TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018

After Simmons clubbed him, his ears rang, and he was seeing double on and off. He feared if his teammates knew he wasn't 100%, he'd lose their new-found respect. Michael decided to make the best of it. He shook his head hoping to clear the cobwebs and his vision.

Luke stopped a blistering shot to the top corner of the net and released the ball to Caleb on the opposite side of the field. Turning to go up field to follow the play, Michael stumbled but regained his balance.

The headache made him almost regret what he'd done... almost. Antagonizing Ace Simmons wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever done but seeing the team rally and start working together still made it worth it. Before Simmons' ejection, East Harbor knew what Poway was going to do. Every play funneled through number 21. Now, the Poway players would work to compensation for their missing captain. Without Simmons, each Poway player would be more dangerous offensively.

Michael shook his head again to clear his vision. This time, however, he lost his balance. He stumbled and fell to his hands and knees. He felt sick like he was going to throw up. He tried to get back to his feet when everything just went black.

----------------------     

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

Lars and Michael pulled into the driveway. The two got out of the car silently and entered the empty house.

"Sit there," ordered Lars, pointing to an arm chair in the living room.

Michael slumped in the chair and waited for Lars to return from the kitchen. He hoped some coffee would take the edge off his dad's anger.

When Luke drew everyone's attention to Michael's condition on the field, everyone rushed to his aid. Michael was transported to a local hospital even though he was awake and alert. Even so, the ER doctors kept him overnight for observations. In the meantime, the East Harbor school officials called off the rest of the matches that day. They feared tensions between the two teams could escalate.

Lars loaded everyone into the Yukon and followed the directions to the hospital. The boys, Lars and Zach were just scared. Matthew was also pissed. On the way to the hospital, he told Lars about the exchange he and Michael had after the tween had been clocked in the head.

"Are you saying Michael got the boy to hit him on purpose?" asked Lars. He wanted to make sure he understood exactly what Matthew was telling him.

"Yeah, those were his exact words. 'Did it work?'" answered Matthew, pissed that his little brother would do something so stupid. Matthew felt a bit guilt, too. He should have been mad at Michael when it happened, but he thought it was funny... until it wasn't.

With that information, Lars was able to put the pieces together. After checking on his youngest in the ER, Lars called the school's Athletic Director. They had recommended to Lars he press criminal charges against the Simmons boy. With what he knew now, he needed to make sure the school's representatives let the matter drop. It's true that Ace Simmons should never have lost his temper and clobbered anyone, but Michael wasn't as innocent as he appeared. Michael's behavior didn't need to become the focus of attention.

Lars wasn't able to confront the boy without giving him a scolding and he was determined to do that in private. He wanted to wait until they got home for that. In the meantime, Lars gave Michael the silent treatment. The veins bulging in his dad's temples told Michael plenty. Lars was more pissed than Michael had ever seen his father and it was all his fault.

With a fresh cup of coffee, the Danish doctor walked into the living room. Taking one more sip before he addressed the elephant in the room, he set his coffee on the table and turned to Michael.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" yelled the man. Michael flinched at the man's tone and volume. The fervor of Lars' anger frightened the boy. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but Lars continued. "That was the most irresponsible thing I can imagine and I'm shocked that you, of all people, would do something like that! You convinced me, Mrs. King, Alvin, and others that you are trustworthy and can handle the responsibilities of owning the theater and being involved in these business ventures of yours. You have everyone investing their time and futures on your business ideas then you go off half-cocked and about get your head knocked off. Then I find out you did it on purpose! What would have happened if you'd been permanently injured? If your concussion was worse? Think of all the people you would have let down and put at risk?"

Michael slumped back in his seat and mumbled, "I wasn't supposed to get hit in the head."

"That's beside the point! What if charges were pressed and they arrested that Simmons boy?"

Michael shrugged. He thought that wasn't a bad idea. The kid was an asshole and deserved it.

"I know you think he might deserve that, but how would things turn out once they put you on the stand to testify what you were saying to him during the match. After you have to explain to everyone that you planned this whole thing."

Michael tried to sink back into the chair and hide. No such luck.

"You sit there and think about it. I need to decide if we should continue to allow Mrs. King to waste her time helping someone so irresponsible."

"NO!" exclaimed Michael.

"Yes. If you can be this irresponsible, you really have no business owning the theater or any of those other projects. Seriously, how could you!" Lars walked into his office.

"Nooooo," whined Michael as he broke down in tears. The voices were back and as loud as ever.

Lars was pissed at himself. On one hand, he probably should have been in a better place before he tried to talk to Michael about the incident. On the other, Michael needed to know how everyone felt about his behavior. Sometimes holding back doesn't give the offending party a clear picture of just how much they hurt those around them. He was too furious to decide which was the better option and now it was too late. It didn't matter now. His heart broke knowing he's the reason Michael was crying.

----------------------     

Trey had been the first to come home that afternoon. When he entered the front door and approached Michael, Lars called Trey into his office. Michael couldn't hear what was said, but Trey exited the office and gave Michael a half-smile before heading to the bedroom he shared with the brothers.

Before the other boys walked in the door, Lukas and Simon warned Matthew about what to expect when Lars was angry. It didn't happen often, but when it did, you don't want any part of it. They knew Michael was in serious trouble with their father. They entered and offered brief greetings to the small boy as they hastened to their rooms.

During the evening meal, the tension between Michael and Lars sat heavy in the air. No one, including Zach, dared start a conversation. At the end of the meal the boys bussed the table and scurried back to their rooms. Lars directed Michael into his office.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you today," apologized Lars. "I shouldn't have done that. You're a smart kid. We could have had a heart to heart discussion about this whole thing." Before he could get another word out, Lars began to cry. Michael felt two-inches tall. "This isn't meant to be an excuse for my behavior," continued Lars, "but do you know how much you scared me? You were lying on the ground not moving. I didn't know what happened to you." Tears dripped faster from his cheeks.

Michael, crying too, got up and walked around the desk to his father. Crawling up in the man's lap, he put his arms around Lars' neck.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in Lars' ear. The man nodded and held the boy tightly.

"Thank you," added Michael.

"For what, Cuddlebug?" asked Lars, wiping tears from his cheek before gripping Michael again.

"For being the best dad in the world and..."

When Michael didn't finish, Lars asked, "And what?"

"And for loving me."

Nothing else was said for the longest time. The two, now father and son, felt the love flowing from the other expressing just how deeply their feelings ran for one another.

----------------------     

It was getting late when Michael and Lars finished their heart-to-heart talk. The boy learned his lesson about personal sacrifice and responsibilities and Lars got to express his feelings about doing questionable things to earn the respect of those who don't deserve your own respect -- even if it did work. Lars also learned that as adult-like as Michael could be, sometimes, he was still the scared little boy from Oregon trying to find his place in the world.

Lars gave Michael a kiss on the cheek and set the boy back on his feet.

"Now, for your consequences." Michael wasn't too happy to hear this. He felt being in timeout on the couch and having this talk with Lars was punishment enough. The boy turned his eyes to his toes.

"Look at me," requested Lars. Michael knew the drill and looked into his father's eyes as much as he didn't want to. It hurt to see the disappointment in the man's eyes.

Lars laid his hand across Michael's heart. "I don't want to hear from someone else about you hurting inside. When we have our talks, please don't hide things from me. Come to me and let's work on it together." Michael nodded.

"I think you have too much on your plate. No matter how intelligent you are, you still need to be a boy. So, your first consequence is, no summer classes. I'm not going to make you withdraw from the online class you are currently enrolled in, but once spring term is over, no more online classes until next fall. You need some downtime and that is what this summer is for."

Michael nodded his head and tried to hide his look of relief. That was definitely a consequence he could deal with. As a matter of fact, not taking classes would leave more time for lacrosse, the band and helping Mrs. King get the businesses off the ground.

After Lars let that sink in, he continued. "Second, you are stepping back from the business."

"What? No!" Michael was shocked by what he heard.

"Yes," firmly stated Lars. "Carol agreed to come on board and help. That means, you have an architect, two MBAs, an attorney, and me. You told us all of your ideas, now let us run with it. You enjoy being with your brothers and your friends. Play lacrosse and your instruments. But you are not going to be into the day-to-day operations or the start-ups."

Michael's shoulders slumped. He knew when Lars had made up his mind and there was no hope in changing it.

"And keep working in that workbook with Trey right up until he leaves."

"Trey's leaving?" The boy's heart jumped into his throat. Why hadn't someone told him this before now.

"Oh," Lars' heart sank. He asked Trey to tell the boys and thought he'd done so. "I thought Trey told you. Gavin's dad was able to make a DNA match. The child you boys found on the NCMEC website was Trey. His grandmother is coming Saturday."

Michael's head was spinning. This was news to him and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He turned to head to the boys' end of the house to see what's going on.

"Before you head out to see your brothers and Trey, you need to know something," warned Lars.

"What?"

"They aren't very happy with what you did."

Michael looked at the floor trying to think of what to say or do.

"Do you know what you need to do?" asked Lars.

Michael nodded. "Apologize."

"Do you know what else?"

This time Michael shook his head.

"You need to let them each say what they need to say -- to tell you how they feel. If they are mad or angry with you, that's okay. They are allowed to feel that way. It's how they feel about what you did -- not who you are. You need to listen to them and let them know you hear them. You can't argue with them about how they feel. It's how they feel. It's not going to be fun, but it's what you need to do to mend relationships."

