FRIDAY, APRIL 24

School was pretty much a waste. With passes to the Hella Mega Tour at PetCo Park that evening, the boys were flying high. Two dozen VIP passes sounded like a lot until they decided who would and wouldn't get one.

They decided to make the concert a huge event with dinner before the show and a rented party bus to haul everyone to and from San Diego. Of course, Carol, Lars, Zach and the boys were going, as well as Christian and April. They invited the lunch gang including Sam, Gregory, Jaden and Alex. Also attending would be Michael's soccer buddy Mateo Garcia, and his high school lacrosse friends Preston Peters, Caleb Conley, and Robert McCall. The last two tickets went to Derek and Jack.

Since they were getting back late from the concert, everyone was planning on spending the night. Well, everyone but April. If they'd asked it would have been Lars and Carol who said "no" not April's parents. Matthew and April considered asking, but they knew if they spent the night together nothing would stop them from having sex. They agreed they didn't want to have sex with a bunch of other kids around and having to worry about someone walking in on them.

The party bus parked in front of East Harbor high school and it wasn't long before the boys and their friends arrived to board the limo bus. A cooler with refreshments, large TVs playing music videos with a sound system that rocked the bus, and colored LED lighting strung throughout the interior excited the boys and set the mood for their adventure together. Before they knew it, the limo bus parked, and the boys unloaded outside of PetCo Park.

They herded the boys a couple of blocks north on Ninth Street for dinner. At the corner of Ninth and Island, they came upon a small, two story that looked like it was once a home. Lars led them into the Half Door Brewing Co. where he had reserved the upstairs balcony for dinner. The menu had the typical fare of an Irish pub -- things like fish and chips and bangers and mash -- as well as American staples like hamburgers and crispy chicken sandwiches.

The staff was friendly and along with Lars, Carol and Zach, they were happy the weather was nice and they were able to keep the rowdy boys outside. Not that the boys misbehaved, but there is an energy level generated by more than a dozen boys aged 10-17. The older teens, particularly April, Matthew and Robert, helped keep the boys on task and their excitement under control - mostly. The cook staff was able to get the orders out quickly allowing the group to finish their meals at relatively the same time. After paying the tab and leaving a sizable tip, Lars and Carol waited outside as Zach sent boys to the bathroom then outside to wait for the others. They led everyone back down Ninth and got to the show as the doors opened.

For nearly all the boys, this was the first concert they'd ever been to outside of seeing At the Majestic. The experience blew them away, including Michael, Lukas, Simon and Matthew. From the moment Weezer took the stage to their encore, the East Harbor boys shouted, sang, and danced. They were having such a good time, Brian Bell, Weezer's guitarist, and it's lead singer, Rivers Cuomo, both walked stage-right, pointing to and interacting with the boys. This encouraged the boys to yell and sing louder.

During the intermission, the boys grabbed drinks and snacks in order to replenish what they lost during the first act. Despite the energy they expended, their anticipation grew with Green Day coming on next.

The sun had gone down while Weezer was on stage and the lights on stage bathed the waiting faces of the audience, including three of the biggest Green Day fans on the planet -- Michael, Lukas, and Simon.

Electricity shot through their bodies when the lights went down and they made out the figures of Tré Cool, Mike Dirnt, Billie Joe Armstrong, and their touring musicians grabbing instruments and taking their places on stage.

The first notes of "Know Your Enemy" exploded from the amps as the lights flooded the stadium. The electricity the boys felt was turned to sound as it escaped their throats. They yelled and screamed in exhilaration.

Lars and Carol enjoyed seeing the boys and their friends having such a great time. They had been nervous about taking so many boys to the show, especially Jack, the youngest and smallest of the group. The VIP section, however, offered plenty of room between the aisles and security kept the crowd in check.

From studying Green Day's concerts for their own, the boys were certain of one thing, the band brings young musicians up on stage during their shows to play a song, or for at least a moment of glory. The lights rotated to illuminate the crowd and fans went wild trying to get Billie Joe's attention. Michael was hoisted onto Matthew's shoulders and the entire group from East Harbor shouted and pointed to Michael.

"Yeah, down right, you can't miss them," came a voice through the singer's ear piece. He looked to the left of the catwalk then right to give the crowd a sense he didn't already know who to pick. He had to put on a good show because the Saber contingent was by far the rowdiest and biggest single group.

Billie Joe walked over and zeroed in on Michael. He pointed to the boy everyone was directing his attention to and asked, "So, you play?"

The boys cheered and screamed. Michael nodded his head and played air guitar. He pointed to Lukas and pretended to play the drums, then to Simon and plucked the air as if he was playing bass. He included Matthew too.

"Are you guys a band?"

Michael gave two thumbs up and the East Harbor group cheered louder.

Billie Joe looked up at the audience and asked, "Should we see what these guys can do?"

The entire crowd at PetCo Park cheered. Green Day fans knew this was a special moment at any show and those who didn't know Green Day did this regularly were stunned and excited by the idea of fans getting to go upstage with their idols. Billie Joe pointed to the boys and asked security to bring them up on stage.

The stage manager ushered each boy in the right direction to get around the amps and cables. Michael was first and ran to where Billie Joe stood stage center.

"Hey little dude! How old are you?"

They exchanged fist bumps before Michael leaned towards the mic Billie Joe held. "Almost 12."

The crowd cheered and Billie Joe asked, "And you know how to play?"

Michael grinned and nodded his head.

