He took Mason's hand and led him to the sofa.

They sat on the sofa and started talking. It wasn't long before Alejandro noticed he was still holding Mason's hand. He pulled his hand away quickly. "I'm sorry."

Mason blushed. "It's okay. I liked it."

Alejandro slowly reached out and interlaced his fingers with Mason's and squeezed Mason's hand. The boys' eyes met, and they smiled at each other.

The comfort and ease of their conversation made it seem like they'd known each other their entire lives. Aiden was the only other person that ever made Mason feel this at ease.

Jacob cleaned up the catering and returned to his seat at the opposite end of the cabin, allowing the boys as much privacy as the plane would allow.

Eventually, the pilot called back to ask everyone to buckle in. They were beginning their descent to McClellan-Palomar Airport. When they landed and the plane taxied into the FBO, the ground crew valeted the Diaz's SUV out to the plane. The luggage was loaded into the SUV and they were off.

"Wow! That was quick," stated Mason. "It seemed like forever to get through the lines and waiting for luggage when we flew for the BaseBrawl." That was Mason's only experience traveling by air.

Jacob pulled out onto Palomar-Airport Road and Alejandro started getting excited to see his friends again. "How far are we away from East Harbor?" he asked.

"It's only about 15 minutes," answered Jacob.

In his excitement Alejandro took Mason's hand again and watched the scenery pass by, hoping to see something he recognized. Mason just looked at their hands and smiled.

As they got closer, Alejandro pointed out things he knew or places he liked.

Jacob asked, "I'm thinking you want to meet up with Michael first, right? Why don't you text him and find out where he is?"

It took a few minutes to get a response. "They're at the Majestic in the studio."

"We'll be there in just a couple minutes."

Mason recognized they were approaching the middle school and Mallway, then Jacob made a right into the alley leading to the parking lot behind the theater.

"Leave your things in the car," instructed Jacob. "I'll drive down to the house, and you can get your stuff later."

"Okay!" agreed the boys. As soon as the SUV stopped, the boys were out the door and through the entrance to Majestic Music Academy. They ran through the music school and Mason followed Alejandro up to Studio2 where the band was recording.

When Alejandro opened the door to the control room, music poured over the boys. AJ had his headphones on but saw the motion and looked over to see who it was. He recognized Alejandro and gave the boys a smile and quick wave.

Mason and Alejandro recognized the song and started bopping to the beat. Alejandro motioned for Mason to follow, and they walked over next to AJ and could see the band inside the recording studio. They'd already laid the tracks for the music and were trying to work out the lyrics and harmony.

Lukas was singing "Levitating" by Dua Lipa with Simon and his brothers singing backing vocals. Alejandro and Mason could tell the band really liked the song by the way they were grooving as they sang. Mason was so caught up, he started singing along with Lukas. Alejandro was getting into Mason singing. Mason noticed and started singing while facing Alejandro. The more Alejandro got into it, the more Mason got into it and started dancing as he sang. AJ was getting a kick out of watching the boys in the control room with him, and the boys in the studio.

When the song ended, Mason was giddy with excitement. This was what making a record was going to be like and he couldn't wait to begin. Forgotten were his worries about not understanding the equipment or the headphones not fitting properly, and all the other silly concerns he had. It was music. It was all about the music.

The boys in the studio took their headphones off and that's when Michael noticed Alejandro and Mason. "They're here!" He was out of the studio before he even finished the sentence. He grabbed the first boy he came to into a huge bear huge.

"UGH!" was all that came out of Mason when Michael squeezed all the air out of his little body. Mason hugged Michael back before Michael did the same to Alejandro. The bigger boy weathered the powerful squeeze better than the little blonde.

Lukas sounded frustrated. "Can you play that back, AJ?"

Michael then gave each boy a peck on the cheek. "Com'on in the studio."

The other boys welcomed Alejandro and Mason as the intro to "Levitating" began. Michael, Mason, and Alejandro danced to the beat while Lukas, Simon, and Matthew critiqued the vocal tracks.

Lukas grunted in disgust. "I still don't like it. I can't get the vocals right."

"I thought it sounded good," stated Mason.

"You should have heard Mason sing it when we were in the control room," noted Alejandro.