Michael nodded and headed to go see the other boys. It was a slow shuffle. He felt like an inmate walking to the gas chamber. There was no part of this he wanted to do. At some point, however, he was going to have to go to bed and he wasn't allowed to stay in his bedroom next door alone. He peaked into Lukas' room and no one was there. Apparently, they were all in Matthew's room. That could only mean one thing -- they were waiting for him.

----------------------     

"Man," Simon wondered out loud, "they've really been in there a long time. Dad must really be giving it to him."

Lukas fell back against the headboard and crossed his arms. "Well, he deserves it."

Michael opened the door and walked in. Head bowed, he shut the door but couldn't bring himself to look anyone in the face. No one said a word though Matthew rolled onto his side and faced the wall.

Face flushed, Michael took a deep breath and started the conversation. "I'm sorry." There was a long pause. No one said a thing. Michael found the silence agonizing.

Lukas was the first to speak. "What the fuck were you thinking?" The words came out much louder than Lukas expected, but not as loud as he wanted to scream. "You got your head knocked in and scared the shit out of us -- all of us. Do you know how we felt when we saw you lying on the ground and Luke was screaming for help? We were scared. Our friends were scared. The team was scared."

"Lukas!" scolded Trey. Then, with a scornful look on his face, he warned, "Watch it!"

"Fuck you. He needs to hear this," shot back Lukas.

"Guys, I'm really sorry," said Michael, fighting back tears. He never meant to hurt anyone. He was supposed to be the only one hurt by his plan and he really didn't think he'd get that hurt. He realized that was the flaw of his entire plan. He might have accomplished his mission -- that was yet to be seen -- but he'd gotten injured in the process and that was not part of the plan.

"Sorry's not good enough," ranted Lukas. "What..."

"That's enough, Lukas," stated Simon, grabbing the blond by the arm. Lukas yanked his arm away.

"No," argued Lukas, red with anger.

"All of you stop it," growled Matthew when he rolled over to join the fray.

The teen's eyes were red and he was clearly upset. He looked directly at Michael and said, "Remember what you said to me after we got back from the video shoot in Hollywood?"

Michael thought he knew, but he shook his head "no".

"You warned me to not make you lose me like you lost mom and dad." Yep, that's what Michael thought Matthew meant. He felt less than an inch tall.

"How do you think I felt seeing you sprawled out on the ground? How do you think I felt?" Matthew was a feeling like a mess. He was angry, scared, sad, frustrated, and a million other feelings. They swirled around so fast he could never pin down just one. The day at school was miserable. What happened at the lacrosse match was the talk of the school which meant Matthew couldn't avoid it. His saving grace was the time he spent with April. She didn't try to talk about it. She only held his hand and said she'd listen if he wished to talk.

Michael walked over and hugged Matthew and his big brother returned the hug. Michael felt the older boy shudder. He never meant for anyone to get hurt.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think he'd hit me in the head."

Matthew took Michael's shoulders into his hands and moved the boy to be face-to-face. "That's the problem. You weren't thinking. We are brothers, you, me, Lukas, and Simon. We don't go off half-cocked and do shit like this. We're a team."

Simon put his arm around Matthew. "Yeah, we're brothers. Don't ever do something like that again. If you are having troubles, we're the first people you come to."

Michael nodded. Simon reached out for the small boy and pulled him into a hug. "No matter what, lil' bro, we're blood." Simon made room for Lukas in the hug and Matthew joined from the other side.

"That's right," agreed Lukas, "we're blood."

"The four of us against the world," added Matthew.

When the hug broke up, Michael knew he needed to apologize to Trey, too. "Trey, I'm so..." But the twin bed was empty.

"Where did Trey go?" asked Lukas.

"I'm not sure, but I think he needs us. Com'on," called Michael as he headed out the door.

----------------------     

The boys followed Michael. He paused in the hallway to think then pursued his hunch on where he would find Trey. They didn't know what it was about, but Michael's conviction led them to believe it was serious.

They entered the back of Simon's house and Michael motioned to them to stop and be silent. Whimpering could be heard coming from upstairs. In a flash, all four boys scaled the stairs and came to a halt in Michael's bedroom. A quick scan of the room found Trey sitting on the floor against the foot of the bed. He squeezed a pillow and rocked to comfort himself as his tears stained the pillowcase.

Michael waved his brothers to join him as he approached Trey. Sitting down beside his friend, he pulled the older boy into a hug. Trey cried harder.

"It's okay, Trey. I know," soothed Michael the best he could. "I know your grandmother is coming Saturday to take you home. Dad told me." That was a surprise to the older Meijer boys. It seemed like it should be a happy situation, but Trey didn't seem happy at all.

Michael could feel the boy shake with fear. He didn't understand it, but he did understand that Trey needed him just like he needed Trey when Trey found him fighting his demons on the floor of his bathroom. He held his friend tightly and let him cry as much as he needed.

Between sobs, Trey was able to utter a sound or syllable. The boys were able to piece together his message: "I don't want to go." It broke everyone's heart. Each of the other Meijer boys reached out to hold a hand, rub his back or just let Trey know they were there.

The boys were patient and Trey, in time, regained his composure.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," said Michael, releasing the teen from his hug. "It was how you're feeling."

"I don't know how I'm feeling," groused Trey. "I'm all mixed up inside. It's like I'm feeling fifty million things at the same time." The boys nodded. They all knew what that was like.

"I should be happy they found my family, but now I don't want that. I want to stay here with you guys. My life was shit before I met you guys. I'm happy here. For the first time in forever I'm happy. Now it's all fucked up."

"You don't know that," offered Lukas in his customary optimism. "What do you know about your grandmother?"

Trey paused for a moment. "Nothing. They said she wanted to introduce herself. They haven't told me anything. Not even her name. But I did hear your dad on the phone ask Agent Parker a strange question."

"Well..." prompted Lukas. He couldn't take the suspense. "What was the question?"

"He asked, 'So what's his real name?'"

"So 'Trey Thomas' isn't your real name?" asked Matthew while the others thought the same question.

"Yeah, that's what I think it meant," Trey answered.

"The game is afoot," quoted Michael in his best Sherlock Holmes impersonation.

"What do you mean?" asked Trey.

"Don't you see," responded Lukas exuding enthusiasm. "You could be anybody!"

"You could be the grandson of a famous Hollywood actress!" offered Matthew, getting excited right along with the two younger boys, hoping it would bring Trey out of his funk.

"Or, maybe a famous politician," offered Simon.

"What if she's royalty?" giggled Lukas. "Trey might be a prince!"

Trey laughed at those suggestions. "Com'on guys. Quit teasing. This is serious."

"We are serious, Trey," Michael added. "Your grandmother could be anybody. She could be the friendly cat-lady in some little town. She could be a college professor. She could be an executive. She could live in New York City, Florida, or right here in East Harbor. Anything is possible."

Instead of looking happy, Trey's smile turned to a frown. "Yeah, anything. She could be an evil bitch. She could live in a ghetto and just wants a grand kid around to collect more welfare."

Lukas reminded his friend. "You don't know if that's true."

"But you don't know that it isn't true," argued Trey. "Like you guys said, 'Anything is possible.'"

"Then let's figure it out," suggested Michael, getting up to grab his laptop.

Trey grabbed his wrist to prevent him from leaving. "No. Don't bother."

"Why?" asked Michael. They were successful finding Trey on the web site for missing kids. Why wouldn't they be able to figure out who his grandmother is?

"I'm only here for a few more days. I don't want to spend it trying to figure out what we're going to find out on Saturday anyway. Let's just have fun."

"I know what kind of fun Trey wants to have," joked Lukas.

"Shuddup," laughed Trey.

----------------------     

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

Michael sulked at the dining room table as he picked at his breakfast. He'd been ready to head out with his brothers and Lewis to pick up Christian for their morning visit to the gym, but Lars held him back. The boy couldn't argue with Lars' first reason. The doctor had clearly ordered a low level of activity for the next few days. That ruled out his morning workouts and lacrosse until next week. It was Lars' other reason that soured Michael's mood.

He and his father had an appointment with the Mr. Holbrook, the high school principal as well as the lacrosse coaches including Coach Lange, the varsity coach and head of the East Harbor lacrosse program. He was NOT looking forward to this meeting. Having to face his dad and his dad's disappointment was crushing. Now he had to face the same thing from some of the adults he respected at the high school. The young boy could think of a million other ways he'd rather start his day.

The walk to the high school seemed particularly long that morning. His insecurities made Michael long to hold his father's hand for comfort as he approached his doom. On the other hand, he understood what it would mean to walk into the high school holding his father's hand. If he was big enough and smart enough to be considered a high schooler, then he needed to act like one. 'How did things get so confusing?' he thought. The voices in his head had plenty of reasons to feed his brain and tear down his self-esteem and self-worth. The loudest being that of Bruce Grant.

Michael wiped the tears from his eyes as they took the steps up to the school's doors. He couldn't let anyone see him cry. Lars held the door and Michael entered first. He knew they would be meeting in the office conference room, so he led the way down the corridor to the left. This time Michael held the door for Lars.

Mrs. Gutierrez, the Vice Principal, greeted the two as they approached the desk. "Good to see you Dr. Meijer. You too, Michael. Mr. Holbrook and the others are in the conference room. Come this way." She motioned to her left and led the parent and student to the room.

