Dylan & Wes

Dylan-

“I haven’t seen Tessa around lately,” my cousin Hayden observes over breakfast.

“I broke up with her.” I pop a strip of bacon in my mouth.

“You don’t seem too upset. What happened? Did either of you…hurt the other?”

I shrug, “It wasn’t like that. She just wasn’t who I thought she was. I did hurt my best friend once.”

Four years ago, when I was only fourteen, my parents died. They were in their bank when two gunmen entered. Six people were shot. Two of them were my parents.

Hayden is ten years older than me. At the age of twenty-four, he was “tapped” to move to my town, into my house and to become my legal guardian. He’s been great. Well, he doesn’t cook and he makes me do my own laundry and too many chores but I can’t complain. He gave up his job and apartment in the city to come to this small town and keep me from going into the foster care system. I can’t imagine how my life would have turned out if he hadn’t stepped up for me. I’m eighteen now And I still need him as much as ever. I know huge life changes are only a few months away but I still haven’t decided on a college. High school just ended and I can’t think beyond the epic summer ahead of me.

“Wes? How?” he asks.

“It was right before you came here. Right before middle school graduation. Wes confided something in me. Something that he had never told anyone else in the world and while I didn’t technically do anything wrong, I should have done better. He just surprised me and…I needed…I don’t know, a day or two to kind of digest this new information. Which I did. Except that time that I took was selfish. What he told me wasn’t about me but my first thought was about how I would be affected. Like I said, I was selfish.”

“I can only guess at what you’re not saying here…”

“It’s fine. He told his parents a couple months ago and he ‘came out’ at school a few weeks before graduation. It’s public knowledge now.”

“But he trusted only you for four years. That says a lot about you and your friendship.”

“Yeah, but the look on his face when he saw my first reaction… I can never unsee that. I hurt my best friend. And Wes really is the best.”

“You should cut yourself some slack, Dylan. You were what? Fourteen? Your ‘selfish moment’ was only human nature, especially for a kid. And let’s be honest. Just because you’re living in Schitt’s Creek doesn’t mean you’ve seen the show.”

I snort, “Wow. This is your hometown now too.”

He sighs, “Dylan, this is a red city in a red state. Ninety percent white, eighty percent conservative and zero percent personal liberties.”

“Again. Wow!”

“How many LGBTQIA+ people do you know in real life?”

I might know of a few, but Wes is the only one officially out so I hold up my index finger.

“Exactly. Just your brave best friend who you have loved and supported from the beginning. I doubt he thinks at all about that initial reaction. Everything you’ve done for four years since is all that really matters.”

I shrug, “I’ll never not support Wes. He’s Wes. And it was right after he ‘came out’ that Mom and Dad were killed. Any lingering awkwardness between us completely disappeared. He was totally there for me. Wes, Destiny, Mateo and you are how I survived losing my parents.”

“Do you want to talk about Tessa? You two dated for six months, right? Six months at your age must have felt like dog years. Are you okay?”

I don’t know. Am I? “When Wes ‘came out’ publicly, the kids at school were cool with it. Mostly. All but Tessa. For weeks before that she had been trying to get me to… She wanted our relationship to progress. Physically. Sexually. I wasn’t sure why but I knew that I wasn’t ready, so I said, ‘No’. Was it about me? Did I not want to become a high school cliché? Was I too young?”

He shrugs, “Believe it or not, this old guy was once an eighteen-year-old bundle of emotions and hormones too. I can relate. It takes a strong, mature man to recognize when the time is not right.”

“That’s what it was…it didn’t feel right. Was it about her? I liked her but did I like her enough? She didn’t give me tingles and I wasn’t sure she ever would.”

“Tingles?” he teases. “You watch too many movies.”

I shrug again, “So, I told her I wasn’t ready yet. Then Wes ‘came out’ and she got all homophobic. She demanded that I could never sleepover with Wes again. Not if I wanted her to keep being my girlfriend. I thought she was making a joke. A bad joke that kept landing wrong. When she persisted, I asked her what the hell she was talking about. She said that now that Wes is ‘out’, the optics are bad. Again, I asked her, WTF? She said that no boyfriend of hers was going to have a sleepover with an openly gay guy.”

“I told you…Schitt’s Creek.”

I snort, “I’ve had weekly sleepovers with my best friend for over half of my life. I told her that while I had been interested to see where our relationship might go, I’d pick my friendship with Wes over her every time. Then she tried to blackmail me into having sex with her. She said if I didn’t…do it…she’d tell the whole school that I couldn’t get it up for a girl and that Wes was more than my best friend. Her mistake was thinking that she had influence over anyone whose opinion mattered to me. And no one gave a shit anyway. I’m proud to stand with Wes regardless of either of our sexualities. It’s irrelevant. I love Wes. He’s more than my best friend; he’s been like my brother since the third grade.”

I rub my face in my hands, “It sucks when a person you thought you knew disappoints you. Technically I broke up with her when I told her to get the fuck away from me, but she initiated the break up by becoming someone I didn’t care to know.”

