SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

"Michael, can I borrow you for about an hour or so?" called Lars out the kitchen window. It was about two in the afternoon and the boys had been playing lacrosse in the back yard since lunch.

"Damn, I need to get home anyway," said Gavin. "I told my rents I'd be home in time to help them around the house today."

He gave Simon, Lukas and Michael hugs and thanked Lars before he grabbed his packed bags and headed home. It was a little bit of a walk, but totally manageable, even with his backpack, overnight bag, and lacrosse equipment.

"Dad, we'll be over at Simon's," said Lukas. They set their lacrosse sticks by the back door on the way into the house. Some more practice to get ready for the talent show wasn't going to hurt. Then again, Lukas wasn't sure there could ever be enough practice to give him the confidence to go on stage. Besides, Lukas knew Lars needed privacy with Michael so he and Simon would stay at the Novak's until someone came to get them.

When Lars and Michael entered the house, the boy immediately smelled fresh baked cookies. They weren't homemade, but they were another of his favorite -- obviously his mother told Lars lots of things about him.

"Would you like some milk to go with those cookies?" asked Lars.

"Yes, please."

Lars poured two glasses of skim milk and they sat at the kitchen table. Even though Lars wasn't much of a cookie eater, the Pillsbury Peanut Butter cookies with Reese's Pieces smelled good enough to at least try one.

"Did my mom tell you I like these?" asked Michael.

"Yes, she did."

"You don't have to do things just because I like them," stated Michael. "I like you guys. You can do things you like too."

Lars smiled, "You're right. I was just trying a bit too hard to make you feel at home here. I'm sorry." Lars took another bite of the cookie and had some milk. "Though, if it weren't for you, I'd have never baked these cookies and they are good! I see why you like them so much." Michael just nodded as he inhaled another cookie and drank some more milk.

"So, you want to start working with me today?" asked the boy.

"You're on top of things, aren't you?" Lars laughed. The boy was already a step or two ahead of him. "Yes, I thought today was a good day to talk."

"Okay," was all Michael said. He continued to enjoy the snack and waited for Lars to lead the conversation.

"Do you recall ever hearing the term PTSD?"

"Yes. It's that thing soldiers get after seeing some really bad stuff during war. It means, um... Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, right?"

"Yes, that generally the way people understand PTSD, but it is actually much broader than just a result of war. Anyone who had experienced trauma can develop PTSD, you just don't hear about that as much."

Michael nodded his head in understanding.

"What I want you to understand is that boys that experience what you did can often develop PTSD. It generally happens in two ways. They either develop it shortly after the trauma, or they have what is called 'delayed-onset PTSD.' In that case, the symptoms don't really manifest themselves until the boys grow up and are in their 40s or 50s."

This was all new to Michael and he sat very attentive to all of this information.

"There are two treatments that work really well. One is called Prolonged Exposure Therapy, the other is called Cognitive Processing Therapy. The both work really well, and one of the research topics I've been exploring is the use of Cognitive Processing Therapy as a preventive measure. That means, using it to treat people who have had a trauma but are not diagnosed with PTSD. The idea is to use CPT to prevent them for developing PTSD later. Does that make sense?"

Michael nodded again and swallowed. "Is that what you want to do with me?"

"Yes, if that's alright with you."

Michael grabbed another cookie and took a bite while he pondered the proposal. He didn't know if he had PTSD or not, but it didn't sound good and if doing this Cognitive Processing Therapy would keep him from getting it, it didn't sound like too bad of an idea.

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

"Good question. CPT is usually completed in 12 one-hour sessions. In addition to the CPT work, we'll also talk about what's going on in your life, and how the things that happened to you are shaping the way you think and react to these events. Do you think you can do that?"

Lars received another nod as the boy snacked on the cookies. "What is this CPT supposed to do to me?"

Lars laughed. That was not a question any of his young clients asked, and this was the one boy that he knew would actually understand the explanation.

"Well, the idea is that when a person's brain can't properly process traumatic events, the brain tries to find ways to simply cope with the thoughts and memories of the events. When these coping mechanisms fail, the person will have nightmares and even flashbacks where they think those events are happening to them again in real life. The thoughts and feelings make it difficult for PTSD patients to related to other people, even their own family, and can result in a lot of bad things happening."

Lars paused to give Michael a chance to process what he'd said. The boy sat there motionless, so Lars continued.

"CPT allows me to help boys that experience bad things to properly process those events so the brain to properly cope with those memories. CPT helps them deal with those memories appropriately and to overcome those memories so they can move forward with their life."