Each of the three men stood and greeted father and son. Joining Principal Holbrook and Coach Lange was Michael's JV Head Coach, Coach Fitz, short for Fitzpatrick. The boy nervously took a seat. The friendly attitude of the adults confused him. They acted as if nothing happened and everyone was gathered for a party.

Lars never turned down a cup of coffee when offered. Coach Fitz handed the school's consultant the first cup from the freshly brewed pot. He smiled at Michael's unease knowing the coaches were dragging this out. The four adults had a conference call the day before to discuss the situation. Dr. Meijer provided insight into Michael's reasoning behind his actions and clarity into what exactly happened on the field. He also suggested that this meeting not be a well-kept secret around the school. Hence, the men calmly chatted and enjoyed their coffee while Michael sat on pins and needles.

Ten minutes later, Mrs. Gutierrez interrupted. "Mr. Holbrook. Coaches. You have some students here who would like to speak to you. They say it is urgent."

A knowing look passed between the Principal and his Vice Principal. "Please send them in."

Lars looked to Michael to see if the boy had caught on that the adults seemed to know what was going on. For once, the boy seemed to be in the dark. Noise from outside the conference room grew louder as a group of boys, Michael's JV teammates, streamed into the room led by Preston and Caleb. Conspicuously absent from this mob were Luke and Matthew, Michael's two biggest supporters.

"Good mor..." The principal was interrupted by a very important message from his eager students.

Without thinking, Caleb went off the script he and Preston put together. He simply blurted out, "Don't kick Michael off the team. We want him to stay."

"Yeah," added Preston. "If Michael goes, we'll all quit the team." Caleb and Preston's statements were met with verbal support and head nods from the dozen or so other high schoolers.

After the students quieted down, Principal Holbrook addressed the students. "Good morning, boys. I'm glad to hear you feel that way. This decision isn't up to me, but I'm sure Coach Fitz and Coach Lange would be happy to hear more from you. Preston. Caleb. Won't you two take a seat. The rest of you, thank you for bringing your concerns to me. I'm always pleased when students take responsibility and come to me with things you are passionate about. It won't be helpful to have too many people in the room. Thank you again. Please head to your home room and we'll finish up with this meeting."

The boys did as requested and the adults waited for the room to empty. Principal Holbrook nodded to the lacrosse coaches turning the meeting over to them. Coach Fitz took over.

"So, boys, what brings about this change of heart? You two were the most adamant about Michael not deserving to be on the team."

Lars cracked a smile. He didn't want to look down the table at the boys to see their reaction, but he could imagine their discomfort with such a direct question. Preston and Caleb had taken their place at the table thinking they were there to fight for Michael and just like that, they were put in the hot seat.

Caleb and Preston looked at each other than down to their twiddling thumbs as they squirmed in their chairs. Neither boy made a peep for the longest time.

Michael sat staring at the two older boys. He was curious to hear how they would explain their change of mind. Besides, it felt so much better now that everyone's focus was on the two juniors and not him.

Preston finally got up the nerve to answer. "Well, remember how you brought us to the sideline after everything calmed down. Michael was the one that got us back to thinking lacrosse. He got us to unite and excited to get back out on the field. He really is a leader. We were just being ass holes and not following."

Preston turned to Michael. "We're sorry. We treated you like sh... uh... like crap. We've got your back now, just like you had ours at Poway."

"Ya," agreed Caleb.

All eyes turned to Michael to see how he would handle this as a person, and as a team leader.

The boy smiled at his older teammates. "You know, when you guys focused on the match and we played together as a team, we kicked ass. You guys can be really good. I'm happy you want to be on the team and am proud to be your captain. I wasn't sure I could do it, but with your support, I know I can. Maybe we can even be friends."

"You're cool, little dude," said Caleb with a fist bump.

Preston reached over and gave his own bump, "Ya dude, we're friends."

"Thank you, boys, for joining us," announced Coach Lange. The boys' attention was riveted to the program's leader. He was well respected by the students and the lacrosse community. "I was disappointed to hear what was going on with the JV team. That doesn't help us become family or to continue to have a successful program. Coach Fitz, against my better judgement, gave you two more chances to get with the program than I would have. I'm glad you've decided to get on board. I was impressed with your play at Poway. Well, at least the later part of the match. But let me be clear. This was your last chance. If either of you get out of line and fail to be a great, not good, but great teammate, you will answer to me."

"Yes, coach," answered the boys. They were thrilled that the varsity coach complemented their play and they meant to continue to impress. Maybe they would be able to suit up with the varsity when the JV team didn't have a match.

"Alright," said Principal Holbrook. "You boys get to class. We need to finish our discussion with Michael."

"Yes, sir," they answered. Each boy gave Michael a pat on the shoulder before heading to their lockers.

Coach Lange took a sip of his coffee before he engaged the young boy. "How old are you again, Michael?"

"I'll be 12 in June," he answered. It was getting closer to his birthday so he felt he should emphasize almost being 12 instead of being 11.

"When you are on task, you show great leadership abilities. I was impressed by how you handled Preston and Caleb. They are tough nuts to crack, but just now, you did an outstanding job." Coach Lange rarely ever gives complements without tempering the player's enthusiasm with some constructive criticism. This would no doubt be one of those situations.

Michael beamed at the complement. This meeting was turning out to be much better than he expected.

"However," continued the varsity head coach, "if you EVER do anything as unsportsmanlike as that stunt you pulled down in Poway, you will never again set foot on any field as a player for East Harbor -- including soccer. Do you understand me?"

Michael nodded before adding a timid, "yes, sir."

Coach Fitz took over. "Michael, we understand what you were attempting to do. Do you understand the meaning of the saying, 'the end doesn't justify the means'?"

The boy thought for a moment before answering that question. "I think so. It means that it doesn't matter if you get the results you want if you go about getting them in a bad way."

"I think you understand it," replied Coach Fitz. "Michael, we are more concerned about your well-being as a player and as a person, than we are about the team. We think you would have eventually earned their respect without having to take such drastic measures. It may have taken longer, but you wouldn't have had to act out or in an irresponsible manner."

"You do?" He was surprised by the coach's remark, but both men nodded in agreement.

"Yes, we do," offered Coach Lange. "As a leader, focus on your high performers and those committed to supporting your leadership. Encourage the others to join you and your group of players committed to the team and its goals. Don't spend your time as a leader focusing on players that aren't bought into the system."

Michael nodded and let the words of wisdom settle in.

Coach Lange gave the boy a moment to process what he'd said before he continued. "In Poway, you were so focused on earning the respect of players that didn't really deserve to be your teammate that you failed to think about how what you did would effect the players that supported you. With those players, your unsportsmanlike conduct on the field diminished their respect for you. That is something you will need to earn back."

"Yes, sir."

"Think about how you are going to do that," suggested Coach Fitz. "We'll see you at practice on Monday."

Michael grinned. He realized he'd dodged a bullet. "Thank you, Coach."

"You're welcome, Michael," said Coach Fitz. "You stick with lacrosse and I think you may become the second-best game-time leader I've ever coached."

Michael gave his coach a quizzical look. "Who's the best?"

The coach smiled at Michael. "Gavin."

----------------------     

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018

Friday found a more cheerful Michael. After resolving the matter with his coaches on Thursday, he discovered he was sort of a celebrity at both schools - particularly at the high school. Sure, there were plenty of high schoolers who still ignored the 11-year-old student invading their halls. Over the school year, however, more and more students greeted him in the hallways. Mother Nature had also offered a helping hand. His recent pubescent growth spurts meant he was sprouting up like a weed. His newly pulsing adolescent hormones definitely impacted his body's reaction to his morning workouts. His physique was no longer hidden by his clothes. Instead of a baby-faced tweener, Michael was looking more and more like an exceptionally well-built middle school athlete.

Without lacrosse, he had time to burn before his brothers would be at the theater for practice. He hoped to have plans later to study with Christian, but the blonde had to go home to do his chores and get permission. He thought he would hang out with Trey for a while. However, Trey said he was going to watch the high school lacrosse practices with Lukas, Scott, Gregory, Sam and some of the other middle school lacrosse players since they didn't have practice. Michael thought it was weird since Trey usually spent his afterschool time doing his homework alone, but since it was his last day at East Harbor Middle School, he didn't have any. That's how Michael ended up at the Majestic Theater by himself.

"Hi, Mrs. King," chirped Michael when he entered the theater.

"Hello, Michael," greeted his friend's mother and his business partner. "How's your head doing? I heard you took quite a wallop at the lacrosse match."

"It's fine." Michael peered across the table to see what Janette was working on. "Are those the legal papers drawn up by Mr. Cooper?"

"Yes," she replied as she closed the folder with the contracts and other documents. "How did your meeting with the coaches go."

"Fine. How are the contractors coming with the studios?"

Janette gave the boy "the look" all parents perfect.

"What?" Michael said innocently.

"You know I'm not supposed to talk business with you. But what I can offer is you need to be here at the theater with the rest of the boys to interview the sound engineer we are thinking of hiring. He wants to meet you boys to make sure he wants the job too. He'll be here at 4:00 on Sunday. Also, I was able to confirm with my friend Mr. Perez that the SoCal BaseBrawl committee would like you boys to be the featured band for the concert."

"About time. I can't believe they wouldn't want us to play. I mean, the audience is a bunch of kids. And besides, it's my theater!"

"Well aren't we getting a little big for our britches?" commented Janette. They exchanged a look that told Michael to get his ego in check and that he understood.

