TUESDAY, MAY 26

"You've got to be fucking kidding?" exclaimed Jonathan into his cellphone. The customers standing in line around him at Starbucks glared at him for his outburst. Calming a bit, he lowered his voice and asked, "How fucking stupid can you get?"

"I know, right?" agreed Thomas, the tour manager calling from Salzburg, Austria. "Getting caught crossing the German border with drugs, the idiot. We're going to have to cancel the Munich show unless we go on tomorrow night without an opening act. Postponing isn't an option because the Olympiahalle is booked and then we have our dates in Hamburg and Rotterdam. Besides, there's no telling how long they will hold him."

Having the tour's opening act unavailable pissed Jonathan off. He was already rethinking his idea to bring that act under his management at Crush Music. In his mind, they were already off the tour, but what would he do for the remaining shows? In most cases, he could find another musician to jump in and hold down the fort until the band member was able to rejoin the tour. Fredrick was a solo act. Without him, the musicians backing him were useless.

But Jonathan didn't run one of the top management companies out of luck. His reputation was built on being able to come up with solutions. "Okay, I know we don't have anyone at Crush that can jump in to finish the tour. But I have an idea. I'll call you back."

Jonathan ended the call and went through his mental check list. The band would need passports. That was obviously covered. They would need visas to work in the EU. With one band member an EU resident, they could fast track the rest of the band. And the band was only three or four hours from Hamburg. He could arrange for them to borrow instruments and if worse came to worst, the other drummer on tour was also an SJC artist. He didn't think Mike would mind what the drum set looked like as long as Lukas was playing SJC. It was late in Herning, but the call couldn't wait. He searched for Lars' phone number.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 27

Tuesday has been an exhilarating day for all the boys. The Meijer extended family from all over northern and central Jutland (the continental part of Denmark) couldn't wait to see Lars, Lukas, and the newest members of their family. Thankfully family arrived throughout the day giving Michael and Matthew time to meet and get to know family members before the next wave arrived. It was inevitable that they wouldn't remember all their names, but it didn't dampen their joy. The day culminated with a cookout. Despite the excitement and adrenaline from their travels, jetlag and exhaustion caught up to the boys and they all headed off to bed early. Barely able to keep their eyes open long enough to execute their bedtime routines, the boys were asleep before they even had time to settle into bed.

Lore and Isaac didn't expect any of their guests from America to wake up before breakfast--especially when most were teenage (or tween) boys. It was a surprise when Lars appeared in the kitchen.

"You missed breakfast," greeted Lore. She poured her son a cup of coffee and joined him at the table after giving her only child a hug and a kiss. "Were you and Zach comfortable in your old room?"

Lars took a sip of the coffee. "Mmmmm... Thanks mom. Yes, we were just fine. But by the time we got to bed last night, we probably could have spent the night on a bed of nails and slept just as well. The jetlag always knocks me on my butt the first day home. It didn't help that I got a phone call in the middle of the night." Lars took another sip. "Is dad still out in the barn?"

"Yes. He's been turning more and more responsibilities over to Hendrik, but I think he misses being out in the fields."

"Do you think papa is going to retire soon? I can't imagine him letting Hendrik run the farm. I mean, he's been working for papa for years and could run the farm in his sleep, but how would you put up with a bored, old man around the house all day."

The back door opened, and Isaac's booming voice said, "Who are you calling an old man?"

Lars rose and gave his father a hug. "Could I have a talk with you two? The phone call I got last night could blow up our plans for this trip and I wanted to talk this over with you before the boys hear anything about it."

"What's wrong?" asked Isaac scooting up to the table with his freshly poured mug of coffee in hand.

"Nothing's wrong, it's just that the boys have been asked to do a favor for one of the most powerful talent management people in the music industry. It's an incredible opportunity, but it would mean we can't stay here." Lars took a big gulp of his coffee and watched the disappointment fall over his mother's face.

"You have to go back to the States so soon?" she asked. "You just got here."

"Oh no, that's not it at all," assured Lars. "If that were the case, I would have told him no already. The reason I'm having such a difficult time with this decision is because he wants the boys to play a series of shows here in Europe. They'll get to play venues with audiences of ten- to twenty-thousand people and travel to several different countries. As much as I want them to experience Herning and our farm, I want them to experience Europe and the cultural differences between the countries."

"Son," said Isaac, "I don't think there is any question about which is the right decision. An opportunity like this doesn't come along every day. Those boys would regret not getting to play those shows."

"I know, but I'm worried about Michael." Lars sipped his coffee again. "Mama, the way he stayed close to you yesterday. He's not clingy like that unless something is on his mind. I think has been craving the type of love the two of you can give and he's eating it up. While the other boys may regret not getting to play those shows, I'm afraid Michael would regret and even resent me taking him away from you two so soon."

Lore, Isaac, and Lars were eventually joined by Carol and Zach and continued their conversation about the boys' opportunity and the vacation plans. The lively conversation kept them from hearing Lukas' phone ring.

Somehow, in his deep sleep, Lukas heard his ringtone. Wiped out from jetlag, he untangled himself from the two boys in his bed and answered his phone. "Hello?" he mumbled.

"Good morning, Lukas! Can't believe you are sleeping with the big news!"

"Huh? What?" Lukas looked at his phone and saw it was Mike Ciprari. "What time is it?"

"Well, it's about 5am here in the states. Tony flew in last night. He'll fly over with it once we have it ready. Are you guys going to play that acoustic segment where you use that smaller, stripped-down drum kit? I'll send one of those just in case. It won't be your walnut kit, but at least you'll have something."

In Mike's excitement he was missing the fact that Lukas didn't have any idea what he was talking about. He rattled on at full speed. "Tony will be traveling with you as your drum tech, so you'll have nothing to worry about. He's got you covered. He's excited because he's good friends with the other drummer, Dan Pawlovich. What?" Mike's attention was drawn to Tony for a moment. "Oh yeah. We're wondering if Tony should fly into Herning, or should he meet you guys in Hamburg?"

"Mike?" asked Lukas.

"Yeah, bud."

"Okay, I was just making sure I wasn't dreaming."

"What do you think?" asked Mike. "We won't have your custom band logo drumhead for your bass, but it should meet you in Rotterdam in time for that show."

Lukas rubbed the sleep from his eyes before addressing Mike's question. "Mike, we're on vacation at my grandpa's farm. What are you talking about?"

"Didn't Jonathan tell you? Panic! At the Disco is playing Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Paris, and London over the next two weeks and their opening act can't finish the tour. Jonathan wants you guys to finish the tour."

When Lukas' groggy brain finally comprehended what Mike was saying, it ordered a shot of adrenaline be injected into the teen's bloodstream waking him fully. "WHAT?! Are you fucking serious?" Lukas' screaming into his phone woke everyone who was still asleep and alerted Lars that the boys now knew (or would soon learn) of the invitation. "How?"

"Well, Panic! At the Disco is one of Jonathan's acts. He tries to keep his bands touring together but no one else is available or able to get to Europe for these shows. So, you guys were his contingency plan. He knew you guys were in Europe and could easily fill in. And get this, their drummer is also an SJC artist. We think you and Dan will really hit it off."

Lukas could barely hear Mike's explanation over all the questions the others were asking. Even Michael, Christian, and Matthew entered Lukas' room to see what the commotion was about.

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Lukas. "Hold on, Mike." He muted his microphone and filled in his brothers. "Guys! Remember Jonathan from Crush Music? He manages Panic! At the Disco and their opening act bailed. He invited us to finish their European with them!"

The boys were speechless. It may have been they thought they were dreaming, or they could have been too sleepy to get the full impact of what Lukas told them.

In the silence of the room, everyone heard Mike over Lukas' phone. "Lukas? Lukas? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, Mike," he answered. "We don't know anything yet. I'll call you back when we know."

"Okay buddy. Don't make it too long. We've got to get through customs and all that shit. Don't want you to be without your kit."

"Will do. Later." Lukas ended the call and looked at the dumbstruck boys staring at him. "Well?"

"Does dad know?" asked Matthew.

"Good question," said Lukas crawling over Scott.

Before Lukas passed into the hallway, Matthew grabbed his arm. "You may want to put some pants on." Lukas looked down and realized he was naked. Matthew pointed to Christian and Michael. "Your underwear isn't appropriate either. Everyone dress, splash your faces, and we'll go find dad together."

It sounded like a herd stampeding down the staircase as the boys and their friends and lovers entered the kitchen to find all the adults waiting for them. Lukas looked at them with a furrowed brow. "You already know, don't you?"

"Yes," answered Lars. "Before we discuss the details, let me ask this, are you interested in playing these shows?"