"I have nightmares."

"I bet you do. Are they memories of things that happened to you, or are they things your brain is making up in your dreams?"

"Real things. Things people did to me. Things they made me do." Michael put down the cookie he was eating. He didn't feel like eating anymore.

"Michael," the boy looked up into Lars' eyes, "it is those things that if we talk about them, and talk about them appropriately, they will lose their power over you and you will no longer dream about them. Or if you do dream about them, you won't be as scared or upset by the dreams because you will understand those things happened in the past."

"Okay."

"Let's start with your last nightmare. Can you tell me about it?"

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"Man, before yesterday I didn't think anything could be more fun than playing to our CDs. Now I don't feel like playing without Michael," Lukas lamented. He spun around on his drum stool and rifled through the CDs and searched for inspiration.

"I know," sighed Simon as he sorted through a box of CDs they hadn't touched since they picked it up at some garage sale. "But the CDs are still going to be the best way to learn new songs."

"Yeah, but which songs?" Lukas flipped his hair out of his face and gave a huff. "If we're going to learn new songs, we should learn songs Michael already knows so we can have more songs to play together."

"True, but we need to know which songs only have three instruments -- drums, bass and guitar or keyboard. The three of us can only play three instruments at a time," reasoned Simon has he diligently sorted his CDs.

"Ah, yes," Lukas said, "you should play some songs by the Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers!" He tossed some CDs towards Simon.

"Chili Peppers, yes, but even the early stuff by the Foo Fighters has lead and rhythm guitar," stated Simon as he added the discs to the piles he'd sorted. He realized they had multiple copies of the same albums. At some point, he decided, they'd find all the duplicates, keep the best CD and case then sell the extra CDs to a used record shop.

"Why didn't we sort these when we bought them?" whined Lukas. He could think of a lot things more fun to do while he was waiting for Lars and Michael to finish.

"Because we never thought we'd have a band and need to narrow our focus down. When you're playing with the CD, you have all the instrumentation cover." Simon continued to diligently file through his box of CDs.

"How about Queens of the Stone Age?"

"Two guitars."

"Pearl Jam?"

"Two guitars -- sometimes three."

"Rage Against the Machine?"

"Yes."

"The Killer?"

"Guitar and keyboard."

"The Toadies?"

"Two guitars."

"Weezer?"

"Are you even looking at the CDs?" asked Simon, a bit frustrated with Lukas' questions. Though Lukas loved to play the drums and followed his favorite drummer -- Dave Grohl -- he never really paid too much attention to the rest of any of the bands. Simon, on the other hand, wanted to know the instrumentation of his favorite songs so he could get them just right.

"Yeah, but..." started Lukas before he changed his mind. "You know what we need?"

"What?" Simon said with a chuckle. "Someone to sort the CDs for us?"

"No," said Lukas, spinning around on his stool to face Simon. "What we need is another guitar player. Michael great, but I never realized how many of my favorite bands have two guitars, or guitar and keyboard." Lukas looked a bit defeated with that realization.

----------------------     

Gavin left the bathroom feeling refreshed after his shower. With all his chores finished, he had some time before dinner. Throwing his towel in the clothes hamper, he pulled on solid black Under Armour boxers and plopped down on his bed.

First thing he did pull up the Courage Game Facebook page on his phone. He wasn't surprised to see the guys from the lacrosse team sharing and liking the videos. Their comments were of amazement and encouragement. What surprised Gavin was the number of comments from people they didn't know. People even asked about dates for upcoming performances.

After reading and liking some of the comments, and answering questions, Gavin switched over to Messages to text his brother.

Gavin: sup bro?

Garrett answered a few moments later.

Garrett: not much u

Gavin: just chillin' at home u?

Garrett: in dorm from practice what's new

Gavin: not much check this out

Gavin sends link to the Facebook page he set up for Courage Game. Assuming Garrett was viewing the videos, Gavin figured he had some time to pass flipped over to his favorite video. 'Basket Case' was the last video they recorded and it begins with Michael playing guitar and singing. The three band members had gotten comfortable playing with each other and had practiced this song before recording the video. This video really showed off Michael's showmanship and personality, not to mention his dimples when he smiled. Gavin played the video over again while he waited for Garrett's reaction.

Garrett: dude, who are these guys

Gavin: frnds from school/lax team

Garrett: but the singer is like 10

Gavin: lol that's Michael. he's 11 but in 8th

Garrett: they are good

Gavin: yeah, n Michael is really smart n cool

Garrett: really?