"Any other news?" Michael asked hopefully.

"Not for your ears," said Janette, putting the boy's inquiries to an end. "Don't you have homework to do?"

"Hmph," groused Michael, crossing his arms. "I get it." He turned and waved goodbye as he walked out of Janette's office and crossed the lobby to architect's office.

Poking his head in the door, he noted Alvin wasn't in his office. If he wasn't in the office, Alvin must be working with the construction crews back stage. Michael made a beeline through the theater, dropping off his backpack on stage by the piano, and rounded the corner to see the progress on the music studio. The reception area and entrance looked finished despite being covered in plastic. The glass windows and doors for each of the practice rooms had been installed and the painters were busy preparing the rooms for chairs, pianos, and music stands. Then he heard a commotion overhead.

"Left! LEFT!!" shouted a man into his walkie-talkie.

Looking up, Michael saw Alvin with the engineers from the window company that designed the glass skylight that would cap the studio's atrium. The large, greenhouse styled skylight was enormous and the manufacturer decided to construct it and deliver it as one, single piece instead of doing the construction on site. Coming in the front door, he hadn't seen the crane parked behind the theater lifting the heavy cap into place. He watched carefully, intrigued by the clever design that allowed the piece to be hoisted into place without the cables interfering with the contact between the frame and the base on which it would rest. The eyelets in which the cables connected were a great benefit for installation but would be completely invisible once the windows were installed unless you were standing on the roof.

Since Alvin was busy, Michael wandered over to the recording studios to see what was happening. In the lower studio, men were installing the sound proofing in the studio while others were installing the recording, mixing, and effects equipment and computers in the control room.

Feeling shut out of the business stung, but the consequences could have been much worse. He'd spent much of the day thinking about just how lucky he felt that he hadn't gotten in more trouble than he did. He was grateful his dad hadn't pulled the plug on the whole thing. It was stupid to act like that during the lacrosse match and he knew better. In his head, the voice of his father agreed telling the boy how stupid and worthless he was.

"RAH!" came a shout from behind as ten fingers dug into the boy's ribs. He jumped from the scare emitting a shrill cry of fright.

Michael turned to find Christian laughing hysterically. "You... you..." The teen could only point and laugh harder.

"I'm gonna to get you!" warned Michael.

It was Christian's turn to squeak. He turned and ran to the stage and flung himself onto the sofa still laughing between gasps of air.

"NO!" giggled Christian when he spotted the flying 11-year-old moments before landing on his prey. A tickle fight ensued. the two boys tried to attack and defend, but only found more humor in their situation and laughed harder. Out of breath, they rested.

"You jumped so freakin' high," teased Christian.

"Nuh uh," countered Michael, not wanting to give his friend any credit for the perfectly timed scare.

"How's your head?"

"It hurts a bit, but I'm fine." He realized that the roughhousing was just what the doctor told him not to do.

"Let's get to work before everyone else gets here," suggested the blond as he struggled to his feet. He'd come to rest with one leg over the arm rest, the other over the back of the couch, and his head hanging off the seat. Michael, on the other hand, had come to rest sitting on the floor, his head right beside Christian's.

They grabbed their backpacks and pulled out laptops and their research materials. These boys were the perfect pair for this project. Yes, intellectually they connected and challenged each other. But more importantly, they both took extreme pride in their work.

"We could make a video?" offered Christian.

That seemed like the perfect solution to their problem. An animated video would provide a visual explanation, sparing the viewer of their project a long-winded exposition. Michael almost agreed with Christian immediately, but Lars' words echoed in his brain. "I don't know how to do that, and I don't think I have time to learn how to." Those were not words spoken easily by Michael.

"I do," declared Christian.

"Really?"

"Yep. I'll show you." He quickly navigated over to his private YouTube channel. "Okay, you have to promise not to laugh."

"Why?" asked Michael with a giggle.

"Because I made these when I was a little kid," explained Christian. Not realizing that Michael is the same age as he was when he made the videos. "I just haven't had any ideas for more videos."

"Okay, I won't laugh," conceded Michael, with fingers crossed.

Christian turned his laptop around and hit the spacebar to play his favorite video. Michael was amazed by what he saw. It wasn't a feature film or anything comparable to a Pixar project, but it was good. The 10-minute video Michael watched had a cool title sequence, good editing, great picture composition, and pretty good special effects with Adobe AfterEffects. The story evolved around the Star Wars Lego sets Christian owned. That only made the movie more entertaining to the 11-year-old Lego fan. As the credits ran at the end of the video, Michael sat stunned staring at the screen.

"Well?" asked Christian. He only ever let family see his videos and nervously awaited his friend's reaction.

"That was amazing! I didn't know you could do that. But if we do the video, you'll end up doing all the work and that won't be fair."

"Not a problem. The only part you won't be able to help with is the editing. But you'll be helping with everything else. And while I'm editing, you can work on other parts of the project. It will be fair."

"So, you have cameras and other stuff?"

"Yes. And if we need better sound recording, you've got lots of equipment around here."

"Cool," agreed Michael. "And we have lots of room around here, so we don't have to worry about bugging anyone if we need to leave things up for a while."

The boys got right to work on the script.

"What do you think of this?" asked Michael, turning his screen toward Christian.

"What?"

"This part here," Michael pointed to a passage on his screen. "I think that would make a great quote to display."

Christian squinted, then pulled the laptop closer.

"You need glasses," stated Michael.

"No, I don't," snapped Christian.

"Don't be so touchy. You'll look cute in glasses."

"What?"

Michael was quick. "Emily. She'll think you are adorable in glasses."

Christian just grunted and leaned in closer to the screen.

"So, did your mom say you were allowed to stay and watch us practice?"

Christian turned the laptop back to Michael. "I like that quote. Let's use it. And yes, I can stay, but I have to be home for dinner. Can I just hang out on the couch and mess around on my computer?"

"Sure can," stated Michael. "That's why this place is outfitted with the fastest Internet we can get!" That drew another round of laughter from the boys as they diligently worked on their project. It seemed like minutes instead of hours, but before they knew it, it was time for the rest of the Meijer boys to arrive. But it was Zach's arrival that first broke their concentration.

"Hey boys," greeted Zach, happy to see Michael hanging out with Christian. "What's up?"

"We're working on our project," explained Michael. He got up and gave his dad's partner a hug. Zach seemed to be one adult that hadn't jumped down his throat for what he'd done.

Zach gave him a hug back and a kiss on top of the head. "How's the noggin' today?" asked the young adult.

"As hard as ever," joked Michael.

Christian added, "I'll agree with that!"

"Hey!" laughed Michael, giving Christian a playful shove. "You're supposed to be on my side!"

In the next few minutes, you'd have thought the entirety of the middle and high school lacrosse teams entered the theater. The shouts and clatter from the hallway were created by Lukas, Simon, Trey, and Scott Schultz, Zach's little brother.

"Hey Scott!" shouted Michael, giving his buddy a fist bump. "What are you doing here?"

"I think I got on mom's good side so I asked if I could hang out with you guys after school. Besides, I told her Zach would take me home."

"Oh, you did, did you?" joked Zach. He enjoyed his little brother's company and didn't think Scott could do better than being friends with the Meijer boys. He chuckled because he almost thought, "my boys".

Backpacks and sports equipment bags were tossed this way and that. "Scott," called out Lukas, "see if you can spend the night tonight."

"Okay." Scott began texting his mother as he and Trey went to join Christian on the sofa. "Oh," chirped Scott. "Sorry, Christian." He'd knocked Christian's "Idea Book" off the arm of the couch.

"No biggie," quipped Christian. The two boys bent to pick up the notebook and some assorted pages that spilled onto the stage. Christian didn't immediately notice which pages had fallen out.

"Wow!" exclaimed Scott popping upright. He held the page in the light so he could take a better look. "Did you make this?" Christian blushed and tried to snatch the sketches from Scott, but Scott pulled them out of the blonde's reach.

"Please?" begged Christian. He considered everything in his "Idea Book" very personal and private. Just like his YouTube videos. This particular idea was one he wanted to share, but only when he was ready. Not now and not like this.

Scott realized how upset Christian was. However, before he could hand the sketch back, Lukas caught a glimpse and snatched the drawing from Scott.

"OMG!" shouted Lukas. He repeated this while he skipped and hopped around the stage. When he made it to Simon, he handed his boyfriend the artwork. "It's like... it's like we're legit now!"

"You made this?" asked Simon.

Matthew joined Simon to see what the ruckus was about. "Oh, wow! I love it!"

"I wanna see!" whined Michael, pulling his brother's arm down so he could see the page too. Simon turned the page for Michael to see. The youngest boy's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Whoooooaaaa! You made this for us?"

Christian nodded. He didn't like that the boys learned of his project this way, but their joy in seeing it made him feel a bit better.

"Now that we have a band logo, we need to blow out our social media," proclaimed Lukas, still giddy with excitement.

"Yeah, but Gavin took care of that and we can hardly keep up with what we've got," added Simon, trying to bring Lukas back down to Earth.

Michael added, "Well, we need to hire a Social Media Director, but I'm not allowed to participate in the business."

"You aren't, but dad didn't say we couldn't!" grinned Lukas.

Christian listened to this exchange while he gathered his courage. "I could do it. That is, if you'd like."

Michael vouched for Christian. "He's really good with video and graphics and writing."

"Cool. You're hired!" said Lukas speaking for the band. "Can we pay him?"