“I’m so sorry, Dylan. Do you miss who you thought she was before she revealed her true colors?”

“Maybe?” I more ask than say. “I mean I kind of miss the idea of her. But like I said before, she never… I never felt the flutter when I was with her. I’m better off knowing who she really is and moving on.”

“Has anyone ever made you feel the flutter? I mean, tingles?”

I hide behind my last sip of orange juice as long as I can. I put my glass down and say, “I’m still a kid. How the hell would I know a flutter from a cool breeze?”

He raises his hands in mock surrender. The dopey grin on his face suggests he suspects something.

Wes-

I meet my friends at the movie theatre in the mall. Dylan and I have been best friends for ten years, but by middle school, Mateo and Destiny had wormed their way into our lives. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Our crew of four is awesome. Dylan, Mateo and I were all on the football team and Destiny is just Destiny. She totally belongs. I’m in the mood for a mindless comedy, but the only thing that looks remotely decent is a horror film. It’ll have to do.

I end up sitting with Mateo on my left and Dylan and Destiny on my right. All through the movie Mateo and I battle over the shared armrest. Our sneakers, knees, elbows and shoulders keep bumping each other’s and at some point I begin to respond to all of the contact and jostling. Mateo is my friend. We’re just goofing around like boys do. He doesn’t realize the effect this little game is starting to have on me. Ultimately I surrender the armrest and back off.

I kind of expected the movie to be cheesy, but it’s actually scarier than I thought. Not long into it, Destiny grips Dylan’s hand and never lets go. Several times she buries her face in his shirtsleeve. When the movie ends and the houselights come on, she releases him from her clutches, smooths out his wrinkled sleeve and apologizes. My best friend is pretty clueless.

~~

The nameless, faceless boy is back. I can never make out his features, but still… I get the feeling that I know him. Today he is my model. I am painting him. How do I paint a face I can’t see? I’ll start with the rest of him and worry about his face later. He sits on the edge of the provided bed and tells me that he’s ready. I remind him that he is supposed to be posing in the nude and ask why he is still dressed. He shrugs and tells me that his arms don’t work. I’ll have to take his clothes off for him.

He's always making things difficult for me. I want to yell at him because I don’t have time for his games. I’m on a schedule. But whenever I start to scold him, I end up embarrassing myself by saying words my brain hasn’t approved. During our last encounter I had accidently told him that I wanted him to do naughty things to me. Who even talks like that? It’s like he has some kind of spell on me.

I sigh, exasperated, and move toward him. The worst part is that everything about this boy is ridiculously cute. The way his shirt is half tucked into his jeans, the way his high tops are too big and his feet slip halfway out with each step he takes, the way his unrecognizable grin is lopsided and it makes my knees weak…

As I approach, the air close to him feels electric. I tell him that he’ll have to lie down. He does. I reach for his right sneaker and he warns me to be careful because he is extremely ticklish. When he says this, my dick stiffens in my pants. I make him no promises. As expected, the shoe slips right off with little effort. I check inside and notice that he wears an 11, like me. But mine don’t slip off as easily. I’m about to remove his white crew sock when he laughs and tells me to stop it. I tell him that I’ve done nothing and he tells me that my eyes are tickling him mercilessly. He tells me that eyes are like a superpower.

I sigh. More of his games. He must be punished. I tell him that if he thinks my eyes are bad, wait until he feels my tongue. I pull the sock off of what is actually a size 10 foot and his bare foot is, of course, as cute as it is in his oversized high top. It is smooth and hairless. Not boney. Soft and vein-free. His nails are perfectly trimmed. It annoys me that his foot can be so cute and perfect. I go at him. My tongue starts at his heel and slides slowly up the length of his arch. He howls in uncontrolled laughter. I nibble each toe and his eyes, that I can never quite make out, shed tears of agony and joy. After the nibbling, I suck each toe and he’s about to lose his mind. The best part is, there’s a whole second foot still fresh and sensitive in its shoe just waiting for me. I reach for it and—

I wake up because my phone chimes indicating an incoming text. These dreams are getting more intense. Fuck. I grab my phone off the nightstand and see that Mateo has invited us all over to his house for taco night.

Dylan-

Wes gives us each fist bumps and Destiny passes around hugs.

“I am so gonna crush these tacos,” Wes tell Mateo.

We all laugh and take seats. Wes and Destiny live only a block apart and he never lets her walk alone. It’s sweet how he looks out for her.

Destiny always says that she doesn’t pick just any old gross, awkward, smelly, hairy, pimply teenage boys to be her friends. She only pick the sweetest, kindest ones.

I rub mt hand over my patchy, uneven stubble and say, “We’re not werewolves.”

Wes says, “But I wouldn’t be mad if we were.”

Destiny nudges my knee under the table with her foot and smiles to make sure I know she’s kidding. Of course I know. But I’m suddenly worries that my deodorant isn’t strong enough.

She says, “JK.”

I hold up a hand, “Not this again.”

“What?” asks Wes.

