THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

Carol drove the men to Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad for the big event. The boys rode the buses with their teams to the event. Typically, the middle school teams play at one venue and the high school teams the opposite, each with two games the same evening. This year, however, Pacific Ridge was having a spring homecoming and invited East Harbor to participate in a four-game boy's lacrosse match. Since East Harbor was close enough, the timing would work just fine. Parents with middle and high school athletes were excited they would be able to see all their boys play tonight.

The atmosphere was more like a weekend tournament than a school match. Families from both schools were tailgating, creating a party-like atmosphere. It also meant that the crowds for each game would be larger than usual. When the coaches and Athletic Directors from each school discussed this event, they hoped it would spark a friendly rivalry between the two schools -- especially since most teams in the area were club teams. They also hoped it would become an annual event to celebrate lacrosse at both schools. Coach Lange was all for the event since it enabled him to see the middle schoolers in action to assess his up and coming talent.

Up first were the seventh graders. The home team jumped out to a commanding lead, but the team captains kept their teammates from getting discouraged. The captains got the team focused back on their fundamentals and playing together as a team. As a result, the Saber seventh graders slowly climbed their way back into the match tying things up by the midpoint.

Their head coach didn't know what sparked the turnabout, but the coaching staff's decision to partner player voted captain Gregory Fielder with the coach appointment of Sam Greenfield looked better and better with each game this season. When they appointed Sam, he was a solid, dependable co-captain to support Gregory, and he was a pretty good lacrosse player too. However, once the season started at the beginning of the month and the team took the field for their first game, Sam looked like a different kid. As a leader, he was confident and vocal -- not waiting for Gregory to take the lead. The blonde took the initiative with Gregory adding his support. As a player, Sam was alert and aggressive on defense and offense. No one expected that Sam would lead the team in points, assists and would be second in scoring. Gregory and Sam's one-two punch on offense had the seventh graders with a 6-1 record. Their only loss was to an advanced level club team that had to fight to eke out a two-goal victory.

After hearing about Sam's progression with each of the prior seven matches, Coach Lange was interested to see Sam in action. In the end, East Harbor beat Pacific Ridge handily 12-7. Sam was a beast on defense and led the Sabers with 5 goals and 4 assists. The head of the school's lacrosse program saw a player that was fundamentally sound, tenacious on defense, and played within the system. Just the type of player you can coach and rely on when things get tough. Additionally, Sam was the loudest on the field and at times, it seemed like Gregory deferred to Sam's leadership instead of the other way around.

The eighth-grade team had similar success under the tutelage of Coach Powell. With a 5-2 record, the eighth-grade team was exceeding expectations. Lukas and his cadre were a solid core to the team, though most of those boys were not as experienced as Lukas. That core was surrounded with a few other veteran players who practiced in the off-season in the student-led sessions. Pacific Ridge's eighth-graders had a lot of fire power and exposed the inexperienced players. However, even nearly doubling East Harbor's number of shots on goal, Pacific Ridge struggled to score. East Harbor pulled out an 11-10 victory. The star of the match was East Harbor's goalie, Lewis Feurst. Lewis had a phenomenal match, stopping shots the Pine Ridge players (and fans) thought were certain goals. At the end of the match, Lewis got a standing ovation from the fans of both teams.

The JV team, after their interesting start at Poway in their pre-season match, have lived up to the hype. Michael and Luke's leadership had won over their teammates. The boys on the JV team would do whatever their captains asked and trusted it would work. Luke, gaining some experience with the varsity team, excelled at goalie. Michael's lacrosse IQ and skills developed each day and he was now a very good offensive and defensive player. Matthew, the natural athlete new to the sport, surprised everyone leading the team in scoring. He was fast, slippery, and his hand-eye coordination from baseball made for a surprisingly easy transition to lacrosse. But perhaps the biggest surprises were Caleb and Preston. The mid-field combo of Preston, Caleb and Michael was proving to be one of the best in the conference. With the encouragement of Coach Lange in the post-Poway meeting, the older boys got onboard with Coach Fitz' game-plan and the Saber Lacrosse program. From saboteurs to leaders, Caleb and Preston started to make the players around them better as they worked hard to elevate their own game. As a result, the JV team overpowered Pine Ridge 21-11 raising their record to 6-2.

The varsity teams were the headliners of the event. Parents with only varsity players arrived just before game time adding to the already large (for lacrosse) crowds. The six teams that had already played loudly cheered on the oldest members of their school's program.

After practice on Tuesday, Coach Lange had a talk with Simon. The team had a losing record at 3-4, but that isn't what concerned Coach Lange. As a matter of fact, they were off to a better start than he imagined. The East Harbor varsity team was young -- much younger than the club teams they faced. But even in the four losses, the Sabers put up an incredible fight and everyone in the league knew they were a team you needed to be on your game to beat.

During that talk, Coach Lange told Simon he was leading like Michael during last fall's soccer season. Simon was proud of that complement. Then Coach explained that he meant that Simon was too in his head and managing and supporting other players and forgetting to play himself. Coach Lange challenged Simon to stop being unselfish and take his damn shots. "The players appreciate your unselfish play, but they look up to you for your ability to carry a game. They are here to support you. Step up and give them someone to support."

Simon wasn't sure if that was a complement or a reprimand, but he got the message. He had a conversation with his little brother and felt like he understood the balance of taking his shots and being unselfish and passing too much. Simon knew Coach Lange expected to see the results of their conversation this first game after their talk. Coach was thrilled with Simon's response. The freshman captain finally understood how to be a star player and the team leader. Simon led the team in scoring and assists after one half, leading the Sabers to a 7-6 half time lead. The Firebirds fought hard, taking a 16-14 lead with only three minutes to go. That's when Simon put the team on his back. The freshman captain forced two turn overs and scored on four straight offensive possessions leading East Harbor Varsity to an 18-17 victory.

Never one to count his chickens before the eggs hatch, Coach Lange allowed himself to wonder what his team will be like in two years.

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Michael rolled over and squeezed Max, his giant stuffed gorilla. He was exhausted yet couldn't fall asleep. It was the same pattern that had plagued him all month. He would toss and turn, trying to fall to sleep but the voices in his head were unrelenting. Attempts to sleep with his brothers only resulted in his restlessness keeping them awake. So once again, he was alone in his bedroom struggling with his demons.