The boys thought for a moment when Michael got an idea. "Tell Mrs. King we'll pay him from the social media and revenue - ads, online sales, and stuff. That way, when we start making money, Christian will get paid."

"You don't have to pay me." Christian just wanted to help his friends, he never intended it to be a job.

"Do you like doing this kind of stuff?" asked Lukas.

"Well, ya."

"Then why not make some money while you do it?"

Christian turned to the other band members. They all nodded vigorously in agreement. Michael even gave him a thumbs up.

Lukas waved for Christian to follow him to the office to talk to Mrs. King when Zach put a halt to it. "Lukas. Stop." Zach put down his guitar and stood.

"Why?" inquired Lukas.

"You have something you need to talk to the band about. I'll go talk to Mrs. King. At this time, it will probably be better coming from me than you boys."

Lukas' excitement evaporated. He'd promised Zach he would tell the band about his songs. He just didn't expect to do it today. But Zach called him out on his procrastinating by putting him on the spot.

Lukas returned to the stage where the others prepared for practice while watching and waiting for Lukas to bring them up to speed. From his backpack, Lukas retrieved his latest song book. He set it on the piano and slipped the piece of notebook paper from its pages.

"Matthew," said Lukas as he approached his brother. His nerves made his voice quake. He was afraid that Matthew would be pissed he read the poem. "I'm sorry I didn't give this back to you sooner. You dropped it on the floor, and I borrowed it. It inspired me to do something for you."

Matthew took the paper and opened it before he realized what it was. Before he could speak, Lukas said, "Before you say anything, I want you to hear this." He hurried over to the piano and took a seat. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the curious faces of Christian, Trey and Scott. He really hadn't planned to debut his singing and song writing to such a large audience, but he couldn't turn back. Adjusting the notebook, he took a deep breath and looked at the keyboard.

Matthew's embarrassment from Lukas finding the love poem to April evaporated as he heard his words put to music. Lukas' nerves subsided as he lost himself in his music, forgetting there was anyone else in the theater. Matthew joined on the piano bench and followed the music as Lukas played the song. When he ended the song, Lukas turned and looked expectantly at Matthew. Matthew grabbed his head and gave him a big, loud, overly dramatic kiss on the cheek. "It's fucking brilliant!"

"Okay guys," shouted Zach as he approached the stage, "save it for the bedroom." A roar of laughter erupted from the stage and Lukas simply blushed. He wondered if Zach could read his mind.

Zach entered stage left and got everyone back on task. "Gentlemen, meet your new Social Media Marketer, Christian Olsen." When the cheering died down, he continued. "Christian, Mrs. King wants to talk to your parents before she makes it official. She also wanted me to remind you that the goal of the band isn't to be touring the world and selling millions of records, so don't expect to be rolling in the dough. But if these guys start making some money, especially from social media and online campaigns, you'll deserve your share."

"Okay," was all Christian said, while his stomach did flip flops. He just wanted an excuse to hang out with the band and do something fun. This seemed like a lot more than that.

"Also," said Zach when he turned back to the band, "I want Lukas to bring ALL of his song books to practice on Sunday. Matthew, if you have other poems, bring those too. And if any of you have other song ideas, or have been secretly writing songs like Lukas, I want those too. Also, this Sunday Mrs. King wants you guys to meet the Recording Engineer that might be hired for the studio."

The band began to practice songs for upcoming videos and the grand opening concert for the theater and music studio. Christian, after getting the user id and passwords for the band's Facebook and YouTube channel set up Twitter and Instagram accounts for the band and started converting his sketches into digital artwork. Scott watched Christian between recording videos of the band with his phone and sending them to Christian to post. All the while, Trey sat quietly at the end of the couch thinking about how this would be the last day with all his friends.

----------------------     

The music helped Matthew get his mind off April. She was coming to dinner tonight. It was planned before they knew this would be Trey's last night, but Lars asked that she come anyway. Matthew had asked her to meet the band at the theater since she really hadn't seen the band before. Then she could walk with everyone home for dinner and he would take her home afterwards.

Jack and Heather, April's parents, thought this would be a good time to learn more about Matthew's request that April be in some of the videos for some movie project the band is involved in. They trusted that Matthew wouldn't do anything to take advantage of April, but they did want to know more. Jack held the door to the Majestic for his two ladies.

When they opened the doors from the lobby into the auditorium, the boys were just starting a song. Jack let the door shut behind them and Heather held them back. "Let them play the song and then we'll interrupt them."

It was one of the songs Matthew sang and he stepped to the mic with his eyes closed. The lyrics held a special meaning to him and singing it helped him exercise excess emotional energy. He was feeling a lot this afternoon and he poured it into his performance.

The song, "Neon Brother" by Nothing But Thieves, opened painfilled and haunting.

If you open my chest see that two hearts are beating,
Falling out of sync.
There's the one I accept and the one I believe in,
Which one drew you in?

With each stanza, the music and vocals built to a thundering chorus. When the band reached the chorus, Matthew grabbed the mic and tossed the stand aside. He took a deep breath and raised his chin towards the sky.

I heard my brother crying out,
I heard my brother crying out,
From the beginning we were in rhythm,
I heard my brother crying out.

Heather wrapped her arms around her daughter as they watched Matthew sing his heart out. April's heart raced. Heather knew her baby girl was falling in love with this boy. She didn't blame her. If she were a teen, she'd be all over Matthew herself. In her opinion, there's nothing sexier than a teen boy who is in touch with and open about his emotions. She also knew that was a dangerous combination for a teen girl's heart and April would not be immune to that.

As the song wound down, Heather took April by the hand and led her husband and daughter to the stage. "That was fantastic boys!"

"Oh, uh... Hi, Mrs. Everdale. I mean Heather. Hi, Jack. April." Matthew didn't know what to do. He wanted to hop off the stage and give April a hug though he didn't want to look that eager in front of her parents. Instead he crouched at the front of the stage and shook hands with her parents and gave his girlfriend a huge smile showing off dimples - dimples that rivaled Michael's. April returned the smile.

"Matthew," began Jack, "we wanted to learn more about what part April is being asked to play in your project and what songs you would do."

Matthew explained that the movie would introduce the band members with a few videos that were sort of biographical. They wanted to introduce Matthew falling for April and they wanted her in the videos for him to sing to.

Jack was satisfied but Heather's curiosity was piqued. "Could you boys play the songs for us?"

"Ummm... Okay," agreed Matthew. He was embarrassed but didn't want to show it. He'd looked forward to singing these songs to April, but not with her parents watching.

Michael grabbed a chair and changed guitars before taking a seat. The other boys set up for the first song and Matthew paced the stage nervously. When everyone was ready, Michael tapped out the beat with his foot before starting the guitar opening.

The funky guitar riff got Matthew moving. He danced up to the microphone and sang in a sultry voice.

I wanna to follow where she goes,
I think about her and she knows it.
I wanna let it take control,
'Cause every time she gets close here.

April was familiar with the Shawn Mendes song, "There's Nothing Holding Me Back", and so were her parents. They'd heard her play it often enough in her room. They also noticed how often the two teens made eye contact during the performance.

Next up, the boys grabbed different instruments and Zach grabbed a guitar and came out to stage left and Michael climbed on top of the grand piano with a mic and mic stand. Lukas also pulled a mic over so he could sing too since Simon, Lukas, and Michael took turns singing lines of the pre-chorus and harmonies.

This song was a bit out of the ordinary for the band, but it was perfect for the movie's story about Matthew. It also didn't hurt that the boys had fun with it. It was a surprise for April and the band's friends (Scott, Christian and Trey) when they broke into a boy band song. But One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful" seemed like it was written for April and Matthew meant every word he sang.

The boys then went right into the third song planned for the movie, Counting Crows' "Accidentally in Love". Heather watched Matthew closely and when the boy smiled and blushed when he sang the lyrics "well maybe I'm in love" she knew he was falling hard for her daughter. April had admitted they hadn't said the "L" word yet, but Heather had a feeling it was only a matter of time.

When the boys ended the song, Matthew and April couldn't keep their eyes off each other. They didn't even notice when Jack and Heather stood to take their leave.

"I think April will have fun being in the videos," said Jack loudly in an attempt to break the connection between his daughter and the teen boy on the stage.

"Huh? Oh, great!" replied Matthew.

"You'll be brining April home after dinner?" asked Jack to confirm the plans.

"Yes, sir," replied Matthew.

"We'll see you later, baby girl," said Heather, giving April a kiss on the head.

"Thanks, mom. Bye dad." She stood and hugged them both.

Matthew grabbed an arm chair and set it beside the couch. When she came up on stage, everyone introduced themselves and greeted her before they got back to practice or whatever they were doing.

"We've got about another 30 minutes. Dinner isn't until 7:00. Will you be okay while we practice?" asked a very attentive Matthew.

"Yes, it will be fun. Go on, play some more songs."

"Okay." Matthew wasn't sure if he'd be able to with his heart doing flip flops, but he'd attempt whatever she'd ask.

----------------------     

"Hey, it's going to be alright," assured Michael. He and Trey were tagging along behind the others as they walked back to the Meijer house for dinner.

"I don't want it to be alright. I want it to be perfect and it is right now."

