by Ryan Keith

 

Chapter 7 - Worst Combination Ever

 

***Zac***

 

            Jett didn't argue when I told him I would be sleeping in the same bed as Kayden. Kayden was feeling a bit sad when we returned to our room, and the girls took that as a cue to take off. Dad and Diana hadn’t come back yet, but Kayden and I were worn out and turned in early. Before we turned out the light, Jett came in and told us he was going for a long walk. He winked at me and took off before we could stop him.

            Jett’s absence was a lifesaver. Kayden needed contact, so I did my best to make him feel wonderful. When I woke up, Kayden was still nestled close to me. I slowly slipped from under the covers to go relieve myself. Jett and Kayden were still sleeping.

After I left the bathroom, I went into the common room and found Shin sitting in front of the television, watching the news.

            "Is my dad up? I was thinking of getting some breakfast," I said to Shin as I sat down beside him.

            "I haven't seen him. He wasn’t in his bed when I woke up," Shin said nonchalantly.

            "What?"

            "He wasn't in bed. Maybe he didn't come back last night," Shin said, grinning and winking at me.

            "Shin…that's not funny, man."

            "Your dad's a big boy, Zac. Let him have his fun."

            I got up and ran for the door.

            He wouldn't! Diana is sharing a room with Lenne, right? She wouldn't have a room just for herself…would she?

            I nearly jumped out of my skin when I almost ran into Lenne.

            "Zac!" she said, seeming annoyed.

            Mai and Maya followed close behind Lenne. They had amused looks on their faces, but Lenne looked as worried as I probably looked.

            "Is your dad here? I can't find my mom."

            "Lenne, come on," Mai said, crossing her arms. "Your mom is a big girl. She can make her own decisions."

            Maya was keeping quiet, but she was blushing.

            "Your dad is an animal!" Lenne said fiercely. "I knew he would be trouble. I like him, but if he hurts…"

            "You're worried about your mom? What about my dad? How do we know your mom didn't seduce him or something?"

            "She's not like that!" Lenne shouted.

            "Well, neither is my dad!" I shouted back.

            Maya and Mai looked at each other and shook their heads. They didn't even attempt to stop us. I didn't care; that was one argument I was going to win.

            "What's freaked you two out so early in the morning?" Scott asked as he walked towards us. "I could hear you guys as I got out of the elevator."

            "My dad…"

"My mom…"

Lenne and I turned to each other, our eyes fiery.

            "What about them? I just saw them downstairs in the restaurant, having breakfast. What's the problem?"

            "They're having breakfast?" Lenne and I asked simultaneously.

            "Uh, yeah?" Scott said, looking very amused. "It's what people usually do when they wake up. And what about you two? There's nothing going on between you two is there? You guys are cousins!"

            It took me a moment to realize that I was still in my boxers and Lenne was wearing a long t-shirt that covered just barely enough stuff.

            "I guess in some places that sort of thing is acceptable," Scott said as he grinned at us.

            Lenne and I stared daggers at him. He just shrugged.

            Maya was by his side immediately and smacked the back of his head. Thus began their early morning argument.

            Lenne and I turned to each other and I watched as her anger died away. I felt mine melt away, too. She smiled, and I couldn't help but smile with her. We were soon laughing lightly.

            "Honestly, you two," Mai said, brushing her straight hair.

            We all looked like we’d just waked up, but Scott had a distinct smell coming off him.

            "You went outside for a smoke, didn't you?" Maya accused him when she figured out what it was.

            "No…but…" Scott stammered.

            "Where are they?" Maya demanded, pushing Scott into our suite. Mai, Lenne and I quietly watched the exchange. We shrugged our shoulders and headed in.

            Lenne and I made the crew haul ass, after everyone had finished dressing, as both of us were eager to confirm what Scott had seen. Like Scott had said, Dad and Diana were talking over coffee and a few breakfast items.

 

            After breakfast, we all decided to try snowboarding. We had three more days, and we planned on making the best of them.

 

            While most of our nights on the mountain were spent doing things with the local kids we met, we also spent a night at some retro disco thing Dad was interested in. It was fun, for the most part. We met up with the paintball crew, who had managed to bring some local girls. We met Matt's girlfriend, who was particularly shy, but I noticed how she acted around Matt when she thought no one was looking. They were a solid pair.

            Everyone danced in boy/girl pairs, leaving Kayden and me out of the dancing loop. I didn't mind, because I didn't like the music. Kayden and I spent most of the night talking about things that didn't matter, things that no one really thinks about. It was meaningless talk, and I loved it.

            That didn't last all night, though. Some girls from a nearby high school showed up. Being the gentleman we are, Kayden and I agreed to dance with the girls, who were very clear in making us aware they were single.

            At one point, Scott was parading around with Maya in his arms. He was making it more than clear to the guys that Maya was his. He was typically an ass towards Marty, but that was just Scott. Maya set him straight, though. She ended up dancing with Marty for the rest of the night, while ignoring Scott. In retaliation, Scott started dancing with one of the local girls. All of us were afraid to come between Scott and Maya, and decided it was their problem, not ours. It didn't seem like they were fighting; it was like they were playing a game that only they understood.

 

            When we went back to our suite, Kayden fell asleep instantly. Actually, everyone went to bed, besides Jett and me. We decided to order in a movie and a late night snack.

            "We haven't done this in ages," I told Jett.

            "I know, but now there's usually someone tagging behind you every second," Jett retorted.

            "Are you jealous of Kayden?"

            He turned red in the face as he answered, "Hell no!" He looked towards the screen. "It's just that the two of us don't hang out, anymore. I kinda miss those days."

            I nodded my head. "I know what you mean, man."
            "You do?"

            "Well, yeah. I miss those days, too. I say we reintroduce that lost tradition."

            "What do you mean?"

            "You and I should hang out together at least once every few weeks. Just the two of us. Shin and Scott manage to do it and they both have girlfriends. Don't see why we can't do that," I said.

            "God, I feel a bit like a bad guy here. Won’t I be cutting in on your time with Kayden?"

            "Whatever, man. It's fine. I can go a day or so without him. We're not joined at the hip, you know. I want to spend more time with you. I trust you as much as I trust my dad, because you know all of my secrets. You know that, man. You're like my bro…bro."

            Jett was really quiet for a bit. I was wondering if he felt the same way. I'd never keep anything from him, and I thought he'd never keep anything from me.

            "You don't have to tell me everything. I might be keeping things from you."

            I shrugged at that. "It's fine if you do. Everyone has secrets. I just feel comfortable with you knowing all of mine. I still can't figure out who your mysterious girl is, though."

            Jett groaned. "Man, drop it. I’m not saying."

            "Why, is she ugly?" I asked, giving him a frown. I was going to be upset if Jett thought I would judge him by the appearance of the girls he dated.

            He laughed. "No one is really ugly, Zac."

            "You are."

            "Asshole!"
            "So, are you going to give me the details?" I cleared my throat.

            "You're a horny little bugger, aren't you?"

            "Come on, man. You know how the system works. If my sex life interested you, I'd share. I don't really care about the girl."
            "Basically, you're just interested in what she does to me. You really are gay." My best friend punched me.

            I rubbed my arm, but I was still interested. "Come on, shed some light on this innocent boy."