The boys shook their heads in the affirmative, but with varying degrees of certainty.

"Okay," said Lars. When the boys confirmed they wanted to pursue this opportunity, Lars realized he was hoping they would turn it down. He'd been looking forward to his time back home and spending some quiet time with Zach. "Let's go over what you would be agreeing to. Then we can discuss the pros and cons and if we should commit to this. If we do, this is going to change all our plans for this vacation AND it is going to require Matthew to change his plans to return early for baseball."

"You are being asked to play five or six shows in ten days. If the venue in London ops in for a second show, which everyone is expecting, then there'll be an encore show the following night. The shows will be in Hamburg, Germany, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Antwerp, Belgium, Paris, France and London, England. If I remember correctly the smallest venue will be in Antwerp with only about 8,000 people, while the Paris and London shows will have crowds around 20,000. The first show is Friday, so we'd have to leave tomorrow for you to practice and get to know the lighting and sound guys and get the roadies up to speed. That said, the second show in London would be Sunday, June 7th. Matthew, you told your coach you'd be back for practice on June 2nd. You'll have to decide how that impacts you and your status with your coaches and teammates."

Michael migrated over to stand beside Lore and put his arm around here. "We'd have to leave tomorrow?" he whined, clearly upset with having to leave his farmor and farfar earlier than planned.

Isaac reached out and pulled Michael onto his lap. "Kom her lille, (Come here little one.)" he said. He put his big arms around his youngest grandson and Michael melted back into the man.

Michael replied, "Ja, farfar?" His grandparents smiled at his use of his new language skills.

"If you had to leave your grandma and me to go on tour, would that make you not want to go with your brothers?"

Michael was torn. He didn't want to let his brothers down, but he wasn't ready to let go of the grandparents he'd been anticipating meeting forever. His eyes told his brothers "sorry" as he nodded his head "yes". "I want to stay here with you and farmor."

There was a look of panic in Simon and Lukas' eyes. Their minds worked frantically to find a way to talk Michael into going on the road with them. It was just too cool of an opportunity to pass up.

"Well Michael," said Lore, reaching out and taking Michael's hand, "would you want to go on tour if we went with you?"

"What?" asked Lukas. It seemed to be a common question for him this morning.

Isaac explained. "I've been promising your grandmother a vacation for a while now. We think a short tour of Europe, you know, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Paris, and London would make a nice trip."

Michael spun around and hugged his farfar. "Thank you!"

Lukas joined Michael giving his grandfather a huge hug. "Really farfar?" asked Lukas. "You'd leave the farm to see me play in the band...I mean us?"

Isaac opened his arms and Lukas joined Michael in Isaac's embrace. "Of course, I want to see you play, Lukas. I want to see all of my boys play in the band...you, Michael, Matthew, and Simon."

"Matthew," asked Lars, "what about you?"

"It's not just up to me," replied Matthew, placing his hand on Zach's shoulder. "Hey man, what about you? We can't do this without you. Do you want to do this?"

Zach drew a mouthful of coffee and savored the rich, full flavor of Lore's favorite Danish dark roast. He looked at Scott, his little brother, and said, "There is something I learned from our father a while back. That is, sometimes an experience is more important that your long-term plan. That it is important to not miss out on the now because you are so focused on the future."

"Seriously?" asked Scott. "Our dad actually said that?"

"Yeah, he did." Zach reached out and grasped Lars' hand. Smiling at his mentor and lover, he said, "I'd be crazy to turn down an opportunity like this."

The boys thanked Zach and gave him fist bumps and hugs. Matthew squeezed his shoulder and added, "I feel the same way. I think my coaches and the guys on the team will understand that I'm not putting my music before baseball, but I also can't turn down this offer. It's the chance of a lifetime."

"Well," said Lars, "Carol, what do you think?"

"Oh thanks!" she said with a chuckle. "Putting me in a situation where I can't say 'no'." She wadded up a paper towel and threw it at Lars. "This is a vacation to get away from home, have fun, and connect with family. I think this is a fantastic way to accomplish all of these things, but I want everyone to think about how tiring this is going to be on the boys. If we agree to this tour, it's a contractual agreement. You're getting paid for these shows and all that goes with it. We'll have to put the shows, resting up for the performances, and everything that goes with that ahead of sightseeing and family time. We may have to make detours or cancel excursions for interviews and radio appearances to promote the shows."

The boys were too wrapped up in their excitement to weigh the gravity of what Carol was saying. They just heard concert tour, travel around Europe, and money.

Carol looked at each boy's face, even the faces of Christian and Scott who would just be tag-a-longs. Even those boys were swept up in the excitement. "Okay then. But we need to start planning now."

"And you are just the person to keep us all in the right place at the right time," said Lars.

Carol gave him the stink eye then laughed. "Well," she said heading for her purse to grab her iPad, "so much for this being a vacation for me."

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Lore and Carol were busy with communications and logistics. Carol worked with Mike and Tony to get the drum kits for Lukas to play and tour managers at Crush Music to connect to a music store for the other boys to borrow instruments, transportation, and other logistics. With this being a combination family vacation and concert tour, organizing transportation and lodging was more complicated. Though the boys would have been perfectly happy to sleep on the tour bus, Carol suspected that wouldn't be the top choice for Isaac and Lore.

Lore, on the house phone, called the relatives to tell them the big news and the change in plans. She arranged another cookout that evening and other relatives were coming Thursday morning to wish the boys off.

With the ladies having taken over the kitchen, Isaac returned to the barn leaving Lars and Zach to deal with the boys. Christian had recruited Scott to help with the social media -- specifically taking pictures and videos of the boys -- while he changed the scheduled posts in Sprout Social and created new posts announcing the upcoming shows. Matthew was making and returning phone calls to April, his coaches and his teammates. Everyone seemed to be just as excited about the European shows as Matthew. Michael called Alejandro to tell him the news and to start making other arrangements for their visit. After they ended their call, Alejandro contacted some friends back in East Harbor which sparked a flood of texts and calls to Michael, Simon, and Lukas' phones.

The one thing Zach was certain of was they needed to get the boys behind some instruments to warm up and get their minds back on their music. He and Lars put their minds together and decided to find a music store that would allow them to come in and play for a while. They found one, but not in Herning. Lars drove the entire crew east to the coastal town of Vejle. The historic city of almost 120,000 people was first mentioned in documentation in 1256, but archeological records show the area was settled as early as 1100.

Michael was glued to the window as they drove through the picture-perfect city. The classic Danish architecture and windmills -- real windmills -- made the boy feel like he was transported back in time. Guitarhuset (The Guitar House) was right downtown giving Michael ample opportunity to take in the beauty of the city.

Zach was navigating since Lars was used to driving in Denmark. "The store should be up here on the left. Just past the entrance there should be an entrance to the rear parking lot."

Everyone was looking for the store entrance. "Is that it?" asked Lukas. "The place with all the people out front?"

"There," pointed Zach. "That's the entrance to the parking."

Lars had spotted the entrance at the same time and made the left turn as the boys watched and wondered what the crowd was doing outside the music shop.

"Okay everybody," said Lars as he parked the SUV. "Let's get to work and get back home. We're going to be on the road long enough, I want you to have time to enjoy the farm and get rested up."

The boys nodded in understanding and scrambled from the truck. The entourage gathered at the rear of the vehicle then headed back through the passage to the street to get to the store entrance. It was only the second door down, but during that brief stroll, the boys began to realize the crowd was a bunch of teenagers and tweens with their parents. One girl of about 13 turned and the boys saw her t-shirt.

"Hey! That's..." was all Lukas got out before the girl in the homemade At the Majestic t-shirt screamed.

"Det er dem! (It's them!)" she said.

"Det er Lukas! (That's Lukas!)" exclaimed one of the older boys.

In a flash, the boys were surrounded by fans asking "autograf tak" which they understood to be requests for autographs with a thank you thrown in for politeness. Dazed and a little confused, the boys did their best to sign the books, t-shirts, printed out social media posts, and anything else that got passed their way.

A few more fans arrived as the crowd broke to allow the boys into the store. Karl, the store owner, greeted the boys at the door. "Welcome, boys! Come in! Come in!"

He noticed the boys' confusion and explained. "Ha! You didn't expect a crowd, did you?" He waved the fans into the store. "Take your places. Hurry, take your places," he told them. "You see," he explained to his American guests, "I also teach at our version of 'School of Rock'. When the students asked about Danish rockers, we found At the Majestic and their Danish-American drummer and songwriter. Since then, the children have followed you on social media and have even learned some of your songs. They would like to play them for you."