Michael stopped and grabbed Trey's arm to stop him too. The boys faced each other, and Michael had a serious look on his face. "Look at us." He waved in reference to his brothers. "We're just a rag tag bunch that was thrown together. Lukas and Simon know each other because they grew up next door to each other. I only know Lukas because I moved here and just happen to be in the same grade. Matthew is here just because I am. But we're all brothers and closer than most brothers related by blood. No matter what happens tomorrow. You're one of us... forever. You can call, come visit and if things turn shitty, I know Lars will intervene. Now let's have fun tonight. Tomorrow... together... we'll see what happens. All of us."

"That's why I love you guys so much," squeaked Trey, wiping a tear from his cheek.

"Com'on. Let's catch up." Michael broke into a trot and Trey followed. They caught up just in time to be the last into the house.

"Trey!" called Lars as the boys passed his office. "Would you come here a minute?"

Trey looked and Michael and the younger boy gave a nod. The teen entered the doctor's office.

"Shut the door, would you please?"

Trey shut the door and took a seat. Lars got up and sat beside him.

"I don't know what tomorrow is going to bring or if I'll have much time to talk to you, so I wanted to talk to you tonight."

Trey nodded. This conversation made him uncomfortable for reasons that surprised him.

"The boys love you like a brother. I can see it in their eyes. And Zach and I love you too. Trey, we will always be here for you. Take these business cards. Put them in different places so you can't lose them and can quickly find one if you ever need me. You need to meet your family. You may not understand this now, but when you get older, you'd regret it if you didn't. But if anything happens, or things don't work out, you call me. It's been great to have you here and you've been a good friend to Michael. You will always be a part of this family and this will always be a home for you."

Lars stood up. "Let's go eat. We're cooking out in the backyard."

Trey stood up and wrapped his arms around Lars. Somehow, this man had earned his trust and he loved him for it. Lars' commitment to be there for him was a load off the boy's shoulders. He knew that no matter where he goes from here, he doesn't have to cut his ties to East Harbor. East Harbor will forever be one of his homes. Particularly this gray brick home on Maple Street.

Lars didn't need Trey's words to understand what this hug meant. It reminded him of a younger boy that once clung to him as if his life depended on it. Trey and Michael had been good for one another. This moment, this hug, made all of the phone calls and hoops leapt through to keep Trey in East Harbor worth it.

Trey released Lars and looked up into the man's eyes. Lars smiled and simply suggested, "Let's go eat." Trey smiled and they headed to the backyard.

His mind swirled with thoughts of his future and his heart flooded with emotions. They so distracted him that he didn't notice how uncommonly quiet the house was. He mindlessly walked into the backyard.

"Surprise!" shouted all.

The shock woke Trey from his thoughts. He looked around and saw the boys and a bunch of his friends from school. Lars had organized a going away party.

"Wait! Did you guys all know about this all day today?" asked Trey. They all nodded.

Trey looked up to Lars again. With a big smile, he said, "Thanks." He turned and ran to join Gregory, Sam and his other friends from school. Before he reached them, a blur blindsided him.

"Derek!"

----------------------     

Michael wiped the steam off his bathroom mirror. All the boys spending the night split up between the two houses to get their showers in after swimming during Trey's going away party. Trey was still rinsing off in the shower.

"So, what's with going to watch the high school lacrosse practices today?" asked Michael. He thought Trey would have found that a boring way to spend his last afternoon in East Harbor.

The cascade of water went silent then Trey opened the shower curtain and grabbed a towel. "I wanted to see Melanie. She said she would be allowed to go to the practice since, you know, Luke is her brother and all."

"Oh really?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and loads of intrigue.

Trey grinned broadly then threw the towel over his head to dry his hair.

Michael laughed. "Did you see ANY of the practice?" He heard Trey giggling under the towel. Michael whipped the towel away. "Spill it!"

Trey donned an aloof look. "Gentlemen never kiss and tell."

"Obviously you did more than just kiss. That's what I want to know," teased Michael.

"What do you mean?" Trey followed Michael's eyes and noticed he had a boner. They both broke into laughter.

"Well," Trey began, "we went under the bleachers. There's a green metal box down there. We sat there and... talked."

"Mmmmhmmm..." Michael wasn't letting Trey off that easily.

"And made out."

"And?"

Trey smiled.

"Over her shirt?"

Trey's grin widened.

"No shit! Was she wearing a bra?"

Trey shook his head 'no'.

"You dawg!" laughed Michael, giving Trey a gentle shove. "Anything else?"

"No," sighed Trey. "Damn, I really need to get off."

"Save it," instructed Michael. "There will be plenty of time to take care of that later."

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." Michael started. "This is really weird when you explain it, but on sleep overs like this, Simon and Lukas usually have the boys who want to mess around in their room. You don't have to. It's your last night. We can do whatever you want."

The smile faded from Trey's face. "I'm going to miss you."

"Hey," said Michael. He tried to smile but it was clear he was fighting back tears. "It's not like we can't talk anytime we want to. Besides, you'll be back to visit."

Oblivious to their nakedness, the boys gave each other a heartfelt hug expressing the gratitude and love they felt for each other.

----------------------     

It was getting late and the boys were "settling down" for the night. The straight boys set up camp in the family room to watch movies and snack until they fell to sleep. The other boys started to disappear into the bedrooms for another type of snack.

Matthew, Jordan, Curtis, and Will knew the drill and staked their claims to their sleeping location, even when Matthew planned to retire to his bed before the night was over. Seventh-graders Gregory Fielder and Sam Greenfield weren't as self-assured about what to do. They brought their sleeping bags, but no one else had sleeping bags. They also noticed boys leaving for the bathroom or kitchen, but not coming back.

Quietly, Sam asked Gregory what he thought. "Should we follow and find Trey?" Gregory shrugged.

The older boys realized Sam and Gregory didn't understand what was happening. They looked at each other. Eye brows raised and heads nodded towards the younger boys as they tried to coax each other to take the leap. Will finally spoke up. He took great pleasure in altering the younger boys' reality.

"You two are more than welcome to follow the others, but you should probably know that they aren't going to be going to sleep anytime soon."

Sam asked innocently, "What do you mean?"

That drew an elbow jab from Gregory and a look that told him to stop acting like an idiot.

Sam's eyes grew large and his face flushed. "You mean it's true?" Again, Gregory nodded in an attempt to get his friend to not let on how sheltered they were up to this point.

Matthew didn't like that Will was just trying to shock the boys so he spoke up. "Follow me in the kitchen." He got up and stepped over shoes and bodies and took a seat at the dining room table. Sam and Gregory quickly joined him.

"It's not my business to talk about what goes on behind closed doors, nor is it anyone else's business to talk about it." He gave them a look, so they understood that they weren't to go blabbing back at school about anything.

"Here's what I can tell you. Boys mess around with each other growing up. It doesn't matter if they are gay, straight, bi or just curious, it happens, and it is okay. That's how we learn about our bodies and what we like."

"You've done it, too?" asked a blushing Sam. Both boys looked up to the high school student.

"Yes, I have," answered Matthew. "You are more than welcome to see what is going on and even join in if you want. No one will make you do anything you don't want to do and you don't make anyone do anything. And it is cool with all the guys in the other room too. Besides, Scott went with the other boys and you know he's dating that Indian girl."

"Najma," added Sam, "and Trey was dating Melanie."

"You boys do what you want. But you need to remember, you can't un-see or un-do anything that happens. Follow, but only if you think you are ready, and you want to." With that, Matthew got up from the table headed to his bedroom. He wasn't much in the mood for a movie and wanted to think about his evening with April and her meeting the rest of the family.

Gregory noticed Sam's discomfort. "Have you done stuff like this before?" he asked.

With the knowledge that "stuff" was going on in the other room and the conversation Matthew just had with the boys made it seem like a night where telling the truth was safe. Sam nodded his head.

"Really?" But that wasn't the question Gregory wanted to know. He wanted to know "who with" and "why hadn't he been told".

"It just happened," explained Sam. The boys sat quietly for a bit.

"What do you want to do?" asked Gregory. Sam shrugged. Gregory knew that meant he was thinking about going in the room but couldn't commit. Sam had always been a bit timid. At the moment, though, Gregory felt timid too. If they went through the bedroom door, they would have the opportunity to have some sort of... well... sex. That was exciting. But they both wondered if people would think they were gay.

Gregory had an idea. "Scott and Trey are in there and they aren't gay. We can just follow their lead and not do anything they don't do. And if one of us doesn't like it, we'll both leave. Deal?"

Sam nodded. "Deal."

Since they were ready for bed, they were only wearing gym shorts over their underwear and ankle socks. Silently they walked to the door to Lukas' room. They couldn't hear anything over the TV in the family room, so they put an ear to the door. Soft music and voices could be heard, but nothing was distinguishable. Sam gathered his courage and opened the door, almost fearful of what he might see.

The LED lights from the speakers on Lukas' entertainment center and a couple night lights provided enough light to allow the boys to see who was where doing what.

Derek, who was on his own this weekend because Trajan's family went to visit his grandparents, was sitting cross legged on the bed talking to Trey and Michael. Scott was brushing his teeth and Lukas and Simon were standing in the doorway talking to him. All conversations stopped and everyone looked to see who had come in.

"Hey," said Gregory softly. Sam gave a little wave. They were embarrassed for thinking they would be walking in on an orgy or something. They were also embarrassed about entering the room. Doing so, each boy was admitting he was curious about messing around with another boy and prayed that it would stay within these walls.