            "Innocent, my ass," he said, laying back and placing his hands behind his head. "After practice one day, she walked into the shower area while I was in there."

            "What?" This is great.

            "Yeah, she was watching me, and everyone else had left. She just walked right into the change room and went down on me." Jett blushed as he talked.

            Somehow, I could picture exactly what had happened, and it was hot.

            "Did you return the favour?" I asked.

            He went totally crimson.

            "Yeah… First time I'd ever done it, too."

            "And?"

            "I liked every moment of it."

            "You are now a man," I said, as I put an arm around him.
            "Oh, fuck off!" Jett grinned as he shoved me.

            At that moment, room service showed up, and then we snacked and watched the movie.

            When we finally went to bed, I bunked with Jett, alternating with Kayden, as Jett had suggested on the first night. I was facing him and saw him watching me.

            "What?" I asked.

            "Can a friend not watch his friend sleep?"

            "Do what you like. I'm exhausted."

            I closed my eyes and felt something soft touch my forehead as he whispered, "Goodnight, Zac."

 

            I wasn't ready to leave when the final day came, but there was nothing we could do. Dad insisted he had work to do over the weekend, and Diana had arranged to take the weekend for someone who had covered for her at the hospital. Plus, I was working weekends.

            After finding out more about Diana, I was starting to become impressed. I was beginning to worry whether people would expect a great deal from me. I mean, I have an engineer for a father and a doctor for a mother.

            The paintball crew saw us off and we made plans to return to Blue Mountain for our winter break. It was set in stone; we had had way too much fun up there to not go back. I felt like it had turned into a bit of a haven for Kade, as well. I'd never seen him so calm, just looking at snow.

 

**************

            "I need another vacation," I groaned miserably, leaning against the counter where Nikki was replacing an empty coffee pot.

            "Hey, at least you went somewhere!" Nikki snapped back at me. "Some people like me had to work, because we can't afford to go places."

            "Well, whose fault is it that you spend all your money on clothes the moment you get a paycheck?"

            "Leave me alone," she answered, agitatedly.

            I smiled at her and turned to watch Jeff.

            "What happened with Jeff?" Nikki turned to where I was looking and gave a sympathetic look. "He looks…like a zombie," I said.

            Nikki looked around and then went into a whisper. "Jeff told me not to tell anyone but you. You know how Jeff's boyfriend was kicked out of his house, right?"

            "Yeah, Aaron. He's living with his aunt, right?"

            "Yeah. Anyways, Jeff planned a nice dinner for two at his place. Aaron didn't show up. He forgot, but not on purpose. With Aaron being my cousin, I know he's busy with school and working different jobs. Aaron wants an entrance scholarship at Ottawa U., and he’s bending over backwards to get it. Jeff just can’t understand that. Aaron is a person with so much pride. He wants to prove to his parents that he is something. Jeff sometimes just wants to have fun, and all he needs is Aaron. Together they are an awesome couple, but sometimes even couples get into snags."

            I nodded as I took in everything Nikki was telling me. I looked at Jeff, again. I could tell he was a lot more withdrawn than usual. I wondered if I had been that way when Kayden and I broke up.

            I watched Jeff for a while, noticing that he kept looking at the clock.

            I walked up to him and whispered, "Aaron's here to pick you up…"

            He dropped the empty cup he had been holding and turned quickly to the spot where Aaron usually picks him up. The spot was empty, of course, and Jeff glared at me.

            I simply smiled. "Sorry, I thought I saw him."

            Jeff walked away, looking dejected.

            For the next few hours, I continued to point at an Aaron that wasn't there. Of course, it was all craftily planned. At one point, I got Nikki to tell Jeff that Aaron was on the phone in Sally's office. Nikki caught on, and eventually everyone who was working our shift was in on it, but none of them knew why we were doing it. Nikki and I saw the change, though. After a few hours, Jeff started to smile. He even blushed a few times when I joked about things to look forward to. I whispered the notion of 'make-up sex', which stalled him for a good minute.

            When Aaron finally showed up at his spot, I waved him in. The muscled boy got out of his car a bit hesitantly, but entered Tim Hortons.

            "Hey, Jeff," I called out teasingly, "there's someone here to see you."

            "Will you leave me alone!" Jeff smiled as he fixed up some donut trays, not even bothering to turn around. The place was pretty empty for eight at night so we were free to talk loudly.

            "Quit being so moody," I said to Jeff. "What will it take for you to forgive him?"

            By then, Aaron was at the counter and could hear everything. Jeff just stepped back and stared at the donuts.

            "I'm not angry with him," he finally admitted. "When Aaron gives his attention to something, it's always one hundred percent, and I love that about him so much." Jeff looked down sadly. "I guess I was just being a little jealous that I'm not always on his mind."

            "But you are," Aaron said in a stern voice.

            Jeff turned around in a flash. He looked shocked; afraid, even.

            "You're always on my mind," the larger boy said openly. "All I could think of yesterday was going to your place. I couldn't even study properly. I thought a quick nap would relax me. I didn't mean to…"

            He didn't need to finish. Jeff literally pounced onto the counter and pulled Aaron into a lip-locked embrace.

            I turned to Nikki. "I think our job is done here."

            "Good for you," Nikki smiled. "Your ride is here, too."

            I looked outside and saw Kayden looking in, still wearing his helmet. He was watching me and holding my helmet under his arm.

            "I want a boyfriend," Nikki whined.

            "You might wanna notice that boy over there, then," I said, pointing to a guy who was camped in a corner of the coffee shop. "He's been here for more than an hour, just looking at you."

            I didn't stay to see the outcome of my intervention. All I knew was that I just wanted to help things along. I went outside, jumped onto Kade’s bike, and snapped on my helmet.

            "How was work?" he asked as he started the bike.

            "Same old, same old."

            I wrapped my arms around his waist and gave it a little squeeze.

            "Your dad should be home by now. Wanna go to my place for a while?"

            I don't think he heard my response. He was already going towards his place.

 

***Brad***

 

            "Hey, Brad! Do you like burgers or cheeseburgers?"
            Jett didn't even knock before he stormed into my condo.

            I released the belt of the boy I had by the waist, and we both turned to look at Jett, who was holding a bag and a tray of drinks.

            I threw a sigh and realized the mess I was in.

            "Who the hell is this?" Jett asked, looking first at the boy and then at me.

            I closed the clasp of my guest’s belt and got out from under him. My shirt was already off, so I just crossed my arms and turned to the big guy. "No one, Jett. Just someone to take my mind off things while you and Kayden leave me alone all week."

            A look of anger flared from Jett.

            "Brad, who is he?" my guest demanded, looking very annoyed.

            "You can leave now, Will," I said, showing some distaste.

            "What? But…"

            I turned to him and gave him a sweet smile as I pushed him towards my door, past Jett, who stood glaring at us. "The farce is over. I was using you, man. It can't be that hard to figure out. Think about it on the bus ride home. Bye!" With that, I pushed him out and tossed his shoes at his feet.

            With one obstacle gone, I turned to the one who had a temper flaring. "You don't understand how desperate I was. I had to settle for something like that, all week." I was trying to sound angry, hoping he would notice, but the glare didn’t leave his face.

            "You slept with him?" he shouted angrily.

            I looked around my empty place and looked back at Jett quizzically. "Uh…yeah?"

            "What about Kayden?"