Gavin: yeah he just moved here from Oregon and he's in my geometry class and the star of 8th grade soccer team

Garrett: sounds like you have a crush on him

Garrett chucked when he hit send. He loved teasing his brother and this out pouring about one of his friends was out of character. But when Gavin didn't immediately answer back Garrett realized there may have been some truth to his text.

Gavin, still laying on his bed realized he'd gone on like a school girl about Michael and made it pretty obvious he really liked this boy. He stared at his screen while he decided if he was ready to tell anyone in his family that he'd finally found someone special.

Gavin: Michael's really special to me

'Holy shit!' thought Garrett. 'Gavin's finally found someone to date.' Though the brothers were seven years apart in age, they were close. Garrett was the first person that Gavin confided in that he was gay the summer before Garrett left for college.

Garrett: I'm really happy for you

Gavin: you don't think the age diff is bad

Garrett took a moment to consider Gavin's concern. The age difference was pretty big, but if Gavin was falling in love, he knew the younger boy couldn't be with a better person. But if Michael's parents didn't approve, that would be a different story.

Garrett: if all the rents ok, then all good

Gavin: haven't met his mom but Dr Meijer is good

Garrett read that twice and wondered how Dr. Meijer got involved in all of this. However that happened, texting was not the place to get into that story. Garrett made up his mind he to go home the following weekend to be filled in on the details and check up on his little brother.

Garrett: sounds good

Gavin: when you come home next bring guitar

Garrett: why

Gavin: to play with guys fun

Garrett: k see you Fri

Gavin: really?

Garret: yep

Gavin: yay k gtg love ya bro

Garrett: luv ya 2

Gavin was excited that he'd get to begin introducing Michael to his family this weekend, starting with Garrett.

----------------------     

After the discs were sorted, Lukas put headphones on and played along with whatever song playing on his phone while Simon consolidated Lukas' piles with his own and weeded out the duplicates.

"Hey guys..." was all Michael said as he entered the room.

Lukas didn't notice the boy, but Simon looked up. Michael looked completely exhausted -- physically and emotionally -- something they would come to expect after each of Michael's sessions with Lars.

Simon patted the floor beside him and leaned back against the sofa. Michael sat down beside Simon and the older boy put his arm around his shoulders.

"You okay?" asked Simon.

"Yeah..." replied Michael as he relaxed into Simon's side. In the back of Michael's mind, something told him he was getting too old to like cuddling and being held, but he didn't care. He enjoyed it too much. "What's all this?" he asked, referring to the piles of CDs.

Simon explained the piles and Michael nodded in agreement. Simon also suggested Michael share some music of his own for the band to play.

"Is the double bass you were talking about that big stand up one?" asked Michael.

"Yeah, I play that in orchestra at school."

"Watch this video," said Michael as he pulled up one of this favorite bands. He showed Simon 'Rock This Town' by the Stray Cats. Simon hadn't really thought about playing the double bass like this and was excited by the idea.

"Lots of bands do this. Here..." Michael pulled up videos showing Ani DiFranco and G. Love and Special Sauce, all featuring a double bass.

"I'll bring it home tomorrow and we can try some of those songs," said Simon. "That looks like a lot of fun."

"What do you want to do now?" asked Michael.

"You up for practicing for the talent show?"

"Yeah," said Michael with a smile. Playing could be just what he needed to get back to feeling like himself after talking to Lars. By the end of the evening, they were feeling confident about their song choice and playing in front of a crowd.

----------------------     

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2017

Gavin joined Simon and Lukas after school while Michael had soccer practice.

"Mission accomplished," stated Gavin as he caught up to the other two outside the Maple Street Café.

"What do you mean," inquired Lukas.

"Courage Game is officially on the bill to play at the talent show," announced Gavin. He was particularly proud of his success. With the application past the deadline, he had to do a bit of sweet talking, but it really came down to simply showing Mrs. Gutierrez, the Vice Principal, the band's videos and she quickly changed her opinion.

"Do these guys have other songs?" asked Mrs. Gutierrez.

"Yeah, they can play for hours," bragged Gavin, exaggerating a bit.

"Okay. Here's the deal. They will play last at the Talent Show, but I want them to play three songs. That way, the crowd will be entertained while the judges make their decisions."

"You got it, Mrs. G," confirmed Gavin, without even speaking to the guys. Now that he let Lukas and Gavin know they were in the talent show, he wasn't prepared to mention her additional request that he agreed to on their behalf.

"Cool," said Simon. "We practiced our song last night and it's sounded really good."

"Oh, yeah. Well, you guys need to practice some more," said Gavin.