Yanni's voice rattled around in his skull. Despite the heavy Greek accent, Michael could understand every word. "You are just a sexy piece of meat for men to use and throw away when done. And now you go around and kill people because you are angry. You are no better than me. Do not tell yourself otherwise. Who you hurt next? Huh? Nobody care what you say. You just sexy boy who like a big cock up his ass."

The voice of Bruce Grant was also loud and demanding. "No one will love you the way I love you, Michael. I'm the only one that can love you and provide you with all the adult cocks your ass needs. I don't know why you even bother to think about him. Why would anyone else want you after all the slutty things you've done, you little whore. That ass of yours has been sold more times than I can count. He'd never fall in love with you. He wouldn't even want to touch you with a ten-foot pole."

The vulgar messages and perpetual sleep deprivation wore the boy down. He couldn't take it anymore. Throwing the blankets to the side, he grabbed Max by the arm and headed into the hallway. Reaching his destination, he paused. He hated when his problems became the problems of others and that is exactly what he would do if he knocked on the door. Glancing around, the faint glow from the street lamps cast deep shadows in the corners round the house.

"Awww... and now the little pussy is getting scared of the dark," spat the voice of his sperm donor. "You always were a sissy compared to Matthew. Damn, now the little faggot is crying."

A noise woke Carol, but she wasn't sure what it was. She lay there in silence, waiting to see if she would hear the noise again.

*tap* *tap* *tap*

The knocking on her door was almost too faint to hear. "Yes?" she said, wondering who was at her door.

Michael was able to choke out, "Mom?"

The distress in the boy's voice broke her heart. "Come in, honey."

The door creaked open. Carol could make out the silhouette of the youngest of the boys. He quietly walked to the side of the bed closest to her then set Max on the edge of the mattress.

She heard a sniffle when Michael wiped the tears from his face. "Am I a good person?"

"Oh, Michael..." Carol pulled back the covers and scooted to the middle of the bed to make room for him. He crawled up on the bed and Carol covered the boy and his gorilla with the warmth of the blankets and her love. Snuggled close to the boy, she asked what was on his mind.

"A character in a book I read asked, 'How much evil do I have to do to do good?'"

Carol immediately wished Lars was there. She was afraid she wasn't able to rise to Michael's intellectual prowess and fail the boy in a time of need. Instead of waking her friend, she decided to give it her best and listened intently to her son.

"Is that true? Doing evil can turn the evil into good? I've done bad things. How do I turn them into something good?" Carol's head swam as Michael's rapid-fire questions continued. It would have been hard to keep up with the boy on a good day, but at 1:30 am, she didn't feel she was up to the task. When Michael finally stopped talking, he looked to his mom for answers.

"Are the deaths of the men who tried to kidnap you bothering you?" She was referring not just to the men who arrived in East Harbor with Yanni, but also the men that snatched Michael and Lewis a few months back.

Michael nodded.

"What else is bothering you?"

"The things that happened back home." He didn't like getting more specific about those things if he didn't have to. He was relieved Carol knew exactly what he meant.

"I see." She kissed the boy's head. "I think you are looking at it all wrong. I don't think you did evil with good intentions. I think you simply did what you had to do to protect yourself and others. The things you did back in Oregon were selfless acts to protect Matthew and your family. That wasn't doing evil. The men in the van had kidnapped you. If you hadn't taken action and escaped, you and Lewis would probably have never been found. You were in a life or death situation and you did the only thing you could." Michael sat and listened intently to Carol's words.

"And down at the theater. Those men had weapons. It was you or them and you are the one that walked away."

"But I could have hidden with Sam and those men would be alive."

"You don't know that Michael. They could have gotten into a gun battle and SWAT or FBI agents could have been shot or even killed. The men could have gotten away and hurt other boys. I think your actions are completely justified. You took action to protect yourself and others. You put an end to their reign of terror. I don't think it could have happened any other way."

Michael rolled over to face Carol and pulled Max on top of them both. Curling into a small ball and resting his head on his mother's shoulder, Michael whispered, "I love you, mom."

"I love you too, Michael." Her words fell on deaf ears. He'd fallen into his first peaceful sleep in weeks.

Carol held Michael tightly as she pondered her life. It was time to make a change. In her mind she rehearsed how she would approach the partners in the firm about changing her temporary refrain from traveling, to permanent. Instead of her position being 80% travel, she would renegotiate to 10%, tops. She also concluded that if they put up resistance from her request, she would resign. The boys needed her and she could no longer justify her absence. She gave Michael another kiss before joining him in slumber.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2018

Lukas, Michael and their friends were grabbing their post-workout snacks before classes started. The middle school cafeteria wasn't busy but the boys filled the space with chatter and laughter.

Lukas and Michael's phones went off simultaneously. Lukas grabbed his first. "It's Simon."

Michael had his phone and both boys viewed the photo Simon sent to his brothers. Apparently, some of the guys got to school early and decorated Simon's locker. The Saber green and gun-metal gray streamers framed the door with the words "Beast Mode" and Simon's jersey number 9.

Michael tapped the photos and then the heart emoji. Lukas texted back:

Lukas: You deserve it! Love you!
Lukas: And I like it when you go all beast mode on me

He added the :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: emoji for added effect.

The boys shared the photo with their friends. They were proud of their big bro/boyfriend and so happy that he was getting the recognition they knew he deserved. Being front and center had never been Simon's m.o., but taking lead vocals on some songs, playing the Royal Blood covers, and the original music he and Lukas wrote were all steps that eased Simon into the spotlight for his moment as team captain and star of the lacrosse team.

The day was also one for the other rising stars of the program. At the middle school, Sam and Lewis' performances were the talk of the school. For Sam, the attention shifted from him being a nice, cute boy, to his athletic feats. His success pushed him into the spotlight among his peers -- a place he never sought. But this day, he glowed from the praise and attention. He'd shed his old self and a new, more self-assured Sam blossomed. Instead of Gregory's tag-along friend, their friends saw the two boys as equals. In his heart, Sam attributed all this to his awakening and to his friends, Alejandro and Michael.

This newfound celebrity affected Lewis differently. The high-fives, fist bumps, back slaps, and congratulatory shouts made the red-head's heart swell. He'd worked so hard to make amends and find acceptance with his schoolmates. Though their animosity towards him had faded, he didn't feel like he had many friends outside of Michael, Christian and that group. On this Friday, Lewis realized that he was accepted by his classmates and they did hold him in higher regard than he thought. He managed to make it home before he shed tears. He wished his mother could have seen it all. He knew she would have been proud of him.

