SUNDAY, MAY 3

For the second morning in a row, Christian wasn't alone in bed. The body next to his was warm and cozy. Bathroom? Snuggle? The bathroom could wait. Christian scooched over and assumed the role he was growing to love--the big spoon. Burying his face in the mess of hair before him, something was off. Prying his eyes open he saw a shock of black hair.

Alex stirred and moved back into Christian. When his ass pressed against Christian, Alex startled awake. He jerked away flipping over to face an equally surprised Christian. "What the... Was that...?"

Christian blushed.

"Yes, it is," confirmed a sleepy Michael. The younger boy clumsily climbed over Alex and cuddled up to his boyfriend. With a pleasant sigh, he added as he dozed off, "And it's all mine."

"Unh-unh," replied Christian. "It may be your bedroom, but if we're awake, you're gonna be awake too."

"Nnnnoooooo," cried Michael, squirming to get away from Christian. "Why does everybody think tickling me is funny?" Quickly the peaceful morning in the Novak household was shattered by three middle-school boys wrestling and laughing.

Down the hall in the Novak guest room, Alexis smiled. Waking to the laughter of her son with friends was music to her ears. As much as she regretted her move to East Harbor, there definitely was an upside. On the downside, she picked a turd to move in with. It didn't help when she realized how broken-hearted Alex was losing his friend Grant. However, on the plus side, she quickly recognized what a douche John Vance was, and instead of falling into bad habits, she'd been working her ass off to put money away so she could move out. Most importantly, the move turned out to be life-changing for Alex. Dr. Meijer, new friends, a safe environment to come out, and now, even a boyfriend. Alex was becoming the boy she dreamed of having. Well, she might not have wished for a gay son. But it didn't change the way she felt about him, especially how he's getting his shit together. She didn't know where they were going to live, or what the future held in store for her and Alex, but things could be worse.

Downstairs, Carol lounged between her sheets and enjoyed the sound of laughter in the house. It was a far cry from the heart-to-heart she had with Michael Friday evening. As he always seems to do, Michael not only righted his own ship, but reached out to help a friend. Carol was proud of her youngest even if she was curious about this mysterious solution he had for Alexis and Alex.

"Stop! Stop!" warned Michael. His laughter made it difficult to tell if he was serious or not. "I gotta pee!!"

The other two realized they did too. Released from their tickling fingers, Michael jumped up and ran to his bathroom. Christian followed close behind while Alex started to the hall bathroom then stopped. His curiosity got the best of him. He hurried into the en suite and joined Michael and Christian. Squeezing past Michael, Alex took the spot across between the toilet and wall across from Christian. Seeing both boys' equipment, Alex forgot to pull out and take aim. He just stood there and stared.

Christian was embarrassed, but in midstream, there wasn't much he could do about it. He whined "Alex..."

Michael caught onto the predicament and giggled. "You can close your mouth now, Alex."

Being kind of a loner back in Mayfield, Alex really hadn't had the opportunity to see other boy's dicks. Yeah, there were the teens across the street that he traded his ass for booze and drugs, but they didn't count. That left Grant as the only boy he'd seen. Even in gym class, he was careful not to look and skipped showering. That's why he couldn't resist the opportunity to see Michael and Christian, especially since his chance to see Josh naked got fucked up the night before. But when Alex saw Christian, the only thing that crossed his mind was 'Holy shit!' It took Michael's joke to break Alex's trance. "Sorry," stuttered Alex. He pulled his eyes away but too late. "Shit. How'm I gonna piss with a boner?" The other two laughed. They shook off leaving Alex to his predicament.

Finally, Alex took care of business and wandered back into the bedroom. "So, what is this big idea you have," he asked.

"My big plan?" asked Michael. "We wanna hear what happened last night? What the hell! We saw them bring Mr. Vance out on a stretcher."

"Oh yeah," said Alex, realizing his friends didn't know what happened. He crawled up on the bed where Michael was reclined into the arms of Max, his giant stuffed gorilla, and Christian's head in his lap. Telling the story was difficult for Alex. Seeing Michael and Christian's reactions to John's actions and the danger in which he placed Alex and the other boys, made Alex unsettled. Taking action in the moment just seemed like the right thing to do to protect himself and the other boys. Now he realized the peril they had been in.

Michael understood. "I know Alex how you're feeling." He told Alex about the time he and Lewis had been kidnapped. Acting in the moment seemed natural but he hadn't taken into account getting shot and the risk of getting killed if the van wrecked. "I just did it without thinking I could get us killed. Afterwards, it seemed kinda stupid."

"Yeah," agreed Christian and chuckled. "Kinda like running on stage at a man with a gun with no plan on what you were gonna do next?"

Michael blushed and shook his head. "Yeah, kinda like that, too."

"What are you talking about?" asked Alex.

Michael shared the story of facing down Yanni and his men while Christian filled in the details Michael was too modest to tell.

Alex sat quietly and thought about the things he'd learned about Michael. "Lukas was right, wasn't he?"

"About what?" asked Christian.

"Michael makes things happen. You really do have a plan for a place for me and mom to live. Don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. Let's get ready and we'll go ask."

"Ask who?" inquired Christian, following Michael into the bathroom.

"Your mom and dad."

----------------------     

The morning was busy cleaning the one-bedroom apartment above the Olsen's garage. Alex was happy that he and his mom had such a nice place to stay. Being a one-bedroom, one bath, it wasn't ideal, but at the bottom of the stairs on the garage level was another half bath. The apartment was the nicest place they'd lived since his dad ran off when he was little. They agreed Alexis would take the bedroom and Alex would split his time between sleeping on the couch on nights when his mom was home and staying over at the Meijer's house when she worked closing at the Café.

The morning got even better for Alexis. She and Carol had a great conversation over breakfast and while helping Alexis move items from her storage unit into the apartment. Carol, having seen how organized Alexis was with her storage unit, offered Alexis a part-time job with Majestic Enterprises to help stabilize her finances. If things worked out the way Carol hoped, Alexis could make a great manager for Saberspace. It would be a salaried position paying her enough to afford a better place for her family.

Once Alexis and Alex's things were moved, the boys headed for the theater leaving Alexis to unpack and settle into her new home.

The boys hung out in their loft before starting practice. On one side of the sectional, Alex texted with Josh. Both boys were disappointed they were interrupted the night before and their sleepover went south. But in the end, Josh was more in love with his studly, heroic boyfriend and Alex's swagger got a bit more obvious.

The text conversation on other side of the sectional wasn't as friendly. Michael reached out to Lewis again and finally got an answer. Each boy expected the other to come at him with "I told you so" and was surprised when the other seemed more interested in mending a troubled friendship than being right. Michael and Lewis were each suspicious of the other's intentions, but there was one thing they agreed on without question: Christian's birthday. Their love for Christian trumped their hurt feelings and they quickly fell into brainstorming and planning.

Michael put his phone to sleep when Christian approached with his MacBook. "I think I found your number one fan," he laughed. Sitting next to Michael, he pulled up the band's Instagram account and showed Michael that someone went through and liked and commented on every single post of the band and each of the band members' social media sites. "It must have taken him hours to get through all of these."

Michael laughed as he read through all the comments. "Who is this kid?"

Christian clicked on the Instagram name @mj_stix.11 to visit his page. The profile photo of a super cute boy with wavy blonde hair caught their attention. "I was right," said Christian. "He even says in his profile that he's At the Majestic's number one fan!"

The boys laughed as Michael read the rest of his profile. "He's kinda like us. He plays piano and guitar, sings, and plays baseball for...Mayfield. Mayfield? Alex! Come here!"