"Mason!" said Michael excitedly. "If Mason knows the song, let's let him give it a try."

"Yeah," said Alejandro. He turned to Mason, "You'll be amazing!"

For Mason, it was a no pressure situation. It was a song that he loved, and it wasn't like he was recording the song or anything. "Okay," said Mason. Alejandro's faith in him meant a lot.

Michael handed Mason a pair of his headphones. "You can use this microphone and here's a music stand." Michael placed a lyric sheet. "You'll be able to hear all of us in the headphones along with the music."

It made sense to Mason. It was what he expected though he'd never been in a recording studio before. He read the lyrics while AJ was speaking to them through the headphones and Alejandro found a stool in the corner to perch on. It looked like they were recording the song just like the original version and Mason had sung that a hundred times or more in his bedroom.

The introduction began and Mason felt the groove and came in on cue after the prerecorded two claps.

If you wanna run away with me, I know a galaxy
And I can take you for a ride. *clap* *clap*
I had a premonition that we fell into a rhythm
Where the music don't stop for life. *clap* *clap*

Glitter in the sky, glitter in my eyes
Shining just the way I like. *clap* *clap*
If you're feeling like you need a little bit of company
You met me at the perfect time. *clap* *clap*

The rest of the boys joined in singing back up on the pre-chorus. When the chorus came, the boys were dancing and singing, having the time of their lives. Alejandro bounced his knees and tapped his thighs as he danced while sitting and watching the guys at work.

When the song ended, the East Harbor boys congratulated Mason on a job well done. The little blonde wasn't sure he'd really done anything that special, but he enjoyed the praise, especially from guys he looked up to and respected.

"Com'on guys," called AJ from the control booth. "Let's try that again. Simon, Michael. Tighten up the harmonies with your brothers. Mason. Watch your articulation. On this song, since it's so fast, articulation makes or breaks the song."

Mason nodded and then set about a second take. Then they did a third. When Mason got to the pre-chorus, he opened his eyes and looked up to see Alejandro standing behind Michael, directly in his line of sight. Mason felt his cheeks blush as he sang looking at Alejandro.

You want me, I want you, baby,
My Sugarboo, I'm levitating,
The Milky Way, we're renegading,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I got you, moonlight, you're my starlight
I need you all night, come on, dance with me
I'm levitating

He closed his eyes and hoped Alejandro knew he had a crush on the Spanish boy and prayed that it was reciprocated.

----------------------     

The boys climbed the stairs to their loft above Studio2. Lessons were over at Majestic Music Academy, so they didn't need to worry about the noise. At the top of the stairs, they were greeted by Alejandro and Jacob with their milkshake orders.

When Alejandro handed Mason's his chocolate caramel shake, he grabbed his own and followed the blonde to the far side of the sectional. He took a sip then said, "I've missed this so much!"

"Missed what?" asked Mason.

"Milkshakes!" stated Alejando before slurping another drink from his straw. "Segovia might be a bit bigger than East Harbor, but it is also very traditional. You'll find Crema Catalana everywhere, but there is only one gelato shop. I can only buy ice cream at the grocery store and the selection is crap, vanilla, chocolate, or Neapolitan. That's it!"

Mason took another drink of his shake. He was very pleased to have taken Alejandro and Michael's recommendation. The milkshake was heavenly. "What's Crema Cata...?"

"Catalana," came Alejandro with the assist. "Have you ever been to a Mexican restaurant and seen flan on the menu?"

Mason made a face. "Yeah. I talked my mom into letting me order it one time and it was kinda gross."

Alejandro laughed. "Yeah, well, here in the States, it's pretty bland. Crema Catalana is kind, well... Jacob, how would you describe crema Catalana?"

Jacob sat on the large square coffee table in the middle of the sectional facing the two boys. "Are you familiar with crème brûlée? It usually comes in a small dish and the sugar on top is hard and you have to crack it with your spoon?"

"Yeah, I tried my mom's once," stated Mason.

"Crema Catalana is made like crème brûlée but the textures and flavors are a bit different. For one, Crema Catalana is lighter. It's made from milk instead of heavy cream. And instead of being vanilla flavor, like flan, it has more of a citrus and cinnamon flavor."

"It sounds good," said Mason.