            "I'm not dating Kayden, yet," I said, quickly getting tired of Jett’s attitude. I walked over to the couch and sat down. "Why are you so upset? Are you jealous?"

            "You're kidding me!" he shouted.

            Ohh…pushed the wrong button there.

            "I mean, come on!" I flipped my hand outwards. "You and me fool around, but you want Zac, remember? We're just taking care of our sexual frustration."

            That just made him go red in the face. "What if you caught something from him? I'm concerned about my health, you bastard!"

            "Oh, fuck off, Jett." My cool was completely shot. "I use protection all the time. You always use my rubbers, remember?"

            Jett just glared at me. "Don't mess around, Brad."

            I couldn't help but smile amusedly at him. "I'm glad you're back. That guy was a terrible fuck."

            Jett winced and looked away from me. "Can you just not call it that?"

            I looked at him and laughed. "That's cute. You can't even say it, can you? Say it. Say you like fucking me. Don't be so shy, Jett. You like it just as much as I do. That's why you're here, right?"

            The moment the words came out of my mouth, I knew I’d gone too far.

            Jett slowly put the bag and drinks on the counter and walked towards the door. Before he opened it, he shook his head. "Actually, all my friends were busy and I was pretty bored. I thought maybe you were in the same boat, but I guess you found someone to occupy you."

            I didn't have time to respond before he left.

            I hate it when people have the last say in arguments and leave me steaming by myself. I was more upset that I’d kicked out – whatever his name was – and that Jett had left me in the same horny state I'd been in all week.

            I got up, opened the bag Jett had brought, and felt like gagging.

            Burgers and fries? He really does want me to get fat.

           

***Zac ***

 

            "No, do it again," Lenne commanded, a script rolled in one fist and her arms crossed.

            Kayden groaned and got up from the floor. "Can we please take a break?" he asked, rubbing his elbows. "We've been at this for two hours."

            "No!" Lenne barked. "Not until we get this right. We can't get it right if you're so unconvincing!"

            "He doesn't have to kill himself doing this, you know," I whispered to Lenne.

            She turned and gave me a stern look. "You do your part and I'll do mine. Don't interfere with my work!"

            She turned away and I smiled. The girl sure was being passionate about her work. Originally, Kayden had been in charge, but somehow Lenne bossed her way into the director’s position, which gave her project-management powers. I guess I was co-director or whatever, but I was mostly working with Scott's scene, which had been pretty much finished on the first day of filming. It had been easy for us, requiring only two hours of filming.

            Jett sat in a chair at the top of the stairwell, with the camera on a tripod. "Either way, we should wrap this up soon," he said. "Faculty will be arriving here shortly, and we didn’t get approval for this."

            It was too late to get approval. The project was due the next week, and we had all ignored it until Shin reminded us. Shin was the happy camper of the project. None of us could say he didn't do any work. The truth was, he probably put more hours into his portion than of the rest of us put together. He had been working on his Studio Max presentation since the project was assigned. After taking a look at his work, we realized that he had totally outdone us in effort. That probably was the motivation for Lenne's suddenly taking on a Mai persona. I had only heard about the nightmares of working with Mai, but I was pretty sure that working with Lenne was somewhere in the same ballpark.

            Kayden groaned and got ready for his scene again, beginning at the top of the stairs. I knew Mr. Klobe was going to flip on us when he saw what we had done, but we figured that after his initial anger, he wouldn't be able to stay mad at us forever.  

            Knowing that Lenne might work Kayden until he had broken bones, I walked off, afraid of mishaps in his scene. I was starting to worry if he would bruise.

 

***

 

            I closed the door of my locker to find Maya leaning against the row of lockers behind it. I almost jumped out of my skin, but I managed to be civil about it.

            "You scared the shit out of me, you know that?"

            "I need to ask you something straight out. Can I ask you for a favor?"

            I laughed. "Sure, you can ask, but I can't promise anything."

            "Then I can't ask you," she said, turning and walking away.

            I ran to catch up to her, suddenly interested. "What do you need help with?"

            I walked at her pace, which, for her, was fast. "Student Council is doing an event, and I was asked to get help from people in our grade." She stopped suddenly. "I want to know if you can help out. Can you or can't you? I'm a busy person."

            I couldn't understand her disposition, so I wondered if it was maybe that time of the month. I was glad that I’m gay and don’t have to deal with that stuff in a girlfriend.

            "Well, if it's for the school and a favor for you…sure, I'll do it."

            "You promise? You can't back out once you're in," she insisted.

            That was odd, even for her, but I couldn't see what could be wrong in helping out at a school event.

            "Yeah, I promise," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "And I never break my promises."

           

***       

            "I refuse!" I swore. "I will not do it!"

            My friends were all smiles as we sat around our usual lunch table. Jett was particularly happy, but I could see why – he was the other person Maya had asked to help her.

            "I mean, why me?" I shouted.

            People all around us turned towards me, but after a moment they went back to their own business.

            "Because we need three people from each grade, and the council selected those people. I was just supposed to convince you and Jett."

            "You cheated me! Tricked me! You're supposed to be my friend," I accused Maya. I looked around. "All of you! Kayden, aren't you angry?"

            "I think it's hilarious, actually," my boyfriend commented, giving me no help.

            "Come on," Lenne said, "it's no big deal."

            Only Scott seemed to understand how I felt, but even he was having fun with the situation. "I can see why he's upset. Slave-for-a-day auction? Of course he's pissed, but dude, it doesn't matter, you won’t be dating them."

            He did have a point, but that didn’t help much. Maya had played me into doing it, and I was pissed. The slave-for-a-day auction was just that. Students were auctioned off to students before classes, and the winning bidders would each have a slave tagging along behind him or her for the entire day, doing whatever they were told. Of course, everything would be strictly by the book. You couldn't make your slave kiss you or do something immoral, but that was beside the point. That meant going to all the same classes, eating together, and staying together up until the end of the school day. Even worse, it also included going to the school dance together the following week.

            "I can't believe this," I said, holding my hands to my face.

            "Well, you already promised, Zac," Maya said in a warning tone. "And you NEVER break your promises."

            Me and my big mouth.

 

 ***

            During Drama class, while Shin and I were practicing our monologues, Brad approached us. I felt sick as he smirked at me.

            "Heard you're the third candidate for the slave auction," he said slyly. "Didn't think you had it in you."

            I had previously decided to treat Brad like I'd treat a stranger. I was respectful, but not all that open.

            "Yeah, I am. Maya asked me."

            "Well, I was the first one," Brad said smugly.

            "You!" I almost shouted. "But you're gay!"

            The entire class turned to me when I said that. I hadn’t meant to be loud, but I hadn’t expected Brad to be one of the guys in the auction.

            Brad obviously was upset that I’d made a public display of our discussion. "Is there something wrong with that, Zac?"

            "Of course not," I said instantly. "It's just that the person who buys you is also your date for the school dance."

            "And you think I won’t be able to bring in much money because I’m gay. That people won’t want to go to the dance with a gay guy." He was giving me a sour look. He knew that everything I was saying was denying myself as being gay. I had to tread softly in case Brad was trying to find an opportunity to out me publicly.

            "That's not what I meant."