Alex hopped up and crossed the loft. Plopping down on the sectional next to Michael, Alex noticed the laptop screen. "HEY! How do you guys know Mason?"

Michael and Christian laughed. Alex didn't understand what was so funny until Christian added, "Well that answers that question."

"So, what do you know about Mason?" asked Michael.

Alex thought and counted on his fingers with each fact he recalled. "I hear he's an incredible singer, he plays baseball with my friend Grant, you know, Jaden's cousin, and he's like the gayest kid in town."

Michael laughed again, "Add that to the list of ways Mason's like us. Let's see if there's a video of him singing."

Christian scrolled down past the baseball posts and posts showing Mason playing an instrument until they found one where the thumbnail showed Mason singing. They expected the cover to be like many others on social media posts where the person sang along with a prerecorded backing track, or along with the original song itself. In this case, Mason sang acapella. His vocals were beautiful. On the verge of the ravages of puberty, his voice was yet untouched. What surprised Michael even more was Mason's song choice. He sang "I Miss You", the first song he and Matthew wrote.

Christian closed the player when the song ended and asked, "Are you friends with Mason?"

Alex's cheeks burned with shame. He'd kind of opened up to Michael and Christian about how he felt about himself when he was drinking and stuff, but not how he treated others. "No," he said quietly, "I wasn't very nice to Mason, Aiden, and those guys. When Grant got sober and became friends with those guys, I got jealous."

"It's okay," said Michael, putting his hand on Alex's shoulder. "They are just unlucky."

That puzzled Alex. "What do you mean?"

"They didn't get to know what an awesome guy you are sober."

Lukas popped his head up from the staircase. "Com'on Michael, we're getting started."

Michael got up to head to the studio where the boys were working on song writing. He stopped and turned to the other two boys. "Why don't you guys come too?" Alex and Christian looked at each other, shrugged, and followed.

"Hey guys," said Michael, entering the studio. "Sorry. We were looking at some of the band's social media." Lukas was sitting at the piano with Matthew leaning over working on a melody. Simon had his bass riffing, looking for inspiration for a new song. Michael walked over and grabbed his acoustic guitar and looked into the control booth. The lights were on and he could see Christian and Alex hanging out looking at something else on the laptop.

"Can I play something for you guys?" asked Michael. "I have an idea for a song."

His brothers gave Michael their attention. He stepped up to the mic and turned it on. "Christian? Alex? Can you hear me?" The boys looked up, surprised Michael was talking to them. Alex nodded and Christian gave Michael a thumbs up.

Michael adjusted the mic and strummed the guitar to make sure it was in tune. "This is called, 'Lost and Found'." Matthew smiled as Michael began his song.

Looking at Lukas, Michael sang:

I was lost. I was afraid,
    alone and painfully betrayed.
I was drowning in despair,
    and no one seemed to care.

Then you found me.
Yeah, you found me.

My head spinning round and round --
    my whole world turned upside down.
My being filled with loss and fear.
    What was I -- I doing here?

Then you found me.
Yeah, you found me.

[Chorus]
You found me buried in my fears,
So you wiped away my tears.
You found me cold and all alone,
You took me into your home.
I was living life in black and white
Then you brought color to my life.

When you found me.
When you found me.

Michael played an interlude with a key and tempo change then looked through the glass and sang to Christian.

I am searching among the trees,
    I feel you floating on the breeze.
I feel your heart, I feel your soul.
    You are the part that makes me whole.

Come and find me.
Please find me.

As we drift between the trees,
    They make it hard for us to see.
Our souls entwined, our hearts were bared,
    I felt your touch, and you were there.

When you found me.
Yeah, you found me.

[Chorus]
You found me buried in my fears,
So you wiped away my tears.
You found me cold and all alone,
You took me into your home.
I was living life in black and white
Then you brought color to my life.

When you found me.
When you found me.

You found my heart upon my sleeve.
    You found me and I can't believe.
Conquered the horrors of my life,
    It's like you brought me back to life.

When you found me.
When you found me.

When you found me.
Yeah, you found me.
[Lyrics by Gman and the BRAT]

Michael finished and looked on with apprehension in the silence. The door to the studio opened and Christian walked in and crossed the room to Michael.

He hugged Michael and whispered, "Thank you." While they embraced, they heard Simon on his bass improvise a bass riff for the chorus of the song. With a few modifications, he started playing a bass line to accompany Michael's acoustic guitar.

"Yeah. Yeah," said Lukas, nodding with Simon's plucking. He climbed off the piano bench and onto the throne behind his drum kit. "Play it again," he told Simon. This time, Lukas played along with Simon. He beat out a syncopated rhythm with heavy use of this floor toms.

Matthew strapped on his red Fender Strat and told Michael, "Told you it was fucking incredible." He stummed a few chords to make sure he had the right notes then joined his two brothers working out some backing music to Michael's acoustics.

The rhythm and texture offered by his brothers reminded him of one of his favorite Beatles' song. He crossed their studio where they had racks for all their guitars and found his 12-string. Sticking his head out of the door, he got Alex's attention and said, "Com'on in and join us." Returning to his microphone, he gave Christian a kiss then threw the guitar strap over his head as Alex timidly entered the studio.

"Let's try it from the top," suggested Matthew. It was the typical way they worked on songs where they would just jump in and try things out to see how it felt and sounded.

Alex and Christian were infected by the excitement of the band's creative process. Seeing Christian shuffling, Alex asked to be taught some steps.

Everyone lost track of time. That wasn't a surprise to anyone, including Lars. He'd asked the boys to be at the house for a late lunch but planned on collecting them at the theater. When the boys stopped playing, Lars flipped on the microphone from the control room. "You boys ready for lunch?"

After the shock from the surprise of their father's appearance, Lukas looked up and saw that their dad wasn't alone. "Hey," he said getting his brothers' attention. "Aren't those the hot guys we saw at the Café the other night?" From Craig and Oliver's reactions, he realized his microphone was on and blushed.

"Boys," announced Lars over the sound system, "Dr. Kendall is here with his boys and we're having lunch at the Café. Christian, Alex, you're welcome to join us too."

Now that the boys weren't thinking about their music, hunger immediately reared its ugly head. They quickly shut down and filed into the control room to meet their new friends.

----------------------     

Alex was sprawled out on Michael's bed texting Josh while Michael repacked his books in his backpack. "So, you guys are going to school with us tomorrow?" asked Michael.

"All week's the plan," said Oliver. He was relaxing on the giant beanbag chair playing with Craig's hair. Craig was playing Fortnite with his head on Oliver's lap.

"Well, you better be ready to get up early," said Christian announcing his entrance. He dropped his book and clothing bags on the floor.

Michael jumped for joy and gave Christian a hug. "You're allowed to spend the night tonight?" The answer was so obvious the other boys laughed.

"That sounded like something Craig would say," added Oliver.

"Hey!" said Craig, pulling the hair above Oliver's ankle. Oliver howled and the boys laughed harder.

"I still don't get what's so funny," declared Michael with a fake haughty air.

"Even I get that," joked Alex. "You and Craig are two of the smartest kids we know, and you say some of the dumbest things."

Christian added, "Well, I wasn't being funny about getting up in the morning. I figured you're gonna go work out with us before school."

"Cool," answered Craig. He put down the controller and turned off the TV. "What time are you getting up?"

"About 5:45," stated Michael.

"WHAT?" said Craig and Oliver in unison.

"Yeah," agreed Alex, "I'm with them." He decided to join his friends in their morning workout. He'd heard the guys around the table talk about working out in the morning, but he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

"Gotta get there early enough to workout, shower, get breakfast and to class," explained Michael.