"What do you mean? You weren't even there to hear us," said Lukas. "I think we sounded good."

"I mean practice more songs. Mrs. G wants you guys to play while the judges confer on the winners. You go on last and play three songs," clarified Simon.

"Oh..." Lukas looked nervous again.

"No problem," said Simon in an attempt to head off Lukas changing his mind about playing in front of a crowd again. "We already made those videos, we'll just play a couple of those songs."

"Sounds good," assured Gavin. "Mrs. G liked your videos. I mean, everyone likes your videos. You did hear the buzz going around school, right?"

That they had. At both the middle and high schools, the lacrosse team members and their friends told everyone about the videos. During lunch, students pulled out their mobile devices to watch and share the videos. Even teachers commented to the boys about their videos.

The encouragement of their friends and peers helped subside Lukas' fear of playing Thursday, but he still just wanted to get it over with. The boys were discussion which two songs from the three videos to perform when Simon saw his mom's car.

"Mom's home already!" he cheered with a huge smile on his face.

Lukas was glad to see Simon so excited. Even though Simon had Lars and Lukas, he missed his mom when she was gone. Things never felt quite right unless all four of them were home -- even if it was in two different houses.

"Mom! Where are you?" shouted Simon as he entered the door.

"In the kitchen, honey," she replied. "I'm making sandwiches for you boys." Simon had his arms wrapped around his mother before she could finish her sentence.

"I missed you," he said with feeling that he wanted to keep hidden from Lukas and Gavin. It had been an emotional week getting to know Michael and learning about his past. Even with Lars there for him, he needed his mother too.

"I missed you too sweetheart," his mom said as she hugged her son tightly.

When they finally broke their embrace, Carol turned to Lukas and held out her arms. Lukas smiled and hugged the lady who'd filled in as a substitute mother almost his entire life.

"Hi Gavin," she said to her son's friend over the top of Lukas' head. "I made enough sandwiches for everyone."

"Thank you, Mrs. Novak," said Gavin.

The boys sat down at the kitchen table and enjoyed turkey sandwiches and chips.

"Where's the new boy? Michael isn't it?" asked Carol. Simon had texted her a bit about a new boy in the neighborhood that became their friend but she waited until she returned home to get the details.

Simon swallowed before answering, "He's at soccer practice. He'll be here afterwards to do homework."

Gavin had known Simon's mother since the two played lacrosse together and it always amazed him that they were mother and son. Simon's black hair and pale complexion didn't seem to match Carol's blonde hair and tanned complexion. But if you looked more closely, the two had the same compassionate blue eyes and matching mouths and jawlines. But what Gavin thought made it the most obvious they were related was the way they acted. Simon and his mother shared the same laugh and many mannerisms which made it obvious, in Gavin's opinion, they were mother and son.

When the boys had finished their afterschool snack, they retired to the studio to wait for Michael. Carol, on the other hand, headed next door to catch up with Lars. Unlike their typical coffee at the kitchen table, Lars invited her into his office and closed the door behind them.

"Did the boys get into trouble?" asked Carol. Anxious about the uncommon privacy Lars created.

"Oh no, quite the opposite, actually," replied Lars.

"Whew! Good," Carol said, relieved of her worries.

"No Carol, we have two incredible boys," started Lars. "And I think we may have picked up a third and fourth this week," Lars added looking at Carol with a raised eyebrow.

"Let me guess. That would be Michael and..." Carol thought for a minute, "well, it must be Gavin. He came home with the boys after school."

"You guessed it. But in the week you've been gone, a lot has transpired that I need to bring you up to speed with."

Carol trusted Lars but this piqued her curiosity. She sat attentively as Lars filled her in on Michael, his guardianship of the young boy, Simon and Lukas' discovery of the police file, and the budding, dare he say romance, between Gavin and Michael, and how he planned to approach it with each boy.

"Wow," was all Carol could say. "Are the boys doing okay? Seeing the police file must have been a shock."

"Yes, I think they are," offered Lars. "Lukas was more visibly shaken by what he found, but I think it had the same effect on Simon. I've talked to both of them and they understand my disappointment in their taking the file from my office and they are both coming to terms with how traumatic this last year has been for Michael."

"What about Michael's family? How are they playing into all of this?" asked Carol.