"Hey!" exclaimed Trey, happy to see his best school friends. He moved some pillows and patted the mattress. "Come over here." The other seventh graders moved to the bed and sat side-by-side with their backs to the headboard. Trey moved and put his back against the wall next to the boys. Derek and Michael moved down towards the foot of the bed and stretched out talking and giggling quietly with each other.

"So, what brings you guys in here?" Trey, being new to all of this too, wasn't sure what was going to happen next.

Sam, taking in the sights of all the half-naked boys, simply replied, "We were curious."

"Really?" asked Trey. He wasn't sure if they were curious about what everyone was doing, or if they were really curious. Neither clarified. They were engrossed in something other than this conversation.

Trey turned to see what was so interesting. He first noticed Michael and Derek had gotten more comfortable. Stripped down to their underwear, the two boys were lying on their sides, chest to chest, quietly talking and gently kissing as hands explored the muscles of the other's back. The flash of jealousy that shot through Trey's body surprised him before he understood that was probably how Michael felt when he had asked Melanie to the dance.

Michael and Derek, however, were not the focus of the boys' attention. Their eyes were fixed on the scorching hot scene taking place across the room. The three older teens were standing in the glow of the colored LED lights. Scott, the straight one, held Lukas in his arms as the two boys tried to lick the other's tonsils. Simon, pressed against Lukas' back, nibbled on the blonde's ears, kissed the sides of his face, or licked his lover's neck while his hands roamed where they choose on Lukas or Scott's body.

For the naïve seventh-graders, seeing teen boys engaged romantically and erotically was a lot to process. Gregory and Sam's brains tried to process their physical and emotional reactions to the scene taking place. It deconstructed and began to rebuild their mental constructs of gay, straight, bi, love, eroticism, and sex.

When Scott's hands slipped beneath the elastic band of Lukas' underwear and cupped the blonde's ass, Sam groaned. It was barely audible, but Trey definitely heard him.

Simon responded to Scott's advance by slipping Lukas' bikini briefs to the floor. While he was down there, he reached forward and pulled Scott's boxer briefs down to join Lukas'. As the two boys stepped from their garments, Simon stood and reached between their bodies. Each of Simon's hands grasped a steely hard rod. A gentle squeeze drew a moan from the owner of each phallus.

Trey, the most experienced of the three seventh-graders, was the first to grow tired of watching. He moved to his knees and reached out to help Sam and Gregory join him. Huddled closely together, Trey asked, "Are you guys alright?" They both nodded and gave a quiet, "ya".

'It's my final night in East Harbor,' thought Trey. 'What's the worst that can happen?' He looked each boy in the eyes before taking action.

His right arm pulled Sam's bare torso against his right side. Simultaneously, Trey gently cupped the back of Gregory's head and pulled the dark-complected boy in for a kiss. This was new for Gregory, but he was a quick learner. Sam felt the heat of Trey's body against his own -- his friend's arm holding him firmly in place. That put Sam's face only inches from Trey and Gregory's. Sam had no other option than to study their technique. Sam's body shuddered at the thought that his turn would come next. And it did.

Moving his hand up to the back of Sam's head, Trey held him in place and switched from Gregory's mouth to Sam's. Sam was eager and Trey was patient. Once Sam settled into the pace set by Trey, Trey worked at helping Sam improve his technique. When he was satisfied with Sam's progress, Trey pulled away. The boys were flushed with erotic desire, even if they weren't really sure what was going to happen - but Trey knew. He gently nudged the two boys to kiss each other.

When Sam's lips met Gregory's, the blue-eyed boy slipped his arms around his friend and the boys embraced. Trey gently nudged the boys backwards until they were lying on the bed making out. Trey maneuvered out of his shorts and boxers and tossed them to the floor. Glancing to Michael and Derek, the youngest boys had dispensed with conversation and enjoyed a more vigorous tongue battle. Beyond the end of the bed, Lukas was on his knees switching back and forth sucking the two manly cocks pointing at his face. They watched as Simon turned and kissed Scott. Tentative at first, it only took moments for Scott to match Simon's passion.

Turning back to the boys before him, Trey wondered if Sam was enjoying the experience like he was fulfilling a deep desire more than simply enjoying sexual contact with his friend. Grasping Sam's shorts and underwear, he slipped them off the boy's slender legs. Gregory, being the last of the trio in more than just socks, was quickly stripped of his shorts and underwear. As the garments passed his hips, his painfully erect cock slapped against his taut abs. Immediately, Sam's hand sought and grasped the thick five inches of virgin boy meat. Gregory shuddered at the first touch of someone's hand on his cock and moaned into Sam's mouth. Sam, if he'd been looking, would have seen that Gregory had gifted him a stream of precum. Not one to let things go to waste, Trey leaned down and slurped up the string of precum then licked Gregory's cock and Sam's hand clean. Finished with that task, Trey switched over to clean up the pre-cum dripping from Sam's neglected four-inch pink pole. Taking Gregory's hand, he placed it on Sam's rod then sat back and watched his handy work.

Both of his friends had their eye's closed as they mastered kissing and explored the other's parts. They looked really hot making out with each other. So did the other boys in the room. Derek had Michael naked and on his back. The slender blond's briefs hung from his right ankle has he gently rubbed his boy spike against Michael's equally ridged pole. The two youngest boys lovingly kissed and caressed each other's bodies, unaware of what was going on right next to them.

Trey's eyes shifted from the sexy tweens to the hot teens. Simon and Scott had Lukas on his back diagonally across the corner of the king-sized bed. Scott had the blonde's ankles by his ears as he held Lukas by the hips and plowed the boy's ass. Simon clutched Lukas' wrists and fed his boyfriend the dick the blonde loved and knew so well. Lukas moaned and groaned with pleasure. His toes curled and knees shook as he was fed cock from both ends. Trey's attention was broken when he heard Simon call his name. The older boy motioned him to come over with his head.

Careful not to disturb Gregory and Sam, Trey climbed off the bed and joined the older boys. He watched as Lukas writhed in a desperate need for release. Simon, however, held Lukas' wrists, prolonging the boy's agony. Simon leaned over a whispered in Trey's ear. "Help Lukas cum."

Trey stepped up to Lukas' body and grazed his hands across the blonde's well-defined chest. Lukas realized there was a third person working his body now and he tried in vain to get his needy rod into the extra pair of hands. Instead, Trey teased Lukas' body, enjoying access to the anatomy of an older, more mature boy. He tweaked the nipples, traced the flexing muscles in Lukas' chest and stomach, and the tickled the blond pubs. With a light touch, he grasped and stroked the largest cock he'd gotten his hands on yet. With his thumb, Trey painted the head of the five-inch rod with the leaking precum. Lukas shuddered at the touch on the sensitive glans.

Trey leaned down and licked the portion of Lukas' cock the stuck out above his fist. With a squeeze, he extracted another glob of precum and licked it off. Lukas' moaning grew louder from pleasure and frustration. Scott holding his hips tightly prevented Lukas from thrusting his cock into the warm, wet mouth enjoying the head. Lukas' cock was different, but not that different from Michael's -- just a larger version. Releasing Lukas from his fist, Trey took a tentative plunge. It hadn't occurred to him that a longer dick would trigger his gag reflex until it did. He gagged and pulled back quickly. Lesson learned. In short order, the practice on Michael's smaller version kicked in and Trey took great pleasure in having Lukas' medium-sized appendage in his mouth.

The older boy tasted mildly different but produced more of that delicious clear nectar. Trey's position was awkward, bent at the waist and attacking from the side. Lukas' thigh kept banging him in the side of the head with each of Scott's thrusts. Trey turned his body to be more parallel to Lukas and his forehead was between the blonde's thighs. Trey could smell the connection between Scott and Lukas -- a smell that he knew well from his adventures with Michael. Opening his eyes, he could see Lukas' growing nut sac and the root of Scott's dick when he pulled back. Trey cupped Lukas' balls and pulled them back so he could see more of Scott's cock as he plowed the boy beneath him.

The 13-year-old was mesmerized by the large phallus pounding Lukas' hole. Then he closed his eyes and moaned when a hand clumsily found his own boner and another hand caressed his ass sliding one finger through its crevasse. The finger was rougher and more demanding than Michael had ever been. The friction across the wrinkled rosebud sent sparks through his young body. While his brain dwelled on what was happening below his waist, Trey missed the tell-tale signs of Lukas' pending orgasm. The blonde's smooth ball sac drew up, his cock stiffened and thickened, then he experienced the most intense orgasm of his entire life. (So far.)

The first jet of cum splashed Trey's tonsils, waking him up to his predicament. The second stream was bigger than the first. 'Drown or swallow?' questioned Trey's mind. He made the wise decision. He knew how intense it was to have your dick sucked through your orgasm and he was determined to show his friends what he'd learned while staying in their home. Like a champ, Trey swallowed and increased his tongue action on Lukas' twitching member. The hand on his dick squeezed tight and held on for the duration. Above him, Trey heard Scott utter something that sounded like "oh, fuck" before picking up speed and painting Lukas' rectum with white hot cum.

A tap on the back of his head from Lukas let him know that the cock in his mouth was too sensitive for him to continue. He raised up and watched Scott twitch and thrust through the final throes of his orgasm. Spent, Scott collapsed backward onto the bed causing Michael and Derek to bounce then look up from what they were doing. Seeing Scott's face told them all they needed to know and the tweeners went back about their business of exploring each other's dental work and rubbing their bodies together.