            "Well, it is true," Shin said, smiling. "Who would want to go to the dance with a gay guy? Maybe the council was hoping to be more open about same sex relationships, so they asked you to do it, Brad. Zac wasn't doubting you would rake in profit. You might even bring in more than he does, if there are guys bidding for you. After seeing how safe you are, maybe more will be willing to come out. Either way, I actually think Zac can bring in more money than you."

            "Shin…" I began.

            "You think Zac will make more money than me?" Brad scoffed.

            "I know he will," Shin declared, still smiling.

            "Want to bet on it?" Brad asked in a low voice.

            "What are the stakes? I like to play a little unsafe, sometimes. I like interesting bets."

            By then, most of the class had circled around us.

            "Five hundred bucks," Brad proposed.

            "Deal!" Shin boomed, and then stuck out his hand.

            They shook before I could even say anything.

            "Shin! What the hell, man?"
            "Don't lose, Zac," Shin said. "I'm depending on you!"

            "Zac's getting cold feet, now!" someone shouted out.

            "Well, Brad might win," someone else said. "Hell, I'd want him as a date for the dance. He's gay, but he's still hot!"
            That was the kind of attention I was dreading, and Shin had made it happen. I just glared at him as people continued to talk about the auction.

            Shin suddenly leaned forward and whispered to me, "I didn't like the direction Brad was heading, so I went for his weak spot. Just don't lose, ‘cause I really don't have five hundred bucks."

            I couldn't help but smile. "Couldn't you have made the bet more reasonable?"

            "After I called him out like that? I'd look like a fool," he said, punching my arm.

            I guess so, but now I’m going to be the fool.

            By the end of class, people were still talking about the bet, and I knew that by the end of the day it would be all over the school.

            As I walked towards my math class, people turned towards me. I heard someone call out my name, and I turned to come face to face with a guy a bit shorter than me. He wore glasses and had a suitcase-like bag hanging from his shoulder. I recognized him as a really smart guy from my math class. The teacher always turns to him when people have trouble figuring out the next step of a problem. With his short brown hair and green eyes, he looked really cute in a sort of geeky way. I couldn’t imagine him without glasses; he’s one of those people who naturally look better with specs.

            "Hey, man," I said as he approached. I’d totally forgotten his name, so I used that generic response. "How are you, bud?"
            "I know you don't know me, Zac," he said slowly. He swallowed, and it looked like he was almost scared of me. "We’re in the same math class. I'm Phil."

            "Sorry, man," I said sincerely. "I know you're in my class, but I couldn't put a name to your face."

            "It's all right," he said, walking along with me.

            For a moment, we walked in silence. I was wondering why he’d called out to me in the first place.

            "Jett is your best friend, right?" he suddenly asked.

            "Yeah, he is. Since we were kids. Do you know Jett?"

            "I know of him," Phil replied. "But…what about Kayden? You guys seem to be a lot closer than you and Jett are."

            Oh, shit…

            "Well, Kayden is new, but he's shaping out to be another one of my best friends. Just like Shin, Scott and Jett," I said, trying to appear nonchalant.

            "But you and Kayden seem closer than that, and you guys just met this year," he pushed.

            I was silent for a moment.

            This guy isn't serious about accusing me of being gay. He doesn’t want to out me, does he?

            Thinking about my position, I could see I did have a bit to lose. Everyone in our grade knows of my friends and me. Although all of us have friends of our own, everyone knows we hang out together. If Phil had something against me, I wasn't going to stand for being pushed around. Brad was enough to deal with; I didn't want someone else causing me problems.

            "Dude, you're going a little too deep in analyzing my friendships," I said, showing a bit of anger. "You've never approached me before, and suddenly you come out of nowhere and…" I paused. "Why did you come up to me? What do you want?" I was being uncharacteristically hostile, but people had had things against me before and tried to make me look bad. They were the people that made Scott so suspicious about new people.

            I felt my anger drain away as Phil became all flustered and his face turned red.

            "I…no… It's not that. I- I didn't mean…"

            I felt horrible. I’d read his intentions completely wrong.

            "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I just…" He stepped away. "I'm really sorry."

            I didn't have time to respond as he ducked into class. Several people had heard me raising my voice and asked me what was up. I was too shaken with guilt to even reply properly. It had probably taken Phil forever to build up the courage to approach me, and I had lashed out at him.

            The rest of my day went to hell from that point. Phil couldn't look at me during class, and every time the teacher asked if he was okay, he sounded like he was about to cry. He ran out of the class as soon as the bell rang, so I didn’t have a chance to apologize.

 

***Lenne***

 

            I was psyched. Mr. Sergeant had just announced that there would be a retreat day for our class, coming up in two days. The religion course includes a class trip to somewhere that’s supposed to help us reflect on ourselves.  We would be going to the place where the Knights of Columbus hold their weekly meetings. The Knights of Columbus is like a Catholic social club that holds events for many causes. What I was most excited about was that I’d be going with Maya, Zac and Kayden. They had taken religion during the fall and winter term, and their retreat day was postponed until spring. Three classes would be going on the retreat, and I couldn't wait.

            I saw Phil near our lockers, looking like he was deep in thought. I snuck up on the boy. "Hey, Phil!" I said loudly. That made him jump, and I laughed as his breathing slowly returned to normal.

            "What's on your mind? You look out of it."

            "I'm worried about the retreat this week."

            "You don't have an object?" I asked him. The “object” was supposed to be something that was very important to us. An important memory, or anything significant.

            "I do, but…"

            "Then what's the problem?"

            He looked at me for a second and then looked away. "You're strong, Lenne. When I see you, you're always bursting with energy."

            I felt my cheeks grow warm. I was starting to like Phil on a level that was more than just friendship. I, of course, was very embarrassed by that, and showed it by being more buddy-buddy with him.

            "It's like you don't care what people will say about you. It's like you are your own person whether people will like it or not. It’s as if you have nothing to hide."

            I felt my heart go out to the boy. There was obviously something tormenting him.

            "Sometimes, people have to do things to protect themselves," I told him. "Sometimes, it's good to hide. There's nothing wrong with hiding. For the longest time, when I was a kid…" I paused as he looked up at me. "Because of certain circumstances, I wasn’t able to open up towards people in my elementary school. But now, I'm free to do what I want. I have family that cares about me and friends who care for me. As long as I have that, nothing can hurt me. You have to find your zone of comfort before you can really shine. I found mine. There are others who are still looking."

            I noticed Phil's eyes soften into complete sadness. I quickly gave him a friendly hug. It wasn't because I was attracted to him; it was because I could tell he needed contact with someone. I didn't know much about Phil, but if he was hurting, I wanted him to know I was there to help.

            "Thanks, Lenne. Everything you said makes sense. I've always been in my comfort zone, but I just never realized it. Thank you."

            He returned my hug and I released him. As he walked away, I couldn't help but feel like his sadness had affected me.

 

***Kayden***

 

            The day of the auction was also the day of our religion retreat. Zac's slave duties were to be postponed until the following day, so he could attend the retreat. I had to suffer all through the bike ride to school, because Zac was complaining about going. If the retreat had been on a different day, I’m certain he would have feigned sickness. I think Maya had something to do with choosing the auction day.