The boys stood silently until Lukas asked, "Really?" They couldn't believe the kids from outside were now geared up and ready to play on a small, makeshift stage in the corner of the store.

"When you called and asked about wanting to practice," continued Karl, "I set up some gear and called my students. I hope you don't mind. I'm sure you get this all the time back home."

Simon and Matthew laughed. "No, we don't," replied Matthew, "this is a first for us."

"I apologize for taking up some of your practice time," said Karl, "we'll be quick." He turned to the kids who had a set list taped to the mic stands. The drummer counted off and the local kids tore into their cover of "Betrayal". In all, they played four original At the Majestic songs including "April Showers".

The boys applauded enthusiastically when the Danish music students ended their short set. Honored would be an understatement for how they felt. Here was a group of inspiring musicians looking up to them and playing their music. The boys approached the Danish student rockers exchanging high-fives, fist bumps, and in some cases, hugs. In all that commotion, they traded places with the boys and Zach finding the gear they needed.

Michael adjusted the mic. "We really appreciate your following us and listening to our music. It's like, really, really incredible," he said struggling to find the words to express how he felt. He stepped back from the mic and looked to his brothers and said something the others couldn't hear. Approaching the mic again, he stated, "If you don't mind, I'm sure Christian, the cute blond over there, would like to post the video he shot of you guys playing our songs. But only with the permission of your parents, of course. It's up to you guys to coordinate all that. In the meantime, we hope you'll hang out to listen to us for a bit. We aren't going to be doing a show in Denmark this time around, but I sure hope we do the next time we're here. As a special treat, we want to play our new single. We haven't even leaked a promo or clip of this song yet, but the single is coming out next Tuesday. It's called, 'Lost and Found'."

The boys spent three hours working out their fingers and vocal cords, focusing on their musicianship and ironing out their playlist before going on stage to practice the next afternoon in Hamburg. Much to their surprise, everyone stayed the entire time. Karl made a point to note how the boys practiced and played a certain phrase of a song. For him, it was an incredible opportunity to instruct all his pupils by watching professional musicians.

When Karl referred to them as "professional musicians", the boys almost protested. But they realized it was the truth. They had downplayed getting paid for a show here or there, but this was six shows, five different countries, to crowds that should total nearly 85,000 people when it is all over. They could no longer deny it, they were a professional rock band.

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Sitting by the campfire, Lore held a sleeping Michael as she talked to Lars privately. "You know how hard it is on me every time you leave for home after a visit, don't you?"

"Ja, mor (Yes, mama)," said Lars. He spoke in Dutch to emphasize his heartfelt understanding. "For at være ærlig bliver det sværere og sværere at være væk fra dig og far. (To be honest, it is getting harder and harder to be away from you and papa."

"Don't tell your father I told you this, but he's talked about selling the farm and moving to be closer to you and the boys."

"Was he serious?" asked Lars. He could never have imagined his father ever considering doing such a thing.

"Yes, he was," confirmed Lore. "He's so proud of you, Lars. He would never tell you for fear he would make you feel guilty about living so far away, but he misses you. He misses Little Isaac. And I think you can tell how attached he's gotten to Michael and Matthew. We love the boys, all of them, even Scott and Christian, and that will just give us more to miss when you go home."

"I'm not gonna lie," said Lars, "I would love it if you and papa would retire and move to California, or somewhere in the states. I think the boys would be blessed to have you in their lives more, and Zach and I would too."

"Speaking of which," said Lore approaching a topic she had been dying to discuss, "you two make quite a couple."

Lars smiled and blushed.

"I like him a hell of a lot better than I ever liked Jan," she added.

"Well, that isn't hard to do. You told me from the start that you thought there was something off about him," admitted Lars. "Sometimes I wish I'd listened, but if I had, I wouldn't have Lukas."

"True," agreed Lore. "Nor would you have the other boys in your life." She gave Michael a squeeze and it didn't even disturb his sleep. The excitement of their trip to Guitarhuset in Vejle and all of the running around and games he played with his new cousins during the afternoon, Michael was wiped out. "How serious are the two of you?" she asked.

"Pretty serious," revealed Lars. "Especially for as little time as I've known him."

"It's not the length of time you've known him, but the quality of the time," said Lore. "At least that was your reasoning for having him move in with you and the boys after only dating for a couple months.

"True," said Lars. Those were almost his exact words when his mother questioned him about having a lover move into the house where her grandson lived.

"Has he done anything to make you question that choice?" asked Lore.

Lars smiled again, "No, he hasn't. As a matter of fact, every day he confirms to me it was the right move. He's a very special guy."

"Yes, he is," agreed Lore, "he reminds me of your father."

Lars looked at her questioningly and she acknowledged his curiosity with nod. Then she explained, "First of all, he's quite good looking." They both laughed. "He's also quiet like your father unless he has something to say. When he does, it is thoughtful and intelligent. And the most important trait that your father and Zach share is they know when to shut up and defer to us." Lars and Lore burst into loud laughter that was heard throughout the yard and inside the house.

"Farmor?" asked Michael, waking up confused about where he was.

"Ja, Michael," she said, running her hand through his hair before stroking the back of his head. Speaking Danish to each other was a way of bonding between grandmother and grandson. Lore kept their conversations to vocabulary he knew and Michael was proving to be a quick study. "Hvorfor går du ikke i seng, så laver jeg din yndlingsfrench toast til morgenmad. (Why don't you go to bed, and I'll make your favorite French toast for breakfast.)"

"Okay," he mumbled. He kissed his farmor goodnight then shared a hug and kiss with his father before stumbling into the house.

When the door closed behind Michael, Lore said, "Don't let Zach get away."

"I won't, mama," assured Lars. "I won't."

"And one more thing," added Lore.

"What's that?"

"The boys are old enough to travel by themselves. Until things change, they should come visit more often. They shouldn't have to wait until you or Carol can find time to take a vacation."

The tone of Lore's voice let Lars know that wasn't up for discussion. "Elsker dig, mor. (Love you, mama.)"

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THURSDAY, MAY 28

The morning was a whirlwind of excitement and activity. Lore and Isaac were making final arrangements for the house and farm while they were away. It has been over a decade since they'd been away from home this long. Carol made final calls and confirmed arrangements for the tour, more so for her own assurance than out of necessity. The team at Crush were experienced professionals and were able to jump in and manage tour arrangements for a new band with unique needs and the group of adults accompanying them. Once Carol and the team at Crush came to the understanding that the band's profits from the tour were the least of their concerns, the guys at Crush took ownership of getting the right transportation, appropriate accommodations, and an agreeable schedule so all three generations would enjoy the experience.

To help get Lore and Isaac out the door and to their much needed vacation, Lars' cousins and their children came early and cooked brun grillpølse for lunch, a long brown sausage grilled and served on a bun like a hot dog back in the States. The cousins visited their American relatives and friends before the tour buses arrived.

The enthusiasm escalated when the tour busses turned up the driveway to the Meijer farm. Giant "@" symbols were wrapped on the sides of the busses alerting to everyone as to who was onboard. The kids, including the Meijer boys and their friends, vibrated with excitement. Each person on the farm that afternoon knew this was a defining moment in the lives of the band members. Even the littlest ones could feel their parents' emotions and understood something big was happening.

The boys boarded the busses and waved to their friends and relatives as the busses pulled out heading for Hamburg. Turning right onto Knudmosevej, they found the sides of the road dotted with parked vehicles and kids and adults holding up signs and cheering for their hometown heroes. Even having grown up nearly his entire life in California, Lukas was born in Herning and was the grandson of Isaac Meijer, one of Herning's most respected residents. The well wishes and yelling of the boys' names warmed their hearts. The band shouted out thank you and love to their fans--Lukas and Michael in Danish which led to even louder cheering. The busses drove slowly to allow the boys and their fans to interact before hopping on the 15 to the Herning Syd to take the 18 through Vejle.

They received a similar welcome as they passed through Vejle. Residents and fans found high ground so the boys could see them from the highway. Waving signs and arms, jumping and running to see the boys, to get a glimpse of the Danish-American band on their way to join one of the biggest rock band touring Europe that year. Outside of Vejle, the boys even saw fans waving pride flags.

When it seemed they'd passed the last of their fans, the boys shut their windows and went back to what they were doing. Michael, Matthew, and Christian had boarded the second bus with Lore and Isaac. The others were in the lead bus.

"How did they even know we would be coming this way today?" wondered Michael out loud.

"I have a guess," said Christian pulling out his phone. Michael watched over his shoulder and the blond confirmed his suspicions. He texted some of the links he found to the boys on the other bus.