"Well, his mother ended up with sole custody and the rest of the family abandoned them. Megan, his mother, hasn't handled the transition well. Her husband took their older son and the two extended families cut ties. Megan and Michael moved here from Oregon not knowing a soul or Megan even having employment. She's emotionally fragile and I've directed her to a program that I think will help her. Because of her state of mind, I worried that Michael was at risk of going into the system, especially in the case she needed to go into inpatient treatment, rehab, or got herself arrested. The legal paperwork makes sure that Michael would come stay with me if anything ever happened."

Carol could only shake her head in disbelief. "How's Michael?"

"I've started working with him to help him process his trauma," being careful not to reveal details about Michael's case that weren't public knowledge. "He's a really special young man and he's going to be fine. But for the next few of months, things will be tough for him at times."

"Well I can't wait to meet him."

"Let's take a walk and grab some coffee," suggested Lars. Carol agreed and Lars sent a text to the boys to let them know he and Carol were going to walk to the Café for some coffee and they'd all have dinner together -- including Gavin if he was able to stay.

After years of friendship and raising their boys as single parents, Carol and Lars had become close friends. They enjoyed each other's company and their walk to the Café was no exception. The weather was gorgeous, and the walk provided them with some fresh air and time to catch up.

During their second cup of coffee, Lars pointed out the window of the café. "There's Michael. The boy in soccer jersey with the huge backpack and gym bag."

"Oh, he's a cutie. No wonder our boys like him so much," Carol laughed.

"I'm sure the feeling's mutual," laughed Lars.

Michael waved good bye to Mateo and his father as the pair pulled away from the middle school and headed up Maple Street.

About 15 minutes later, the proud parents finished their coffee and headed home.

"Did the boys tell you that Michael plays piano and guitar?"

"No," Carol answered. "Simon has only been giving me a high-level overview. He knows I'd rather get the details in person." She, like Lars, was not a fan of having important conversations via text messages.

"Well, they usually play before dinner. Let's stop by and see if we can catch a performance. I haven't heard the three of them play together yet," suggested Lars. "Have you had a chance to get groceries? Why don't we cook dinner at my place tonight?"

"Sure," said all Carol said. She was really glad to be home. It would be so much easier for her if she moved closer to her job, but this, everything and everyone East Harbor had to offer, was too much to give up.

"You know," Carol said, "I don't think I've heard the boys play by themselves. They're always playing along with a CD so it's hard to tell what they are playing and what's coming over the stereo."

"Simon didn't share with you the videos they recorded on Saturday?"

"Videos? No, he didn't. But then again, he's not usually on social media either."

"Neither is Lukas. I guess Gavin recorded the videos and created a Facebook page for their new band."

"Band? That's the first I've heard of that."

Lars laughed. "We'll see if that idea lasts long. Lukas isn't thrilled about ever playing in front of a crowd."

Approaching the front door, Carol and Lars could hear the music, but they weren't sure if it was the stereo or the boys. But once the front door opened and Michael's vocal kicked in, it was clear it was the boys. Carol glanced and Lars with a look of surprise and Lars matched her look. Simon and Lukas had learned the backing vocals and the boys tore through the song.

The parents waited until the song was over then made their presence known.

"WOW! That was awesome guys!" said Carol. "I love that song and you guys were incredible."

"Thanks mom," said Simon, embarrassed he hadn't gotten to set up their first performance for her. "Oh yeah, mom, this is Michael Grant. Michael, this is my mom, Carol."

Michael extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Novak."

Carol would have none of that. "Put that guitar down and give me a hug." Michael did just that, relishing the warm greeting. In his opinion, you could never get enough hugs. Michael tight hug surprised Carol but she returned it with all her motherly love.

"So, dad, that's the song we're going to play for the talent show on Thursday. Do you think we'll win?" asked Lukas.

"Talent show? You guys are going to play?" This was the first Lars had heard about it. Since their registration wasn't official, they had kept the news to themselves.

"Tell them the whole thing," encouraged Gavin.

"Well," started Simon. "Mrs. G, I mean Mrs. Gutierrez asked us to play last and to play three songs. We're the entertainment while the judges decide who gets the prizes."

"That's really neat guys," answered Lars. "If you play Thursday like you just played right now, I think you might win. Alright, you boys keep practicing. Dinner will be in 45 minutes. Gavin, please stay and have dinner with us if it's okay with your parents."

"Okay, thanks Mr. Meijer!" Gavin quickly began texting his 'rents' for permission. "Hey, before you guys start playing, Mrs. G said she would like to see another video from you guys. What do you think?" Gavin hit send and looked up at his friends.

----------------------     

"I think someone's tired," whispered Lukas. It was close to 9:00 pm and Michael was crashed out on the soft in the studio. It had been an exhausting evening.