            Was I angry? Of course not. Zac was one of the three guys in our grade chosen for the auction. That obviously meant he was one of the most popular and most attractive guys in our grade. I didn't care about that. I cared about everything else about him. The dimples that border his smile, the stubbornness in his personality, the way he looks at me. There are too many things to list that explain why I’m so much in love with him. I think the explanation I gave Brad is the main reason. Even if I had nothing to offer Zac, nothing he could use, he would still be by my side.

            What makes me feel so proud of Zac is that although the school sees him as some golden boy, I see him as much more. He was made for greatness, and I’m thrilled that people recognize that, even if for the wrong reasons. And I’m dating him!

            When we got to school, Zac joined the lineup on the stage at the front of the cafeteria. Maya announced that only the grade ten auction would be held that day, and the auctions for the older grades would be held later in the week. Even though only our grade’s auction was on that day, I noticed that a number of the older students were sitting in to watch.

            Brad was the first one up.

            "Here we have Brad Canning," Maya announced as Brad stepped forward. "Brad just came to us this semester. Not only is this good looking adonis…" Maya stared at the paper in front of her and blushed. After a moment, she began again. "Not only is Brad on the track team, he's also a part time model for several sporting goods franchises. He works out daily and likes long walks on the beach…" By then, Maya was seething with anger. The entire audience found the introduction hilarious. She turned to the other grade representative and shoved the paper to him, along with the mike. From the looks of it, Maya was refusing to say any more about Brad.

            "Uh, Brad is also single," Joe began, as Maya appeared to be giving an earful to the other members of the student council. "He's a great dancer, and… can do one hundred pushups?" Joe turned to the people Maya was shouting at and gave them an odd look. That wasn't lost on the crowd; they were howling with laughter. Brad looked smug and satisfied. It was obvious that he had written the script.

            The speakers blasted as a song came on. Brad went with the song and did what I thought was a pretty impressive dance. The crowd went wild. I had thought the crowd wouldn’t accept a gay guy, but I was wrong.

            "Oh my God, I can't believe they are playing this song," Mai said with apparent disgust.

            "It's Justin Timberlake, isn't it?" Lenne asked. "I like this song. 'Like I Love You', right?"

            Mai just shook her head. "I just don't like him."

            "Well, he is a good dancer," I admitted.

            "Are you kidding me?" Shin piped in. "He's tearing up the floor. Look at him go!"

            Scott looked the least impressed, but I could tell he was as shocked as the rest of us by Brad's impressive dance moves.

            Brad finished with a small spin and shot his fingers at the crowd, like a gun. The girls in the crowd were screaming his name. If there were gay guys in the crowd, they didn't do any screaming.

            Maya was still flipping out, so Joe kept the microphone. "We’ll begin the bidding at five dollars. Don't forget, girls, there's no rule against pooling funds. Divide your slave’s time two ways, three ways, or whatever. You can even share your date on the night of the dance."

            I hadn’t been aware of that, but it didn't really matter to me.

            Brad's price rose quickly, but started to slow down after it reached $50. That was shared between two girls. Just as their bid was about to be accepted as final, Brad decided to coax the crowd by showing them his abs. The guy was so full of himself, but he had the body to go with it. The girls went nuts. I even noticed Mai’s and Lenne's eyes widen in interest.

            At the end, Brad was split among three girls, for a price of $85.

            "The next item," Joe announced, grinning, "is Zac Hunter!"

            I swear I was nearly blown away at the sudden cheering. I turned to the gang and they saw them looking surprised. Brad looked like he was about to shit a brick.

            Maya nearly knocked Joe down as she grabbed the mike. After returning to her normal, calm self, she took a deep breath and continued from where Joe had left off. "As my partner said, the next candidate is Zac Hunter. Zac is a swimmer…" At that moment, she paused and smiled and winked, then continued. "Ladies, you know what that means." I laughed, but Zac turned so quickly to glare at her that I thought his neck would snap. "You can usually find this guy hanging out at Tim Hortons." That caused plenty of laughter. I didn't know it, but Lenne told me that Zac's job is common knowledge. Everyone goes to Tim Hortons and at one point or another, so almost every student must have noticed him there.

            "Zac has an A average so far this year, and although he isn't the best dancer," she turned to Zac and then turned towards me with a smile like I'd usually see from Scott, "from what I hear, he's an amazing kisser."

            I lost it. I felt my face melt off and felt the ribbing and prodding that Shin, Scott and Lenne were giving me. No one else noticed, because they were all too busy shouting out for my boyfriend.

            I could see why Zac was obviously mad at Maya. It was like she was trying to sell him as a product. I wasn’t mad; in fact, I was proud. Everything Maya was saying was true, and if I could have, I'd have seconded her every comment.

            Maya struck while the iron was hot. "We'll start at twenty dollars."

            "I'm going to win this bet," Shin called out to us.

            Shin explained the bet he had made with Brad, and I was glad Zac had a friend like Shin to watch out for him. The way Shin described it, Brad was leading Zac into a danger zone. I knew Zac would bring in more money than Brad, because of the way the two handled themselves. While Brad tried to make everyone see how great he was, Zac was unpretentious. Fame meant nothing to Zac, and that's what attracted everyone to him. He was a golden boy…my golden boy. I was suddenly jealous of the girls who would buy him.

            When the price reached $85, I noticed Brad’s pissed-off look. I also noticed someone beside him. What worried me most was that Brad was talking to that person.

            Just when the amount was drawing towards $95, a spine-chilling voice spoke up. "One hundred dollars!"

            Alicia was stepping up to the plate, again, and this time Brad was tossing her the pitch.      

            "The bid is at one hundred dollars…" Joe said, taking the mike from Maya, who seemed too shocked to repeat Alicia's bid.

            "Hey, Kayden," Scott said warningly.

            "I know," I replied immediately, and then turned sharply to Lenne. "Put up one hundred and ten, please."

            "What?" Lenne looked horrified.

            "Please, Lenne. I'm begging you."

            "Lenne, go for it, girl," Mai said, grabbing Lenne’s hand. "Kayden, you’d better know what you're doing, boy. You're up against Brad. I guarantee he's pushing the money for Alicia."

            I didn't reply to that, but kept my eyes on Zac. He was watching Brad with a look of confusion and irritation.

            "One hundred and ten dollars," Lenne said meekly.

            "Speak up! Ugh! One hundred ten…right over here!" Mai shouted out, pointing at Lenne.

            Maya seemed to find her voice again and stole the mike from Joe. "We have one hundred ten dollars from that blond lady over there." She was glowing with delight.

            "One hundred and twenty!" Alicia said without hesitation.

            I turned towards Brad and Alicia but only Brad returned my gaze. He smiled at me and winked. He then whispered something into Alicia's ear.

            I nudged Mai and she nudged Lenne.

            "One hundred twenty-five!" she called out with a stronger voice.

            "One hundred and thirty-five!" Alicia shouted back.

            "One hundred forty!" Lenne added hesitantly.

            "One hundred and fifty!" Alicia boomed.

            I turned sharply to Lenne and nodded.

            Lenne let out a sigh. "One hundred fifty-five!"

            "Sorry, girls, the limit is one hundred fifty dollars," Joe said, after taking the mike back from Maya. "Since we failed to announce that up front, to be fair, this slave will be split between you two."

            There were cheers and murmurs all around. Brad and Alicia seemed to be on their own, with no one paying them any mind. Lenne, on the other hand, had people talking to her from every direction.

            "You and Zac, eh Lenne?" a guy called out.