Looking up from his phone, Christian shared with Matthew and the grandparents what he learned. "Back in Herning, someone tipped off the radio and TV stations with the 'grandchildren of local farmer make it big' story. Seeing the posts of our departure, it must have been easy for them to figure out what time we'd be passing through Vejle. And after I posted the videos from our trip to Vejle yesterday, the local picked up on the story and the tour."

Matthew had pulled his phone out looking at some of the same online posts. Showing his phone to Lore, Matthew asked, "Isn't that a national news source?"

Lore looked and confirmed. "From those search results, it looks like DR and TV2 have both picked up the story. They're the two largest TV and radio media companies in Denmark." Lore took Matthew's phone and tapped a few times. "They don't quite have all the details correct, mistakenly reporting that all three of you, Matthew, Michael, and Lukas, since you are brothers, must have all been born in Denmark, but in general, the story is correct. Looks like by the time we get to the German border most Danes will know your names."

Christian was now on his iPad, his main device for managing the band's social media. "Whatever they are saying, it must be pretty good. You guys are getting more hits to your social media and on Spotify.

Michael's phone rang. He answered as Matthew and Christian's phones rang too. At the same time, the phones of the boys in the other bus, as well as Lars, Carol, and Zach's phones.

Carol saw it was the Majestic Enterprises' phone number and stepped to the rear of the bus to answer. "Hello! It's kind of early back in East Harbor, isn't it?"

"Hi Carol," said Janette King. "Is there something you were meaning to tell us?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, I was going to call you during office hours to fill you in on the boys and to prepare you for media inquiries."

Janette laughed. "Too late for that. I came into the office because I was getting too many calls at home. AJ and Alexis are here helping me answer calls until more people can come in. Heck, even Alex is helping to take calls. The boys are all over the national news this morning and everyone wants them for interviews and to play a song or two. We even got a call from the BBC."

"Oh wow," said Carol, shocked by how fast this was all blowing up. "I never imagined that this would be news back in the States. At least not this fast." She wondered if the human-interest side of the story was the hot story at the moment, or if strategic calls and emails were shared to stoke the fires that ignited this story worldwide. "Look, call the temp agency and tell them we're going to need a few people to take incoming calls for a couple weeks at least. Get however many we need; we can't pull Alexis and the others away from their main jobs. I'm sharing my contacts for Jonathan Daniel at Crush and some of his team. They've helped us order merchandise for these shows, but I think we need some for the online store too." Janette and Carol continued to brainstorm how to survive this onslaught of attention the boys were getting while finding ways of cashing in on their newfound fame.

Lukas, Simon, and Scott were on their phones chatting with friends while Zach took calls from his old bandmates back in LA. In the other bus, Matthew turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. When he got to the BBC channel, Lore had him stop. Sure enough, about 15 minutes later a story came on the air about a Danish-American band made up of the Meijer brothers and band mates.

The camera switched to the British newsreader Mishal Husain for the story. The inset video during the story showed the band in Vejle and then of their Santa Monica and Los Angeles shows. "The Danish-American rock band, At the Majestic, made a big splash yesterday in the town of Vejle, Denmark when they stopped into the Guitarhuset to watch some of the local music students play covers of some of their songs. In return, At the Majestic borrowed their instruments and played a short set for their young fans. As you can see from this footage, the Meijer brothers, and their friend Simon ranging from ages 16 to 11, are joined on stage by their bandmate Zach who is a college student. You may not have heard of these boys yet, but you are sure to soon. They've already opened for some of the biggest acts in the world including Khalid and for Green Day and Weezer at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles during the Hella Mega Tour. Now the boys are embarking on a short European tour taking over the duties as opening act for Panic! at the Disco. We caught up with Brendon Urie, lead vocalist and songwriter for Panic! at the Disco to get his thoughts on his new tour partners."

The video switched to Brendon standing outside his hotel in Munich the previous evening with a BBC camera in his face. "I haven't spoken to them yet, so boys, if you are seeing this, welcome to the tour. I have to admit that I hadn't heard of them until last night, but after seeing videos of their shows, I'm really excited they are joining the tour. For our fans, I think you're going to enjoy their music and energy on stage. Also, as you know I'm a huge supporter and ally-in-training of the LGBTQIA+ communities and I understand that most of the boys in At the Majestic identify with those communities. I want them to know the tour will be a safe space for you and your friends and all of your fans too! See you in Hamburg!"

Returning the camera to Mishal, she concluded the story. "Panic! at the Disco is the highest grossing tour in Europe this spring. The tour ends in London with shows on June 6th and 7th. Nick?"

The camera switched to show Mishal and Nick Robinson behind the news desk. "Well Mishal, I know my daughters were excited to hear At the Majestic was joining Panic! on tour. The girls already have tickets for the Saturday performance and Annalise, my eldest, has all of At the Majestic's singles. Good luck, boys. Now onto other news..."

"Wow," said Isaac, "I'm so proud of you boys. Can you show us the video of your show at Dodger Stadium?"

"Jo da, farfar! (Sure, grandpa!)" said Michael. Christian helped as the boys figured out how to hookup a laptop to the TV. Before they could finish, Matthew had picked up the remote and brought up the YouTube app on the SMART TV and found the video.

"Your farfar wants to see that show because he knows Dodger Stadium from when Elton John played there. He's a huge Sir Elton fan."

"Huh? OH!" said Michael when the video started to play without the laptop. Christian and Matthew squeezed in on the ends of the couch with Isaac and Lore in the middle. Michael sort of laid across them with his head on the armrest next to Christian and his feet in Lore's lap. Having kicked off his shoes, Michael wiggled his socked toes.

Matthew nudged his grandmother, "That means he wants his feet rubbed. Do that and he'll be putty in your hands." Lore and Matthew shared a conspiratorial smile before she took her young grandson's feet into her hands.

Michael let out an audible sigh and relaxed into the loving arms and hands that held him as they watched the performance from the Hella Mega tour.

The group watched the video intensely. While Lore and Isaac didn't know any of the music, Lore "oohed" and "aahed" at the boys' performance. Isaac sat rapt from the beginning to the end of the show and the additional footage of them playing Hash Pipe with Weezer and American Idiot with Green Day.

When the video ended, Michael looked expectantly at his grandparents. Christian noticed and pulled Michael closer. This visit had shown Christian a side of Michael he hadn't seen. Despite the times he'd sat with a vulnerable Michael working through his recovery book or just talking and sharing their inner most thoughts and feelings, he'd never known the boy to need approval and validation like he seemed to with his grandparents.

With the excitement of the trip and the chaos around the tour, the two of them had little time to themselves. In fact, to Christian's recollection, it was the least amount of time they'd spent one-on-one since they'd been a couple. There were times he'd felt Michael was ignoring him during this trip. However, once he saw the bond his boyfriend was making with his grandparents, and how much that bond fed Michael's soul, he shared in the joy that Michael felt. He repeatedly reassured himself that this was the best for Michael and things would calm down once they were with his family in Norway. Michael would only have these two weeks to bond with Lore and Isaac and from Christian's evaluations, they were pretty awesome grandparents.

"Well?" asked Michael, unable to stand the silence from his farfar.

Isaac took Matthew's hand and reached over for Michael's. "Those were my boys on that stage. MY boys. I couldn't be prouder. I'm so proud of you. Lore, they were amazing. Our boys were amazing."

It was the response Michael needed. His smile lit the bus as the tension in his body washed away. For some reason, deep inside, Michael worried that he would be blamed for messing up the vacation plans and ruining their visit with the Meijer grandparents. He knew it was silly to think that. However, the voices from his past had come creeping back, telling him how much of a screwup he was and how his arrival in East Harbor had gotten his mother killed, Lewis kidnapped, Lars attacked on social media, and now, screwing up the things for the family and their visit back home in Denmark.

Lore and Isaac continued to share how pleased and proud they were of the boys until Matthew yawned. "I'm sorry," apologized Matthew, "I'm just still tired from all the excitement. I think it's finally catching up with me."

"You boys should get some rest," suggested Lore. "I suspect it will be a long evening of practice once we get to Hamburg. You were saying you needed to work with the sound team, the lighting team, and practice your set for the show tomorrow. Why don't you boys go lie down and get some rest."

They would arrive in Hamburg with time to spare before they were to meet the teams at Barclays Arena. Time enough for them to catch some zzzs before they needed to be on stage. Since they'd selected tour busses designed primarily for day trips, this bus didn't have multiple sets of cubbies for sleeping. Instead, the rear of the bus was a small bedroom with a queen-size bed. The three boys slipped into the bedroom and shared the bed with Michael happily in the middle. Matthew smiled when Michael cuddled with Christian. In the past, his little bro would have been in his arms in an instant. But they were both growing up and he felt a tinge of pain and longing for them to stay young forever. Feeling the need to be close to Michael, Matthew took Michael's hand in his before joining the younger boys in sleep.