"It is," admitted Alejandro. "I hope you come to Segovia, and I can take you out for Crema Catalana." The boys smiled at each other but didn't say anything further about that.

Jacob gave them a moment before finishing Alejandro's explanation. "Most people enjoy Crema Catalana as their sweet treat. But if you are looking for something like ice cream in Segovia, you'll find the Italian variety called gelato. It's usually denser, smoother, and richer than the ice cream you're used to. And what Alejandro is saying is, the gelato shops in Segovia don't make a gelato version of the milkshake." He ended his explanation and gave up. The boys were in their own little world, and he didn't think they were listening to him anymore.

"Thanks, that was interesting," said Christian. He'd joined the boys after being asked for his shake order.

"I think I'd like Crema Catalana," added Michael. Even in thanking Jacob, the boys all had their eyes on their friends and the connection the boys shared. It was obvious to everyone in the loft, including Jacob.

"Hey, Mason," called out Simon.

Mason slowly drew his eyes from Alejandro's, "Huh?"

Lukas reminded Mason of why they were in the loft. "We gotta start picking out some songs for you to record."

"OH YEAH!" shouted Mason excitedly. "Okay, I've got two songs I already know I want to sing."

"What are those?" asked Michael, moving to the edge of his seat to listen.

"'One Call Away' by Charlie Puth and 'The Impossible Dream' from Man of La Mancha."

"You like musicals?" asked Michael with a huge smile.

"Yeah," answered Mason. "My music teacher is always looking for good songs from musicals for me to sing."

"Whew! That's good," stated Michael.

"Why?"

"Because we've been asked to help one of the groups performing at the benefit concert," answered Michael.

"What with?"

"The Los Angeles cast of 'Finding Neverland' wants to perform 'We're All Made of Stars' but only three boys can make it. They asked if one of us would take the fourth part and we told them you would."

"WHAT?" Mason had a look of terror on his face.

"Here," said Michael. He turned on the TV and cast from his phone a YouTube video he saved. It featured the boys from the original Broadway cast performing on stage and recording the song in the studio.

Mason's eyes sparkled seeing boys his age and younger performing on the Broadway stage. His heart raced and he fell in love with the song, a song about the possibilities of the life before you when you are young. When the song ended, Mason demanded, "Play it again!" Some of the boys joined Mason singing along with the video, especially the chorus "We're all made of stars. We're all made of dreams."

"Well, that's one song I gotta work on," stated Mason.

"And the two you mentioned earlier," stated Michael. "Um... 'One Call Away' and 'The Impossible Dream.'"

"You aren't going to tell me those are stupid songs?" asked Mason.

The guys shook their heads. Michael added, "We don't have final say, AJ will have some input too since he's the producer, but we'll back you up."

Mason sighed in relief. "Thanks."

Lukas brought them back to the night's task. "AJ gave us a list of songs or artists that would be good to cover. I guess he used some sort of analytics that could predict what covers could be popular or something. He said we should listen to these artists and songs to see what we like." The boys started up the PlayStation 3 and Lukas plugged his phone into the sounds system and started working down the list.

Jacob grew bored of watching the boys play video games and talk music. Alejandro was fully engaged with his friends and enchanted by the little blonde they picked up in Mayfield. He decided to walk around the theater, inside and out. He was unsettled by the story Agent Parker told him about one of the boys' friends and the monster that was still on the loose. He hoped he crossed paths with the man.

After listening to music for about half an hour, Lukas introduced the next artist. "Here's a band called..." he tried to remember how AJ said it was pronounced, "...Depeche Mode. They're from the 80s or something."

The first song that played was "Enjoy the Silence." There was something about the sound of the music that caught the attention of the boys. Though the song didn't seem right for Mason, they wanted to hear more. The next song Apple Music played was "Personal Jesus." The beat of the song had the boys moving to the music. They made a note of that song as a possible At the Majestic song, but the song didn't fit Mason. Lukas hit next.

The next song started with a vocal repetition of "It's a lot" until it ended with "like life." The song had a darker tone to it but a cool beat. The boys were rapt and listened carefully to the lyrics.

There's a new game
We like to play, you see
A game with added reality
You greet me like a dog
Get me down on my knees

We call it, Master and Servant
We call it, Master and Servant

"What the fuck?" laughed Lukas.