Simon, ready for his climax, spun Lukas around and lined up his man-sized cock and slid it home. Lukas reached up and pulled Simon down into a passionate kiss as his boyfriend, his lover, grunted and snorted his way to a magnificent ending. Simon had worked up a huge load to add to Scott's in Lukas' happy bottom.

Trey felt left out and needy. Gregory and Sam were right where he left them, snogging and fondling. Whether they didn't know what else to do or where simply enjoying it too much to change didn't matter to Trey. He was going to add something new to their repertoire. He stood over the two then crouched down so he could poke his cock into the corner of their busy mouths. With some gentle nudging, he managed to get his dick between their mouths. His young friends continued their tongue battle from either side of Trey's dick. It was heavenly to Trey. He carefully slid his cock to and fro between the dueling tongues as Gregory and Sam got their first taste of cock.

The light musky scent of the 13-year-old's privates ignited something in the two young boys. They went from engaging each other with a cock between their mouths to actively pleasuring the rigid member. They had Trey's head spinning with delight as he rushed to his desired destination. Controlling where the boys applied their efforts, Trey pulled back, so the head of his dick became their focus. Their tongues lapped at the leaking precum and the head slipped into first one, then the other boy's mouth.

His orgasm leapt forward. Trey was surprised how quickly it set upon him and he pulled back. With his dick free, the first blast of cum sprang forth and splattered Sam's face right next to the corner of his mouth. In surprise, Sam flinched and turned his head. Doing so, he smeared the cum on his face across Gregory's mouth. The two young friends resumed their kissing as Trey grabbed his cock and worked it through the remainder of his orgasm, painting the faces of Gregory and Sam in the process.

Spent, Trey retreated from the pair and watched as Sam climbed on top of Gregory, rolling the dark-haired boy onto his back. Gregory spread his legs to give Sam room. When their boy's parts touched, the boys moaned with pleasure. In no time, nature took over and the boys humped each other in a frantic attempt to reach a climax. Their moans and grunts were muffled by the mouth covering their own. Sam got there first. Trey watched the boy on top clinch his ass and give a quick jab with each spasm of his orgasm. The thin, clear cum streaked Gregory's cock and stomach, lubricating the connection between the boys. Gregory dug his heels into the mattress and humped up against Sam as he too followed Sam off the cliff into orgasmic bliss. Beneath Sam, Trey saw Gregory's taint pulse as he pumped his pearly boy's cream between their bodies.

Trey almost laughed when he noticed the boys had fallen to sleep almost immediately, tangled in a sweet embrace. Looking around the room, Michael and Derek were nowhere in sight while Lukas was peacefully sandwiched between Simon and Scott as the older teens settled in for the night, comforter pulled up to their neck. A sudden wave of melancholy overtook Trey. He felt as if he might drown in his sadness. He went looking for Michael.

Shorts and undies in hand, Trey wrapped a towel around himself and tiptoed towards the kitchen. The living areas were empty and a peek into the family room revealed a group of sleeping faces lit by the blue light from the TV. Reversing course, he checked Matthew's room before heading next door to find his friend.

There they were. Derek and Michael were snuggled together on Trey's twin bed. Trey's disappointment was tempered by one thought, and one thought only. Matthew was alone in his bed and this gave the 13-year-old the perfect excuse to get closer to the Meijer boy of his lust. Dropping his towel and clothes, Trey slipped off his ankle socks and slid under the covers joining a sleeping Matthew. Trey turned away from Matthew and scooted back to form the small spoon. In his sleep, Matthew automatically pulled the boy closer and both drifted into a deep, restful sleep.

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Trey woke the next morning with a sense of determination. He had a bit of business to conduct and then he needed to finish packing his things and prepare to meet his family. When he felt like he was back in touch with his body enough to crawl out of bed and begin his day, Matthew stirred. Trey froze. At that instant, Trey's brain processed the fact the only thing between his bare ass and Matthew's morning wood was a thin pair of underwear. Trey sprang an instant boner. He pushed his ass back against the cock.

"Be careful there, buddy," whispered Matthew.

Trey turned over to face Matthew. When the high schooler saw where the boy's hand was headed, he grabbed Trey's wrist. "Not here. Not now. You need to go clean up before you head to breakfast."

The boy looked at Matthew with a sense of disappointment and confusion.

Matthew gave Trey the half-smile, half-smirk that made the boy feel like Jello on the inside and explained, "You've got dried cum in the corner of your mouth and on your chin."

Trey blushed and scurried out from under the covers and hurried to wash up while Matthew went back to sleep.

The commotion woke the tweens. Derek pulled Michael up and the boys headed into the hallway sharing one blanket wrapped around their shoulders to hide their nakedness. Derek saw the bathroom was busy. In a split-second decision, he whisked Michael out the back door and around the corner of the house.

"I've gotta pee so bad," said the blonde, opening his half of the blanket and letting go a stream of piss. Michael giggled and opened his half and did the same. The cool Southern California air wrapped itself around their bare bodies sending a shiver up their spines.

Hands-free, Derek shook his hips when he was finished, slopping drips of pee this way and that. He giggled at his own silliness. Michael used his free-hand to shake the last drops away. They wrapped themselves back up in the blanket and Derek led them to one of the recliners by the pool. The boys cuddled up warmly in the blanket deep in thought.

"It's so different with you," said Derek thinking out loud.

"What do you mean? What's different?" asked Michael.

"I don't know..." Derek didn't want to have to explain. He wanted Michael to read his mind and understand. "It's just when you and me do stuff together it's way different than when I do stuff with Trajan."

"How?"

"I don't know... It's just... nicer." Derek really couldn't explain how. It was just the way he felt. "I mean, I like doing stuff with Trajan and we do stuff a lot." The boys giggled because they both knew that was the truth. "It's just that with you, it's nicer. We're not just getting our cums."

"Having orgasms," corrected Michael. He sat there and pondered what Derek was trying to articulate. It was different with Derek. He felt it too but didn't know what to make of it. He turned his head to face Derek. "I think it is nicer with you, too."

Derek turned and looked into Michael's eyes then leaned in for a kiss. The two 11-year-olds picked up right where they left off the night before.

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No one answered after he knocked on the door, so Trey eyed the doorbell. Shifting from foot to foot, he grew impatient and knocked again. This time a bit louder.

The door opened and Anna Olsen answered the door. "Good morning, Trey. What brings you here without the rest of the boys?"

"I'm sorry to come so early, Mrs. Olsen, but I need to speak to Christian before I leave today. Is he awake?"

"Yes, I'll get him. Would you like to come in?"

"Uh... no. I'll wait here."

Anna walked to the kitchen and moments later Trey saw Christian bounding down the hall to the front door.

"Hey!" chirped Christian. He was happy to see one of his friends. "Sorry I couldn't go to your party yesterday. I hope it was fun." George Fuerst and his son Lewis had come over for dinner and the parents wanted the boys to be with the families instead of adding to Dr. Meijer's mass of teens.

"Yeah, it was fun," smiled Trey, thinking about his before bed activities. "So, I'm leaving today, and I wanted to ask you a favor."

"Uh... yeah. Okay." Christian and Trey weren't particularly close, so Christian had no idea what Trey could possibly be asking of him.

Trey held out a book he was carrying. "Here. Michael needs someone to keep him working on this book. He let me help him because I told him it was my way of paying him back for helping me get off the streets. I think he needs you to help him now that I'm leaving."

"Me?"

"Yeah," nodded Trey.

"Why not Lukas, or Matthew?"

"Because you are the only one he really listens to. He loves his brothers and does what they say, but you are the only one who is smart enough for him to really listen to what you are saying. He needs someone as smart as he is to challenge him when he's being stubborn or getting down on himself."

Christian takes the book and looks at the cover. "Is Michael okay?"

"Not as okay as he lets on. That's why he needs us to help him. Dr. Meijer got the book and I've been working on it with Michael every day. You got that? Every day. It's really important."

"Yeah, okay. Every day," repeated Christian. Trey looked really concerned and Christian felt the urgency and importance of this request. "For Michael."

"Thank you," Trey turned to leave before turning back around and giving Christian a brief hug. "He really needs you." Trey turned and jogged back to the Meijer residence leaving Christian standing on the front porch of the yellow two-story on Maple Street.

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The Meijer boys and Trey waited in Lukas' room for Trey's family to arrive. They paced, fidgeted, moped, and stared out the front window to see if anyone arrived. After two hours they were going crazy and it was still 15 minutes before the scheduled time of arrival.

"Look!" shouted Lukas, pointing out the window. A black Lincoln limousine pulled up and parked in front of the house. Five faces peered out the window to see who got out.

From the driver's side, a young, twenty-something emerged. Dressed in a blazer, he turned to shut the car door.

"Shit! That's them! That's your family, Trey!" congratulated Matthew, as if it weren't obvious. The man looked exactly like an older version of Trey himself.

Seeing the family resemblance himself, Trey felt excited to see family. They watched the man round the back of the limousine and open the door. Offering a hand, he helped a lady that must have been his grandmother out of the vehicle.

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Michael.

"What?" asked Trey.

"Do you know who that is?" asked Simon. All eyes turned to Michael.

The boy nodded as he stared at the sight he couldn't believe. "That's Elena Maria Isabel Wertheimer-Diaz."

"Who?" asked Trey.

"Dude, she's the creator of Diaz Fashions and the Wertheimer family owns Chanel," explained Michael. Realizing Trey wasn't following, Michael turned to Trey and drew the boy's attention. "Trey, she's one of the richest women in the world and she's here for you."