----------------------     

Lukas, Simon, and Scott may have started their naps before the boys in the other bus, but theirs was not nearly as rejuvenating. They'd fallen asleep sitting on the benches along the busses dining table. Much like sleeping on a plane, the boys were slumped against the bus wall or, in Lukas' case, against Simon, in some weird upright, less-than-comfortable, position.

Carol, Lars, and Zach retreated to the entertainment area and chatted quietly while the boys slept. The tour hadn't even begun. In fact, they hadn't even arrived at the first venue. Yet one thing was very clear to the three of them. The next 10 days or so would be a learning experience. Perhaps the hardest lesson would be trusting the tour manager and their new support team at Crush. It's not that Carol wasn't used to turning over tough projects to a team and trusting them to execute her vision and to her standards. She'd done that plenty of times in her career. The difference this time was she didn't know the team members. Not only had she not picked the members of the team which they would rely on so much, she had never even met them except on a few phone calls. She'd even known the teams of consultants she'd hired better than the team at Crush. But if anything was clear, they knew how to manage and produce a concert tour and she didn't.

The other lesson they would learn during the tour would not be nearly as difficult. She and Lars would need to learn to be supportive parents and what that entailed, versus parents managing what was going on around the boys. Since they'd committed to the tour, Carol realized that she and Lars were not equipped to manage the tour, nor did they want to learn to do that. That meant they would be turning over those responsibilities to the team at Crush. For the first time in the boys' lives, she and Lars were more like bystanders in their sons' lives. Contracts, a management company, and the expectations of tens of thousands of concert goers would hold influence over the boys' decisions and attitudes over the next week or so. Carol worried this might be too much too fast. Sure, they'd played bigger shows, but in both cases, they were an unknown quantity and a surprise for the audience. With all the unsolicited publicity (at least from the band's perspective), the crowds attending these shows will know At the Majestic is the opening act and will have expectations of the band. Unlike most bands who jump on a small regional tour opening in clubs for bands only slightly more well known, their first time, however brief, was on the European leg of a major band's world tour.

Carol looked over at the sleeping boys and wondered how all of this would impact their lives and if she and Lars had adequately prepared them for such responsibilities at such a tender age. Her thoughts drifted to Michael and Matthew in the other bus. The emotional rollercoaster those two had been on since arriving in Denmark was apparent to everyone, even if neither spoke about it. She knew Lars was keeping close tabs on them, but Carol was concerned that this might be too much pressure on those boys. Megan had done a fine job raising those boys in spite of her husband, but the emotional baggage and scars still remained. Lars forewarned her that this trip would stirs up many of those emotions in both boys. They had enlisted Zach's assistance in keeping a close eye on those two's emotional wellbeing.

The conversation between the three of them lasted until they reached the arena. Carol checked in with security when they arrived. They had 30 minutes before catering would arrive and the tour meeting. They let the boys sleep for another 15 minutes before waking them and herding them inside for the meeting.

Caterers set up a buffet of traditional German foods with options for different dietary needs. It was enough food to feed an army, but as the crews arrived for the meeting with the band joining the tour, they realized there was an army to feed.

Thomas, the road tour manager, called the meeting to order once everyone had food. The boys had shared their tentative set list, Stone and Jess had shared their notes and programming for lighting and sound, Keith and Asa shared masters of the music videos they'd made for the band, and the tour's sound and lighting guys had watched the boy's live performances in preparation. Carol and Lars were impressed by the preparation and professionalism of the crew. They both realized it was their own unconscious bias that allowed them to expect anything less than the work ethic and preparation they witnessed from the team.

After about 45 minutes, everyone broke to get set up for a run through of the show. The boys had another 45 minutes to sort things out and warm up as the other crews took their notes and laptops to upload and tweak their programs before the rehearsal.

"Wow," said Scott in amazement as the boys walked out onto the stage of Barclays Arena in Hamburg. He got goosebumps thinking about his friends playing on that very stage the next evening to a packed audience.

"Tony!" greeted Lukas.

The drum tech looked up from the boxes strewn around the stage. "Hey buddy!" Tony walked over and gave Simon and Lukas bro hugs. "Congrats you guys! I can't believe this is happening for you so fast. The promo we shot hasn't even been released and you're already on tour with the new drums." He approached the rest of the group. "You must be Michael and Matthew. I'm Tony Hughes, Lukas' drum tech." It felt odd to them that Lukas had someone to work on his drums. It was that feeling that things were continuing to change for the band in unexpected ways. They shook hands with Tony and introduced the rest of their entourage.

The boys broke up to find the instruments they requested and to get familiar with the equipment they'd be using the next week or so. The boys did appreciate that the roadies had studied their videos and set up guitar stands, amplifiers, and their other gear the way they would have done it themselves.

A security guard walked out on stage. In a heavy German accent, he asked, "Which of you is Matthew Meijer?"

The accent made the words sound harsh and authoritative to the boys. Matthew felt like he was in trouble for something. "I am," he confessed, almost afraid of what would happen next.

"You have a package," said the guard holding up a polyethylene envelop.

Matthew accepted the overnight package from East Harbor. He didn't recognize the return address and was curious about what he'd find inside. Ripping the package open, a card fell out. Before seeing what else was inside, he picked up the card from the stage and opened it.

"Congrats Bro! Don't worry about your place on the team. We're all excited for you! Wear these on stage to represent us and make us proud!" The card was signed by each of his San Diego Force teammates and coaches. From inside the envelop, he pulled out home and away baseball jerseys with his name and number on them.

He couldn't have explained it if he tried, but this gesture meant the world to Matthew. This wasn't about him being part of the band. This wasn't about him being Michael's brother or a Meijer. This wasn't even about him being a great baseball player. This was about his teammates appreciating him as a person. It was a sign of true friendship, something he had yet to truly feel from his new classmates. Putting the card back in the envelop, Matthew carefully placed the jerseys and the card back into the envelop and gave it to Carol for safe keeping.

Zach approached them from behind and asked, "So what's all that about?"

"Well," said Matthew with a huge smile, "I don't know about you guys, but I know what I'm wearing on stage for these shows." He headed back to prepare for rehearsal.

Zach turned to Carol and Lars. Referring to what just happened, he said, "That was pretty cool." Then his expression turned more serious. "Look, this is going to get really boring for you and your parents. I mean, you're gonna see this show six times as it is, I don't think you need to sit through the rehearsal. The boys know how to handle themselves and they are serious about wanting to rehearse for tomorrow night. Why don't you four go have some fun, figure out what we can do to entertain the boys tomorrow in their free time, and maybe see if Scott and Christian want to go with you. We'll be fine."

Scott and Christian decided to stay and gather more photos and videos to use online. It took some convincing to get Isaac to leave the boys. He was still in awe of the entire experience of being backstage for set up and rehearsal for an arena concert. The fact that it was his grandsons made the experience even more unforgettable.

In the end, the adults decided it would be a good idea to check into the hotel and do some planning. Lore and Isaac joined them.

The boys got everything set up they way they wanted and played through a couple songs to warm up their voices and bodies. Before their first walkthrough, the teams met up again one last time for final adjustments. With feedback to adjust transitions for changing instruments, and the request from Jonathan that the boys have an encore instead of playing a single set, and the suggestion to cut some songs, the boys' set list ended up like this:

Michael: Superstition (Cover -- Stevie Wonder)
Matthew: Ban All the Music (Cover -- Nothing but Thieves)
Simon: Come on Over (Cover -- Royal Blood)
Simon: Betrayal (Original)
Simon: Rock and Roll (Cover -- Led Zeppelin)
Matthew: He's the One for Me (Original)
Michael: Hash Pipe (Cover -- Weezer)
Michael: House of Gold (Cover -- Twenty-One Pilots)
Michael: Lost and Found (Original)
Michael: We Don't Believe What's On TV (Cover -- Twenty-One Pilots)
Matthew: On the Outside Looking In (Original)
Matthew: Miss You (Original)
Matthew: April Showers (Original)
Simon: Body Talks (Cover -- The Struts)
Matthew: Neon Brother (Cover -- Nothing But Thieves)
Simon: iwannapieceofthat (Original)
Matthew: No One Knows (Cover -- Queens of the Stone Age)

ENCORE
Lukas: Feel It Still (Cover -- Portugal. the Man)
Michael: Cruel to be Kind (Cover -- Spacehog)
Simon: Kickstart My Heart (Cover -- Motley Crue)
All: My Blood (Cover -- Twenty-One Pilots)

It was ambitious, but the boys wanted to play a combination of their favorite songs to perform live and get in all their original songs they felt were ready to perform live. The first time through was start stop. Lighting and sounds smoothed out the kinks in their setup and now that the song order and set list had changed, the boys had to work out their own transitions as well. After a little over two and a half hours, everyone was ready to do a "dress rehearsal".