"And you guys have no idea what these guys mean as a workout," added Christian. "It's gonna kick your ass."

"Oh, the challenge is on," said Craig looking at Oliver. He knew is boyfriend was up for any physical challenge -- especially when Oliver felt someone was underestimating him. "If we're gonna get up on time, we should probably get to bed." Craig stood and offered Oliver a hand.

"Since your dad decided to head to the hotel down by the hospital, you guys have the hall bathroom to yourself. We'll use the one here in my room." He surprised the Montana boys by giving them a hug and a kiss on the cheek, even when he had to stand on his toes.

"I guess I should head to the guest room. Thanks for letting me stay here," said Alex. He gave Michael a hug and Michael kissed him on the cheek.

"You can stay with us," Michael offered.

Alex smiled. He wasn't looking forward to spending the night in a strange room all alone. "Thanks! That is, as long has Christian keeps that monster away from my ass!" The boys laughed and headed to the bathroom.

"So, what do you think?" asked Craig. He folded his pants and placed them in his suitcase on the floor.

"I think that ass looks incredible," replied Oliver. He couldn't help it. When Craig bent over his suitcase, Craig's tight white briefs captured his full attention.

Craig just looked over his shoulder and shook his moneymaker. "I guess that answers my question."

Oliver chuckled. "What does that mean?"

"Being around a bunch of hot, gay boys made you horny."

"Yeah," agreed Oliver. "This trip has been mind-blowing, and we still have a week ahead of us."

Craig picked up his toiletries and sat on the edge of the bed next to Oliver. "It's so strange. As much as we talked about being somewhere we'd be accepted, it still seems really weird, like a dream."

"Uh huh." Oliver agreed. "And the gay boys down here in California are a lot cuter too."

Craig spun and pounced on Oliver pinning him to the bed. "Why you... You wanna mess around with them, don't you!"

Oliver realized it sounded like he wanted to cheat on Craig. "Uh... No! You're all I need."

"Shut your pie hole," said Craig. Leaning in nose-to-nose with Oliver, he added, "I do too."

"Are you serious?"

Craig sat back up and wiggled on Oliver's biggest asset. "Yeah, I think I am. What does that mean? You know... What does that mean about us?"

"I don't know. But it doesn't change the way I feel about you," stated Oliver. "I don't want another boyfriend. But a hot guy is a hot guy, you know."

Craig rested at Oliver's side, his head on the tanned boy's shoulder, their feet dangling inches above the floor. He was reluctant to ask his next question, but it seemed like Oliver might feel the same way. "I want to be with you forever, but do you think it would be weird for us to never have messed around with anyone else?"

Oliver pulled his arm from under Craig and stood. "Look," he said, grabbing the elastic band of Craig's briefs, "I want to be with you forever too." He dropped Craig's briefs to the floor. Craig didn't notice. He was too busy watching the bulge in Oliver's red brief grow. Craig was quickly catching up to Oliver's rigid state. "If we decide it's okay to mess around with other guys," his briefs dropped to his ankles, "what we have will never change." Oliver dropped to his knees and started with Craig's sensitive scrotum. Craig simply moaned.

Alex thought it was odd when Michael told him he and Christian were going to shower before bed. He crawled into Michael's bed and waited before deciding to take a shower himself. He entered the bathroom and found the couple were showering together, or so he thought.

"Oh Christian, shit. Suck it. I'm so close."

Michael's voice froze Alex in his tracks. Listening more closely, under the sound of the shower raining down on the boys, he heard Christian bringing himself to his own conclusion while he took care of Michael. (Alex couldn't hear what Christian's other hand was doing. It was supporting Michael, preventing the boy from sliding to the floor of the tub, with two fingers jammed up the boy's hole rubbing his prostate.)

Christian moaned around Michael's cock, and he shot against the back of the tub. When Michael's orgasm hit him, he groaned, "Oh fuck..."

Alex flushed with excitement and hurried back to bed. He considered trying to rub one out before the boys returned but realized he didn't have a cum rag and leaving a mess on Michael's sheets wasn't an option.

The shower stopped and Alex heard the metal shower curtain rings drag across the rod. Too late to take care of his predicament, Alex tried to will his rod to go down. However, circumstances were against Alex.

Through the bedroom wall, he heard Simon's bed creaking. The rhythm started to make sense when Alex realized he was hearing the Montana boys fucking. His boner reached an all-new level of steely rigidity.

Craig pushed away from Oliver and moved into his favorite position. Rolling over and rising to his hands and knees, he wiggled his ass inviting Oliver to continue. Oliver was on it like drag queens at a wig sale.

Michael and Christian entered the bedroom in time to hear Craig shout, "Harder!" and the headboard banging up against the wall.

"Oh man," said Michael climbing into his bed. "It sounds like they are having fun! I'm boning up again already."

Christian playfully slapped Michael's ass. "That's because you're a horn dog."

Michael ended up in the middle and wiggled back against Alex. Worried about what Michael would think if he felt Alex's boner, Alex turned over and faced the wall. Michael's firm ass was pressed against his. The sounds of Oliver and Craig fucking flooded Alex's consciousness. For Alex, it was going to be a long night.

----------------------     

MONDAY, MAY 4

The boys placed their breakfast snacks on the table and shook their protein shakes. Their chatter and excitement echoed through East Harbor Middle School energizing the faculty and staff who arrived early to get a jump on the week.

"Man," groaned Alex stretching his shoulder. He couldn't remember doing anything more than what was required in gym class. Not working out or going to a gym...ever. "Were you guys trying to kill me or something?"

"Ah, dude," said Simon. "Com'on. You know we did way more than you did. But I'd say you did pretty good for the first time in a gym. I hope you continue to work out with us."

"Just remember," teased Lukas, "workouts hurt worst two days later!" Everyone burst out laughing at the look on Alex's face. In the midst of the uproarious laughter, Lukas looked up and saw the principal approaching their table. "Sorry Mrs. Trance."

"You boys aren't in trouble. I just wanted to stop by and welcome Craig and Oliver to East Harbor." The Montana boys introduced themselves so the principal would know which name goes with which face and shook hands with Janice. She looked around the table and noticed Trajan, Lewis, and Will were suspiciously absent this morning. She worried the rift between the friends was still strong. She hoped their friendships would mend quickly. "I'm going to miss you boys next year."

"Where are you going?" asked Sam.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sam. You, Gregory, Alex and the other seventh graders have a lot to live up to when this bunch of eighth graders move up to the high school."

"I'm glad you aren't going anywhere," said Gregory, "we don't want another principal."

"And you don't have to worry," added Sam, "with me, Gregory, Alex, and Jaden, we'll be able to fill their shoes."

"And maybe Isaac will come back to school instead of home schooling," added Alex.

"Isaac?" asked Mrs. Trance.

"Yeah, Isaac Moore," said Alex. "Amelia Moore's brother. He and Jaden are dating now. We went out on a double date with my boyfriend Josh Evans. He lives just outside of Vista but goes to Bonsall schools."

"Were they the other boys with you when you had the run in with Mr. Vance?" asked Janice. She was curious about Alex's well-being. She hadn't seen him as happy and animated as he was talking about his boyfriend and didn't want to rain on his parade.

"No, the other boys were Jack Vance and Derek McCall," stated Alex.

"Wait! Derek was there too?" asked Scott. He and the other boys didn't know Jack, but they certainly knew Derek.

"Yeah, he and Jack are boyfriends now," added Alex.

Michael thought that explained why he hadn't heard from Derek in a while. His younger friend was busy with a new love interest, and Michael could guess what kind of busy those boys were up to.