“She said ‘JK’.” My friends know it drives me crazy when they use alleged teenage slang in conversation. This is a recent development and they like to torture me with it.

They all laugh.

Wes says, “Dylan might be acting like a cranky old man, but he has a point this time. You don’t say ‘JK’, you text it.”

Mateo grins at Wes, “You’re his best friend, what else don’t Destiny and I know about him? We know he loves DC and hates Marvel.”

“That is so not true,” I protest.

Wes ignores me, “Even though he hates Marvel, he loves to complain about it. He insists on seeing every movie – dragging me along too – then picking them apart like he’s a critic being paid by the word. If Marvel ever made something he actually liked, he’d never admit it. It’s like a political affiliation to him. Gotta follow the party lines.”

Destiny is thrilled to hear me talked about like I’m not even in the room.

Mateo asks, “Can I guess on music? Ed Sheeran? Harry Styles?”

Destiny grins and nods, “Both of them.”

I have to defend myself here, “Excuse me. In the car I’m always driving and you three always control the music.” My voice has risen an octave. “I am not a Harry Styles fan!”

Destiny says, “Except he totally is. He hums and sings along,” she winks at me.

Wes is laughing too hard to eat. “Methinks he doth protest too much.”

“It is pretty sus that he would react so strongly,” Mateo points out.

That makes them laugh harder.

“Sus,” I palm my face. “I have no real friends here.”

Destiny squeezes my hand under the table. I’m kidding of course. I have the best friends in the world.

Mateo asks, “Who else then? Post Malone? Billie Eilish? Wait! Oh my god! Is he a Swiftie?”

Destiny has tears coming out of her eyes and my cheeks are burning a crimson red. The three of them are enjoying it way too much.

As Operation Humiliate Dylan winds down, we focus on the rad feast Mateo has prepared for us. After devouring everything, we’re stuffed.

Wes leans back and rubs his belly. I can’t help but notice Mateo is watching him.

Wes says, “Mateo, that was so extra.”

I warn, “Don’t start that shit again...”

Mateo picks up the cue, “Did I flex too much? Was I too thirsty? The last thing I wanted was to be basic.”

I can’t help but smile, “Fuckers.”

Destiny loves this, “I ate way too much, but YOLO, right?”

Wes says, “Mateo, TBH, I’m a little salty right now.”

“You throwing me some shade?”

I drop my head, “Just don’t.”

Destiny can’t stop laughing.

“It’s just that all we have is the mall and our favorite place is Chili’s, right? I always order fajitas. Your taco night has ruined Chili’s for me forever.”

Mateo puts a gentle hand on Wes’ shoulder, “I’ll tell you what, Wes. I’ll make it up to you by hosting taco night every month.”

“Make it twice a month and I’ll forgive you.”

Mateo grins, “Deal.” He turns to me, “I’m actually still a noob when it comes to cooking.”

I groan. And not from the taco boulder in my belly. “No one ever says these words! Some of them aren’t even real words. Kids don’t actually talk this way!” I yell. “And I am NOT a Swiftie!”

Destiny chortles, “Why’s Dylan so cranky? He ate way too much to be hangry.”

I sigh.

Wes says, “Seriously Mateo, thanks for this. While I’m living through hell tomorrow, I’ll be remembering tonight.”

“What’s happening tomorrow?” he asks.

I reach over and give Wes’ shoulder a squeeze as Destiny explains, “Wes has only been ‘out’ to everyone in his family for a few weeks. Tomorrow is the first big family gathering since he… It’ll be his first time seeing all his grandparents, his aunts and uncles, his cousins… Many of whom are not particularly openminded.”

“Homophobic assholes is what they are.” Wes says.

Destiny gets up and kisses Wes on the forehead. Then she picks up his wrist and checks his pulse like a nurse. She turns to me and says, “Doctor, he’s slipping into a taco coma!”

Wes snorts.

Destiny holds his hand, “We talked about this, sweetie. Anyone who doesn’t love you for you just doesn’t matter.”

I say, “Seriously, dude. It’s their loss, not yours.”

Destiny gives his hand a squeeze and kisses his cheek.

~~

It’s the next night. My phone chimes a text and reading my screen, I let out a huge sigh of relief. My cousin Hayden is on his way home. I look down at the sofa. My best friend is sprawled out where I dropped him after practically carrying him out of my car and into my house. He’s a tangle of splayed limbs and only half conscious. I tug down where his shirt bunched up after I dragged him in the house. He groans.

Wes is bombed. It’s only alcohol – no drugs, but still. He’s scaring the hell out me. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have alcohol poisoning or anything, but I’m just a kid. What the fuck do I know? I really need an adult here. Someone I can trust. That someone is Hayden.

He walks in the door right at 10:00 carrying two big bags of McDonald’s. Despite my worry, the smell makes my teenage stomach growl. Together we carry Wes to the kitchen table. He starts the coffee maker and hands me a bottle of water from the fridge.

“The coffee will take a minute. Get him started on the water now. We need to make sure he’s well-hydrated. And see if he can eat too. What happened?”