The mic was placed back on the stand and Billie Joe helped Michael with the guitar and adjusted the strap to fit his smaller frame. Michael looked down and found the set list taped to the floor. Even though Green Day was playing songs from their newest albums, they still played many of their standards. Michael struggled to find a song that Green Day wasn't already planning to play in the show. While that was going on, Tré greeted Lukas who adjusted the throne behind the kit while Simon was outfitted with a bass and Matthew one of the tour musician's guitars.

Michael turned to his brothers to see if they were ready then stepped up to the mic and adjusted it to his height. Lukas did the same.

The stage hand brought out another microphone and another guitar for Billie Joe. "Whoa bro, you're taking over the stage. Have you guys performed live before?"

"Yep!"

"It looks like you guys are ready."

"Yeah. Do you mind if we play 'Welcome to Paradise'?"

The crowd screamed and Michael didn't wait for permission. He tore into the guitar intro eyeing the crowd. The other three boys joined in on cue. They added some showmanship when Simon leapt off one of the amps, Lukas twirled his drumsticks, and Matthew strutted up to the edge of the stage like a rock star making, flirting with the girls along the front of the stage. Michael turned on the personality and exhibited the showmanship he'd honed preparing for their live performances.

Billie Joe ran around the stage pointing and engaging with the boys and the crowd, as did Tré and Mike. They were in disbelief that a group of boys this young could bring the musicianship, vocals, and stage presence as a single package. The boys rocked the crowd and played their adapted version of the song with an extended bass solo and guitar solo in the middle of the song and ending with guitars and bass backing up Lukas' drum solo before Michael climbed up on one of the larger stage monitors and leapt, the song ending when he landed on the stage.

The older boys joined Michael down front of the stage while the crowd cheered for the young rockers. They took a bow together before Billie Joe quieted the crowd so the show could continue.

He threw his hands up in the air and said, "What the fuck did I just witness here?" The crowd roared again.

"So, who are you guys?" asked Billie Joe.

Michael stepped back up to his mic still wearing the guitar he played. "That's my brother Matthew on the end. He plays guitar, piano and sings. Beside him is my brother Simon. He plays bass, double bass, cello, and sings. Our drummer is my brother Lukas. He also sings, plays guitar, piano, bass, and writes a lot of our music."

"And who are you?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm Michael. I play guitar, bass, drums and piano."

"What's the name of your band and where are you from?" asked Billie Joe.

"We're At the Majestic, from East Harbor!" The East Harbor fans down front screamed and so did other East Harbor residents elsewhere in the stadium.

"Wait a minute. I know these guys down here know who you guys are, but who else here in the stadium knows At the Majestic?" The response was surprising for both Green Day and the boys.

"How do you have so many fans already?" asked Billie Joe.

"I don't know. It is either our awesome social media manager," Michael pointed to Christian who smiled back, not believing what was going on at the moment, "or they may have heard our song 'Betrayal' on the radio." The At the Majestic fans cheered as did those fans who knew the song but didn't know the name of the band.

Billie Joe egged the audience on then waited for them to quiet down. Then he asked the crowd, "You guys want to hear them play 'Betrayal'?"

Michael stepped back from the mic and looked at Billie Joe. "Are you serious?" No band had ever played a second song, let alone an original when Green Day brought them up on stage. At least as far as Michael and Christian knew.

The boys scattered to prepare to play another song. Michael took over Simon's spot stage right and Simon walked out on the catwalk and adjusted the mic to his height. The raven-haired band member was considered by many to be the quiet, reserved one, but when he walked out onstage, there was a charisma that flowed from his presence. Carol teared up knowing what an incredible experience this would be for her son, and how proud Stephen would have been of his son.

Lukas counted off and the boys tore into their original song with an energy to match the nearly 43,000 concert goers at the show. Those that knew the song shouted "betrayed" during the chorus and sang along. The lyrics were catchy and repetitive allowing those new to the song to pick up on it and shout along with everyone else.

When the song ended the crowd cheered again. Being silly, Mike, Billie Joe, and Tré ran out onto the catwalk and got on their knees and bowed in worship to the boys. The stagehands helped them with their instruments and returned the microphones to where they needed to be and to the correct heights while the members of the two bands hugged and the boys were congratulated on an awesome song and an outstanding performance.

The stage manager waved them off stage right to witness the rest of the show from backstage. When they got there, they found Lars, Christian and April waiting for them. Off stage the three couples hugged and shared the excitement of the evening.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I wondered if I can have a word with you and the band."

Lars turned but didn't recognize the man. He took the man's hand to shake and said, "I'm sorry. You are?"

"I'm Jonathan Daniel of Crush Music. We manage both Weezer and Green Day. I met your boys and Zach when they performed at the Santa Monica Pier Twilight Concert Series with Khalid. The boys were as good tonight as they were up in Santa Monica. I've got a couple surprises for them if you approve. Can we talk after the show?"

He and Lars worked out the logistics for bringing the rest of the group backstage after the show and keeping them entertained while he met with the boys.

The kids enjoyed the show from back stage, almost forgetting the rest of their friends still in the audience. They watched and learned from Billie Joe and the band when Lukas felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You rocked those drums dude," was said loudly enough that Lukas turned to see who it was.

He didn't immediately recognize the two men but when he realized who paid him the compliment, he about pissed his pants. Lukas reached for Michael and pulled his little brother over.