"Well, I heard about what you did, Alex, and I'm so proud to have you as a student."

Alex beamed with pride. "Thank you!" Not sure what else to do or say and embarrassed at the sudden attention from everyone, he turned his attention back to his breakfast.

Janice turned her attention back to the visiting students. "I wanted to let you boys know we are so happy to have you here. Oliver, you'll be shadowing Lukas this week and Craig, since you have been in gifted classes, we arranged for you to attend classes with Christian."

Janice noticed Craig's discomfort with being separated from Oliver. "Have you boys been formally introduced to everyone around the table?"

Lukas jumped in and answered. "No, not really. I haven't had time."

Janice took the lead. "I think Craig and Oliver would feel more comfortable if you guys introduced yourselves. You know, your names and how you know each other."

Sam was quick to introduce himself to the hunky eighth graders. "Hi, I'm Sam Greenfield. I know these guys from lacrosse. Gregory and I were the captains of the seventh-grade team. He's also my boyfriend."

"Yep," agreed Gregory, "I'm Gregory Fielder. I'm bi, but Sam has my heart."

"You guys know me, Alex, and you already know I'm gay. But I met these guys when I moved here from Washington...the state, not the city...about a month ago."

Since it was clear that Craig and Oliver knew Christian, Michael and Lukas, they were skipped. "Oh, it's my turn. I'm Jordan King and I'm in eighth grade. I play lacrosse and I've known Lukas, like, forever." He looked around the table and added, "Damn, I think I'm the only straight boy here."

"Hey," said Scott, clearly blushing and embarrassed. "I'm straight. I play soccer and lacrosse like Michael, and you probably met my brother Zach yesterday." Craig and Oliver already figured that out, the family resemblance between Scott and Zach was unmistakable.

Attention turned to the last boy at the table. "Uh... I'm Curtis Werner. I've been a friend of Lukas' for years and play lacrosse. And...ummm...I might be bi."

"Curtis," called Janice. Curtis was apprehensive and she was afraid he felt forced into identifying to the rest of the boys. "You don't have to self-identify for anyone and if you do, it's perfectly okay to identify differently later. You be you, okay?"

Curtis let out a sigh of relief. True, his only sexual encounter was with Derek and Alejandro at a sleep over. True, he'd wondered about having sex with other guys since that happened. But when it came down to it, he didn't know if he just wanted more sex, regardless of who it was with, or if he was attracted to boys the same way he was attracted to girls. Lukas told him it didn't matter, and Curtis shouldn't put a timeframe in which he was expected to figure it out. But with everyone else disclosing, he felt pressure but he also felt he didn't have to commit to being bi if he decided differently.

Janice changed the subject to move the attention away from Curtis. "As for track, Coach O'Hara, our head track coach here at the middle school, is ready for you to practice with the team this week. They're getting ready for a big invitational this weekend and I'm suspecting practices will be intense. On Thursday, while Coach O'Hara eases up on the middle school runners to rest them for Saturday, Coach Cochran would like you to join the high school team to run with your high school track and cross-country teammates."

Oliver and Craig took everything in. They were excited by all that was happening this week and how welcoming the school seemed, but they still questioned just how open they could or should be. That was quickly answered.

"We gotta get to our lockers," stated Gregory as he and Sam got up and gathered their trash. "We'll catch up with you at lunch."

"Yeah," said Sam, throwing his bags over his shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Craig. You too Oliver! See you at lunch!" Craig and Oliver waved bye and watched the two seventh graders throw their trash away then clutched the other's hand and walk to their lockers.

Janice laughed when Craig's jaw dropped open. "Yes, you two are allowed to hold hands, but no kissing. I don't care if you are gay or straight, I don't allow kissing on school grounds."

Craig reached over a grab Oliver's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I think I'm going to like it here."

----------------------     

Zach gathered his books and slipped the courier bag over his shoulder.

"Don't forget this," reminded Lars, helping Zach loop the shoulder strap of his designer insulated lunch bag over his shoulder.

"Thanks for packing my lunch, honey." Zach and Lars exchanged a kiss. "I have a late appointment today. I'll be home for dinner, but I'm afraid I won't be much help preparing for the army we're housing this week." Seven boys plus whoever else they drag home would make preparing for meals a challenge but was certain to make the meals fun and lively.

"Don't worry. If Carol and I are challenged with time this week, we've agreed to call an audible and order out."

Zach was out the door when he leaned in for one last comment. "Good luck on call the with Sveedeesh Feesh Media. Fingers crossed that they loved the demo we recorded."

"They're going to love you. You were awesome on the podcast. Now get going or you're going to be late."

Zach closed the door while Lars started the dishwasher then poured another cup of coffee. He didn't usually have an 8:00 am appointment, particularly on Mondays, but when the Rear Admiral called, Lars wasn't about to refuse.

At a quarter till, George Fuerst and Lewis arrived for the appointment. Lars answered the door and was shocked at Lewis' condition. The dark circles around his eyes and the dazed look on his face told Lars about the boy's sleep deprivation. It didn't look like he'd slept a wink since the incident in La Jolla Farms. More importantly for Lars in determining how to approach Lewis, were the burns from the gunshot residue on the side of his nose and right cheek. A gun must have been fired close to his face and it was clear Lewis had not recovered from the terror.

Lars opened his arms and said, "Come here, Lewis. It's going to be alright." Lewis stepped into the man's embrace and broke down sobbing.

Lars ushered Lewis and his father to the living room. George and his son sat on the sofa and Lars took the armchair adjacent to Lewis. He patiently waited as George calmed his son.

He'd spoken to George a few times since Thursday which was a few times more than Lewis had. The redhead had holed up in his bedroom and refused to speak to anyone. This morning, Lars was pretty sure he was ready to open up. "Tell us what happened, Lewis."

"We didn't know," began Lewis, wiping tears on the back of his wrist. Lars handed him the Kleenex box. "We didn't know about the Boss and all that. We just thought we were gonna get revenge on Mark and his friends."

Lewis told the story the adults had gotten from the police. How they'd planned to blackmail Mark but didn't really know how to go about doing it. Trajan felt the need to go back to the house where it happened. Maybe to remember more? Maybe to make the events real to him? Lewis wasn't sure. He felt stuck between the two. He wanted to help his friend but disagreed with all Trajan wanted to do.

When the police entered the compound, Mark had saved their lives by throwing them in the swimming pool at the onset of the gun battle and then getting them out of the house to the car.

"What next, Lewis?" asked Lars.

Lewis shook his head and scrunched his face.

"It's what keeps going through your mind, isn't it? You keep having flashbacks to what happened next. Tell me." Lars waited patiently for the answer.

After a minute or so, Lewis quietly continued. "We didn't see him coming until he was right next to the car. When I saw the Boss at my window, I yelled at Mark and pushed Trajan to the driver's side of the car. I thought maybe we could get out the other side of the car. When I looked back, I saw the Boss swinging the gun at the window. I raised my arm like this to block the broken glass. When I brought my arm back down, he shoved the gun towards my face. I could see right into the barrel. I knew he...he...I knew I was going to die. I closed my eyes and turned away and that's when there was a bunch of gunfire. I felt the air from the gun hit me in the face. The gun powder burns felt like needles poking me. I shouldn't be alive."

George grabbed Lewis and held him tight. "Don't ever say that. Don't ever say that again." George cried as Lewis looked on in disbelief. He felt like he was witnessing his father's reaction to his death, not his living.

Lars saw the path ahead of Lewis. It was going to be tough, but he could help the boy find his way back. However, he still had one question that needed to be answered. "Lewis, why are you and Trajan protecting Mark?"