Hayden’s confidence and take-charge demeanor already have me feeling relieved. He knows what to do. Everything will be okay. I tell him, “Wes had a big family thing tonight. It was the first one since he ‘came out’ to them.”

Hayden meets my eye and that’s all I need to say about it. He nods, “Obviously it went as badly as it could in Schitt’s Creek.”

I nod back.

“Homophobic assholes,” he says and I smile.

“Since he and Mateo each had separate family things, it was just me and Destiny hanging out tonight. Wes had been texting us updates. He was tolerating their bullshit as much he could. I knew he had driven separately to his grandparents’ house because he planned to meet up with us afterwards, but when one of his cousins took the torment too far – I won’t even tell you the disgusting thing he did – Wes bolted. His parents didn’t even realize he’d left. Then we didn’t hear anything from him for over an hour. He ended up driving home and breaking into his dad’s liquor cabinet. He drank two bottles of who knows what and walked to the park before eventually calling me. I drove Destiny home and picked up Wes before the police could find him and arrest him. I brought him here.”

“Liquor cabinet?” Hayden says. “Who still has a liquor cabinet? This sounds a little like an after school special from the 80’s.”

I laugh.

He says, “Dig in kid, I bought plenty of food.”

The food must be absorbing some of the alcohol because Wes is coming back to life. He has already inhaled a whole Big Mac. My stomach growls again. I sift through the bags finding another Big Mac, two 10-piece McNuggets and two large fries. I tell Hayden, “You should get in on some of this.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not eighteen anymore. If I ate that crap this late at my age, I’d be awake all night and have five extra pounds of flab around my belly in the morning.”

I laugh again.

He sets a mug of steaming coffee in front of Wes and puts a hand on each of our shoulders. “I couldn’t be prouder of both of you.”

I shrug. “My best friend needed me so I showed up for him. No big deal. Not exactly heroic.”

He scoffs, “You were there tonight the same way you’ve been there for him for four years. Plus, you recognized that you needed an adult and you called me. You trusted me. You did everything right tonight, Dylan.”

I look down at the table and somehow, most of the food is gone. For the first time since I found him in the park, Wes speaks, “Why the hell are you proud of me?”

Hayden takes Wes’ face in his hands, angling his head and forcing eye contact. “Wesley Harding, I will give four reasons why I’m proud of you. One: You are proudly and bravely living your truth. Two: Despite being a star athlete, you refrained from punching out your ignorant relatives. Three: Once you started drinking, you were smart enough to not get back behind the wheel of your car. Four: You realized you needed help and you called the right person.”

One tear escapes from Wes’ right eye and Hayden pulls him into a hug.

Hayden says, “Food, check. Water, check. Coffee, check. Next, he’ll need a cold shower.”

I let out a sigh of relief when Wes stands on his own.

“Dylan, can you call Wes’ parents and let them know that their son is safe but he’s upset and would like to spend the night here?”

“Consider it done.”

Wes says, “Thanks Mr. Speer.”

Hayden smiles, “You are welcome here any time. Unless you call me Mr. Speer again. Then you’ll be out on your ass.”

Wes snorts, “And I’m never Wesley.”

“Deal.” Hayden turns to me, “Please go with him. He’s on his way back but we don’t need him slipping and cracking his skull open in the shower.”

I give Hayden a hug before mounting the stairs with my drunk best friend.

Wes-

After hours of relentless torture, I’m ready to move on from his adorable feet. He’s supposed to be naked, right? And he said his arms don’t work. I’ll just have to take his shirt off for him. I leave the foot of the bed and move up to my next target. I haven’t touched him yet and he’s already chortling. He tells me that I’m doing it again. I’m tickling him with my eyes. He hasn’t caught his breath yet from what I put his poor feet through and his chest is heaving.

I begin to slowly and methodically unbutton his shirt. I’m not sure if he shaves, or if he’s naturally hairless, but I like what I see. Actually, I crave it. Each rib bone is clearly defined as each button comes undone. The nameless, faceless boy is not so much a boy, he’s a man. And an athlete like me. I finish the last button and spread open the shirt. There are muscles and contours and curves and valleys and mounds in all the right places. He has a gentle musky scent that is driving me as wild as the sight of his gorgeous body.

Despite all of the toning and musculature, his stomach appears to be soft and vulnerable – just the way I desire it. Looking at it makes him laugh again. Stop it, he demands of me. He has no idea of what I’m capable of doing to all of his vulnerable places. He is thin and fit. His round innie navel is calling out for attention. I start up by his shoulders and caress my fingers down around his pecs, playing with his nipples. He explodes in laughter.

I prod my fingers into his sides, strumming the ribs and poking the soft tissue below. He howls and begs for mercy. This is not his lucky day. But it is mine. The waistband of his designer underwear clings to his lower abdomen about two inches above the waistband of his jeans. This is obnoxiously endearing, loveable and cute. And irresistible. I rake my fingers side to side across that lower belly and it’s like I’ve electrocuted him. His whole body shakes and quakes as his laughs turn to screams. Even through his thick jeans, I can’t help but notice that he has a burgeoning erection. This is proof that he’s enjoying what I’m doing. And if that’s simply an involuntary response and I am in fact torturing him, then too fucking bad. He asked for it by playing his games.