"What...?" whined Michael until he turned to see Josh Dun, the drummer of Twenty One Pilots standing there smiling. "Holy shit!" screeched Michael.

Josh reached his hand out to shake the boy's hand but Michael had other plans. Michael charged Josh and gave him a bear hug. "Shit this kid is strong." Josh laughed and pried Michael from around his waist. He shook Lukas' hand and shouted over the music, "Enjoy the show!" He pointed to the man standing next to him and added, "Mike and I will be talking to you later!"

Lukas nodded his head and turned back to the stage. Michael asked him, "Who's Mike?"

"He's the co-founder of SJC drums -- the drums Josh and Tré Cool play," answered Lukas.

After "Are We the Waiting", Green Day kicked into "St. Jimmy" when the boys were distracted by a commotion to their left. They looked and saw Weezer getting their guitars ready to go on stage. When the song ended, Billie Joe introduced Weezer again and they jammed to an Operation Ivy cover "Knowledge".

With another round of bows, Weezer left the stage. Rivers, Brian Bell, and Scott Shriner took off their instruments and handed them to their roadie to be stowed for the next show and approached the boys.

The men introduced themselves to the boys and congratulated them. "You guys are just awesome," was how Brian summed it all up.

"Thanks," said Simon. "We really enjoy playing live."

"No," corrected Rivers, "we mean your videos. We got turned onto your video of 'Hash Pipe' this afternoon. When you get home tonight, you'll see our comments and donation to your foundation. You guys are an inspiration. Enjoy the rest of the show. We'll talk to you more on Sunday."

The boys were in awe of the complements they received. It wasn't until the men walked away that Matthew realized what was said. "What did they mean they'd talk to us on Sunday?"

His brothers shrugged and turned their attention back to the show on stage.

After the second encore, Green Day left the stage for good and stopped by to talk to the boys for a second. On their way, they ran into their Manager, Jonathan Daniel.

"Hey! I know that guy," said Simon, pointing to the man talking to Billie Joe.

"Yeah, that's their manager, Mr. Daniel," answered Michael. "We met him when we played in Santa Monica."

Billy Joe and Mike said their "see you laters" before Jonathan and Tré were joined by Josh. Before the boys could say anything, the rest of the East Harbor entourage started shouting from behind them. Their friends ran up and smothered them in hugs and compliments. The boys newly arriving on stage didn't know what excited them the most, meeting Tré Cool, meeting Josh Dun, or their friends performing on stage. With excitement contained, stagehands escorted the East Harbor entourage onto the stage for a brief behind the scenes tour.

Mike Ciprari, co-founder of SJC drums, joined the group just as Jonathan was getting things started.

"Boys, you were fantastic tonight. Like I told you back in Santa Monica, you aren't ready for Crush to manager you, but I did tell you I could open some doors."

"Did you get us picked out of the audience to perform tonight?" asked Matthew.

"That I did. When Rick, our mutual friend at KBZT radio, finally got around to telling me about giving you guys all the VIP passes for tonight's show, he was quite surprised I already knew you boys. After discussing it with Billie Joe and the band, we all wanted to give you boys a shot tonight. Green Day loves you guys. They weren't saying that on stage to play nice in front of the audience. They are sincerely impressed."

"So were we," noted Josh speaking for him and Mike. "You guys kicked it tonight."

"Speaking of which, I set up another opportunity for the band. Mike..." Jonathan turned the floor over to Mike.

"Lukas, your drum song covers are gaining followers like crazy and we noted that some of your favorite drummers, including Tré and Josh, here, play our drums. We'd like to bring you onboard as one of our SJC artists. We'll supply you with a few drum kits for your onstage, practice and studio work and they'll be custom designed to however you want them to look. We are creating a new line of drums that are top quality, but better priced and we want you to be the first artist playing that set and have a signature line and design. We think you'll draw more young drummers to our kits, and you'll be getting an upgrade to the kits you currently play."

"Dude," added Josh, "I was in town and Mike said he was coming here tonight to see my bud Tré and a new young drummer, so I tagged along. I'd be proud if you joined us as one of the SJC drummers. You blew me away tonight."

"Me too," agreed Tré. "This is an incredible opportunity for SJC and for you Lukas."

"What do I have to do?" asked Lukas.

"Just wear our gear, tag us in everything you post online, fly our flag, keep making covers, do some instruction videos for kids learning drums, and most importantly, play our drums."

"Yes!" shouted Lukas with a fist pump. "Dad, can I?" Lars smiled and nodded yes.

Mike continued, "We'll work things out with your father and your lawyer. There will be a cash payment to make the drum kits revenue neutral. We'll have a designer work with you on what you want your drums to look like. Pretty much anything goes."

Jonathan jumped back in. "Congratulations Lukas." He and Lukas shook hands before he continued. "And for the entire band, I wanted to give you guys an opportunity for a one-time gig. It won't pay, but we'll provide the roadies and trucks to get your gear to and from the show."

The boys all blurted out questions about the when, where, and who of the show. Jonathan paused for dramatic effect. He could tell the boys were ready to burst in excitement. "The next show for the Hella Mega tour is Sunday at Dodger Stadium. How would you boys like to be the opening act?"

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SATURDAY, APRIL 25

Lukas yawned as he woke. Feeling the warm body in front of him and the one pressed against his back, he smiled remembering the previous night. Not that he thought Simon would be upset if he admitted it, but for Lukas the only thing better than lying naked in bed with Simon, was lying naked in bed with Simon and Scott.