            "I knew you two were a little too close. Way to go, girl," a girl called out.

            "Watch out for that bitch Alicia," this one black girl said to her. "Remember what she did to you and Mai."

            I didn't know what the girl was talking about, so I turned to Mai, who just waved her hand at me as if telling me to forget about it.

            All the voices around us became simple noise. All I cared about was the boy standing on the stage watching me with desperation showing in his eyes.

            Don't worry, Zac. I won't let anything happen to you…

            It seemed as if he could hear my thoughts, because he suddenly smiled at me.

            "Do you have seventy-five on you?" Shin asked me.

            "I have some money saved up." That was an understatement. I was really starting to wonder what Rich had intended for me to do with my weekly allowances.

            "Well, let me pay the cost, then." Shin grinned.

            "I can't let you do that, man."

            "I did win five hundred from Brad," Shin said confidently, his chin up. "I made more than four hundred dollars profit by betting on your prized boy. I say you deserve a cut."

            "God, Shin," Scott said, shaking his head. "You're making it sound like Zac's a race horse."

            Shin turned to me and I knew what was coming. He busted out laughing. "Just don't expect him to be hung like one."

            I turned to Mai and cut my eyes towards her boyfriend. She smiled and patted Shin on the head, trying to him calm down.

            "We still have Jett Emerso-…" Before Joe could finish, the entire cafeteria exploded with the loudest screams yet.

            "Jett plays ho-…" Joe tried to shout over the screaming voices. "All right, girls, settle down or I won't sell you this boy." He was then showered with boos, and I saw someone throw a notebook at the stage.

            "Anyways," Maya said, taking over, "Jett is no stranger to the ladies. Although he's an animal on the ice, this boy is ever so gentle with his dates. I have a list of guys who should take a course or two in Jett mannerism studies." She looked directly at Scott, and I smacked his back for good measure.

            Jett did something I’d never seen him do in public; he flexed his biceps. That caused more excitement among the girls in the cafeteria than Brad's abs show. Hell, even I was affected by it.

            "What do you expect?" Scott said with distaste. "Fucking jock with no steady girl, plays hockey like a beast, and is as smooth as James Bond with his ladies." He turned to us and added, "I'm starting to think our hockey buddy is getting more popular than Zac."

            He was right. The numbers for Jett rose immediately. There was no hesitation as six girls battled on for the hockey jock. They soon reached the $150 limit, and it was split among six girls. Poor Jett.

            I met up with Zac after the auction. He looked like he wanted to puke. Actually, any thought of Alicia or Brad made me want to puke. With both of them side by side, I really almost did hurl.

            "I guess I shouldn't worry too much," Zac said, looking up. "Lenne will be there to keep Alicia off me."

            "Yeah, but dude," I said seriously, "you're basically dating your cousin. You realize that, right?"

            That earned me a good knuckling to the ribs.

 

***Zac***

 

            I tried my best to forget the events of the morning as we boarded the bus for our trip. I sat with Kayden, but we were surrounded by people asking me all sorts of questions about Lenne and Alicia. When the question came up of which one I liked better, I wanted to gag.

            First off, Alicia is a walking Barbie doll, and Lenne…well, like Kayden said, she’s my cousin.

            I sat with Maya and Kayden near the middle of the seating area when we got to the hall. In total, there were maybe sixty of us. The two adults were Mr. Sergeant and a female religion teacher.     We began the retreat with prayer and a short film. Everyone always talks crap about the retreats, saying they’re a waste of time and sort of fruity. I actually like them. During retreats, I've come to understand certain aspects of my life. Kayden never went to his at his old high school, so it was something new for him. I had told him to be open towards it if he hoped to get something out of it. I knew he would try.

            After a short break, the main event began. Each student had to go to the front of the room and talk about an object that was important to them, and explain its significance. A lot of people had objects given to them by family that meant a lot to them. Others ranged from achievements to happy memories. There were some sad ones – a deceased grandmother, a lost parent. When it came to Maya's turn, she produced dog tags that had something inscribed on them. They were a gift from her brother. He is a member of the Canadian Military Forces, sometimes assigned to duties outside of Canada. Ever since the 9/11 attack, she has worried that maybe one day her dear brother would not come home. It was quite sad. Although her brother wasn't asked to serve his country, he wanted to, and Maya was very worried about him.

            She described the item as a way to communicate with her brother spiritually; that sometimes when he was overseas, she could feel that he was safe by just touching the metal. She described it as a vessel that would always contain a piece of her brother's spirit, and that if anything were to happen to him, he'd always watch over her. Maya cried quietly when she told us that, and no one dared laugh at what she said. Truth being, the dog tags meant a lot to her.

            My item is really the jewel Kayden asked me to keep, but I could hardly take that to show the group. Instead, I opted for something simple and not totally embarrassing. I took the sweater Grandma made for me. Although I'd never wear it again, I was proud of the emblem – the coat of arms – that she had sewn onto it. It shows a history of pride, and how many people have that?

            Kayden produced an ordinary flat rock. He explained that three important people in his life had shown him how to make a stone skip over a body of water. He was shown three different ways, but he couldn't do it. That got a laugh out of the crowd. He explained that those three people had taught him acceptance, kindness, and charity. He said that although he couldn't master skipping stones, he had made it a goal to master the other three.

            Kayden had finally shared with me a part of him that explained where his moral code came from. It was something that had never come up, but even still, I was glad to hear it. It probably meant more to me than to anyone else in the room. 

            Even Brad went up. He simply showed us a bill and told us that power is in money, and that money is power, and then he sat down. Very typical of a guy who thinks he can buy everything. Scott's statement about Brad had never seemed more true.

            When Lenne's turn came up, she held a rose, her mother's favorite flower. She didn't actually say that her mom was gone; she just shared some memories of her mom that will always be precious to her. My friends and I felt really touched, since we knew what it meant to her.

            Phil’s presentation followed Lenne’s. He looked like he had seen a ghost, and I felt myself feeling sad for him. It wasn't because I had verbally attacked him a few days earlier. I still felt bad about that, but something about him always seemed so sad, and at that moment, he appeared to be even sadder than usual.

            He doesn’t hang out with anyone, really. I see him in the library all the time, just reading books. I saw some of the books he was looking at one time. Pretty hardcore stuff, about aviation and aeronautics flight.

            Unfortunately, all of Phil’s feelings were lost on Major Asshole.

            "Philip Morrison, please hurry up. We have other students who need to go, today. You know the drill, just show the object and tell us why it's important to you. Hopefully, it's something worthwhile," the cruel teacher taunted.

            It seemed as if the last statement had pressed a button on Phil. He stopped looking so frightened and turned squarely to Mr. Sergeant. "Hopefully, sir," he replied. "The item I brought is this."

            Phil revealed a small object wrapped in some kind of fabric. When he began to unravel it, the entire room gasped. It was a small jewel that looked like an emerald, except that it was a perfect sphere. It had a slight tint that made it seem to glow.

            "This is a gift from someone really special. I was told that it's supposed to be a dream stone. That if you look really hard into it, you can see your future. I think it's broken, though." He smiled that sad smile as he looked into the stone. "I’ve tried many times, but I don't see anything…" His voice lowered as he continued. "All I see is green. The same colour as those eyes."