He pulled away from his father and sat up. "Well, before we went to the house, he agreed to keep it a secret if he did what we asked. But after what happened, Trajan asked me to keep the secret. I don't know why. I haven't talked to him since. When we were waiting to talk to the police, he seemed really fixated on the Boss being the person to rape him first and seemed to forget about the other guys. And when it came to Mark, it seemed like he was indebted to him for saving our lives."

Lars held Lewis' gaze and asked, "And how do you feel about it?"

Lewis stated adamantly, "I don't want anything to do with it anymore. I don't care what Mark did! It wasn't worth it! None of it was worth it. This is between the two of them. I'm out."

----------------------     

Trajan rolled over a looked at the clock. He was relieved he wasn't going to school today. At least his parents had given him his phone back the night before. He turned it on last night and it flooded with text messaging. He didn't answer any of them, but he did read them all. From the messages, he started to get a handle on the rumors going around school. He just wasn't up to facing any of it. This morning he woke his phone to see if any new messages came in. There were a handful of new texts. It all seemed so boring until his attention was drawn to a text from Mark.

Mark: Can we meet up and talk?

He was surprised Mark would reach out to him, especially after the college student came so close to getting his ass locked up and the key thrown away. Both knew Trajan held all the cards. Even if other people tried to cause trouble for Mark, specifically parents or the East Harbor police, it would still come down to whether or not Trajan would admit it happened.

Thinking back over his experiences with Mark, Trajan recalled Mark catching him and Scott in the locker room. Mark taking him to the coach's office to console him and "help" him dress. He remembered the bus ride home after an away match when Mark rubbed his inner thigh under the hem of his shorts. Then he thought about being naked with Mark and the others in the pool and Mark touching him that fateful night and Mark holding his naked body, protecting him during the gun fight.

Trajan: Still grounded. Maybe later this week after school.

Setting his phone aside, Trajan slipped off his briefs and kicked them to the floor. Taking his stiff cock in his right hand, he imagined it was Mark's hand.

----------------------     

Lars lifted the last box from the tailgate of his SUV and carried it into his new office. There was a tinge of guilt knowing that these new offices were a gift--an exorbitant gift. Accepting such a gift from a child, even your own son, didn't sit right with him. However, turning Michael down seemed even worse. He also had never seriously considered moving his office out of the house. Though after speaking with Zach, they agreed that the move would be good--good for the business, good for the family, and good for their relationship. Having offices away from the house would give both a clearer separation between work and home. He paused and gazed into Zach's office. It will be a few years before Zach is seeing patients in this office, but for now, it will make a great workspace for him, so he doesn't have to spend all day studying at home if he wasn't on campus. It brought a huge smile to Lars' face as he entered the door across the hallway. He placed the box of personal items on his desk and looked around. Being in the middle of the building with no lights on, there shouldn't be any light except from the windows facing the Mallway. Michael's design, however, provided ample sunlight throughout the offices via skylights in the hallway and each room.

Of course, the first room Lars set up was the breakroom. This morning he still had enough time to get a cup of coffee before his conference call. Walking into the breakroom, he batted the helium balloons the boys left to celebrate the move and stood before the gift they left for him -- a coffee maker (of course). He punched in his order of a latte and slid his mug in place. The beans were ground, milk steamed, and the perfect drink delivered on demand. Yes, he preferred his coffee black, but the new coffee maker was fun to play with.

Sitting in his comfy, leather executive chair behind his new desk, Lars woke his laptop and prepared for his conference call. Seeing himself on camera, he remembered what the boys gave him. In the credenza behind him, he pulled out a ring light and plugged it into the USB port. Using the attached tripod, he got the lighting in place before Topher called.

Right on time, the team from Sveedeesh Feesh Media joined the Zoom meeting.

"Lars!" greeted Topher Jennings. "How's our newest star?"

Lars laughed, "Does that mean you liked the podcast demo?"

"Like it?" laughed Topher in turn. "If you can maintain this level of excellence, 'About Boys' is going to be one of those podcasts that all the stars are raving about on social media."

Inside, Lars laughed even harder. That comment didn't mean anything to him. All he knew about social media came from his boys and following which Hollywood stars were promoting which podcasts wasn't even on their radars. But Las was certain that stars with huge social media followings sharing his podcast would be a good thing.

"So, who again is this Zach Schultz?"

"He's a graduate student in child psychology."

"He came across as being very articulate. Did you prep him with the questions?"

"No, he is extremely intelligent and intuitive. That's why I thought he'd be the perfect co-host. He's a natural around kids and as a psychologist."

"Your kids."

"Yes. Well...Zach is also my partner."

"Ah!" said Topher. "That explains the chemistry between the two of you."

"Is that a problem?"

"No! Quite the opposite. You two are so natural together. There's a chemistry that comes across in the podcast that it takes other co-hosts months, if not a year or more to develop. Now before we talk about upcoming shows and launching the podcast, do you own the rights to the theme song?"

"That won't be a problem. It was written specifically for the podcast."

"By your boys, correct?"

It was clear to Lars that as much as Topher seemed like he was moving a thousand miles an hour, the man didn't miss a detail. "Yes," admitted Lars. "Lukas wrote it but each of the four boys were involved in recording the track. Do you always ask questions you already know the answer to?"

"Only when I'm still building a relationship and trust with people I'm doing business with. Now, I'll send over documentation to the band's management to ensure they get royalties. Now, the demo is fine the way it is, but it isn't right for the premiere episode. We'll need an episode that spends a bit of time talking about you and Zach and your family. We need to establish your credibility and credentials and let people get to know you -- to connect with you two. Maybe discuss a topic where you have personal stories to share."

"That sounds good. Do you think we should go audio only, or also do video? We have space to build a podcast studio if you think video would be beneficial."

"Is Zach as pleasant to look at as you are?" joked Topher.

Lars held up a photo of the two of them together.

"Whoa! It would be a crime if we went audio only. We'll send some ideas over for the set design, some dos and don'ts, to help you out."

Lars jotted down more notes and almost missed the sound of the back door opening. "Hang on a moment, Topher." Lars got up and nearly ran into Agent Sandra Kowalczyk in the hallway. They each jumped in surprise. "Whew! Sandra, what a surprise! It's so good to see you. I'm in the middle of a call. Help yourself to some coffee. The breakroom is the last door on the left. I don't think I'll be too much longer." Lars returned to his desk and apologized for the interruption.

Fifteen or so minutes later, Lars had notes for some upcoming podcasts and things to do on his end to prepare for the launch. Topher also gave his team at Sveedeesh Feesh their marching orders which included determining when the show should launch and creating a marketing campaign.

When the call ended, Lars noticed Sandra leaning against the frame of his office door. She broke the silence. "Sounds like you are finding your way while waiting for the character assassins to tire of you."

Lars turned off the ring light and closed his laptop. "Well, I need to do something to keep me busy. Let's sit on the couch."

"This coffee is really good, but I'm not surprised. You do love your coffee."

"Yeah, well...that was a present from the boys. They know how much I like coffee too." He took a sip and placed the mug on a coaster on the coffee table. "I know the coffee isn't what brought you up to East Harbor. I also know you wouldn't just happen by this way. Let me guess. You've been called up to East Harbor for something to do with the John Vance investigation and are stopping by to give me some sort of update."

"At least my trip hasn't been a waste of time. You haven't figured everything out," Sandra joked. "I hope you get a chance to talk to the boys involved, they could use your insights and support."