"I think my mom would kill me if I recorded this song," stated Mason. The others laughed and agreed. Lukas hit the next button.

A very "pop-esque" synth riff caught their attention. The lyrics seemed perfect to Mason. "Put that one on the list!" Lukas tapped Apple Music to find more songs like Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough" and started playing the songs in the search results. After several more songs that just didn't feel right, they found another gem that Mason liked, "Our Lips Are Sealed" by The Go-Go's. AJ also suggested covering the Jackson 5 or other bands with young singers.

Michael was looking over the list of songs and artists. "Hey!" said Michael excitedly. "AJ suggested some Maroon 5 songs." He took the list over to Lukas. "Play some of these."

Lukas did as commanded and Alejandro and the other band members watched and laughed as Michael and Mason danced around and sang along with the songs. One song in particular caught their fancy. Mason really got into singing the chorus.

Your sugar, yes, please
Won't you come and put it down on me
I'm right here, 'cause I need
Little love, a little sympathy

When the song ended, Mason excitedly asked to add the song to his list.

"What are you laughing about?" asked Michael, pointing an accusatory finger at Matthew.

"I don't think you really want to sing that song," explained Matthew. He couldn't keep a straight face and snickered again.

"Why?" asked Mason. "Did I sound bad?"

"No, no, no, no..." stated Matthew, laughing a bit harder. "It's what the song is about."

Mason had a puzzled look on his face. "It's about loving someone. My grandma says 'give me some sugar' all the time."

Matthew laughed a bit harder while the other boys, including Lukas and Simon, were looking to him for an explanation. "Well, yes, but it is about physically loving a girl." The boys still didn't get exactly what Matthew was saying. "The lyrics in the bridge," he continued by singing the lyrics. "I want that red velvet, I want that sugar sweet. Don't let nobody touch it unless that somebody's me." He paused to see if they got it. When he couldn't think of any other way to explain it so he just blurted it out. "Sugar? Red velvet? Come and put it down on me? He's talking about her pussy."

"EEEEEWWWWWW!!" called out the boys with scrunched up faces.

"No thank you," stated Mason.

"All dick, all the time," declared Michael. That made Mason laugh in agreement.

"Sugar" was crossed off the list with a resounding, "no." However, Michael and Mason did make a list of some of Mason's other favorite songs like "Shake it Off" and "Call Me Maybe."

The day was getting to Mason. He grew tired despite the excitement. So many new experiences, a new friendship, and being away from his mom and closest friends caused the day to be an emotional rollercoaster.

The other boys were feeling much the same way after a busy day of sports and music. Having a good list of songs for Mason's album, they were ready to call it a night. They turned out the lights and met Jacob at the front door of the theater for the walk home.

"I have moved all the luggage into your rooms," informed Jacob.

"Thank you!" chirped Mason.

"Thanks," added Alejandro. He appreciated Jacob and everything the man did for him. Everything just felt right. Being back in East Harbor, having Jacob and Michael close by, and now his new friendship with Mason.

As the boys headed across the Mallway towards the Meijer and Novack homes, Michael found Alejandro and threw an arm around his friend's neck. "So, what's your schedule this week?"

Alejandro checked on Mason and saw he was talking shop with Lukas before he settled into a conversation with Michael. He felt like he needed to keep an eye on the boy, forgetting Mason had visited East Habor the previous weekend even staying over with Michael and his family.

"Tomorrow I'm visiting Pacific Ridge School for my interview," replied Alejandro.

"I know that's down in this area, but how close is it?" asked Michael.

"It's in Carlsbad, but according to Google Maps, it's only like 15 minutes away! Like I said before, if I go to school there, I told my grandma that we'll find a place in East Harbor."

"You and Jacob?"

"And Constanza."

"Constanza?" asked Michael. "Oh! Your Spanish tutor."

Alejandro rolled his eyes. "Castilian tutor, as abeula would say. She considers Castilian and Spanish to be different languages."

"I hope you decide to go to school here," wished Michael. "I mean, it would be totally awesome for you to go to Eton or one of the other world-renown private schools. You deserve that and I want that for you if that's what you want. But I miss you and it would be nice to have you close again."