That beautiful innie belly button is calling to me. I’ve already molested it with my fingers, now I need to kiss it, lick it, bite it—

And now I’m awake. Dylan tried to be quiet, but the door creaked as he tiptoed out of his bedroom.

~~

“He’s lucky to have you too,” Hayden says to me over breakfast the next morning that he insists if I eat will cure my hangover. Dylan is upstairs taking a shower.

“We all know I’m the lucky one. My sexuality hasn’t changed a thing in our friendship. He stands right there next to me almost daring anyone to say something.”

“I heard things were okay at school when you came out.”

“Yeah. I was terrified at first. In a school of 600, I was the only one ‘out’. I couldn’t have taken that step without Dylan, really all three of them, by my side.” I get lost looking out the window for a moment. “From the beginning, Dylan told me that he looked it up and at least 10% of high school kids today are gay. He said some reports say that as many as 20% of teenagers identify as something other than heterosexual. He said that along with the three of them, I have 60 to 120 invisible friends supporting me at school.”

Hayden smiles, “That’s awesome.”

“He has no idea how good that made me feel.” I rub my face, “You know what else he does?”

“What?”

“My very heterosexual best friend picks out hot guys for me.”

“Umm…”

I laugh, “It’s not real. It’s just a game we play. Wherever we are, in the school cafeteria, at the mall, at the beach… He picks out hot guys for me and I pick out hot girls for him. I have to remind him that only 10 to 20% of his picks are actually queer. He says he wants all the best-looking guys to be gay. It’s a win-win for both of us. I will be deliriously happy and his toughest competition for the ladies will be playing for the other team.”

Hayden cracks up.

Dylan-

Breakfast is over. Hayden, Wes and I are talking in the living room when the door opens. Destiny. Wes and I both stand, but Destiny rushes right past me and practically tackles Wes in a hug. “OMG you scared the shit out of us!” She looks sheepishly at Hayden. “I mean crap. You scared the crap out of us.”

Hayden just laughs.

Destiny squeezes every bit of air out of Wes’ lungs for a full minute before letting him go. ”Wesley Harding, don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again.” Then she grabs him and hugs him all over again, “You know how much we love you, right? We can’t ever lose you.”

He squeezes back and lifts her feet off the ground, “It was a stupid mistake that I’ll never repeat. I’m not going anywhere.” He sets her down and kisses the top of her head.

Doctor Destiny checks his eyes to make sure he’s really okay, then she turns to me and punches me in the arm.

“Ow!”

“That’s for being a bad texter. Keeping me hanging. You think I’m not out there going crazy with worry?” She looks at Hayden, “Boys, right?”

I rub my arm. That’s gonna leave a bruise, “Sorry.” I turn to Hayden, “See how it is? Wes gets drunk and I go to help. Wes gets a hug and I get punched.”

She walks over to me. She’s smiling now. It’s a mischievous smile. She points out her index finger and pokes me in the tummy.

I giggle, backing away, “Hey, what are you doing?”

“The big, strong football player can’t take a tap in the arm from a petite girl?” She steps forward as I step back. “I could have punched you in the soft, vulnerable belly.” She pokes again and I giggle again.

“Excuse me. If by ‘soft and vulnerable’ you mean ‘rock-hard abs’, then okay.”

“Rock-hard and ticklish,” she pokes for a third time and I feel like Elmo.

Wes fake-coughs.

Destiny blushes and we both seem to remember that we have an audience. Hayden has a raised eyebrow and an amused grin.

~~

I slide in opposite Wes and Destiny shares my side. Mateo sits next to Wes and across from Destiny. Three of us open our menus, but Wes sits stoic. He always orders the same. His menu inevitably remains lonely and neglected. Usually Chili’s is Wes’ favorite place; he loves it here, but tonight, he looks like his dog died. Except Wes doesn’t have a dog. Then it occurs to me what his problem is and I just shake my head.

Mateo has no clue though. He looks genuinely concerned as he asks, “Wes, what’s wrong?”

I say, “He’s being ridiculous, that’s what’s wrong.”

Wes shoots eye daggers at me, “I always order the same thing. Fajitas. They’re the bomb.”

“Okay,” Mateo says with way more patience than Wes deserves. “So… What’s the problem?”

“I can never get them again,” Wes pouts.

“Are they off the menu?”

Destiny has caught up to me, “Is this about taco night?”

I look at Mateo, “He wasn’t kidding the other night when he said you ruined Chili’s for him forever.”

Wes cuts me off, “Those tacos were ridiculously fire. They put Chili’s to shame. And now?”