The boys picked out a song to record as a video for Mrs. G and practiced it before dinner. Dinner itself went well. Baked lemon pepper cod, mashed potatoes, broccoli and some freshly baked rolls. Carol and Gavin's presence filled the seats at the dinner table with the adults at each end and the boys in their usual spots - Lukas and Simon on one side and Michael with Gavin on the other.

Of interest to Carol, though not discussed, was the blossoming relationship between Gavin and Michael. She watched both boys intently, but that effort wasn't necessary to see what was so obvious. Neither boy was capable of being subtle about their crush on the other - the sideways glances, the frequent touching of shoulders and smiles. It was really adorable, and Carol saw how Gavin and Michael could be good for each other. Even through their physical age difference was quite apparent, the intellectual age difference was negligible.

Carol also watched her son. He was growing up so fast and today she saw him, and Lukas, in a whole new light. Until this afternoon, they were just boys that played with instruments in the family room. When she heard them actually perform a song as a trio and play well enough any band would be happy to perform so well, she swelled with pride and ached at her heart. They weren't little boys anymore. But more importantly, she noticed something about Simon that should couldn't quite put her finger on. He seemed more mature, more confident, more grown up, but there was something else.

After dinner the boys did their homework and recorded the video for Mrs. Gutierrez. They only had about 30 minutes to toss the ball around before Gavin had to go home. They said their goodbyes and told Michael to grab his stuff because they were going to spend the night at Simon's this week. They helped him carry his stuff upstairs to Simon's bedroom then headed back down to the studio. Michael hadn't made it much past that. He crashed on the sofa -- dead to the world.

"Should we let him sleep down here or should we wake him up?" asked Lukas.

"If he wakes up here won't know where he is. I'll carry him upstairs." Simon slid his are under Michael's armpits and easily lifted the boy off the couch. He hugged Michael to his chest and slid one arm under his butt to support the weight. In his sleep, Michael must've imagined he was being carried by his mom or dad because he wrapped his arms around Simon's neck and laid his head on his friend's shoulder.

Once in the bedroom, Lukas turned on the reading lamp by the bed. "Thanks," Simon whispered, "I'll get Michael to bed, go ahead and use the bathroom first."

Lukas nodded and headed to the bathroom. Simon reached down and pulled the covers back and laid Michael down. Then he gently undressed the boy down to his underwear and Michael hardly stirred. Simon undressed himself and joined Lukas in the bathroom. They chatted quietly while Simon did his nightly routine until they heard something.

Something drew Lukas' attention. He peaked around the corner to check on Michael and saw the tween thrashing on the bed as he mumbled, "No! No! No!" Lukas hurried over to the bed and hopped in beside Michael.

"Michael, it's okay, I'm here." Simon watched from the bathroom door as Lukas tried to comfort their sleeping friend. Lying beside the smaller boy, Lukas pulled him tight. Michael sensed the body next to his and latched on tight.

Simon finished in the bathroom and joined the other two in bed. He turned off the light and rubbed Michael's back to calm the sleeping boy down. He felt the boy's muscles tremble as he gently soothed him. Eventually Michael's death grip on Lukas relaxed and he fell into a deeper, peaceful sleep.

Simon looked at Lukas and said, "I'm glad we didn't leave him downstairs." Lukas nodded in agreement with a sad look on his face. They cuddled the boy between them and the three slept through the night.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

Gavin got to school early to find Mrs. Gutierrez. He was excited about the video they'd shot the night before. It was getting late and no one asked to see it when it was finished, so they band hadn't seen it yet. Nor had anyone on social media since he hadn't posted it yet. He wanted the Vice Principal to see it first.

"Hi Gavin, how are you this morning?" greeting Gavin with a smile and a wave of her coffee mug.

"I got the video for you. They found a song both Simon and Michael knew and they were able to put it all together for you. Here, watch this."

The video was staged to show Michael sitting at the piano. Just over his left shoulder was Simon with his cello and then Lukas at the drums behind him to the left. The song they prepared to film was a song that Simon had played in orchestra and Michael had taught himself back home in Oregon. The cello part was a great accompaniment to Michael on piano and Lukas' drums just added a nice percussive layer under the cello and piano. Gavin couldn't wait for Mrs. Gutierrez to hear it.

"Just hit play," and he handed her his phone.