The boys took their places, but Zach spoke up. "I'm sorry. I know we all want to get home, but before we go another hour and a half, the boys need to take a 20-minute break. Some of the crew understood and gracefully accepted the delay. But Zach heard some rumbling about it getting late and wanting to get this over with. It was, after all, already 9:00 pm. The last thing Zach wanted was for the band to get off on the wrong foot with the crew. He decided to clear the air. His assertive stance stopped even the boys in their tracks to listen. "Look. It's late, I get it. This isn't what any of us want, least of all, us. But these are the circumstances we're in. Honestly, I'm amazed at what we've accomplished. We only learned about this yesterday morning. In less than 36 hours, we've made it here, playing different instruments, and working out a show that you've only had information about today. If we pull this off tomorrow night, we should all be given medals. I know we want this to be the best show possible and we'll give everything we have onstage tomorrow night. I would hope you will do the same." With that Zach looked at his phone then to the boys. "Bathroom, energy bars, water, then be back on stage for the dress rehearsal at 9:24." The boys nodded and scampered off.

----------------------     

SATURDAY, MAY 24

Le Méridien Hamburg sat just off the southeast shore of Outer Alster Lake just north of downtown Hamburg. In the dark of night, when the boys arrived at the hotel, they didn't take much notice of the view from their windows. However, when Carol woke them and gave them 30 minutes to be showered, dressed, and packed to check out, they woke to a sunny, German morning and a stunning view.

Their windows looked over the tops of the trees lining the lakeshore. On the lake were dozens of sailboats looking like toys scattered across its placid blue surface. Michael and Christian's gaze was interrupted by Matthew.

"We don't have time to gawk. You two hop in the shower first," he directed. "Mom's got a list of things to take care of this morning and I want to see some of the city before we leave tonight."

For the first time since getting down and dirty with Craig and Oliver back home the night before they departed, Christian and Michael were rested and randy.

Michael giggled, "Stop it!" His words were barely distinguishable through his laughter, and it didn't prevent Christian from taking every opportunity to rub his erection against Michael's naked body as they brushed their teeth. If Michael hadn't been horny before the two stripped naked in preparation for their shower, feeling Christian's manhood teasing him certainly revved his engine.

In the shower, the boys hurriedly washed each other to mixed results. Certain parts of each boy were much, much cleaner than other parts. Despite their best efforts to be quick, Matthew was knocking on the door asking for them to hurry. Still wet, they wrapped towels around themselves and exited the bathroom. Luckily for both boys, modesty around other boys was a thing of the past. The towels, if anything, accentuated what lay underneath. It made Matthew's head turn as the boys walked by. The 16-year-old was amazed by what Christian had been poking up his little brother's keester. Snapping back to reality, Matthew entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

The threesome in the other hotel room were less successful at being timely this morning. Lukas was in the role of "small spoon" as the boyfriends made love. Scott faced Lukas and the friends made out while frantically using their hand to see who could make the other peak first.

It wasn't like Carol couldn't hear what was going on in the room when she came to knock on the door and wake the boys. And her threat to use her card key to come in and personally wake them if they weren't out of bed in five minutes didn't help at all. It simply left the three of them frustrated by interrupting them when they were so close. When Carol walked away, they went back to their activities attempting to recapture the moment and finish before she returned.

Having lost track of time, Simon snapped back to reality when he heard the card key. He did a quick visual check and saw they hadn't secured the door. "Shit! Mom!!" The three boys attempted to pull apart and look innocent, but three teen boys on one queen-sized bed doesn't afford much room to feign a casual sleeping arrangement. Especially when there are two beds in the room; one loaded with all the suitcases.

Carol entered the room to find the three boys experiencing drastically different levels of discomfort and embarrassment. For Lukas, his father had interrupted them enough times that having Carol do so wasn't as big a deal. On the flip side, for Simon, it was only Lars that had caught them before. This time it was his own mother making this the most embarrassing moment in his nearly 15 years. Scott was simply mortified. It was true that word had gotten out about his extracurricular activities with Lukas and Simon, but as far as he knew, it was only their friends, not the parents. Now it would be very clear to an adult just how close his relationship was with Lukas and Simon. And if Carol knew, Zach would find out and if Zach knew...

"I'm so fucked," groaned Scott.

"No, you're not," assured Carol. "We would never say anything to your parents unless you were in harm's way."

Scott's ears perked up when he heard Carol use the plural. Reading between the lines, he was pretty sure that Zach and Lars already knew, the three of them had talked things over, and they'd decided not to tell his parents. "Thanks," said Scott in relief.

For a moment, Carol took in the scene of the three, handsome, teenage boys flushed from the vigorous sexual activity in which they had been engaged. It meant the three boys were naked and most likely erect under the blanket. She shook away the scene before her mind's eye and focused on what she needed the boys to do. "We need to get a late breakfast and get some clothes shopping in before we can do any sightseeing before the show."

"Clothes shopping?" asked Simon.

"Yes, we're going to shop for clothes to wear on stage. Now get your butt out of bed and get ready. We're meeting in the hallway in 25 minutes with our luggage to check out." The boys started to get up when Carol quickly raised her hand and headed for the door. "Let me get out of here first."

----------------------     

A porter took their luggage down and checked it while Lars and Zach wrangled the boys up to Heritage Hamburg, the restaurant on the top floor of the hotel. There, the boys found a continental breakfast unlike anything they'd ever seen. A dozen different types of fresh pastries, honey and fruit preserves, quiche, fresh and sliced fruits, cheeses, and even European whole-grain cereals. And of course, several coffee brews, freshly squeezed juices, and even a selection of different milks.

"So, this is what being a rock star is like!" teased Scott. By far the least experienced traveler, everything was new and astonishing for Scott.

Zach even recognized that he had far more experience traveling than his little brother. Once Scott came along, their parents, who had waited until later in life to have children, felt they were too old to travel with two children, so Scott didn't get to have the same experiences he did when he was younger. Then once he moved to LA for school, he and his friends did some traveling together. Putting his arm around his brother, he added, "Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen a spread like this. I can't decide where to even start!"

"I know where to start," announced Lars giving Zach's arm a squeeze. "The coffee. Do you want some?" Zach gave Lars a smile and Lars grabbed two cups.

Loaded plates were taken into the main area of the restaurant and the boys stopped in their tracks. The Heritage offered a floor-to-ceiling panoramic view of Hamburg. The boys found tables along the wall facing Alster Lake, but not far from the food.

Lore and Isaac had been enjoying their morning coffee on the rooftop patio. When they got the text that the boys finally made it to breakfast, they joined them.

"Farmor!" cried out Michael when he saw his grandmother. He ran to hug her and then Isaac when he appeared by his wife's side. The grandparents made their way over to greet the boys and find a table to enjoy a bite to eat.

The boys put a sizable dent in the breakfast bar. When Carol and Lars noticed the boys were mainly standing around talking, she knew it was time to move things along. Jack and Jones clothing store would be open and she hoped all the boys would be able to find suitable attire.

The hotel staff assisted in loading the luggage onto the tour busses and the boys were off toward downtown Hamburg. Driving through the narrow streets, Simon wondered out loud. "I thought Hamburg would be old and historic like Vejle."

"Well," stated Christian, "it is really old. It was founded in like, 500 AD. But we'd have to go to Altstadt to see any of that."

"Yeah," confirmed Michael. "And even there, we'll have to hunt for the old buildings."

"Why's that?" asked Scott.

"Operation Gomorrah," Christian stated flatly.

"What's that?" asked Matthew. The adults' ears were also tuned into the conversation.

"Remember learning about the Dresden bombings during World War II?" asked Michael.

Matthew's World History class was fresher in his mind than the other boys' history lessons. "Yeah. The British and Americans bombed Dresden overnight and basically burned the city to the ground."

"Right. And they killed about 25,000 people in the bombings," explained Michael. "Here in Hamburg, the British only did a single fire-bombing raid and killed about 20,000 people."

Christian continued, "It was so bad, they basically had to abandon the city for the last two years of the war. Nearly all of the city was destroyed. That's why even Old Town, Altstadt, you mostly find buildings built since 1950. Just like the part of town we're in now."