Lars agreed. He explained to Sandra that he was at the scene and was able to speak to the boys that night and felt they were okay, but he was concerned about Jack. He was already seeing Alex as a patient and would see him Thursday, and the week should present opportunities for him to meet with each of the boys. He'd have to see where things would go from there.

"Good," said Sandra. She took a sip of her coffee before continuing. "What I wanted to talk to you about is your stalker. It turns out, the local instigator of the attacks was John Vance."

She gave Lars a moment to process the news. As best as Lars could recall, he'd never met the man. He didn't know Jack, so he wasn't a threat to exposing John. It couldn't have been working with Alex because Alex moved to East Harbor after the first posts were circulated. "What did he want from me?"

"You know as well as I do that we can only extrapolate from the evidence. We'll never know what was going on in his head -- at least not before his trial. His attorney told him not to say a word. But here's what we can piece together. John was being manipulated by someone else. We found a series of emails between John and another player. In this exchange, the other player was telling John what to do and say. In exchange, the other person was providing John with illicit materials to feed his...well, you know."

Lars nodded as he took in this new information.

"The school, police and FBI are working together for a media blitz to squelch rumors about John's activities and to illuminate the evidence that he is the source of the libelous attacks on you."

Lars gave a huge sigh of relief. Opening the new offices and this news should rejuvenate his practice and ease the tensions with his research funding sources and the pressure he was putting on himself to succeed with the podcast.

"You don't even need to ask," continued Sandra. "From the profile we've put together, we believe the foreign actor is one, adult male. We do not believe he comes from the world of pedophilia. They weren't trading materials, but he was providing specific materials to John. The foreign actor is well grounded in cybersecurity and does well to cover his tracks. We've been able to trace the leads to Europe, but we aren't sure if he is in Europe, or if communications were routed through European servers and we are losing his tracks there."

Lars stood and paced his office while he thought. "So, what you are saying is, this is more of a personal or professional attack, not someone trying to get to the boys."

"Exactly. Though he did provide photos and videos of Michael to John, he used Michael to entice John to do his bidding, not to harm your relationship with Michael. At least that is what we can gather from the emails."

"That's not good," said Lars.

"Well, it doesn't look like they are after the boys, but we need to be on the lookout for the next attack. We haven't shut down the instigator of the plot. If he finds someone else to act has his mouthpiece here in the states and uses the same methods of manipulation, who knows what the next guys will do with the photos or information. He may be more of a physical threat to the boys than John Vance."

----------------------     

"I think I'm going to like it here," whispered Craig. After he finished towel drying his hair, he got an eye full of Oliver letting his things air dry before putting on his underwear. Craig sat beside Oliver and leaned in close. "The boys here in East Harbor are fucking hot."

"I know. Right?" agreed Oliver.

"But I don't think anyone is as hung as you...at least not on the track team. But they were certainly checking you out in the shower." He giggled to himself remembering how some of the boys' eyes about popped out of their heads when they saw Oliver strut into the shower.

"I'm just happy you were comfortable enough to stay and shower after practice. This is something we couldn't do back home." He slipped his black boxer briefs over his feet then stood to pull them up.

Craig slipped his blue and white polo shirt over his head. Putting his ankle socks on, he replied to Oliver's comment. "I almost chickened out. I guess if Lukas or some of the other guys were here, I wouldn't have been so nervous. But they said everyone was cool here and I trust them. Can you believe no one said anything about us being gay or a couple?"

Shoes tied, they grabbed their bags and said "goodbyes" to their new teammates. "I sure hope your dad gets this job," said Oliver as they passed through the doors from the gym to the playground.

"Hey Lukas!" Craig was surprised to see their friend waiting for them.

"Hey yourself," said Lukas. "We stayed and watched your practice then headed to the theater. Everyone's waiting for us there."

"You watched our practice?" asked Oliver.

"Yeah. We heard you guys were like some track stars or something and we wanted to watch," explained Lukas. "Well, that and we wanted to see you guys in as little clothes as possible. By the way, thanks for running with your shirts off."

Craig blushed. 'Is Lukas flirting with us?' he wondered. They crossed Maple to the Mallway and entered the Theater. They could hear music from the stage, and it grew louder when the doors to the auditorium opened. Michael and Simon had their guitars practicing some song Craig and Oliver had never heard. In a way, they were still a bit star struck getting to hang out with the band. Before Sunday, they had thought it might be fun if they got a chance to meet them, but they never thought they'd spend the entire week with the band.

"Leave your things here and come with me up to the Loft," said Lukas. They walked up the stairs and went backstage to the Music Academy. Up the stairs past the studios where AJ was in a recording session with some clients, and up to the top level overlooking the open space below. "We're always hungry after practice so we keep snacks and drinks up here. Grab want you want, we'll be heading back to the house for dinner in a couple hours."

Before Oliver and Craig raided the cabinet, Oliver seized the opportunity, "Can we talk to you for a second?"

"Sure. What's up?" asked Lukas. Oliver sounded serious and Lukas was concerned something happened at school.

Oliver knew he needed to take the lead on this topic. Craig would get tongue-tied and have difficulty broaching the subject. "So, we've been together almost a year and we're totally dedicated to each other, but..."

"...but you're wondering what it's like to be with someone else," finished Lukas.

"Yeah," said Craig. "How'd you know?"

"Dude, I think we all go through that. I know Simon and I did. We decided that we're free to have fun with whomever we want as long as we talk about it honestly and ahead of time. We've each spent the night with friends, and we like to mess around together with our friends. But that's right for us. You have to decide what is right for you -- both of you." Lukas got up and stood before the two boys. With a smile, he leaned in and gave each their first kiss with someone other than his partner. "All the other guys feel the same way about you two." He winked and headed for the stairs.

It took a bit for the Montana boys to recover. "Ooohhhh shit," groaned Craig. Lukas' kiss had sent shivers through each boy's body. "I can't go downstairs with this." He and Oliver both looked down to see the tent in Craig's shorts.

"Mine isn't any better," admitted Oliver. "Let's grab some food and hopefully these will go down." They found some protein snacks and Gatorade and refueled their bodies.

Before heading down to the stage to join their new friends, Craig grabbed Oliver's wrist and turned his lover to face him. "Do you think we should?"

Oliver thought for a second before he answered, "I kinda like the idea of messing around together. I don't know if I'd like us pairing up with someone else and going off with them. At least not right now."

"I like that idea," said Craig. He rose to his toes and gave Oliver a peck on the lips.

----------------------     

"Thank you for letting me spend the night, tonight Mr. and Mrs. Olsen," said Michael as he walked in the door with his school and gym bags. It was the second school night in a row the boys would spend together, but none of the parents could bring themselves to separate the boys, even for only a night.

Michael and Christian had dinner and did their homework at Michael's so when they arrived at Christian's, they were ready to unwind from the day and sleep. On that note, they agreed to not keep Christian's parents awake again. Michael dropped his bags on the floor next to the bedroom door and called out, "Love you, mom." He wasn't sure if she could hear him and had even begun to wonder if seeing her had really happened. Either way, saying it felt good and it was a great "just in case". Michael's reasoning was based on Pascal's when it came to the existence of God. It's better to believe, even if you are wrong, because you only suffer negative consequences for being wrong if you don't believe and God exists.

The boys stripped down to their underwear and donned some gym shorts before booting up the PlayStation to play FIFA. By halftime, Michael was up 3-1.

"Hold up," said Christian when his phone chimed. "Why's Coach Lange texting me?"

Michael crawled over to peek at Christian's phone screen. He watched Christian tap the link the high school coach sent and watched the Army and Navy Academy's sports site open in Safari. It was a news article with the headline "ANA Recruit Wins SDCLA MVP". Scrolling down to read the article, a photo of Lewis in goal appeared.