At the high school, the student body was recognizing JV players for a different reason. The star of the team was the hot, new sophomore, Matthew Meijer. His athleticism, scoring, and hunky looks made him stand out on the team. But Matthew understands the importance of leaders building up players. When Michael and Luke Drake approached Matthew about this topic, he was completely on board.

Whenever someone complemented one of these three boys, they were quick to redirect the complement to Preston Peters and Caleb Conley. They related to their friends and classmates how Preston and Caleb's performances were solidifying the midfield making it one of the best JV mid-fields in the conference. Their work paid off as classmates began showering attention and congratulations on the pair of older JV players. This only built onto the progress the two boys made so far this season and strengthened their commitment to the team and the lacrosse program.

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Lars and Zach enjoyed having Carol home for the last month. Each man felt the time had strengthened his relationship with their neighbor and friend. It also gave them one more adult to chaperone and escort the boys during their busy month of lacrosse and video shoots. Though an attempt was made to film as much as they could at the Majestic or on stages and venues around the SDSU campus, Asa or Keith would sometimes get an idea in their head and would simply have to find a way to bring it to life.

Trips to the Mojave Desert, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Bombay Beach, and other interesting locales have made the evenings and weekends busy, but entertaining. This evening, Michael was to be down at the San Diego County Credit Union Stadium -- better known as Qualcomm Stadium before the Chargers moved north to Los Angeles. The visitor's parking pass lay on Carol's desk.

Since the renovations to the front offices of the Majestic were completed, the theater had become a beehive of activity. The business office where Janette ran her dating service and Majestic Enterprises was now equipped with three offices, a supply/copier/fax room, and the main area off the theater lobby with the windows facing the Mallway was set up for a receptionist, conference table and waiting area. Jannette and Carol each had an office to work from, and reception area was manned by a temp from Reliable Staffing. The third office was set up for two people to take phone calls and support the business however needed. On any day you might find, Lars, Zach, Jannette's son Jordan, or any of the boys or their friends pitching in to help.

Alvin's office was set up similarly, though he preferred to use the large room with large picture windows and natural lighting as his main office and work area. The four rooms off the back were being used as storage for the different projects going on at the Majestic such as equipment the SDSU students left on site, remodeling supplies, etc.

Upstairs, the boys had expanded to two rooms. One they set up as a studio for video production primarily for Christian and Michael's social studies project. However, now that that phase of the project was over, they reworked the room to record messages for their social media. While the walls were covered with soundproofing, they had one decorated as a cool backdrop. The other room was Christian's production room. He used this space for editing and design work. Besides the computer and monitors, the room features a huge social media calendar and white board littered with Christian's notes.

In other words, there was a lot going on at the Majestic, but that wasn't even the biggest change. Since the work on the studios was finished, the instructors began moving their lessons to the new facility. Piano, violin, cello, woodwind, brass, and other classes were being taught backstage. What the boys found even more exciting was the voice, guitar, and percussion instructors starting over the next week. The music studios will have ramped up to full operations by the grand opening the following weekend.

Something else Carol enjoyed was her work schedule. Because her responsibilities focused on the New York markets and ventures on the East Coast, she was up early, and her day ended about the time the boys got out of school. Each boy benefited from her presence in his own way.

Simon was thrilled to have his mom around more. He'd grown accustomed to her work schedule and was sometimes disappointed by her missing school functions or his games, but he cherished the time they spent together. Having his mom around more showed him what he'd missed and deep inside he began to dread the day she went back to her former schedule.

Lukas always looked to Carol as a mother figure for as long as he could remember. He was happy to have her around, but happier in the difference her presence made in Simon. His boyfriend glowed when his mother was around. Over the last few weeks, he'd become more talkative, expressive, and fun -- not that he was ever a lump on a log, mind you. It was just that Carol's connection to her son brought out the best in the boy and Lukas noticed it more than anyone else.

Matthew, from the start, had a special connection with his new mother. Despite being 16 and very independent, when Carol was around, he ate up her attention and she enjoyed doting on the handsome boy. Lars doubted that Matthew even noticed his change in behavior, but in the evenings, you could often find Matthew spending time with Carol. If he wasn't in his bedroom, everyone knew to check the family room next. More than likely, Matthew and Carol were talking and watching TV, Matthew's head on her knee and Carol providing a mother's touch.

Carol's relationship with Michael was the most complicated. When she first agreed to becoming Michael's mother, she grew jealous of Abby's relationship with Michael. The two ladies were very different, and Michael had gravitated to Gavin's mother in his time of need. But Lars assured her that her steady, even nature was something Michael needed, and he would eventually come around. Once Abby and the Parkers moved to Connecticut, Carol's jealousy vanished. It was replaced by a bit of resentfulness towards her work and schedule. March had afforded her that opportunity and she and Michael benefited greatly from the time together.

She checked her phone again. 'Finally,' she thought. It was time for her call with her bosses. McNally, Schroyer, and Neil was the largest private investment firm in the US and she was fortunate to be able to arrange a call with all three partners. She dialed in to find Ron McNally and Wilson Neil already on the Zoom call.

"Good afternoon, Ron, Wilson," greeted Carol. "Good to see you both. Thank you for taking time out of your day for this call."

Wilson replied. "Ron and I have been meaning to speak with you, but with all that has been going on with your family, we put it off."

That didn't sound great to Carol. She'd been worried that her time at home would make the partners question her commitment to the business and they'd want to move onto to someone who could devote the time and energy they required.

"Thank you for allowing me this time to be home with my family." She planned to use that as a segue to the intent of calling this meeting, but the third partner hadn't arrived. "Are we still waiting on Troy to join us?" Troy was the founding member of the agency.

Ron jumped in to lead the conversation. "Well Carol, no, Troy will not be joining us on this call. That's why we were anxious to meet with you this afternoon."

"Carol," added Wilson, "Troy has decided to retire. Now we know this company is too big for the two of us to run ourselves and we need a third partner. Troy must give his blessing and sign off on who that person is, but he decided Ron and I should bring our candidate to him with a succession plan, rather than him interfering with the selection of who we'd be working with."

"And if you're interested," added Ron, "the person we'd like to take over as partner is you."

Carol was smiling when the call ended. Ron and Wilson's vision of the company called for a scaling down of their New York office and having teams live closer to the clients and work virtually from home, including the three partners. That suited Carol just fine. She shut her computer down for the weekend. Turning off the light and stepping into the hallway, she was greeted by a shout of "Mom!" Carol turned to catch the streaking boy and gave her youngest a big hug. When she signed those adoption papers, she never imagined she'd be so in love with her two new boys.