I point a finger at him, but I can’t help smiling at my best friend, “First of all don’t say ‘fire’. Or ‘sic’ or ‘lit’ or ‘dope’ either. Second of all, it’s Chili’s! Just eat your damn fajitas! Quit pouting and I’ll order fried mozzarella and fried pickles for starters.”

That perks him up a little.

Destiny makes a face, “Fried pickles…so gross.”

Mateo is still confused, “I don’t get it. Chili’s has like a hundred things on the menu. There’s seriously a dozen different burgers alone. If you don’t want fajitas, then don’t get fajitas.”

“But that’s the problem,” Wes says. “I do want the fajitas.”

This doesn’t make Mateo any less confused. “Right.”

Destiny sighs, “Halfway through your first fajita you’ll forget all about taco night.”

“How dare you!” Wes is offended.

These two go at each other all the time. It’s harmless. They love each other ridiculously. The best thing to do is just let it run its course.

Wes continues, “Disparaging taco night? Blasphemy!”

I laugh.

Destiny rolls her eyes from Wes to Mateo, “I know that you cooked for us with nothing the best of intentions, but do you even realize the monster you’ve created?”

Mateo just laughs.

I shrug, “If you really want to explode his brain you should make the next taco night ‘fajita night’ instead.”

Destiny snorts, “If that happens, I’m never coming to Chili’s with him again.”

I smile, “But you’ll still come with me?”

She smiles back, “I could be persuaded.”

Wes clears his throat, “I still have a problem here.”

That’s too easy. Wes lobbed her that one. She opens her mouth for a sarcastic reply, but is stopped cold when I grab her hand under the table and give it a quick squeeze. I whisper, “Let’s not show our table neighbors all of our crazy at once.”

She straightens her shoulders and lowers her voice, “Wes, I just think you’ll enjoy whatever you decide to order. You’ll devour your food and be the first one done. As per usual. Then you’ll pick at the remains of everyone else’s plates. As per usual.”

“That’s because you’ll only eat half of whatever you order. ‘As per usual’.” He makes air quotes.

He’s right. She never finishes. With such a big personality, it’s easy to forget how tiny she is. She’s ready to pounce at Wes again, but I give another squeeze to her hand and she stops.

Mateo says, “How about if I pick out a burger for you. I’ll surprise you.”

“Better get The Oldtimer,” I say with grin. “That one sounds like Wes.”

Wes glares at me, but Destiny grins approvingly.

The waitress comes by and we order. Mateo asks for Secret Sauce Burgers for both Wes and himself. Now I too am curious about the secret sauce. But not curious enough to stop me from ordering a full slab of baby back ribs. Destiny asks for chicken strips and we’re all set. Oddly, Wes is the only one trying something different tonight.

Mateo clears his throat, “I need to tell you guys something.”

He has our complete attention.

“I’ve wanted to tell you all for a really long time, but I was afraid to. I mean, not because of you, but because of my dad. He isn’t… He doesn’t… I mean,” he sighs. “I’m gay.”

Is it okay to be surprised? You don’t know who someone is until they tell you. I don’t intentionally assume things about people; it just happens. It’s society that creates stereotypes. I look at two of my favorite people in the world sitting across from me – Wes and Mateo. Both good looking strong football playing athletes. And both gay. And they’re still Wes and Mateo no matter what.

I look him in the eye, smile and say, “Cool.”

He smiles back. Mateo was already different from most of the rest of the town, growing up Mexican in Schitt’s Creek and all. My friends are all amazing.

Wes gives him a hug and says, “Welcome aboard the gay train. You are passenger number 2.”

We all laugh.

Destiny asks, “Are you only telling us or does your family know?”

“I told them at our big family dinner last night. I’m eighteen now. An adult. A high school graduate. It’s my life and our brave friend here paved the way for me and inspired me to be open about my truth.”

Wes blushes and Destiny raises her water glass. She looks each of us in the eye, “To all of the brave men in my life.”

Wes is quickest raise his own glass, “And to Destiny. Our fierce protector.”

It’s Destiny’s turn to blush. They love each other.

We all clink.

“How did your dad react?” I ask.

He points to his jaw and for the first time I notice the streak of a red bruise.

Destiny gasps, “Oh my god! He hit you?”

He waves a hand, “I saw it coming. I was a glancing blow. I’m fine.”

Wes’ jaw gapes open. “Did you hit him back?”

“I thought about it. I wanted to. I didn’t. I’ve been bigger and stronger than him for a few years now. But I caught my sister’s eye. She nodded her head and I walked away. Forever.”

Destiny says, “I’m so sorry.”

Mateo takes in choppy breath, “I never felt like I had a dad. I had a father. A father who was perpetually disappointed in his son. A father who only engaged with his son when his objective was to make his disappointment known. Or to tell me what I should be doing and how I should be doing it. Even when he approved of something I accomplished, like being a starter on the football team, he treated it like I barely achieved the minimum expectation. And whenever I was proud of something, like landing the lead in the spring play, he dismissed it as nonsense.” Mateo tries to hide a tear, but it escapes before he could rub it away. “So yeah. I had a father and now I don’t. This morning I packed my clothes and moved in with my older sister.”