Thinking back to the previous night, he replayed the scenes of their lovemaking. Unlike the previous times the three of them were together, it wasn't the typical knock-down, drag-out, pound-Lukas'-hole-until-you-nut fuckfest the three of them usually had. (Not that any of the three minded those at all.) The intensity last night wasn't applied to the physical act, but to the passion and love the boys felt for each other. When they finally fell to sleep in the early hours of the morning, Scott was in the middle with Simon cuddling him from his left. Lukas was on his stomach on Scott's right, his head on Scott's shoulder. Lukas wondered how he ended up in the middle. He couldn't remember anyone getting up or waking.

He took a deep breath through his nose. Without even opening his eyes, he knew Scott was the body in front of his. Blindfolded, Lukas could identify Simon and Scott by their scent, the taste of their lips, or the touch of their hands.

"Oh shit!" gasped Lukas sitting straight up in the bed. "Wake up!"

Simon was groggy from their late night. "What?" he groaned flailing an arm in an attempt to stop Lukas from shaking him.

"We're playing Dodger Stadium tomorrow! We need to practice!"

Scott rolled over and went back to sleep while Lukas and Simon stumbled around the bedroom throwing on whatever they found to wear. Staggering into the kitchen they were greeted by Michael and Matthew eating breakfast, and their parents and Zach fussing around in the kitchen.

"Good morning, sleepy heads," laughed Carol.

"What are you laughing at?" griped Simon.

The boys at the table started to laugh too. Michael covered his mouth and pointed. Lukas rubbed his eyes and looked at Simon whose shirt was on inside out and backwards -- the tag clearly displayed under his chin. Simon noticed Lukas put on a tank top but only got his left arm through an arm hole.

"What time is it?" asked Lukas.

"It's 10:45," answered Lars, amused by Simon and Lukas' disarranged state. "We fed your friends and sent them home hoping you'd wake up and join us for breakfast."

Lukas yawned and took his seat and Simon sat beside him. "Then we need to practice."

"You'll need to shower first," stated Carol. Of the young couple, it dawned on Simon first that his mother could smell the evidence of last night's fun.

"And so will Scott," added Zach. "Mom and dad want Scott to hang out with us today, so he'd better get his ass up so he can get something to eat."

Simon started to question. "What about...?"

"Taken care of," interrupted Matthew, "AJ is meeting us this afternoon to make sure our backing tracks are in order. Asa and Keith are coming down to talk about being on stage to film us and the possibility of livestreaming our show. Dad already spoke to Mr. Daniel to make sure it was okay if we did that."

The band's bass player scratched his arm pit and grunted, "Oh..."

Zach redirected the boys. "Somebody needs to get Scott up for breakfast before we head to the Majestic."

"I'll get him!" Michael hopped up from the table and jogged into Lukas' bedroom. When his eyes adjusted to the dark enough to take in the sight, he stopped dead in his tracks. Scott was on his back, the blanket draped across his right leg. Despite Scott being on full display, Michael's eyes focused on one place, or rather one piece.

Quickly, he bent slightly at the knees and grabbed the front of his boxer briefs through his shorts and pulled them forward releasing his cooped-up boner. It's one thing to see Scott naked in the shower after a soccer match. It's an entirely different thing to see Scott in Lukas' bed resembling a single-mast sailboat. He didn't think about it, but it had been a while since Michael had sex. The view got his young hormones going instantly. The 11-year-old's entire body flushed red, especially his face. He dared not approach the bed.

From half-way across the room, Michael called out, "Scott, it's time to get up!" There was no movement on the bed. "Scott," he called out a bit louder. Still no movement. Michael got closer to the bed and the smell of sex filled his nostrils. He crawled up on his knees atop the bed and reached for Scott's shoulder. He shook the strong, muscular shoulder and Scott started to wake. Thinking it was Lukas, Scott reached out and pulled the boy shaking his shoulder down on top of his naked body. Michael felt Scott's manhood against his thigh and squeaked in shock. The older boy's eyes opened in surprise. "Oh. Hi Michael." He squeezed the smaller body tighter to his own.

"Uh. Hi," said Michael, struggling to break free. "Time for breakfast. You need to hurry."

"Okay," agreed Scott, letting go of Michael who scrambled from the bed. Michael left the room and tried to compose himself before returning to the breakfast table. He needn't have worried. Everyone was too busy talking and eating to notice his state. He slipped back into his seat and ate another mouthful of French toast.

"Dad?" asked Matthew. "When are the roadies coming to get our gear?"

"They're coming in the morning. We'll ride up to the stadium, set up and do a sound check. That should give you enough time to practice before the other two bands do their sound checks. Since the show starts in the afternoon, there isn't a ton of time."

"Well," groaned Simon, exhausted from their nighttime activities, "that's all great, but we haven't even put our set list together."

"About that," Michael reached behind his back where he'd set his iPad.

"What the hell?" laughed Lukas. "Do you keep that thing stored up your butt? You always have it with you."

Michael didn't even look at his brother. "Ha, ha. Very funny." He pulled up the list and popped the pencil from the iPad case. "I started working on this and think it's pretty good. Mr. Daniel said we should focus on our original material and throw in some covers, so the crowd knows some of the songs too." He passed the device to his brothers. Matthew got up and looked over Lukas and Simon's shoulders.

"Are you serious?" asked Matthew.