"How are you doing today?" asked Carol.

"I'm tired," admitted Michael, "but I got more sleep last night than other nights."

"Are you ready for our trip to the stadium?" asked Carol. Despite everything else that had gone on that month, this was one shoot that Michael couldn't stop talking about. Asa and Kevin's concept for the final number of their project had to be filmed over weeks at a number of different locations. This evening was at the stadium with the SDSU Aztec Marching Band, Color Guard, Dance Team, and Cheerleaders. It took a lot of convincing and arm twisting to pull it off, but the SDSU students were able to get these groups together. Ultimately, it was the band director's desire for more publicity that set everything into motion.

"Yes!" exclaimed Michael, leaping in the air with excitement. These filming sessions brought something new and fun into Michael's repertoire. With each shoot for this video, Michael had to learn a new dance routine in a different dance style. Though he'd never taken dance, his gymnastics background and having to learn and perform floor routines proved to be invaluable experiences. Today, he would learn a routine to perform with the Cheerleaders and Dance Team while the Band and Color Guard perform in the background.

"Good. I packed some snacks and red Gatorade for the trip down and we'll eat dinner on the way back," explained Carol as she directed her son out the back of the offices, through the music studio to her SUV. "But maybe you should take a nap on the way to the stadium."

Before they parted ways to climb into the SUV, Michael surprised Carol with another huge, heartfelt hug. "I love you! Thank you for last night. I don't want you to go back to New York."

"I don't want to either," said Carol. She wanted to wait to break the good news to everyone at once.

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Janette heard the exchange in the hallway between Carol and Michael before they left for San Diego. Outside of Lars and Zach, she was probably the person that most understood the impact Carol's presence was having on the boys. Carol also had been huge help with Majestic Enterprises which had already surpassed the challenge Janette expected a year from now. Carol's experience with contracts and finances had helped Janette protect the company's assets and boost profits.

Michael's press conference had generated so much buzz, Janette brought in help to field phone calls. It snowballed from there. News agencies sought to find different angles from which to approach the story to either make their take different, or to give the story more legs as they continued to carry the story over days and weeks. They connected Michael to the band, lacrosse, soccer, the theater, Majestic studios, the new recording studios, and other business ventures connected to the Majestic, including Carol's business. Michael's story increased television ratings and the continued coverage was better than advertising for Majestic Enterprises.

The latest news cycle was the controversy over the video the boys dropped on social media the previous weekend. It was shot in black and white with Michael, Matthew, Zach, and Lukas at 12, 3, 6 and 9, and Simon in the middle facing Lukas. It took many takes to get all the different shots and angles, but the choice to film in black and white, the direct, overhead spotlights, and the composition proved to be perfect for their take on "Body Talks" by The Struts.

Lip syncing to their own studio recording, the video shows Michael and Matthew on guitar, Zach on bass, and Simon with a mic stand (and of course, Lukas on drums). All the boys are shirtless and Itsuski has them all looking sexy as hell. The camera was set up in the middle and rotated showing the four boys playing instruments. Some takes had the camera on a track with the camera trained on Simon standing in the middle with the camera circling him. They did a series of takes with female SDSU students dressed in all different sexy wears dancing in front of the drum kit while Lukas played. When the video was finished, it appeared Simon was singing to the different hot college girls telling them "you don't need to say a word 'cause, *woo* *woo*, your body talks." The video, however, ends with a twist. As the song winds to the end, Simon sings:

Shake your hips, yeah,
It's on your lips,
You don't need to say a word 'cause,
*Woo*, *woo*, your body talks.

During the final lines of the song, instead of the girls dancing in front of the drum kit, Lukas was standing in front of the drum kit. The video cuts back and forth between the two boys eyeing each other. On the last line of the song, the two boys are shown from the waist up facing each other. The music ends and Simon and Lukas meet in the middle and share a hot, passionate kiss. The video fades to black.

The clamor about the video was overwhelmingly positive. However, there were plenty of anti-gay, or at least, anti-gay teen objectors. The negative voices on social media and in the press created a snowball effect of additional positive voices attempting to drown out the haters. From requests for interviews to unsolicited parenting advice, the phones at the Majestic rang off the hook.

Large donations were driving the GoFundMe account raising money for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Michael's story in the news and his public speaking inspired many to take action. It seemed those making small donations did so by purchasing the song or video of "Hash Pipe". On this account, the boys were split. Michael, Simon, and Matthew were certain the sale of their music was simply a polite way of helping the boys raise money. Lukas, however, along with Zach and Christian believe it was because people liked the music and the band. "Well," argued Michael, "most kids don't have credit cards, but a lot have an Apple ID." They would have to wait until more music and videos were uploaded to see if sales continued.

All-in-all, where Christian had set an optimistic fundraising goal of $10,000 by the end of June, they had already exceeded that goal ten times over.

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"Are your parents always so lovey-dovey?" whispered Matthew watching April's parents. Jack and Heather were being very affectionate -- practically groping each other. Though Matthew appreciated their love for one another, it was far different from what he grew up with. So different it made him slightly uncomfortable.

April leaned in as she too watched her parents. "Yes, they are always like this. Just not in front of company. I heard them the other day talking about being open around you so you would feel comfortable showing affection to me in their presence. I guess it's kind of like showing us what they give us permission to do." April turned her attention to Matthew as she finished her comment knowing it would make Matthew blush. It worked brilliantly. Matthew was speechless.

Jack grabbed his wife around the waist and gave her a long, loving kiss and told her how beautiful she was. Matthew and April hadn't even done that before, let alone do that in front of her parents. But the thought of holding April from behind like that, with her ass up against... 'Shit,' thought Matthew. 'I'm getting a boner.' He closed his eyes and pictured anything he could think of to keep from getting hard.

"Dinner's ready," called Heather from across the kitchen. The rear of the Everdale house had an open-concept kitchen, dining room and sun room. April and Matthew had been spying on her parents from the sun room when they were called. She took Matthew by the hand and led him to the dinner table.

Heather made the mushroom risotto and timed it out perfectly to be ready when Jack's Veal Milanese and asparagus were ready to eat. The couples sat together, parents across from the kids. Conversation was lively and full of laughter while Heather and Jack continued to openly express their love for one another. In small ways, April and Matthew followed suit. For dessert, Jack drove everyone to Hammond's where they found a table and picked up where they left off at dinner.