Mrs. Gutierrez took the phone, sat back in her chair had tapped play. The video started. Michael looked over his should to see if the other two were ready, then he turned to the keyboard and began playing opening notes to 'Imagine' by John Lennon. Throughout most of the song, Michael looked at the keyboard or sang with his eyes closed. But for the chorus "You may say I'm a dreamer..." he instinctively looked directly into the camera, into the eyes of the person watching the video, as if he was singing directly to them. The vocals were passionate and heartfelt, and so was Simon's cello. He matched Michael's passion and poured it into his performance. The song ended with Michael looking into the camera with a tear on his cheek. The Vice Principal sat speechless, dabbing her eyes with a Kleenex. "That's what I wanted to see. Thank you, Gavin."

"You're welcome, Mrs. G, I mean, Mrs. Gutierrez." Gavin wasn't sure what just happened, but it seemed he accomplished his mission -- whatever it was.

"And Gavin, be sure to post that online before classes start. It's beautiful."

"Will do." Gavin headed to homeroom while the video uploaded to the band's Facebook page.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Everything the boys did Tuesday and Wednesday lead up to Thursday. First up was the soccer game versus the San Marcos Crusaders. The Sabers took the field and the team noticed the crowd was substantially larger than their first game of the season. After their stunning win over the Mustangs, more students wanted to see the soccer team in action. Additionally, the high school and middle school lacrosse teams turned out to hang with Gavin, Simon and Lukas and cheer for Michael and the Sabers soccer team.

Michael was excited to see his new friends, Lars and Carol, and unexpectedly, his mom was there too. Lars made sure she was present for the game and that she'd be at the talent show later.

Unlike the game against the Mustangs, the Crusaders were no match for this year's Sabers. The match ended in a six to nothing rout, with six different Sabers scoring. Michael ended the game with one goal and four assists, including one to Scott, part of Lukas' lunch time gang. The entire team played outstanding soccer and the Crusaders had no answer for Michael or the offense he directed.

The Novaks, Meijers, Megan and Gavin waited for Michael outside the gym doors. Michael came out of the school and ran straight to his mother and gave her a big hug. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, sweetie," Megan said.

Lars set the agenda for the rest of the evening. "We've got lunch meat and toppings for sandwiches when we get back to the house. Since you boys loaded up the rental with your equipment last night, we'll just need you guys to get changed into what you are going to wear tonight and the we'll drive back down here so you can set up for your performance. We'll all be there to help you set up and tear down after the talent show. Ready? Let's go!" With that, they all started down for the Meijer's residence. Michael still had his arm wrapped around his mother.

"Mom? Did you meet Gavin yet?" Michael asked.

"Is he the boy with Simon and Lukas?" she asked.

"Yeah," he sighed with a silly grin on his face that his mother immediately recognized.

"Gavin!" Michael got the older boy's attention and waved for him to come. Gavin knew what was coming and he prepared himself. He stopped and waited for Michael and his mother to catch up.

"Gavin, this is my mother, Megan. Mom, this is Gavin Parker."

"Nice to meet you Megan," said Gavin, holding out his hand. Megan shook his hand and then pulled him in for a hug, surprising Gavin.

Megan whispered into his hear. "He really likes you. Please be good to him."

"I will," said Gavin surprised by what had just transpired. The three walked together the rest of the way to the house but not much was said.

At the house, but boys made their sandwiches first, and grabbed some baked beans and potato salad to go with it. Almost before the adults had made their plates, Lukas, Simon and Michael were finished. They wolfed down the food so they could make final decisions on what to wear on stage.

There had been much debate over the subject. Simon really didn't care, but suggested that whatever they wear, they have to be comfortable. Michael and Lukas tossed around the idea of wearing eyeliner, dying their hair, and trying to dress like punk rockers.

Getting really tired of hearing Michael and Lukas going on and on about what to wear, Wednesday night, Simon finally brought the other two boys into line. "This is just a talent show. It's our friends and parents, not some concert where we need to sell t-shirts and posters. Look at some of the other punk rock bands, they just wear old t-shirts, ratty-ass jeans and some old sneakers." With that, Michael made a trip down to his house to get his oldest pair of jeans, a couple old t-shirts, and the tennis shoes he used for mowing the lawn.

Once changed, everyone piled into vehicles and headed to the school. The talent show was held in the high school auditorium since it was the largest in town. The school had risers on wheels that the boys set up their equipment so it could be rolled onto the stage when it was time to play. One had Lukas' drum kit, the other two had amps and each boy's instrument. The risers were set up behind the rear stage curtains. With everything set up and a brief sound check, the boys went back stage to wait for their turn to perform.

Mrs. Gutierrez was the night's MC so she was also backstage. "Can I speak to you boys in private for a second?"