The boys sat quietly the rest of the drive to Jack and Jones. Lore and Isaac took a walk around the area while the others entered the store to find clothes for the upcoming shows.

Before letting the boys run off to look at clothes, Carol gave them some things to think about. "With your other shows, you've talked about being really hot on stage. So maybe consider wearing chinos, cotton pants like these." She pulled on the leg of a pair hanging next to where they were standing, and the boys nodded. "Jeans can get really hot, and these will breathe better and not be so hot. Also think about layers so you can take off a shirt if you get too hot."

"Or just go shirtless..." suggested Scott under his breath causing the younger boys to giggle.

"Or that if you don't mind your guitar straps on your shoulder. I just wanted to give you some information so you can make informed decisions. Think about getting three outfits so we don't have to do laundry more than once before the last show. Now all seven of you, go find what you want to wear, and we'll meet here in 45 minutes."

"All seven?" asked Scott. He didn't see seven band members.

"Yes, you, Zach, and Christian find something too," explained Carol.

"Really?" asked Scott looking to Zach for permission. His big brother nodded and smiled. "Cool!" Everyone headed out to find new clothes.

There were two Jack and Jones stores in this part of Hamburg--they'd split the men's' and women's' clothing into two, large shops. That mean Carol didn't have much to do other than check in on the boys to see how they were coming.

When time was up, the boys were where they needed to be and showed Carol their selections. Lukas and Simon were a little put off by this. They were used to having more autonomy. Matthew and Michael didn't mind having Carol or Lars showing concern over what they did. They knew it was coming from a place of love.

Zach had picked out some trendy, light weight button up shirts and well-fitted jeans. He also found a cool pair of black Doc Martens to wear.

Matthew picked out a pair of blue Doc Martens, some jeans like Zach's. He explained he would wear his team jerseys on stage. That explained why he'd only picked out t-shirts to wear under the jerseys.

Lukas found some black basketball shorts, white wifebeaters, and green and white sneakers. He also snagged a package of white head bands to keep the sweat and hair out of his face.

Scott followed suit with Zach. He was a bit embarrassed about having someone else buy his clothes. It felt safer to buy the same stuff as Zach in order to feel like he wasn't being too extravagant and selfish. Lukas was quite pleased with Scott's selections. The button up shirts fit incredibly well, showing off Scott's athletic physique better than the baggy t-shirts he normally wore. The jeans also showed off Scott's assets better than the Levi's he left back home.

Michael encouraged Christian to buy some dancing clothes. The two of them had been having a lot of fun watching shuffling videos online and then learning the steps themselves. He almost had Christian confident enough for them to record their own video for the band's Instagram account. To go with the solid white sneakers he picked out, Christian selected a series of different colored hooded sweatshirts and running pants with white strips down the arms and legs.

Michael and Simon ended up taking Carol's advice. Each picked out skinny chinos in different colors to match one of the shirts they'd picked out. Simon had chosen tight fitting t-shirts where Michael had found some cool button up short sleeve shirts in his size. Where Simon picked out a couple pairs of different colored Converse All Stars to match his outfits, Michael selected white tennis shoes that matched Christian's.

Carol was pleased and they checked out and loaded the items back on the bus and called the grandparents to join them.

Then the boys showed off their new clothes to their grandparents, Michael approached Carol and asked, "Can we take a walk in the Altstadt and look around?"

"That sounds like a perfect idea," she replied. With a quick conversation with the driver, the busses were underway for the short drive south. The busses dropped off the group at the corner of Brandstwiete and Kleine Reichenstraße. They headed east down Kleine Reichenstraße into the Altstadt, the Old Town. Almost immediately they came across an historic building.

"Hey!" chirped Scott. "I can read German!"

The boys looked and groaned at his joke. They were standing outside a bistro named "Einstein".

"This is one of the historic buildings," noted Christian, pointing at the carving above the entrance that read, "A.D. 1885".

Walking past other restaurants and retail establishments, Simon asked, "Isn't it weird that there are modern buildings right in between the old buildings?"

"Not really," answered Michael. "I bet all these buildings were destroyed during the bombing. It's just some were salvageable and others hand to be demolished and replaced."

It seemed the street name changed almost every block. Kleine Reichenstraße became Hopfensack. Hopfensack became Klingberg and then Pumpen.

"Wow!" exclaimed Michael stopping dead in his tracks. Zach nearly ran the boy over. Looking up and down the block, Michael was amazed by the building that stood before him. Over a huge archway that at one time lifted the building over a roadway were metal letters in an art deco typeface spelling out "Chilehaus". "What is this?" asked Michael trying to take in the strange architecture. The building looked old, but the size spanned three city blocks. Looking back the way they'd come, Michael hadn't realized this was one continuous building. It started out with a straight, angular design heading southeast then made a 90-degree turn to the northeast but for only the width of two windows. Then the building turned directly east to the arch. What intrigued Michael even more was the building as it continued to his right. This side of the building was a smooth, gradual concave curve to the very end--at least what we could see as the end of the building.

Before anyone could react, Michael took off running. He passed under the archway into the center of the building's central courtyard. Michael looked up and slowly twirled. "That's so cool!" he said to no one in particular. The eave around the top of the building's courtyard had a triangular design making it look like a picture frame around the sky above.

When the rest of his friends and family approached, Michael asked, "What is this place?"

Isaac laughed and put his hand on Michael's shoulder. The boy's excitement felt like an electrical charge under the man's hand. "Well, my boy, this is the famous Chilehaus. It's called that because the man who built it left Hamburg and made his fortune in Chile. He returned in the 1920s as an old man and created this building as a tribute to his hometown. He made his money in the shipping business, so this building is designed as a giant ship."

"A ship?" asked Michael.

"Yes," said Isaac taking Michael by the hand. "Let me show you."

They walked across the courtyard and exited through the arch on the north side. The others followed behind, listening to Isaac's descriptions and history of the building.

"The other side of the building is curved, but this street on this side is straight, but angled to the southeast so the building comes to a point." Isaac pointed in the direction they walked.

Reaching the end of the block, Michael noticed that parts of the building were extremely ornate. Michael laughed to himself as they navigated an ocean of sidewalk café tables to reach the prow of the building. He imagined the tables to be small icebergs ready to bounce off this magnificent ship.

Standing next to the street signs for Burchardstraße and Pumpen, they stared directly at the prow, where the building came to a point. They could see both sides, the straight side along Pumpen and the curved side facing the south. The "bow" of the building, like many ships of the day, was ornately decorated. Chilehaus had columns topped by carvings that reminded Michael of rows of Gothic arches. The prow, the very tip of the building that stuck out above the bow was adorned by a condor, the national bird of Chile.

"Farfar," asked Michael, "how do you know so much about Chilehaus?"

Lore answered, "Your grandfather is fascinated by architecture. He'll have to show you his books on famous buildings when we get home." Michael nodded in excitement and squeezed Isaac's hand tightly.

"Let me show you something else you might like," offered Isaac. Michael smiled in agreement and the two, grandfather and grandson, led the way. They walked back down the curved side of Chilehaus to a series of intersections that confused everyone but Isaac and Lore. The Americans followed closely watching out for cars that seemed to be coming from every direction. If felt like a game of Frogger. Eventually, they all made it to the red brick walkway along the Elbe River. A little way down the walkway, they took the Wandrahmsteg, a pedestrian footbridge to one of the islands in the middle of the river.

Hamburg was historically a hub for shipping. Centuries of catering to this industry left the islands covered with large brick warehouses built right on the water's edge. The only frame of reference for Michael were the photos he'd seen of Venice, Italy and its canals. This, however, was on a much grander scale--taller buildings and wider waterways. This once bustling center of trade and shipping was now converted into restaurants, offices, and condos.

It was only a couple hundred feet to the next bridge connecting the two largest islands. Isaac stopped in the middle and pointed. "That's the Speicherstadt," was all the man said. He felt Michael's hand tighten as the boy took in a quick breath.

The view transported tourists back in time. Seven- and eight-story brick buildings lined the branches of the Elbe as it split to accommodate a sliver of an island between the larger islands. The point of the island supported a smaller building that represented traditional German architecture.

"Oh farfar, it's beautiful," said Michael, leaning into Isaac.

"Yes, it is, my child." Isaac put his arm around Michael's shoulder while they gazed at the river and the jutting brick structures that seemed to rise directly from the dark waters of the Elbe.