When they returned to the house, April and Jack made popcorn and grabbed drinks so the couples could watch a movie. It occurred to Matthew that this evening was less like having dinner with his girlfriend's parents, and more like two couples on a double date.

Heather picked out a romantic comedy and started the movie when Jack and April arrived with snacks. When Jack saw the title, he whispered in his wife's ear, "You're evil." They quietly laughed to themselves while the unsuspecting teens sat nervously, close to one another holding hands.

The young'uns didn't recognize the stars Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, nor had they heard of the movie "When Harry Met Sally...", but the teens were enjoying the movie. April pulled her socked feet up onto the couch and hugged Matthew's arm resting her head on his shoulder. Matthew was unconsciously stroking her hand and occasionally rested his cheek on top of her head. Jack and Heather were similarly cuddling and ready to head up stairs for some private time. They were just waiting to watch the younger couple squirm.

The deli scene arrived, and the adults' attention turned to the kids. Even if they couldn't see Matthew's face turn red in the blue light from the TV, his body language would betray his composure. When Meg Ryan demonstrated how a woman could fake an orgasm, April squirmed in her seat. Their daughter flashed them a look knowing she and Matthew had been set up. Her glare was met with laughter as Jack and Heather excused themselves.

"Good night, baby girl," said Heather as she gave her daughter, then Matthew, a kiss on the head. "Matthew. Be safe driving home tonight. It was a pleasure having you here for dinner."

"Thanks for a wonderful evening, Heather. Good night, Jack." The adults turned back and gave a half wave before disappearing into the dark house leaving April and Matthew alone. This was the first time they had been left alone in privacy. Not in a car, not on a park bench, not at the ice cream shop, but alone in a darkened living room. If the Everdale parents decided to come to the kitchen to get something to drink, they could see the teens on the couch, but something told the teens that wasn't going to happen.

April stood and motioned for Matthew to stretch out on the couch. He adjusted a pillow and leaned his body against the back of the couch. April rested her head on Matthew's right arm and pressed her body against his. With his left arm, he held her tightly.

"Sorry," he whispered in her ear. He'd tried to will himself not to get hard, but it was a futile effort. April's body felt too good against his own.

"It's okay," she said, trying not to further embarrass Matthew.

When the movie ended, April rolled over and pressed the front of her body against Matthew. She'd never been this close to a boy and she'd never been this turned on. Matthew's hard body felt incredible against her own. His strong arms held her gently, but firmly. She tilted her head back to look into Matthew's eyes. Certain that her eyes would betray her true feelings of lust for Matthew, she expected to see the same in his.

Instead, his look was soft and loving. He brushed her hair back and out of her face. Opening his mouth to speak, there were only three words he could form on his lips, but it wasn't the time, yet. So, Matthew did the next best thing. As if in slow motion, he leaned in and the two beautiful teens shared a kiss. Then another. Before long they were in the throes of a heated, passionate make out session. Hands roamed over backs. Tongues battled for supremacy. Hormones surged through the bodies of the two teens.

Their senses were heightened, and their minds worked to etch every kiss, every touch, into permanent memory. Both knew they wanted more but tonight was not the night, even if they could easily slip into April's bedroom. Each teen entertained the idea of Matthew spending the night and wondered what Jack and Heather would think if he was there to join them for breakfast.

Matthew was happy taking things slowly with April. He felt they were building a strong friendship and relationship unlike some of his classmates. He saw how other kids at school who found each other attractive, fucked the first chance they got, and then had nowhere to take their relationship. They simply got bored and moved onto other conquests. Matthew didn't want that, and April was far too precious to be treated like that. No, Matthew was in this for the long haul. He wanted to know what April wanted and needed so he could make sure she had everything.

After an hour, their mouths tired and they rested in a tangled embrace. They wanted this embrace to last forever, and Matthew knew that if he didn't go now, he wouldn't leave at all. "I should go home now."

April knew he was right and found her footing before standing and helping Matthew to his feet. She led him by the hand to the front door where Matthew put on his shoes. When he stood, April pressed her body against his and held him tightly. In return, he gently ran his hands up and down her back.

"I had a great time," whispered Matthew, "even if your parents enjoy embarrassing me."

April laughed. "I had a great time, too."

Matthew kissed her again but kept it chaste. He turned the door knob and stepped out onto the porch. "Have a good night's sleep."

"I will," affirmed April. "I'll be thinking of you."

Matthew smiled and headed to his car.

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"What's with you?" laughed Simon, fending off Lukas' roaming hands. The older boy looked over the back of the sofa to see who might be able to witness their activities. Friday evenings were slow at the studio -- not many instructors or students wanted to be there, though there was always an older adult student, or a make-up lesson scheduled. For now, the instructors handled their own reception and payment activities.

On this night, they knew two or three practice rooms were occupied, but from Simon's brief inspection, none were on the third floor. From the boy's vantage point in the band's retreat, the open loft above the two professional recording studios, that's all Simon could see. Conversely, those third-floor spaces were the only places from which he and Simon could be seen.

With Matthew out with April and Michael at a video shoot with Carol, the house was a bit empty. Lars and Zach decided to have a romantic evening of their own and gave Simon and Lukas some money to have dinner at the Maple Street Café. The boys were happy with that arrangement. The band had spoken about the demand their activities were having on their parents. Filming would end with the grand opening concert and frankly, everyone in the Meijer and Novak households would be happy when it was over.

Simon and Lukas had hit the Café for an early dinner before heading to the theater. They spent a couple hours refining some of the band's original numbers and working on some new material. But the second hour was much less productive than the first. The grind of lacrosse, recording, filming, school and homework was wearing on the boys. Instead of heading back to the house, Lukas and Simon headed up to the loft. A huge u-shaped black leather sectional faced the exposed brick of the backstage wall. On the wall hung an 85" Samsung 4K TV. The Apple TV and gaming systems were stored in the coffee table with extended cables running under the rug and floor panels leading up to the TV. Floor lamps with a trio of different sized oriental paper lanterns lit the space giving it a homey feel. A kick ass sound system, a refrigerator filled with drinks, and a cupboard filled with snacks finished off the space. To keep the noise down, all of the systems were set up with head phones so the boys could play games and watch movies as loudly as they liked without disturbing the businesses below. Outside of business hours, all bets were off.

After climbing the stairs, Simon and Lukas grabbed drinks and crashed in the corner of the sectional. They didn't have much interest in doing anything. They hadn't even bothered turning on the lights. Simon kicked off his shoes and slouched down on the couch resting his feet on the coffee table. Lukas took his shoes off too and lay flat on his back with his head in Simon's lap.