"Yeah, I am," he answered. "I think that song would be perfect."

"We've never played that live," noted Simon. "Shouldn't we pick something we've performed before to open the show?"

"Yeah," agreed Matthew. The oldest of the boys was always the most nervous and uncertain of himself before their shows.

Michael reasoned with his bros. "Matthew, I know the song is hard for you, but you've played it perfect in practice for the last couple of weeks. We'll be great. Plus, the song is something everyone knows, and no one will expect it. It will be epic!"

His three brothers weren't sharing his enthusiasm. They looked to each other to see who was up for arguing with their little bro -- a feat at which none of the three had had any success.

----------------------     

"You're awfully chipper," joked Lewis as he and Christian walked to the Majestic to meet the band. He was spending Saturday night with Christian and planned on hanging out at the theater while the band practiced, and Christian worked his magic on social media to hype the band.

They had showered and changed clothes at Christian's before heading to the theater. Michael told them not to worry about lunch, the band was going to have food catered in for everyone, so they didn't have to take too much time away from practicing. Christian was, in fact, in an excellent mood, and didn't understand what Lewis as getting at.

"I figured you and Michael would have fucked yourselves silly last night and slept in like Lukas, Scott, and Simon."

Christian scowled. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, Michael's a good fuck and such a horny little dude..."

Christian stopped in his tracks. "How do you know he's 'a good fuck'?"

Lewis tried to backtrack on his statement, but Christian knew him too well.

"You fucked Michael?" asked Christian. Lewis' fair skin flushed red. "Oh my god! You did fuck Michael. When?"

"When he spent the night. We were just messing around, then things turned to talking about sex and then we ended up... you know. I mean, Michael really likes sex, so I thought you guys were... you know."

That got Christian's mind working. He wasn't mad, just surprised Lewis and Michael had sex. "So, when you said you weren't a virgin anymore, you didn't mean Courtney, you meant Michael."

"Well, yeah," admitted Lewis.

"Have you and Court?"

"Nah, just a hand job that one time. Are you mad?"

"I'm kinda jealous, I guess. But I'm not mad. I know he's had sex with other people. I just didn't expect you to have sex with a guy."

"Yeah, well, it was pretty hot. I mean... I wouldn't do it with just any guy. Like, I don't really think guys are attractive in a sexy type of way. You know? But I had a lot of fun with Michael, and I'd probably do it again. I mean... now you two are dating so I wouldn't... I mean... I guess if you were okay with it..." Christian saved Lewis from fumbling all over himself by interrupting him with laughter.

The two boys wandered over to the fountain and sat on the edge. Lewis asked, "So you and Michael aren't having sex?"

Christian shook his head. "No, not yet."

"Why?"

"Part of me doesn't feel ready and another part of me is scared. I've never done anything, and I don't want to look stupid."

"It's okay dude," consoled Lewis. "Just take your time and do what feels good, what feels right. It's all good."

"Do you think Michael will break up with me if I don't have sex with him soon?"

"That's a conversation you have to have with Michael. But from the way he looks at you, I doubt you have anything to worry about."

They sat in silence for a minute or so while Christian contemplated things. Lewis, however, needed to ask something that had been on his mind. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Huh?"

"That you were gay. Why didn't you tell me you were gay?"

"I didn't know it myself until right before the dance. Then Emily got me and Michael together. I guess I just didn't have time."

"Oh," grunted Lewis.

"What? Are you mad at me? I'm sorry."

"No... not mad. I guess I was just jealous that you and Emily were so close you told her first."

"It wasn't really like that. I mean, yeah, Emily and I are like BFFs, but I told her to break up with her, not to confide in her instead of you."

Lewis started laughing.

"What?" asked Christian.

"I'm not sure many gay guys got the reaction you did when you told your girlfriend you were gay." Both boys laughed at the thought. "I bet more got slapped than got their newly ex-girlfriend to fix them up with the boy he was crushing on."

Lewis gave Christian a hug and laughter filled the Mallway.

----------------------     

After lunch at Jack's, he and Derek rode their bikes around the neighborhood until they spied the drooping canopy of a Netleaf Hackberry tree in the middle of Cavalcade Park. The low branches cast an inviting shade for the two sleepy boys to wander into. Derek sat with his back against the tree's trunk, resting the base of his skull in the crook of a branch.

Jack's head nodded forward as his mop of light brown hair danced in the breeze. He caught himself falling to sleep and jerked his head back up. To keep from falling over, he leaned into Derek. The little blonde guided Jack down to rest his head in his lap and they both drifted off for a nap.

Derek woke when Jack sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What's wrong?" asked Derek.

"I had a bad dream," groaned Jack. It wasn't surprising. After the incident between the young boyfriends and Jack's Uncle John, Jack's sleep hadn't been peaceful, something Derek was fully aware of. "What are we going to do about him?" asked Jack.

"You mean, what's he going to do about us?"

"Yeah. What's he going to do?"

"I don't know," admitted Derek. "Whatever it is, I don't think it will include me."

"Why do you say that?"

"I think he's scared I'll tell. He'll probably want to get you alone."

The boys sat there concentrating on devising a plan.

"My birthday," said Jack.

"What about your birthday?"

Jack rose to his knees and faced Derek. "That's when he'll make his next move. My birthday is Friday and he always has me spend one night with him my birthday weekend. Since we are having our sleepover Friday night, he'll want me to spend the night Saturday night."