After a while, Isaac led them the rest of the way across the bridge and down the street side of the buildings lining the north side of the island. They passed the oriental rug and clothing stores before turning north down Dienerreihe, a small road leading to a bridge out to the small island, Speicherstadt. The buildings on the smaller island seemed even older than the others. Facing the building on the point of the island, they could see its façade was much different architecturally than what they could see from the bridge. The brick work alternated row by row, traditional terra cotta colored "red" bricks and glazed green bricks. And, oddly enough, it had two matching entrances side-by-side.

"Come," encouraged Isaac leading the way.

The entrance on the right was to Teekontor, a clothing store. The left entrance, however, was to Wasserschloss, a café at the rear of the building with an outdoor patio on the very point of the island. Isaac led them through the building and got them seated on the patio where Speicherstadt sliced the Elbe to the north and south.

They ordered pastry and dessert treats while watching the small boats drive up and down the river. Lars watched Michael and Matthew interact with his parents. Michael had connected with Lore immediately. From the moment they hugged at the airport, their bond had been unbreakable. Isaac and Michael, on the other hand, seemed to have a bond that is growing more slowly. They had taken to each other immediately, but both sought out a bond greater than simply the familiar bond. With each common interest, they grew closer. Now, sharing a love for architecture, the two were like peas in a pod. It was a love no two others in the family shared more deeply. Lars knew at that moment, the boys, Michael, Lukas, and Matthew, were going to need to spend more time with Isaac and Lore and he would need to accommodate that need.

Yes, he included Matthew in that list too. There was something about Matthew, some connection he'd made with his new grandparents, that made Matthew more at ease than Lars had ever seen him. As a matter of fact, when he smiled, Matthew absolutely glowed. Carol had noticed it too. He agreed with her when she suggested that maybe the last of the wall Matthew built to guard himself from the world was finally crumbling. They knew deep within Matthew carried a tremendous hurt and guilt. Lars always reminded Carol that the best "treatment" for Matthew wasn't counseling, but their consistent love and support of both Matthew and Michael. It was building trust. As Matthew trusted, the less he would need to hold back and protect himself. To Lars, it appeared that his parents had broken through to Matthew quickly and their adoration of their eldest grandchild was reciprocated.

When they finished eating, Carol coordinated with the bus drivers to pick them up. They had a couple hours to do a bit more sightseeing before they needed to be at the arena for the soundcheck at 4:00.

They headed down towards the other end of Speicherstadt. What added to the atmosphere were the trees. Since the island was so narrow, architects only had room for one row of buildings along the north side of the island. The south side of the island was a tree lined street. The trees brought nature and movement to the jungle of brick structures. The sound of the water lapping the brick shore and the birds chirping in the trees created a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. The gang chatted quietly as they headed to the main road crossing the Speicherstadt, Bei St. Annen. Shortly after their arrival at the intersection, the busses arrived and quickly picked up their passengers and headed to their next destination.

They didn't have to go far. Their next destination was just north of downtown and across Alster Lake from their hotel. It was Planten un Blomen, a botanical park with ponds, fountains and trails to explore. The busses found room to park, and everyone debarked on their next adventure. The trails were quiet and peaceful. As they made their way, the boys found each other and soon, the couples were holding hands and enjoying the trees and flowers.

On the north side of the pond, they found Café Seepavillon and, of course, coffee. The adults decided to make a table under an umbrella along the water "basecamp" and the boys were to meet back there by 3:30. Matthew, feeling a bit out of place with the rest of the boys, decided to hang back with the adults. He saved the tables when the others got coffee.

Zach was the first to return. He handed Matthew a bottle of water and asked, "Are you sure you don't want anything? The coffee's pretty good."

Matthew made a face and opened the water.

"Here, try it." He handed Matthew the cup.

The teen looked at Zach with narrowed eyes and wondered what Zach had done to the drink. Taking a sip, he gagged and coughed. "How in the hell can you drink that stuff?" He wheezed and coughed again.

"Trust me," said Zach taking the cup of black coffee back from Matthew, "one day you'll like this. It's an acquired taste."

Matthew chugged the water to get the taste out of his mouth. "Why would you ever torture yourself to 'acquire' the taste?"

Zach laughed and thought for a moment before he answered, "Because free coffee is all over the place. It's a great way to get caffeine and stay on budget when you're a college student."

Matthew nodded in understanding and tipped his water toward Zach when Lore and Isaac joined them. Lars and Carol were not far behind.

The younger boys had wandered off and found a rose garden. They seemed to be equally entertained by the paths being a laid out in concentric circles as they were by the flowers themselves. Michael and Christian found a bench and sat together.

"I'm sorry," said Michael. "I feel like I've been ignoring you."

Christian scooted closer and put his arm around Michael. "Are you happy?"

"Yes!" said Michael. "This is the best trip ever."

"That's the way I feel too. Besides, once all these shows are done and everyone else goes back home, I'll have you all to myself for two weeks."

There was a definite message spoken in the silence between those words. Both boys quickly returned to the state they were in when they exited the shower that morning. Christian glanced around the rose garden. He reasoned, 'if I can't see anyone, then they can't see us.'

He used his arm around Michael's shoulder to turn the boy's face to his and initiated a hot, tongue-filled kiss. Michael lost himself in the kiss but jumped when Christian's hand slid up the leg of his shorts and started working on his fat four inches. Soon Michael was whimpering and working his hand over Christian's joystick.

Their passions rose. Michael, unable to control his desire any longer, began to work on the button and zipper of his boyfriend's shorts.

"Ahem!"

Startled and embarrassed, they jumped apart and tried to hide the bulges in their shorts. Their mood changed when they realized they weren't caught by Hamburgers.

"LUKAS!" cried out Michael when he saw the other three boys standing in front of them. The trio of boys standing there started laughing at the sexually frustrated couple.

Scott was the first able to speak. "You guys were putting on one hot show. If it wasn't time to head back, I was wondering just how far you two would have gone."

Michael pouted. "Well, you'll never know now." He grabbed Christian's hand and pulled him to his feet and headed back to find the adults.

"Aw, com'on Michael," said Lukas between laughs. "We're just teasing." The other three followed. Because the trails wound around in all different directions, their only hope of finding their way back was to rely on the trail signs. Thank goodness the signs had icons next to the names.

When the boys and their entourage approached the busses, they found a couple dozen people hanging around. It was the first time they'd returned to the busses where the busses had remained parked. It hadn't occurred to them the busses would act as a beacon to their whereabouts.

Mostly talking in German, the teens hanging out by the bus tried to talk to the boys and a few had Sharpies to get their shirts autographed. Once it seemed all the autographs were scribbled, Lars broke up the engagement to get the boys on the bus so they wouldn't be late for the soundcheck.

Everyone arrived early to the soundcheck. They'd agreed to do one more run through of the show before Panic! at the Disco arrived for their stage time. The boys were ready and took their places on stage.

They heard Tony, Lukas' drum tech, yell out, "Show us what you got, boys!"

Michael shielded the light from his eyes and saw Tony about twenty rows back with a few other people. It took a few seconds for him to recognize Brandon Urie, Dan Pawlovich, and other members of Panic! at the Disco.

Brandon raised his hands to his mouth and shouted, "Since you guys are opening for us tonight, we thought we'd come watch."

The boys nodded their acknowledgement but stayed focused on the task at hand. From the first beat to the last, they put on a show. The boys were in sync and the sound and light crews were on their game. The show looked as though they'd been rehearsing for weeks.

Tony, Brandon, and the others joined them on stage.

Lukas approached his fellow drummers, Dan and Tony, and exchanged fist bumps. Turning to include Brandon in his questions, Lukas asked, "So, do you think we're good enough?"

Brandon laughed and for a moment, the boys thought he was laughing at them. "Good enough? Hell, you are an upgrade. I definitely want to get to know you guys more. But first, we need to do our soundcheck so they can prepare for the show and can open the doors on time. Talk to you guys later!"

The boys joined the others in the "green room" where dinner was catered. The boys had a decent meal, but Carol made sure they didn't stuff themselves before going on stage. The boys changed and prepared to go on stage. Unlike other shows, their parents and grandparents had reserved seats for the show, only Christian and Scott would be backstage to run water, towels, or whatever else was asked of them.

The boys stood off stage and huddled as the stage went black.

"Ready!" called out the stage manager.

The boys ran out onto the stage and shook out the remaining jitters and prepared for their first number. The massive video screen behind the stage projected a giant sign, similar to the one on the front of the theater back home, emblazed with the words "The Majestic".

Cheers rose from the crowd. It felt like a good bit of the crowd was excited to hear them. They heard their names called and chants of "A-T-M" before the band was introduced.

A loud booming voice came across the PA system with a simple greeting. "Welcome to the Majestic."