They messed around on their phones until Simon noticed a hand sliding up his lacrosse shorts. He joked with Lukas about his behavior but checked to see if they had any privacy. Noting that, at the moment at least, no one could see them, he turned his attention back to the frisky blonde.

"I'm bored," confessed Lukas, trying to pull his wrist free from Simon's grip.

Simon was having fun with this. "And this is how you plan to overcome your boredom?"

Lukas got his hand free. He responded by gently tickling the inside of Simon's thigh under the black hem of the gray shorts. Resting his head again in Simon's lap, he placed his cheek directly on Simon's flaccid cock and enjoyed feeling it rise for the occasion. The blonde head nuzzled the crotch of his boyfriend.

Simon closed his eyes and moaned. This time when Lukas's entire left hand slid under the hem of the shorts, the dark-haired boy didn't stop him. Lukas was happy Simon was wearing boxers. In no time, he had Simon's large nuts in the palm of his hand.

"Ahhhhh... yeah...," sighed Simon when his balls were released from the bunched-up material. He slid to the corner of the sectional to give Lukas better access. Simon rested his left leg between Lukas and the back sofa. His right foot was planted on the floor.

Prone, Lukas appreciated his new vantage point between Simon's long, muscular legs. He made quick work to release Simon's seven inches. Wasting no time at all, Lukas used his tongue to slather up the pole in front of his face before sliding it into his throat.

Simon closed his eyes and his head dropped backwards onto the top of the seat. He wove his fingers through Lukas' blonde hair and murmured encouragement to his lover. They lost themselves in their passion.

"Hey guys!" came a voice coming up the stairs.

Simon's head shot up in time to see Chloe Lin taking the last step and heading toward the couch.

"I just finished my violin lesson and wanted stop up and..." but she didn't finish. The frenzy of activity from the sectional distracted her. Simon looked embarrassed with a pillow pressed firmly over his lap. Lukas was between Simon's legs. His mussed-up blonde hair hid his face. He didn't dare roll over and reveal his excitement.

"Oh, I interrupted. OH MY GOD, YOU WERE... I mean, I'm sorry. I...," Chole was mortified. She knew Simon and Lukas were boyfriends and she loved them as a couple, but the reality that boys have sex with each other rocked her world. "I was just going home and wanted to say, 'bye'. Uh... Bye!" She turned and ran down the stairs.

In laughter, Simon and Lukas both crawled up on their knees to look over the back of the section to see a flustered Chole hurry to the studio door. In unison, the boys shouted, "Bye, Chloe!"

Still laughing, they turned and plopped down on the section.

"So, what do you want to do now?" asked Simon.

Lukas turned and gave the bass player peck on the lips. "Let's go home." The leer on Lukas' face brought a smile to Simon's.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 2018

The boys arrived at the radio station two-hours before the show as requested. They set up and did a sound check with the show's engineer and producer. Then they practiced the songs they'd chosen for the show. They were thankful for the studio time back at the Majestic - they'd become used to playing with headphones on. They were also happy they each brought their own favorite pair with them. In their opinion, there was nothing worse than trying to rock out with an ill-fitting pair of headphones.

The boys were loose and excited to be there when Rick Cox, the show's host, walked in. He saw kids in his studio and lost his shit. "What the fuck? Are you trying to ruin me? You brought me fucking Hanson?"

Lukas spoke up. "Hey asshole! Your mic's on. We can hear you."

Rick looked away from his producer through the glass into the studio. The smallest of the boys was flipping him the bird and the older teens looked pissed. 'This is going fantastic,' Rick's inner voice stated sarcastically. At least the adult accompanying them seemed to be acting civil. He couldn't tell that Zach was trying to keep from laughing.

With just minutes before the show went live, Rick turned off his mic, grabbed the band's bio and notes, and continued to yell. The producer stayed quiet. He knew the band was good and thought the challenge of setting Rick straight would inspire the boy's performance.

Away from the microphones, the boys huddled around Zach fuming. Zach's calming effect was one of the ways he contributed to the band more than just being the fifth instrument. "You know what you are going to play. Your anger will power your performance, but you MUST control it. Feel it, use it, control it, and make it work for you. Let's kick some ass." The boys got ready for their first song. Zach and Michael on guitar and Matthew had vocals.

Rick's voice was strained as he tried to sound excited for what he was certain would be a disastrous show. Following the show's standard format, Rick did a quick introduction of the band and the band played a song before he begins the interview. The wince on his face when he said, "At the Majestic" fanned the flames within the boys. When Rick finished, the producer flipped the switch to broadcast from the studio and the "On Air" light flashed on.

Lukas' syncopated drum intro thundered. After the eighth bar, the band broke into the driving rock instrumentation that would back up Matthew's vocals. Michael, feet spread shoulder width apart, played with his eyes closed, feeling the music and bobbing his head (careful to not send his headphones flying), as he charged through the lead guitar line. Michael's guitar was matched by Simon on bass and Zach filled out the sound on rhythm guitar.

The guitars backed off when Matthew joined in. Using what he learned from Zach's vocal lessons, he controlled his entry and landed on each note. Matthew's passion and interpretation of the song flowed through the teen and across the airwaves. As Zach taught him, he used his voice to direct his emotions from note to note, landing precisely in tune with incredible style.

It wasn't the first time they performed "I Was Just a Kid" by Nothing But Thieves, but it was the best. Whether it was the excitement of being on the radio, or the fire lit by the host's attitude towards the band, Lukas set a tempo slightly faster than they typically played. It resulted in the music being edgier and harder than usual which accentuated Matthew's flowing lyrics.

When the song climaxed at the end, Zach and the rest of the boys joined in on vocals. Lukas sang the high "ahhs" that floated above the song, Simon and Michael sang harmony, and Zach joined the lead vocals, but an octave lower.

Rick was stunned by what he heard. Stunned to the point of forgetting to look at the band's biography and notes that he'd neglected. When the song ended, he realized just how unprepared he was to conduct this interview, so he improvised.

"Wow! You guys rocked the shit out of that song. So, for my listeners, you aren't going to believe this unless you join our Facebook Live feed or go to our web site where we stream the show. If you aren't there already, you need to see this to believe this. Um..., can you guys go around the room and introduce yourselves, give your age, grade in school and tell us what instruments you play."