Derek's brow furrowed. He didn't like the idea of Jack being alone with his Uncle John and it appeared they only had a week to figure out what to do. "Doesn't your Uncle John still have a girlfriend living with him now?"

"I think so. And she's got a son."

"Maybe you'll be okay. Do you think he'd do something with them around?"

"I don't know. I guess not," answered Jack.

"You need a phone so you can call for help."

"I asked for one for my birthday, but I don't know if I'm gonna get one."

"I've got an idea, com'on." Derek got up and headed for his bike.

"What?" asked Jack, following behind.

"We'll buy you a prepaid phone for an emergency. We can get one at the 7-Eleven. I've got money at home and we'll get Slurpees too."

"Why get Slurpees?"

Derek explained, "So we can ask our parents if we can go to 7-Eleven to get Slurpees! That way they can't say no to the phone."

"Oh. I like your thinking."

----------------------     

Alex bounced on the edge of the sectional in The Loft at the Majestic. He impatiently waited for Josh to answer his call.

"Hello," chirped Josh when he answered via Facetime. His feelings were still hurt from Alex cancelling their hanging out in order for Alex to go to the Hella Mega tour without him. Josh wasn't sure about Alex, but he had considered the canceled plans as their first date and felt betrayed. He could reason how silly it was, but it didn't change the way he felt.

"Josh, I'm so sorry about canceling yesterday," rattled off Alex as fast as he could speak. Alex's excitement startled Josh. "Can I make it up to you?"

"How?"

Alex continued, his excitement fueling his machinegun-like speech. "Well, if your mom will let you go, would you go with me to the Hella Mega tour concert tomorrow?"

Josh couldn't believe his ears. "Really? How did you get tickets?"

"It's a long story, but my friends, the band, they are the opening act tomorrow and they got some backstage passes for the show."

"Wait," Josh wanted to make sure he understood perfectly, "you have backstage passes for At the Majestic, or the entire show?"

"The ENTIRE show. We'll be backstage for At the Majestic, Weezer, AND Green Day!"

"Hang on!" said Josh excitedly. He was so excited he forgot to mute his phone before he yelled, "MOM!"

Alex heard the entire exchange before Josh lifted the phone so they could see each other again. Alex fed Josh the details and Josh yelled them to his mother who was cleaning the kitchen. In the end, she gave her approval. Josh whooped and informed Alex of her decision.

"Be ready in the morning and I'll call you when we are on our way to pick you up. I'm spending the night here with the band, so they don't have to pick me up. You'll be right along the way to LA."

"AWESOME," said Josh, completely forgiving Alex for any transgression he may have made canceling their previous plans.

----------------------     

Lewis, Asa, and Keith started to clean up the trays and containers of Chipotle and the boys prepared to get back to work.

"Holy cow!" exclaimed Christian. "Weezer donated $10,000 to the foundation! And get this, they sent out a challenge to their friends to match it!" He tapped a few more things on his phone's screen and Michael appeared by his side to see for himself. "You guys are getting likes and shares from each of the bands' accounts and each of the band members are following you and sharing out your videos - Weezer, Green Day, Twenty One Pilots. And get this, SJC is already out there promoting the band and teasing the announcement of a new SJC artist. They are all talking about you guys playing the show tomorrow. OMG!! Look!" Michael's brothers joined as well as Zach.

"They updated the online poster for tomorrow. You guys are officially on the bill for tomorrow's show!" Christian gave Michael a huge hug. "I'm so happy for you guys." Lukas gave Simon a hug and Zach put his arm around Matthew's shoulder and gave him a squeeze. Simon was the only one that knew where he wanted the band to go. This was what he dreamed of. The other boys were simply enjoying the ride. Seeing the Hella Mega Tour poster with At the Majestic listed hit each boy differently. But there was one commonality -- they were motivated to get back to work to prepare for the show.

Christian got right to work too. He needed to thank the bands for their donations, share out the high-profile comments and shares, and promote the Livestream of the band performing in front of tens of thousands at Dodger Stadium.

----------------------     

His thin shoulders tired easily as he swam across the pool. Turning around to head back, he made it halfway before grabbing the edge to rest.

"That's better than yesterday, honey," noted Erica. It was hard for her not to coddle her frail son, but at 13, he fought for independence even if he knew it was a losing battle. He still had his pride.

Isaac panted and acknowledged his mom's comment. It was true, he was getting stronger, but he still wasn't "normal" -- not like he used to be. His smile lit a flame in his mom's heart, and she cherished every moment she had with her middle child. It was hard to let him grow up, but he was. She watched Isaac glance across the pool at the boy from the swim team. The other boy was strong and fit, pushing himself toward excellence even after practice ended. It was something her son observed since they moved his physical therapy to the pool at the YMCA.

The competitive swimmer said his goodbyes to his coach and dove back into the water. He didn't pop back up until he'd passed under the rope that marked the last lane from the recreational side of the pool. When Isaac saw the boy reappear, he quickly turned back to face his mother. Moments later, the boy from the swim team rested next to Isaac on the pool wall.

Though Isaac was certain he hid it well, Erica knew her son liked boys. At this moment, the expression on his face answered her questions: Was Isaac wishing he could swim like the boys on the swim team, or did he have a crush on one of them? "I'm going to go get a drink. I'll be back in a bit." She left her son alone with the boy he thought was mega-cute to give him some privacy.

Isaac turned and his heart skipped a beat looking into the blues eyes that were usually hidden behind goggles. "Hi," he stammered.