"Yeah," agreed Alejandro. "I want to go to Eton to show those snobs that don't want me there. But another part of me doesn't want to go there or any of the snobby schools because I don't want to have to put up with all that. If I go there, I'll either have to learn to fit in, or put up with all their 'holier-than-thou' bullshit. I think I could do it. No, I know I could do it. But I wouldn't be happy, so why bother? Right?"

"Right," agreed Michael. "You can still set high goals for yourself and get a first-class education while doing what makes you happy. And I think your grandmother will support you no matter what you do."

"Yeah," said Alejandro, perhaps a bit more decided about what he was going to do. "Thanks."

"Anytime," said Michael, giving Alejandro a side hug as the group walked down the street. "And speaking of what makes you happy, what's this with you and Mason."

"What do you mean?" asked Alejandro defensively.

"Are you forgetting who you are talking to?" teased Michael. "I've never seen you so googly-eyed before. Not even when you had that crush on Abraham."

Alejandro didn't know how to answer that question. He'd just met the adorable little blond and he already had a major crush on the boy. "He's pretty amazing, I think."

"Yeah, he is. You should see him in his baseball uniform. It really shows off his cute butt." He looked at Alejandro's face and caught the taller boy's grin.

Michael smiled and stated, "I think the two of you would be awesome for each other."

"Thanks..."

----------------------     

Jacob's luggage was in the Novak guest room and Alejandro's was left in Michael's. Mason found his in Simon's bedroom, a room that had been freshly made up just for him. Mason, Alejandro, and Michael exchanged "goodnights" before entering their bedrooms for the night. Mason crossed the hall and brushed his teeth then returned to the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Plugging in his charger, Mason stripped to his undies and crawled under the covers. Time to send Aiden a text and call his mom before going to sleep.

Alejandro and Michael were taking a bit longer to get ready for bed. They were busy being chatty and in no hurry at all. Eventually, they settled down enough to crawl under the covers. Adjusting their pillows, the boys lay on their sides facing each other for some pillow talk.

"What's wrong?" asked Michael.

"I'm just worried about Mason," confessed Alejandro. "He seemed really nervous about leaving home."

"I can see that," admitted Michael. "He's really close to his best friends and I think he relies on them a lot."

"Aiden, Gordy, and Nolan," listed Alejandro.

"Yeah," confirmed Michael with a bit of surprise. "You two must have done a lot of talking on the way here."

"A lot," said Alejandro with a little snicker.

"I'm impressed you remembered those names," said Michael.

"I think I remember everything he said," admitted Alejandro. "I'm going to make sure Mason's okay."

Alejandro slipped out of bed in his boxers and t-shirt. He stepped into the hallway shutting Michael's door. There was light coming from under Simon's bedroom door. He paused before knocking, catching the end of Mason's phone call.

"Yes...I will mom. Yes...Yes. I love you, too. Bye."

After hitting the button to end the call, Mason heard what he thought was someone knocking on his bedroom door. He put his phone under his pillow and pulled the blanket up. "Come in."

Alejandro opened the door and saw Mason's face light up. "I just wanted to come check on you." He opened the door further and left it there while he approached the bed. Mason scooted towards the wall and offered the side of the bed for Alejandro to take a seat.

The boys started chatting quietly, not wanting to lose the company of the other. Eventually, Alejandro was lying on top of the blankets next to Mason who was snuggled under the covers.

Mason yawned.

"We've got to get up early in the morning," reminded Alejandro.

"Do they always get up and go to the gym in the morning?"

"Yeah. It sucks getting up but afterwards, it feels great." He saw Mason's sleepy eyes. Reaching over, he brushed Mason's blond bangs out of his eyes then took the liberty of cupping the side of the boy's face and brushing his thumb across Mason's cheekbone.

The tender touch made Mason smile and relax, giving up on his battle with sleep.

Alejandro smiled as he beheld the angelic face of his new friend.

Michael woke up and wondered where his bedmate was. Concerned that Alejandro hadn't returned because Mason was homesick, Michael went to check. The bedroom door was open, and the reading lamp was still on. The boys were sleeping peacefully next to each other. Thinking Alejandro looked cold, Michael found a blanket and covered Alejandro up. Michael turned out the light and shut the door before returning to his room.