The boys looked at each other and Simon jumped in first.

"Hey! I'm Simon Novak, I play bass, double bass, cello and vocals. I also can play piano and guitar. I'm 15 and a freshman at East Harbor High School." Simon turned and looked at Lukas.

"Uh. Hello. I'm Lukas Meijer. I'm 14 and an eighth grader at East Harbor Middle School. Go Sabers!" cheered Lukas to his friends back home. Then he remembered what else he was asked. "Oh yeah, I play drums, piano, guitar, bass and some other stuff too."

Lukas turned to Zach, who hadn't planned on introducing himself. As much as the boys considered him part of the band, he still considered himself support. "Hi. I'm Zach Schultz. I play keyboard, guitar and whatever else I can do to pitch in. I'm a grad student at UC San Diego and SDSU."

"I'm Matthew Meijer. I'm a sophomore at East Harbor High School and play guitar, bass, keyboard and sing. And I'm 16."

"Hey, everyone back home in East Harbor! I'm Michael Meijer. I'm almost 12, and I'm a freshman at East Harbor High School. I play guitar, bass, drums, and piano. And I sing too."

"You're a freshman?" asked Rick to clarify what he just heard.

The band nodded and Michael giggled. "Yeah, I got bumped from eighth to ninth grade when the semester changed."

"Again, for you guys out there not watching this stream on our web site, or on Facebook Live, on that last song, Michael played lead guitar, Matthew had lead vocals, Simon was on bass, Lukas on drums and Zach had rhythm guitar and keyboard." Rich paused for a moment and shuffled through his papers. Not knowing where to go next with the interview, he decided to throw it back to the band. "Usually I'd want to jump into the interview right now, but I want, and I think our listeners want too, to hear another song. Can you do that for us?"

The boys exchanged some words and grabbed different instruments while Michael stepped up to the mic. "Yeah, sure Rick. We're going to play a Weezer cover. Go out to Apple Music or Google Music to download our single. Proceeds from the single are being donated to the National Center for Missing and Endangered Children. You can also make donations at our GoFundMe page."

Before Rick could ask for more information, the band ripped into "Hash Pipe" with Michael on lead vocals and guitar. Rick was torn between watching the band and reading the information he should have read before they went on the air.

The station's social media and phones were blowing up. Most wanted more information about the band, some thought the whole thing was a hoax.

When the song ended, Rick's mic went live.

"Damn that was good. Tell the listeners where they can find the song or donate."

Michael explained where to find the song, and music video, and gave the URL to the Theater and band's web site so they can link to the GoFundMe page.

"Now boys, we've got a lot of listeners who think you guys are a hoax and are lip syncing. I want to remind everyone that back in 1995, an Australian band of 15-year-olds, Silverchair, put out the single "Tomorrow" that hit number 28 on the Billboard Airplay charts in the US, and number one on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts." Rick liked to sound like he could recall all the details while on the air. Though he could remember the bands and songs, his laptop was open to Google throughout his shows. "I remember when I heard the guys in Silverchair were only 15, I thought there wasn't anyway because the lead singer sounded older. If you still doubt an 11-year-old can have a more mature singing voice, watch America's Got Talent or The Voice Kids to see kids who sing better than most adults."

Once the biggest skeptic, Rick was now the band's greatest defender. Whether it was to save his own reputation or the band's, it didn't matter, he was making believers out of his audience.

"Looking at you boys, you don't look like siblings, but three of you have the last name Meijer. What gives?" Rick had at least read that from his sheet and decided to throw that out there to let the boys explain it.

The boys laughed and Lukas took the lead. "Well, I guess you could say we're all family, just not in the traditional since. Zach is our dad's boyfriend and soon to be our other dad. Dad, are you listening? Michael's my best friend and when he and Matthew needed a home, my dad adopted them, so we're brothers, and Simon's mom adopted them as their mom, so they are Simon's brothers too."

"And you and Simon?" asked Rick.

"Simon's my boyfriend," shared Lukas with a huge smile. Simon blushed and smiled too, realizing there may be thousands of people listening to the show. Little did they know how the Facebook Live and streaming of the show was blowing up. The producer, knowing he wouldn't have the show's Nielsen ratings for a week or so, only could see the streaming numbers in real-time.

"Well, you guys are one really talented family. We've got to go to a commercial break. We'll be right back with At the Majestic, right after this." The station cut to commercials.

Chuck, the producer, joined Rick in the control room and turned off the mics so the band couldn't hear. "Rick, based-on our online numbers, this is the biggest show we've ever done. But I've got bigger news for you." He handed Rick a news story he printed from online.

Rick looked at the headline and photo. "Boy Kills Would-Be Kidnappers, Again" with a photo of Michael at the press conference. Rick turned back at Chuck with a look of astonishment.

"They've refused all interviews and here you have them on the air." He gave Rick a knowing look. Chuck knew about the incident when Michael and another boy were kidnapped. The kidnappers were killed and the boys escaped. That's one of the reasons he was so interested in getting the band booked. Letting Rick get pissed about his booking a bunch of kids before bringing the DJ in on his plan was simply for his own enjoyment.

Rick didn't like the sneer on Chuck's face. He got up and walked out of the control room. Chuck flipped on the mics from the control room. "Boys, Rick will be back. When we come back from commercials, play a couple of songs and we'll be back for more of the interview."

The boys nodded and planned out what they were going to play. They were told there would only be time for five songs but at this rate, they'd play seven or eight. They pow-wowed to decide what to do next.

"We're back on the air in five, four, three, two," the engineer pointed to the boys and the "On Air" light came on.

With a sound inspired by Matthew's vocal abilities and the teen's love of the band Nothing But Thieves, the band debuted their original song, "April Showers".

The station played throughout the building and Rick and Chuck heard the band performing a track unknown to the two radio veterans. As Chuck followed Rick to the DJ's office, he continued to badger the man about doing the interview.

"Shit," said Rick, realizing what he was hearing, "those kids write their own music, too." The song was an earworm and Rick knew he'd be singing it for days. He grabbed a photo off his desk and a white FedEx package and thumb drive out of the drawer before heading back to the control room. Before he could enter, Chuck stepped in front of him.

"Here are some questions you can ask," he said, shoving the paper into Rick's chest. "Do you want to make a national show, or do you want to remain stuck in time here at this station?"

"I'll do an interview, but I don't need your questions." Rick shoved Chuck aside and entered the control room as Simon and Lukas tore into their Royal Blood inspired original song, "Betrayal" -- the song they wrote about their youngest brother's life before East Harbor. Michael and Matthew rocked out to their brother's driving rock song.