"Uh, sure," answered Simon. He wondered what they'd done wrong. The boys followed the Vice Principal into one of the music department's practice rooms.

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The curtains closed after Chloe Lin's violin performance.

"Great job Chloe!" said Simon. He and Chloe had played strings together in band since the day he first picked up a cello.

"Good luck guys! I hope you are even better live than in your videos," she said.

"At least we'll be louder!" laughed Lukas, trying to hide his nerves.

Michael was oblivious to all of the chit chat. Just like before kickoff, he was already in his zone. The stage hand opened the rear curtain so the band could get the risers onto the stage. With the assistance of the other student helpers, the risers were pushed into position on the stage and the rear curtain closed again. Mics were set up and the boys made adjustments and performed a small sound check. Ready, Simon gave a thumbs up to Mrs. Gutierrez so she could introduce the band.

"I think some of you have been anxiously awaiting the last act of the evening." She had to pause for some whooping and hollering, mostly instigated by Gavin and the rest of their lacrosse teammates. But they were joined by some of the students who'd seen the videos online. "Well, I guess you know who this is. So, while the judges make their decision on tonight's winner, enjoy East Harbor's own, Courage Game!"

Most of the crowd applauded politely as they do for every act at a school talent show. The boys' friends were a bit more enthusiastic (and yes, that was an understatement).

The curtains opened and Michael stepped up to the microphone.

"What's happenin' East Harbor!" Michael shouted. That got a cheer out of their friends and some applause from the parents. "We are Courage Game, and we've got a few songs to play for you tonight, but you have to do something for us. We need everyone to get up on their feet. That's right, everybody stand up because we're gonna get you moving. Here we go!"

The number they chose to start with was perfect to get the boys going and was picked to help Lukas overcome his nerves. The song began with Michael on guitar and then each boy joined in -- Lukas then Simon. When Michael started ripping through the opening guitar riff of 'Welcome to Paradise' by Green Day, the crowd was stunned. It didn't sound like a group of young teens that learned a song to play for a talent show. They sounded, and acted, like professionals.

Michael played up to the audience and truly performed the song. Simon tore up the base line and made it look easy, while Lukas was put everything he had into his performance. It was like the energy of the crowd turned the boys' energy level all the way up and broke the knob off. They sounded better than they ever did in the studio.

Midway through the song it cut to a bass solo and Simon walked right up to the edge of the stage and played it right to the audience, Michael did the same thing on the other side of the stage. Michael interacted with the audience before he joined in with the guitar riffs and Lukas' drumming crescendoed bringing the crowd with them.

With last chord of 'Welcome to Paradise' Lukas kicked right into the drum intro to 'Long View.' Michael's showmanship was on full display as he performed this song and the entire audience enjoyed the show, even when Michael didn't censor the lyrics.

The song ended and the boys relished in the cheering of the audience. They took a moment to grab a quick drink of water. As the crowd quieted down, Michael stepped back up to the mic.

"Is everyone having a good time?" shouted Michael. The crowd responded with a cheer.

"Well, while we're waiting for the judges to come back, I've got a question for you." Michael went right into 'Basket Case.' "Do you have the time, to listen to me whine, about nothing and everything all at once..." The crowd sang along with the band.

When the song ended, Lukas came out from behind the drum kit and the three boys took a bow then waved to the crowd as the curtain closed. Stage hands helped tear down the school's equipment and load the boy's equipment back on the risers and return the risers to behind the rear stage curtains.

The curtains opened with the talent show contestants on stage waiting for the announcement of this year's winners. Mrs. Gutierrez took the stage.

"Let's have another round of applause for all of this year's participants." The crowd politely clapped.

"This year's third place prize goes to 9th graders D'Andre Jackson and Juan Navarre for their hip hop dance routine." The boys stepped up to accept their prize and returned to their place on stage.

"Second place goes to senior Emma Graves and for rendition of 'Should've Said No.'" The crowd again applauded as Emma accepted her award and returned to her place on the stage.

With first place ready to be announced, the lacrosse team chanted 'Courage Game' until Mrs. G held up her hand for quiet.

"First place goes to sophomore Chloe Lin and her performance of Brahm's violin sonata." The crowd clapped politely again, but there was a murmur as much of the audience was surprised the boys didn't place.

"We do have one more announcement to make. I think many of you were expecting Courage Game to win an award tonight. However, this competition is only for amateur acts. Before tonight's competition, Courage Game was hired to perform a concert at the homecoming pre-game bonfire this year. So spread the word and be there to support our student musicians AND our student athletes!"