"Lewis is leaving for the Army and Navy Academy?!" asked Michael. "What the hell?"

Christian texted back that he and Michael didn't know anything about it and when the coach only responded "thx", Christian texted Lewis and waited for a response. When none came, he put his phone to sleep.

"Why didn't he tell me?" asked Christian.

"I don't know," answered Michael. He gave Christian a hug to make him feel better. "Look. Don't share the article until we know for sure. Otherwise, you could be spreading misinformation."

"You're right. But it doesn't make me feel any better."

Michael gave Christian a kiss on the cheek and handed him the game controller. "Neither will me kicking your ass in the second half." With that, Christian dropped the controller next to his phone and launched himself at Michael.

The joy and laughter from upstairs made Anna and Kristoffer smile. They cuddled closer on the sofa and turned up the TV's volume.

----------------------     

"Hi Matthew," greeted Carol. The teen was dirty and smiling a thousand-watt smile. "How was practice?"

He walked over and accepted a hug. "Practice was great. Everyone was able to make it and a few of us hit the batting cages for some extra practice afterwards."

"That's wonderful. I saved you some dinner. There's lasagna and broccoli warming in the oven. Go clean up and you can start your homework while you eat." Matthew understood that to be an invitation to join her at the table. She'd work and enjoy some coffee while he ate and did his homework. It was their special time together.

"Thank you!" said Matthew giving Carol a kiss on the cheek. "Where's dad?"

"He and Zach are in the office and your little brother is spending the night with Christian."

"On a school night?" asked Matthew, surprised but happy for his lil'bro.

"Did you want to be the one to tell him he wasn't allowed?" asked Carol with a raised eyebrow.

"I see your point. I won't be long." Matthew headed to his bedroom and dumped his bags at the foot of his bed. He opened his clothes hamper and added his dusty practice clothes as each piece was peeled from his muscular body. Thinking no one else was home, Matthew crossed the hallway to his bathroom. He hadn't heard the backdoor open and the other boys file into the hallway.

"Oh damn..." groaned Craig as the oldest of the Meijer boys crossed his path. Oliver and Alex only caught a glimpse of Matthew in all his glory. The trio of gay boys froze in their steps.

Under his breath, Lukas said, "I know. Right?" He put his hands on the backs closest to him and helped his friends along.

Craig and Oliver entered Lukas' bedroom and stood around while Lukas lit some candles and turned on some music. They suspected what Lukas had in mind and looked at each other nervously.

Simon had held Alex back. "We really like you Alex and you're welcome to join us, but I wanted to make sure it is okay with you and your boyfriend. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Alex didn't understand what Simon was talking about. He simply stared at Simon waiting for the older boy to explain.

"We're going to mess around, ya know. You're welcome to join us if you want. Really, you are. I just wanted to make sure you knew what we were gonna do before you went in. Since Michael is spending the night with Christian, I think Craig and Oliver are going to end up spending the night over here in our room."

Alex felt his body heat up. Lust? Embarrassment? It was probably a mixture of a lot of emotions (and hormones). "Thanks, but I think I'll watch TV or something."

Simon hugged the boy. "You do what's best for you. If you change your mind, just come on in." He watched Alex head to the dining room before joining the other boys.

Alex wandered into the main rooms of the house and saw Zach walking out of the office with some broken down boxes. Zach carried the boxes out the front door heading to the recycling. Curious, Alex walked over to the office to see what Dr. Meijer was doing.

"Hi, Alex. What are you up to?" asked Lars.

"Nothing. Just was wondering what was going on."

Lars stood and wiped his brow. "Well, tomorrow is the first day I'm taking appointments at the office on the Mallway. So, Zach and I are making a home office for reading and studying. What do you think?"

Two newly delivered leather armchairs, a table set up with monitors and a printer, new lamps...Alex thought it looked cozy enough. Disappointed, Alex asked, "So, my appointment this week will be at the office?"

"No. Your appointments will still be here at the house. At least until I decide to put a kitchen in the office so we can continue your baking lessons there. Oh, and since I'll have to close down the office and walk home, I may be a bit late for your appointment, so if you would, please wait for me."

Zach entered, "Hey Alex."

"Hey," greeted Alex. Then he offered, "Do you need any help?"

"I think we're done, little man," said Zach.

"We appreciate your offer," added Lars. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah," admitted Alex. "Just kinda bored. Josh is out with his mom and the guys are...ugh...busy."

Lars and Zach knew the boys well enough to figure out what they were doing. The looks Lukas was giving Oliver and Craig during dinner were anything but on the down low.

"I think I have ingredients for some cookies, or a pie. You know everyone loves your baking," said Lars. He watched the boy carefully to judge his mental state. Lars had already spent some time with Alex and was certain the boy was doing okay after his run in with John Vance. As a matter of fact, the incident had given Alex a huge boost of confidence. And Alex's relationship with Josh seemed to be swelling his ego too. It pleased Lars to no end to listen to Alex talk about Josh.

"No, I'm good. Josh will be home soon anyway." Alex walked to the dining room and took a seat. Phone in hand, he checked his messages and social media accounts. Now that he was making friends in East Harbor, these tasks had purpose.

Matthew walked in and dropped his books onto the table. Wearing only his boxers and towel drying his long, curly locks, he patted Alex on the shoulder, "Hey buddy." Alex lost track of what was on his screen while he watched Matthew out of the corner of his eyes.

"Have a seat, let me make your plate for you," said Carol, returning from the bathroom at the other end of the house.

"Mom, I can do it," said Matthew, stressing his independence. It was something he was feeling with Carol's encouragement to follow his passions. However, he also knew how much she enjoyed doting over him. He handed her the plate and said, "Thanks."

"Do you want anything Alex?" asked Carol.

"No, thank you. I'm still stuffed from dinner."

Carol poured herself some coffee and carried her coffee and Matthew's plate to the table. Just as she woke her laptop, Alex's phone rang. He hopped up from the table and headed into the family room before answering the Facetime call.

"Hey Josh!"

"Hi Alex! How are you tonight?"

Alex curled up on the sectional and grabbed some pillows. "I'm good. How did it go with your mom?""Well, she's not as freaked anymore. Yesterday I wondered if she'd ever let me out of the house again. But there is one thing that makes her feel more comfortable about my safety." Josh let that hang out there hoping Alex would ask.

"What's that?"

"Being with you." Josh smiled brightly into the camera. "She knows what a hero you were Saturday night and she's happy you're my boyfriend."

"She said that?"

"Well, she didn't say 'boyfriend', but I'm sure that's what she meant."

"So do you think you'll be able to spend the night this weekend?" asked Alex.

Josh was puzzled. "I thought your mom's staying in a one-bedroom apartment?"

"She is. You're invited to Christian's birthday party this weekend. It's here at Dr. Meijer's house. A bunch of guys are coming for a cookout, swimming and a sleepover."

"Christian is the blonde with glasses that played on the eighth-grade lacrosse team, right?" He tried to remember all the boys Alex had pointed out as his friends.

Alex confirmed Josh's memory.

"Why would they invite me? They don't even know me."

"They know you are my boyfriend and that's good enough for them."

Josh laughed. "Yet another benefit of having you as my boyfriend!"

----------------------     

Meanwhile, back in Lukas' bedroom...

Simon hugged Alex. "You do what's best for you. If you change your mind, just come on in." He watched Alex head to the dining room before joining the other boys in Lukas' bedroom.

Lukas moved behind Craig and held him by the hips. "Are you two sure you are up for this?"