Not too dissimilar to me living with my older cousin. The waitress drops off our appetizers and they just sit there for a minute.

Eventually, Wes can’t wait any longer and he goes in for the fried pickles. I’m eying the fried mozzarella. I’m about to reach for one when I realize that Destiny and I are still holding hands. I guess we have been all this time. And her grip is as strong as mine. Did I forget to let go or is this happening on purpose? And what about her? Did she forget too? I suddenly feel awkward about the whole thing. I grab some fried cheese with my left hand and smile dumbly.

We all sense a change in the energy of the room. A negative change. Suddenly, Tessa is standing at our table. She’s with some random dude I’ve never seen before, a new boyfriend presumably.

She gives us all a saccharine sweet smile and says, “How cozy! So many lovebirds all sharing one nest.” She turns her focus to just me, “Dylan? I’d be sick with jealousy if I were you. While you’re undoubtedly playing a game of secret footsie with Wes across from you, he’s cheating on you with a secret of his own. Wes and Mateo are holding hands under the table.” She turns to Wes, “And Wesley. It wasn’t too long ago that you were the only gay boy in town. I’ve been at the table behind you this whole time. I heard Mateo’s touching confession. Now you have choices. What’s a queer to do? Do you pick your old love, your sleepover buddy Dylan, or do you try something new? Mateo is the flavor of the month right now. Based on the death grip you have on his hand, maybe you’ve already made your choice, but you better tell Dylan. It’s kinder to break his heart now than to string him along. You nympho skank.”

For a second I wonder if Wes and Mateo really are holding hands. Do they know that Destiny and I are? Or rather, were?

Destiny releases my hand and stands up clenching her fists. “You bitch.”

“And then there’s poor Destiny,” Tessa mocks. “Stuck at the kids’ table. Never good enough to have what she so desperately wants. Destined to be the bridesmaid forever. Chasing after my leftovers, even though I already figured out that this one plays for the wrong team.”

“Fuck off!”

The still unknown and unintroduced dude takes a protective step forward. I would stand up and step in if needed, but we all know that Destiny’s got this. If anything, those two will need protection from her.

She stops him with a raised hand, “Hold it right there Rando. Take that step back. Do you even realize that there are three strong football player dudes right behind me, any of whom could flatten you with their pinky finger? But I won’t be needing their help on this particular occasion. I’m gonna cut you some slack here and assume that she’s got you fooled to this point. That’s perfectly understandable; she fooled us for six months.”

What Destiny means is that she fooled me for six months. Destiny wasn’t fooled by Tessa for one minute, but being the friend she is, she swallowed her tongue and let me come to my own conclusion. Way too slowly.

She continues, “You look like you actually might be a nice boy, so I’ll offer you some free advice. Run, nice boy, run! Before it’s too late! I know it’s hard to not look at a trainwreck, but if you do look too close, you’ll see that her hair is actually snakes right before you turn to stone. She’s only using you anyway. And when she’s done using you, she’ll dump you like a shit she’s been holding for far too long.”

Wes, Mateo and I are dying inside, trying to hold in our laughter.

Tessa scoffs and Destiny turns to her, “You fucked up weeks ago. You let your dark side loose and you lost the best thing that’s ever happened to you in your petty, selfish little life. You had it all and you and ruined it all. So now it’s time for you to go. Go away and never come back. Take your consolation prize and hop on your broom. Fly away while you can still pretend to have a shred of dignity.”

What else can they do? They slink away.

Mateo is bursting, “You are so swole!”

Destiny shrugs like it was nothing. We are always impressed, but rarely surprised. We’ve seen her work before. She slides back in the booth next to me and I put a protective arm around her. She leans in, stealing my warmth despite it being summer. Destiny is strong, courageous, fearless and – so slightly that Wes and Mateo can’t tell – trembling. I squeeze her tighter and lean my cheek on her head. I don’t tell her all the things she already knows. She doesn’t need that. I don’t tell her that I never loved Tessa. That Wes and I are not playing footsie. I don’t tell her that I am in love with Wes, but that love will only ever be the love that two best friends share. That our sleepovers are just two dumb guys bonding over dumb guy things. She knows all of that, so I don’t say any of it. But I also don’t tell her some things that maybe she doesn’t know. I don’t tell her that I love the smell of her coconut shampoo. That I love it when she’s leaning into me like she is right now. That I wish I had never dated Tessa in the first place.

~~

Wes left with Mateo so it’s just the two of us as I drive Destiny home. I park in the street and walk her up to her front door.

“I can manage on my own,” she informs me.

I scoff, “No doubt.”

“You, Dylan Wells, are a sweetie.”

I blush. I reach up and grab the crossbar of her porch swing, stretching out my vertebrae. Destiny giggles and pokes me in the belly where my shift lifted up an inch. “Hey!” I let go of the bar.

“Sorry. I saw a strip of skin and I couldn’t resist.”

That’s the second time today that she poked me in the tummy. What’s that about?