            His tone of voice had the entire class sitting upright and listening. There was just something about Phil, and about the object he held. It was like they were both glowing rhythmically. I wasn't the only one who noticed; some people had the same expression I must have had, while others probably wondered why something so beautiful was so precious.

            "There's this great person I know who doesn't go to our school. A really precious friend. This person motivated me to try to achieve the greatest dream I can ever hope to achieve; the reason why I want to study flight and space. This person seemed to enjoy it, and I also found joy in it. Whenever I look into this… broken glass…" Phil's voice broke. He took a deep breath and continued. "I don't see planes or stars, or anything about my future. I see Zeke's eyes, though. Zeke is the love of my life. I know what many of you might be thinking right now, and it's true, I am gay."

            A deafening silence was the response of the entire room. A quick glance around the room told me that people were too shocked to even make a noise. I turned to Kayden and he had the same look of concern that I must have had. In fact, so did Maya. Lenne was silently covering her mouth with her hands and looking worried.

            "I hope you can see why this is important to me. The person I love most gave it to me." Phil smiled a different smile.

            I felt a connection with Phil. My thoughts called out for the jewel Kayden had asked me to keep for him. Suddenly, I could feel the love Phil had for this Zeke. I felt horrible. Phil had probably tried to come out to me, and I had shaken him off.

            "You might all think I'm disgusting or sick, but I know I'm not. There isn't anything wrong with me," Phil said. His eyes were fiery. The sad look was replaced by strength and determination. He was quickly scanning the room, but I think everyone was too much in shock to say anything. Mr. Sergeant apparently overcame that.

            "That's enough, Philip. Take your seat," Mr. Sergeant said, raising his voice. At that moment, it seemed like Mr. Sergeant had opened the tap. Voices broke out from all over. People were obviously talking about the latest gay revelation. I noticed an almost human look coming from Brad.

            "I'm not done!" Philip shouted over the voices. The sudden booming of his voice silenced everyone. Mr. Sergeant stood gaping at Phil.

            "Young man, you will take a seat right now! I will talk to you about this, later. I doubt you want your parents to know about all this, so I suggest you sit down."

            "My parents know. All of my family knows. The ones important to me, the ones who count…they know. And so does our principal, Mr. Liscombe. I asked him if I could do this. He said it was all right. He said that God does not judge people on their sexuality. Now, if you insist on interrupting me, I'll be glad to tell him your views!"

            I had never seen anyone tell off the Sergeant like that. No one but me, but that was only in my dreams. He stood wide-eyed. Phil had single-handedly made the teacher from hell shut up. The other teacher looked lost as to what to do. She just fidgeted with her fingers.  

            "You might all hate me, now, and think low of me. I don't care. I’ve never hidden who I am, and I'm not afraid to tell you what I am. I know for a fact that I'm not the only one here in this room."

            I felt Phil's eyes turn to me. "There are some of you who are scared for people to know. That's okay; I don't look down on you. I'm doing this for myself. I'm usually quiet and keep to myself, but this is something I want to do. Recently, I've made a friend who has taught me that you should find your zone of comfort before you can truly show people who you really are. I always had mine. I just never realized it."

            I turned to Kayden and knew that he was waiting for Phil’s next words. A few guys were chuckling at what Philip had revealed about himself. I looked again at Kayden and noticed that his eyes were shifting colour. I quietly slipped my hand to his. After I grasped it, he turned to me wide-eyed. His beautiful gems turned quickly back to their normal shade. I smiled at him, and he nodded his head.

            "Zeke is the most influential person in my life. He helped me see who I am. Even now, I'm in love with him." Phil smiled, the usual sadness reinforced by tears. "Zeke died two years ago. Today is the anniversary of his death."

            Total silence returned quickly. No one dared to say anything and no one moved. You couldn't even hear anyone breathe. Philip didn't attempt to wipe his tears. After a few moments, he wrapped up the jewel and took his seat. I turned my head and saw not one person laughing or chuckling. The guys who had been laughing at him were looking at the floor. At the moment, Philip Morrison was the bravest young man I knew.

 

***

            The next day, the story of Phil spread like wildfire all around school. Everyone seemed to think he was a hero. I knew he was, and I knew he had wanted to come out to me that other day. Joe, the one who had seen Kayden and me holding hands, confirmed that Phil was the guy who had been with him when he saw Kayden comforting me.

 

            I was too troubled to even remember my slave duty to Alicia and Lenne. Scott reminded me at the morning table, but Phil seemed to be the center of discussion.

            I felt horrible. Both Brad and Phil had come out to the school, neither of them worrying about the consequences, and there I sat with supportive friends and a loving boyfriend. Why haven't I come out?

            I knew that Kayden didn't care whether he was out or not. I hated to think that I care too much about my image to let people know who I really am.

            If Brad had seen that as my justification, it's no wonder that he hated me. Phil talked about finding a comfort zone for yourself before you let people know who you are. I was pretty sure I was in mine, but something was holding me back.

            I'm weak. Sure, there will be problems if I come out, but I know my friends will be there, and I know Dad will always support any decisions I make. I love Kayden, but am I maybe, deep down, ashamed of who I am?

            I put my head down on the table and closed my eyes, hoping my thoughts would fade away. They did, but only when I heard Kayden's soothing voice.

"It's all right, Zac," my boyfriend said softly. "I know you're not ready. No one is forcing you. As long as I have you, I couldn't care less who knows."

            I sat up and looked around the table. My friends’ smiles were genuine and heartfelt. Kayden was right. Maybe I wasn't ready, but slowly, I was feeling a stronger urge to come out to the school.

 

***       

            My first slave period, in class with Lenne, was fun. Mr. Sergeant told the class why I was there and made me sit beside Lenne. While many people teased us, Lenne and I just acted as we would have acted anywhere. I looked over at Phil and tried my best to get his attention by staring at him. When he finally looked in my direction, I gave him a gentle smile. I could see the surprise on his face, but that quickly transformed into a smile I'd never seen on him. It wasn't his usual sad smile; it was a real smile, with no shadows.

            We held each other’s gaze for a few seconds, and I noticed he got a bit red before he turned away. I made it my goal to talk to him before long. I couldn't come out to the school like he did, but I could at least apologize for my behavior and let him know he could rely on me if he ever needed my help.

            A sudden thought occurred to me and I turned to Lenne. "I guess you and Phil won't be dating anytime soon."

            Lenne smiled at me and shook her head. "I'm still shocked about him, but…" She paused and then looked really upset. "Why are all the good ones gay?"

            I tried to control my laugher, struggling to keep quiet, but Lenne's lack of effort to hold her laughter made me lose control.

            "Mr. Hunter, please move to the back," Sergeant Asshole spat. "The fact that you're not in my class doesn't mean that I can't give you detention."

            I didn’t know why Mr. Sergeant had made me sit beside Lenne if he was going to split us up by the middle of the class period, but I moved.

 

            I literally felt like gagging myself when I walked up to the next classroom assigned to me that day. It was a room I'd never been in, and it was near the chef's entrance to the cafeteria. That made me worry about what class Alicia was in. It turned out to be a home economics class.

            I walked in and was greeted by a number of girls I happen to know by name. They all idly chatted with me and probed me with all sorts of questions.