Craig looked at Oliver to make sure they were on the same page. With a slight nod, Oliver gave his consent to Craig. Craig mouthed to his boyfriend, 'I love you.' Then he pressed his body back into Lukas' giving himself to the blond. "Yes," whispered Craig.

The blonde traces his hand up under Craig's shirt feeling the ripples of the runner's abs. Reaching higher, Lukas pinched and gently rolled each of Craig's sensitive nipples and kissed the boy's neck. Craig gave a shudder and moaned.

Simon moved in front of the two bottoms and beckoned Oliver to join him. Oliver, without taking his eyes off Lukas and Craig, stepped over not knowing what to expect. Simon took the hem of Oliver's shirt and pulled it up and off, tossing it aside. Oliver thought it was strange to watch Craig making out with Lukas while someone else was running their hands over his body. The hands left Oliver's body breaking the spell they cast over him. He turned to watch Simon slowly pull his own shirt off. Working out and lacrosse had done wonders to Simon's body. His shoulders and chest bulked up giving the teen a v-shaped torso. Oliver's eyes dropped as Simon shucked his shorts and admired equipment as equally impressive as his own. Simon nodded to Oliver to do the same.

Lukas saw what the other boys were doing and broke his kiss with Craig to remove the boy's shirt. Lifting his arms to help Lukas, Craig opened his eyes to see Oliver kick his shorts and underwear away. The swaying of two sizable fuck tools within reach was all it took to push Craig to diamond hardness. Once his shirt was off, Craig dropped his arms and focused on the boys before him. Simon reached out and took Craig's wrist and pulled the boy's hand to his hard cock. Craig instinctively reached out and took Oliver's more familiar piece of meat in his other hand. His boy hole tingled when he realized that Simon was even bigger than Oliver in length and girth. Craig was mesmerized by the two cocks in front of him, he didn't notice Lukas break away to strip off his own clothing.

Returning to Craig, Lukas felt the boy's chest and abs as he kissed his way down the boy's spine. He slipped his fingers under the waistband of Craig's shorts and boxers and slid his hands down the tops of Craig's thighs as his mouth went lower and lower down Craig's back. The result of this attention to Craig's body was the puddling of his shorts and boxers at his feet. While helping Craig get the clothing off his feet, Lukas managed get Craig to spread his feet. Lukas stretched his legs out in front of him, squeezing his legs between Craig's ankles.

Simon knew what Lukas had in mind when he saw his boyfriend dribble spit in his hand and lube up his pole. Simon placed his hand on Craig's shoulder and gently guided Craig down to his knees. Lukas used one hand keep his cock in place and the other to take Craig by the hips and lowered the boy.

Craig's knees bent leaning him away from the two beautiful cocks but brought him lower, face-to-face with them. That's when he felt Lukas poking at his entry. Craig momentarily stopped his downward movement, surprised by the sensation. Lukas didn't push it in. Instead, he used his glans to rub circles around and across Craig's hole. Knowing he was substantially smaller than the monster Craig regularly took up his hole, Lukas knew the spit would be all he needed.

Simon stepped forward and cradled the back of Craig's head in the palm of his left hand. Lifting his manhood, he pulled Craig to him, nuzzling the boy's face against his large sac and the underside of his cock along the side of Craig's nose. Noticing Oliver standing steadfastly in place, Simon reached over and took Oliver by his erection and guided him in place on the other side of Craig's face.

The scent of the two boys was intoxicating. To get a better whiff, Craig lowered himself to get his nose into the crease alongside Simon's ball sack. In doing so, Lukas popped into his boy hole. As he does when he and Oliver make love, even the first time in the field behind his parent's home, Craig's brain switched off and allowed his body to take full control in its search of pleasure. Craig rocked his hips and bounced on Lukas' pelvis while his hands, nose, and mouth treated Oliver and Simon's pelvic regions as if they were a midway at a county fair. His senses were filled with sights, smells, and tastes that made him crave more and more. Oliver added to the pleasures by reaching down and caressing Craig's face and hair the way Craig loved while giving head.

It was too much for Craig. With his left hand, he held Oliver in place so he could tongue the heads of both cocks simultaneously, slurping up the precum provided by each boy. With his other hand he grabbed his own erection and with just a dozen or so pumps, Craig unleashed a monstrous orgasm nearly passing out.

Simon and Oliver caught Craig and helped him to the bed. Lukas swiped his hand through the deposit Craig made on his rug and walked over to the bed. With his clean hand he rolled Craig onto his back, ass hanging off the bed. Lukas used his fingers to shove as much of Craig's cum into the boy's own hole before jamming himself back in with a single thrust. Lukas was close and fucked Craig like a jackrabbit. Simon encouraged Oliver to touch Lukas while he stroked Oliver's tanned body. Kissing Oliver, Simon reached down and rubbed Oliver's cock across Lukas' back and ass leaving trails of precum. Simon had hoped to get Oliver into Lukas' ass but the blond reached his conclusion too soon. Leaning back so Oliver could watch, Lukas planted the first shots in Craig's ass before pulling out and aiming at the winking hole.

"Whew!" sighed Lukas. He copped a feel of Oliver's dick and said, "Your turn."

Craig smiled and pulled his knees back. Oliver didn't need to be asked twice. He gently slipped in and fucked his boyfriend. The combination of Craig's own cum and Lukas' load made Craig's hole into a tight slip-n-slide. It reminded Oliver of the nights when he went back in for a second or third romp, but this time it was more exciting for him because he hadn't cum yet.

Lukas went to clean up and returned in time to see Oliver add his sample to Craig's rear end. When Oliver pulled out, Lukas crawled up on the bed and rested his body on top of Craig's, looking down into the boy's face. "You having fun?"

Craig managed a huge smile from his sweat drenched face. Lukas was happy he'd read Craig's hungry stares correctly. This boy was equally as dick crazy as he was and Lukas took great pride in helping Craig realize his dreams.

"Good, because you've got one more coming. Turn this way," instructed Lukas. The boys moved completely up on the bed before Lukas spun into a 69. He managed to roll them over so Craig was on top and helped Craig rise up to his knees. With his ass up in the air, Craig felt a dribble of cum drip down his perineum and onto his balls. Simon caught it with his glans and used it to lube himself up before easing himself into Craig's ass. Craig moaned as the fatter cock stretched him nicely.

Oliver joined them on the bed. Kissing and sharing Lukas' cock with his boyfriend, Oliver fed his meat to Lukas while Simon plowed Craig. Once each boy achieved another orgasm, they collapsed onto the bed. Simon remained stuffed inside Craig as they fell to their side. Lukas reversed direction and pulled the blankets up over everyone. With Craig in Simon's arms, Lukas snuggled up with Oliver. He raised up when he felt Oliver moving his arm giving Oliver enough space to thread his arm under Lukas and find Craig's hands. That's how the four of them fell to sleep.

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Carol was ready to head back to her house for the night when she heard the TV in the family room. She followed the sound and found Alex asleep on the sectional. She didn't feel the need to wake him, deciding instead to pull out some blankets and a pillow from the closet. She covered up the boy and placed a pillow beside his head. Alex's phone lit up as a text message came in, drawing Carol's attention to the floor. Realizing he must have dropped it after falling asleep, she picked it up to see new messages from Jaden.

Jaden: I didn't think the math homework was too bad either
Jaden: I think the test on Friday will be cool
Jaden: Isaac just texted! He's allowed to come to Christian's party on Saturday
Jaden: Are you still there?
Jaden: Cya tomorrow 'night

Carol figured out which plug fit Alex's phone and plugged it in to charge while he slept then turned off the TV.