The boy took off his swim cap and shook out his brown hair. "Hi yourself," the boy said. "I noticed you looking at me when you're here. I thought we should meet."

There was silence as each boy tried to size up the other. Isaac had spoken to other gay boys online. There it seemed safe to say how he felt and express his attraction to them. Being with another boy in person was new and unsettling. There was no online profile to check to see if this boy identified as gay, straight, or bi, leaving Isaac feeling uncertain. Letting out the breath he'd been holding since the boy swam under the ropes, Isaac inhaled before breaking the silence. "Yeah, you have a great body."

The boy smiled. "You're really cute yourself. I like your smile."

Isaac relaxed and turned the wattage up on his smile. "I'm Isaac. It's nice to finally meet you." He reached out to shake hands but was too tired to hold himself up with one hand and grasped the side again. The boy caught him and helped Isaac regain his hold on the side. Isaac was glad the boy chose not to let go. The strong arm felt good around his waist.

"Nice to meet you Isaac," said the boy. "I'm Jaden."

The boys spent a few minutes getting to know each other before Jaden's mother called for him.

"I've got to go. I hope you're here next time. See you, Isaac." Jaden gave his best smile before lifting himself out of the pool. Isaac watched intently, particularly taking in the sight of the blue and green Sea Saber uniform. Jaden hurried around the pool to his mother. Before opening the locker room door, Jaden turned and gave Isaac a wave. Isaac gave a quick wave before grasping the side of the pool again. Erica walked over to Isaac once Jaden was out of sight.

"I'm tired," explained Isaac.

"I know honey. You did well today." She knelt and lifted her son from the pool. His willowy frame wrapped itself around her body and she carried him to a lounge where he could rest before heading for home.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26

The afternoon crowd at Dodger Stadium was riotous. Peering from backstage, the boys were fully aware of the difference between the laid-back, beach going crowd of 25,000 or so they played for in Santa Monica, and the young and energetic 56,000 fans here to see Weezer and Green Day. This was not the older crowd people enjoying the evening and a free show. This was a bunch of loud, young, punk rock fanatics who paid an arm and a leg to get tickets for an epic show. They were here for an experience. They were hyped and ready to party.

It made the boys even more anxious that the professional bands, and their entourages, were hanging out in anticipation of the young newcomers' performance.

Lukas hopped in place, shook his body, and paced to work off extra energy as the band waited to take the stage. Zach was going over some final notes with the stage crew and Simon was checking his double bass since he was going to walk it out on stage for the first song. Matthew, on the other hand, had butterflies slam-dancing in his stomach. For the opening number he would be on lead guitar playing one of the most classic guitar riffs in music history. He prayed he wouldn't screw it up. Michael fed off the crowd's energy as he raced around with Christian in tow. April kept Alex and Josh out of the way -- those two boys we on sensory overload not believing what was happening or how they could have possibly been so lucky to be there.

Asa and Keith made final adjustments. They decided to go with a single camera for the live streaming of the boys' performance and the feed would be displayed on the stadium's big screen. Keith switched on the camera and started the live feed. When the feed connected the stadium's display flashed "LIVE" in the upper left-hand corner and the number of viewers began to tally up on the opposite corner of the screen as viewers' devices connected to the show. Asa gave Keith the thumbs up, and Keith turned the camera on the boys. The stagehand called out "five minutes" and the boys gathered one last time. Noticing the camera, they made some shoutouts to their fans and friends before Keith turned and walked out on stage. Asa connected the feed to the huge stadium display. The audience seeing themselves on the screen started screaming and waving to the camera. Asa checked one last time to ensure things were being recorded and broadcast then stepped to the side to get a better view as the boys took the stage.

Zach and Matthew walked to the far side of the stage to get ready. While Zach made sure the keyboard and guitar were ready -- he would be switching between the two during the first number - Matthew grabbed his guitar and warmed up one last time. The crowd noise rose even higher with the commotion on stage. Because of the last-minute updates to the show, few in the audience were aware of the third act on the day's bill. The show appeared to be starting but it was obvious it wasn't Weezer on stage.

Lukas jogged out and sat behind his kit and picked up his sticks. *Ta*, *ta*, *ta-ta*, *dum*, started the funky drum beat Lukas laid out to get the crowd's attention. The crowd quieted down and focused on the stage. The sound of the drums coming from the stage seemed familiar, but most didn't recognize it, but some did recognize the boys on stage. Shouts of "Matthew" and squeals of Lukas' name helped the boys relax. Matthew even smiled.

Lukas kept the drum groove going when Simon walked out on the stage with his double bass. Some yells of Simon's name were followed by the crowd clapping and moving to the beat of the drums. Matthew encouraged the crowd by clapping along with them, hands raised above his head. More of the audience joined in.

On the beat, Simon joined in playing E on the double bass with a little run on the eighth beat. The audience still didn't recognize the song, but they danced to the beat and started to voice their approval.

Michael gave Christian a kiss and the blonde wished him luck before he took the mic from the stagehand and danced out onto the stage.

"What's up LA?" asked Michael. The crowed answered loudly. Shouts of Michael's name rose from the cacophony of noise. Michael continued to dance round the stage before addressing the audience again. He pointed to each member of the band as he introduced them. "On the drums is my brother Lukas. Over there on bass is my brother Simon. On the other side over here is my brother Matthew. We have our dad's boyfriend back here on stage. His name's Zach. And I'm Michael. We're... well... it sounds like some of you already know who we are."