When the song ended, Rick was back to his DJ personality. "Well boys, your original songs are just as good as anything we play on the radio. Are you in talks with any record labels?"

"No," answered Matthew, "I think we are starting our own label that will be artist focused. We have recording studios and a producer and recording engineer available for interested artists. Our folks on the business side of things are working out CD and vinyl production and distribution in case we go down that path. Right now, we'd only be a digital label."

"Good for you," encouraged Rick. "Now before we continue, I learned that my producer booked you boys with the idea of interviewing Michael about the things he discussed in his press conference. I'm here to tell you that isn't going to happen unless Michael brings it up and volunteers to talk about it. But I do want to offer this."

Rick turned to the engineer. "Can you display the photo on the flash drive to the streaming audience?" With a few clicks, the image was shared, and Rick held up the photo from his desk so the boys could see. "This image is of my little brother, Brandon. His little league photo is the last picture taken of him before he committed suicide at age 12. We later learned that he'd been abused by his baseball coach and that abuse is what drove him to kill himself."

Rick wiped tears from his face. "Boys, what you are doing by raising money for NCMEC and getting the message out, is something very important to me. I'm really happy you are on the show and want to support your efforts any way I can."

Lukas wiped tears from his face and Michael spoke for the group. "Rick, we are really sorry for your loss. If the rest of the guys will help me, I'd like to dedicate a song to you and the memory of Brandon. This is a song Matthew and I wrote to our mother. She was a victim of the same men I was, but they killed her. The song's called, 'I Miss You.'"

Matthew and Simon picked up acoustic instruments and Lukas came around and joined Simon on his mic. The boys stood close together and played the ballad. Michael and Matthew traded off on different verses that were more personal to them and sang together, in harmony, on the chorus. Simon and Lukas filled in different vocal accompaniment to give the stripped-down song a full, warm feel to it. There wasn't a dry eye in the station.

"We'll be back after these commercials." The broadcast switched to commercials before Rick addressed the boys. "Thank you. I guess the naysayers online can't think you're a hoax when you are playing original music." Rick's joke lightened the spirts of everyone.

"Alright, when we come back, I want you guys to play another song. Then I'm going to ask each of you a question and I'll give you boys a chance to promote yourselves and anything you have going on. Then you'll send us off with two more songs. I know you expected more interviewing and less playing, but your music speaks for itself and I don't think I'm going to be up for any more interviewing the rest of the day."

When they came back on the air, the boys gave Simon another turn on vocals when they tried to change the mood with an upbeat song -- "Body Talks" by The Struts.

"We're back with At the Majestic. So boys, I'm going to ask you each the same questions. Quickly, off the top of your head, who or what band is the biggest influence on your music. Simon?"

"Mike Kerr from Royal Blood."

"Lukas?"

"David Grohl."

"Matthew?"

"Nothing But Thieves."

"Michael?"

"21 Pilots and Green Day."

"Zach?"

"Stephen Novak."

The boys' heads swung around to look at Zach and Rick asked who Stephen Novak was.

"Simon's father was one of my elementary school music teachers. He's the first person to teach me guitar and it's his passion and wisdom about music and playing that still guides what I do to this day."

"He sounds like a fantastic person. Can you share some of his advice?"

"Yes, he was a tremendous person. He was the person who taught Simon and Lukas how to play all their instruments. The piece of wisdom I hold closest to my heart is this, 'If you don't love what you're playing, you're not playing music, you're working. If you are working, you are doing a disservice to yourself, and to your listeners. Music comes from a deep love of what you are doing. Music isn't a job, it is a passion."

"Well said," agreed Rick. "Is there anything you boys want my listeners to know?"

This was the one thing to say the boys had rehearsed beforehand.

Lukas: "Head out to Apple Music and Google Music to purchase our songs or music videos. Proceeds from 'Hash Pipe' go to NCMEC."

Simon: "Majestic Music Studios is now open for lessons on all sorts of classical and rock instruments from some of the best instructors in southern California."

Matthew: "The Majestic recording studios are now up and fully operational so contact the team at the Majestic Theater to learn more about the world-class facilities."

Michael: "And visit our website and social media. Next Friday, April sixth, we will be having the grand opening of the remodeled Majestic Theater including a live concert that will be filmed for an upcoming movie and music videos. Tickets are available on VividSeats.com. Hope to see you there!"

"You heard the boys. Get your tickets to see 'At the Majestic' at the grand opening celebration for the newly remodeled entertainment venue in East Harbor. Boys, we have time for two more songs. Can you play us to the top of the hour?"

Michael plucked out the Latin rhythm of the opening to Shawn Mendes' "There's Nothing Holding Me Back" with Matthew on vocals. The boys followed that up with Michael singing "Hate to Say I Told You So" by The Hive.

"Thanks for joining us for LIVE with this week's guest, At the Majestic. Join us next week for our guest, 12 Cent. Have a great rest of your weekend everyone! Be safe!"

The stations broadcast went to the next studio where the afternoon show took over to queue up the station's alt rock play list.

Rick entered the studio where the boys were packing up their gear. "Thank you, boys. That was quite a show. You smashed all records from viewers of our Facebook Live and streaming of the show on our web site."

"Really?" asked Lukas.

"Cool!" said Michael. The rest of the band added their comments of excitement and disbelief.

"I'm sorry I was shitty to you guys when I came in," apologized Rick. "No one told me who the guest was and because they made it such a big surprise, I thought they were playing a joke on me by bringing in a kid band. But you guys proved me wrong. Thank you for such a great show. And thank you for the dedication to my brother. That meant the world to me and that song is a hit if you release it. Here, I want you boys to have these and enjoy yourself." He handed Michael the FedEx packages and shook everyone's hands before leaving the boys to pack and get back to East Harbor. The boys made short work of packing up. They were in a hurry because this afternoon was the annual Spring Break Blowout at the Meijer residence.

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RECOMMENDATION: Before CHAPTER 38 read "Finding Love in Montana"

Thank you for joining me on the journey of finding my voice as a storyteller. I have two characters from another story that have been a fan favorite. Their story was meant to be a one off, but the characters are near and dear to my heart. One or more of them may be joining our friends in East Harbor. They're first appearance is in the next chapter. I encourage you to read "Finding Love in Montana" in my Small Tails (YF) collection to get an introduction to these characters before reading Chapter 38.