            "How much did Alicia pay for you?"
            "Who do you like better, Lenne or Alicia?"
            "Did Lenne jump into the auction when she noticed Alicia wanted you?"
            "How can you stand Alicia? She's the most…"

            "Be careful with Alicia, Zac. Didn't you hear what she did to Lenne?"

            I tried my best to keep up, but it was all too overwhelming. I was trying to keep my distance from all of them, but my private space kept getting smaller and smaller. It wasn't until Alicia walked in that the rest of the girls dispersed. They looked up at Alicia, turned to me, nodded or said goodbye, and walked away.

            As I watched the last girl walk away, I wondered if that was how they always treated Alicia.

            "Zac!" Alicia batted her probably fake eyelashes. "So glad you made it. Do you know what class this is?"

            I tried to smile, despite of how I truly felt. The result must have made me look constipated. "Home ec?"

            "That's right!" She acted like she was talking to a five-year-old boy. "And we're, like, making food today. It's going to be a Japanese dish. Have you ever had teriyaki chicken?"

            "Yeah, I have."

            She looked slightly disappointed, but then she smiled. "Well then, be prepared, because I'm going to, like, make the best teriyaki chicken you have ever tasted!"

            I doubt it. Shin's dad could have been a gourmet chef. I doubt you can make better Japanese food than a Japanese man…

            I just smiled and nodded.

 

***Brad***

 

            What could I have accomplished by making Alicia win Zac? I’m down almost six hundred dollars. I can't believe that stupid broad already has a history with Zac. Now that I know what that bitch did, I know that any plans for her would fail. She already has a plan. What the hell did she really think she could do in a home ec class?

            I smiled to myself. She definitely didn't know Zac is gay. I almost hated her as much as I hated Zac. Might as well let her swim blindly, trying to woo a gay man.

            I felt slightly comforted, knowing that both of them were going to have a bad day.

            The room echoed with another of Shin's laughs, and everyone turned towards him. With Zac gone, Shin was left to work with another group of two in our drama class. I like Shin. He’s a gambler as much as I am. If he wasn't Zac's friend, maybe he could be my friend. I could use someone like that.

            An image of Phil's face flashed through my thoughts. The events of the last class still had me feeling pretty shitty. There was something about Phil that pulled me towards him, but I couldn't really figure it out. And his response to my approach… Let's just say no one has ever treated me like he did, and he did it in such a way that I can't say I hate him. Phil is an interesting guy. I wanted to know more about him, where he got his strength, and how he could believe so strongly in love. I don't get love at all, in fact I find it over-rated, but I guess that's just me. Phil seems too sheltered to understand the real world. That's probably why I felt gravitated towards him.

 

***Last Class

 

            "Hey, Phil!" I called out as I entered the religion classroom.

            Phil looked up as I walked up to him. I was lucky, because Zac was walking with Lenne to class, so that meant Phil didn’t have Lenne in tow. Phil always came to class about ten minutes early when he didn't have Lenne with him.

            "Hi, Brad. Something I can help you with?"

            "Not really," I answered, taking a seat next to him. "Just wanted to talk."

            "About what?"

            I looked at him for a moment and shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I really don't know. But after what happened at the retreat, I thought I'd get to know you better. You just seem fascinating."

            "Is that some sort of pickup line?" he asked with a serious tone.

            Me and Phil? He’s cute, but there was no way I could see myself doing anything with him.

            "Not at all. I just thought that…"

            "That you and I can be friends?"

            "Yeah. Right on!"
            "Just like how Joe wanted to be your friend, right?" he asked sharply.

            That was a kick in the balls. I remained silent for a few seconds, wondering how he knew about that.

            "Joe told me what you said to him.  What kind of sick, twisted game are you playing, Brad? I can't even believe what you said to him. Joe is straight, and he only wanted to be your friend, but you challenged his sexuality."

            "Well, I…"

            "You're lucky he didn't tell anyone but me. You might not know this, but Joe is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. He noticed how shitty people were treating you because you’re gay, and he thought maybe you could use a friend. It's no wonder you have no friends, Brad. You’re an asshole. And now you come to me offering your friendship, the same way Joe offered you his? Is it because I'm gay?"

            I remained silent. I really didn't know why I wanted to be Phil's friend, but everything he said was right.

            "Geez, I thought you were the quiet type," I said, trying to smile. "Didn't know such a small guy could pack so much venom."

            Phil just shook his head. "I'm sorry, Brad. You're good looking and rich, but you're too damn arrogant and full of yourself for me to even start to like you. Maybe you should work on your attitude towards people before you think about having friends. I'm sorry to say it, but for now, I don't think you deserve any."

 

***

            That was it. More people walked in, and Phil ignored me. I've never been bitch slapped, but I'm sure it was something similar to that.

            I turned to the three people I was working with, who were arguing, and decided I would do everything possible to make Phil like me. In a way, I knew I couldn't force him or trick him. Instead, I'd do everything in my power for him to like me genuinely. As a friend.

 

END OF CHAPTER 7

 

© November 2005 by Ryan Keith      Ryan_Kayden@Rogers.com

 

 

Thanks to my editor Aaron and thanks to that gang of his at The Mail Crew for hosting my stories. They do great work, so be sure to check out their site.

 

So yeah, if you guys haven't joined the One Life and More Yahoo group, you should probably check it out!

 

**********
Okay, I'm pissed what does Brad up his sleeve now? Did you guys see that coming? What a combination. Brad and Alicia. I guess they're not compatible though. I guess that's a good thing right? Even still, some of you might be pissed to know that Alicia is back. I got plans for that girl, don't you worry, hehe.

 

And so, please allocate the pity points.

Jett- Don't know. I felt sorry for him while I wrote this chap.

Phil- The boy lost his true love man!

Brad- For whatever reason.

Zac- The boy was just sold to Alicia and his cousin!

 

So what's up with my life?

Too much stuff! Wow, this year is better than the last!

But before I get off, let me rant for a bit.

I'm a partier, I party harder than others, I agree. But what the f**k is wrong with society? All I want to do is go to a night club with friends and dance the night away before I return to my reserved spot in the library the next day. I want to be able to go to my campus night club and not leave because of a riot.

Yet despite the numerous security guards, despite being screened and searched, despite the security over looking the dance floor, my night ended with the DJ cutting the music and the manager yelling at the top of her lungs for us to get out of her "f***ing bar". So what happened on my Friday night? Not only was it packed with gangster looking people, it was packed so much that I could hardly dance with my friends. I like to dance around and stuff, but some of the girls there were pretty nasty to be around too? Whatever happened to modesty being hot? I was afraid of touching this one girl because I thought she'd be sticky.

Anyways, to make the story short, a fight broke out and ended up injuring one of the security guards fairly bad. People were arrested, and since they resisted arrest, they were thrown in jail. Good for them.
Even still, I had a great night, and I got to chill with my buds afterwards until the early hours.

So life is going, but I wish things would just calm down a bit. I wanna take a break and breathe in the changes in my life, but it seems like everything is rushing by, and I can't take my time to enjoy stuff. Oh well, that's what life is:P

Anyways,  end of rant, and end of this chapter. If you like it, tell me about it. Oh and I apologize once again to those who sent me e-mail and still haven’t replied yet. I guess I can try to buy my way out by saying I take time to answer each e-mail, lol.

 

Cheerz!

 

Ry^!            12 November, 2005