Shouts of the band's name came from the audience, including some yelling their online nickname, "ATM".

Michael moved up to center stage and did a little spin move. "Should we get this thing started?" The crowd cheered. Michael placed the mic on the stand and danced backwards away from the mic and then back up to the mic. "Lay it down Matthew." Matthew and Zach made eye contact and together they came in and the crowd screamed in recognition of the Stevie Wonder classic. They sang along with Michael when the vocals started. On the chorus, he encouraged them to sign louder.

When you believe in things
That you don't understand,
Then you suffer

He spun, grabbed the mic and stand and dropped into the splits before singing:

Superstition ain't the way.
Hey!

Matthew played perfectly as Michael knew he would, and the crowd was all in by the time the song ended. Their little bro was right, "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder was the right choice.

Michael grabbed his guitar and before the cheers began to quiet, he broke into the opening guitar riff for "Ban All the Music" by Nothing but Thieves.

When that song ended, the band went right into their original "Betrayal". It was surprisingly powerful to have 56,000 people shouting "betrayed" along with the song. Playing to a much larger crowd energized the band and they channeled it into their performance to send it right back out to the audience.

Nearing the end of their set, the boys were tiring. The heat, the energy from the crowd, and the whirlwind of a weekend caught up to them. They'd danced, jumped around, and rocked out on the stage earning thousands of new fans to add to the tens of thousands watching the live stream of the show and even more following them on social media and downloading their music. One thing they hadn't learned was to pace themselves. The crowd got them going and they put on an awesome show, but now they were running out of gas.

Christian ran cold bottles of water out to his friends handing the last bottle to Michael. Michael grabbed his boyfriend into a sweaty hug and pulled him to the microphone. "Hey everyone, give a shout out to my boyfriend, Christian." The crowd cheered while Michael chugged the water. Then he turned and kissed Christian in front of a stadium full of people and the worldwide audience watching the show. He handed the bottle back to Christian and whispered in his ear, "I'm out here on stage with all these people watching, and all I can think about is I'm doing this show for you."

The boys made eye contact again and this time Christian leaned in and initiated the kiss. "I love you, Michael!" He pulled away and ran off stage so the show could continue.

A count off with the drumsticks and the band ripped into "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age. Their adaptation was similar to a live version they'd seen on YouTube. The song was extended to almost seven minutes with a dueling guitar solo between Michael and Matthew, a bass solo by Simon, and Lukas being given the stage for a drum solo. It really showed off their musicianship. Not only was the crowd impressed, so were the two bands waiting to come on stage.

Michael and Matthew took off their guitars while Simon grabbed a different bass, and Zach and Lukas prepared to start the final song which was primarily a backing track with live bass and drums. The crowd thought the band was finished. Someone started yelling "ATM" and quickly the crowd united as one voice.

They didn't need to engage the audience and introduce the last song. Instead, the boys put every last ounce of energy into "My Blood" by Twenty One Pilots, ending their set in their traditional manner. The crowd sang along to the emotional vocals. The boys felt closer to each other than ever and expressed it as they sang. The crowd continued to sing as the boys took their final bows and walked off stage.

Keith turned and steadied the camera on the audience swaying back and forth, singing:

Stay with me,
No, you don't need to run
Stay with me, my blood
You don't need to run

Asa didn't wait for the crowd to die down. When he felt the volume started to wane, he faded to black and slowly lowered the volume before ending the live broadcast of the show.

Backstage, the boys, were congratulated by Mr. Daniel and the other bands, then ushered to some medical staff. The boys lost their shirts, were toweled down and given Gatorade to rehydrate. When the boys turned their attention from the cold beverages, Lars gathered them close, including Zach. "I'm so proud of you. That was, it was, it was incredible. Your mom watched the live feed." He held up his phone with Carol on Facetime.

She wiped tears from her face. "You boys were fantastic. Congratulations. Love you so much!" It was hard to hear, but her message came through loud and clear.

A stagehand interrupted to confirm which instruments the boys needed for later while the rest of the roadies set the stage up for Weezer and broke down and packed up the boys' equipment.

The rest of the evening was a blur. Weezer invited the boys on stage to play "Hash Pipe" with them -- splitting the lead vocals between Michael and Rivers. Rivers made sure to mention the boys mission to help endangered youth and Michael publically thanked the band for their support and donation. Later, Green Day invited them on stage to play American Idiot. Michael and Billie Joe shared the lead vocals, Michael taking the second verse:

Well maybe I'm the faggot America
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda
Now everybody do the propaganda
And sing along to the age of paranoia

When the band wasn't on stage, Christian took photos and made videos of the band members answering questions from their fans posting them straight to social media. They even did some short live segments on Facebook Live and Instagram to interact with their fans. The boys' performance was trending and as soon as the recorded version of the show hit YouTube, it immediately began racking up views.

It was sometime around 7:30 before the band climbed into the vehicles to head back to East Harbor. Exhausted, the boys were still wired from the day's events. They relived the day, chatted with friends and fans on social media, and glowed in their success.

Alex and Josh were doing the same. They'd been backstage at a big-name concert. They'd met the members of Green Day and Weezer -- they had the selfies to prove it, as well as autographed t-shirts. Recounting one of his favorite moments, Alex lifted his hands and noticed Josh's hand was in his. He lowered his hands and their eyes met. The boys exchanged smiles.