I go in for our typical goodbye hug, the same best friend hug we’ve been giving each other for years now, except tonight it lingers a moment longer than usual. An extra minute to breathe in her coconut scented hair, to squeeze her warmth into me, to wonder if…

What is wrong with me? I break the embrace, afraid I did something wrong, but Destiny just smiles with her big round eyes gazing right into mine. Because I really don’t want to leave, I feel like I really should leave. Like right now. With absolutely zero cool, I abruptly turn and dash across her yard shouting, “Goodnight,” over my shoulder. I jump in my car and peel away.

~~

At home and dog tired, I collapse on my bed and close my eyes. But then they pop open again. I grab my phone off my nightstand and fire off a text.

Me: You still up?

Wes: No.

I laugh.

Me: Idiot.

Wes: Rude.

I laugh again.

Wes: Dude. It’s only eight o’clock. What do you think? I changed into jammies and I’m lying in bed staring at my ceiling?

That’s what I did. Can he see me? What the hell? Is it really only eight o’clock? Why am I home already? Why am I so tired? My brain is FUBAR right now. I’m a moron.

Me: How was the Secret Sauce?

Wes: Umm… I’m not sure what you’re asking me.

I’m not sure what I’m asking him either. I guess I want my best friend to know that he can talk to me. He can tell me anything. I sigh to myself.

Me: Never mind. Now I’m the idiot.

Wes: You’re not an idiot. You’re still rude, but then I remind myself that you’re just an awkward teenage boy like the rest of us. I just mask it better.

Me: You really don’t.

Wes: I am the model of grace and maturity.

Me: Not even in a room full of kindergarteners.

Wes: Always the comedian. Did you text to insult me? Or do you actually want to know how my burger was? What do you really want to ask me?

Insulting Wes is never my goal, beyond just kidding around. He’s Wes. He knows I love him.

 

Me: We didn’t get to talk alone at all tonight. I’m sorry about Tessa. Are you okay?

Wes: Water off a duck’s back.

Me: Good.

Wes: Did I ever thank you for bringing that ray of sunshine into our lives?

I assume that’s rhetorical. I type nothing.

Wes: Now I’m being rude. Sorry. She wasn’t horrible at the beginning, but you were the last to see it when she began her slow transformation into the Villainess of Doom. You apparently have no idea how long those six months were for the rest of us.

He’s right. I hadn’t considered her effect on them when suddenly our quartet became a quintet. Not that they would have minded if Tessa had actually been a kind person.

Me: You called it. I’m rude and I suck.

Wes: D… No! Naïve? Absolutely. Blind, clueless, dumb, ignorant…uh huh.”

I snort.

Me: You’re a funny guy too, Wesley.

Wes: Watch it!

He hates being called Wesley.

Me: Is there anything you want or need to tell me?

Now it’s his turn for a long pause.

Me: I mean, you know I love Mateo. He’s fire. He’s dope.

Wes: LOL. You’re a dope. And I officially ban you from all future use of “fire” or any teenage slang for that matter. You can’t pull it off.

Me: I being serious though.

Wes: I know. And thanks. So… Umm… I really don’t know. It’s earlier than early, D. Like, he and I haven’t even talked about it. Yeah, when he told us about his dad, I unconsciously reached for his hand. He unconsciously didn’t pull away. I haven’t told you anything because there’s really nothing to tell yet. And if there ever is anything to tell… You know this D… You’ll be my first call, text, Zoom, Facetime, in person, whatever. I’ll just leave him standing there with his eyes closed and lips puckered while I rush off to find you.

I laugh out loud and send him an emoji of a round yellow guy shedding tears of joy.

Me: I might not need every detail though.

Wes: Gotcha.

Me: In the meantime, I’m rooting for you guys. Mateo is no Villain of Doom.

Wes: What about you? Is anyone standing around waiting for you to kiss them back?

Me: Not that I know of.

Wes: Really?

He must have noticed Destiny cozying up to me earlier. I don’t want him worried that I’d risk our friendship dynamic. Wes and Mateo are factors too and if I ever screwed this up… I need my friends more than anything else. Yes, I’m encouraging Wes to investigate the Mateo situation, but that’s different. I’ve already screwed up once. I’ve already put them all through so much with Tessa. I close my eyes and I smell Destiny’s shampoo again. I exhale. Dammit. She has been my friend for almost half of my life. How could I… I can’t. I won’t. I really need to start sitting on the opposite side of the booth.

Me: You’re surprised?

Wes: I’ll just say that maybe your next kiss is coming sooner than you think.

Me: Let’s stop saying that. It’s freaking weird.

Wes: Did something happen between you and Destiny after Mateo and I left?

Me: I don’t think so. Why do you ask?

Wes: She sent me a cryptic text twenty minutes ago.

Oh no. Why am I such a dork? I probably don’t want to know, but I have to ask.

Me: What did she say?

Wes: It was three words. Boys are weird. I didn’t know if she was referring to all three of us or just one in particular.

Me: It was about me. We had an awkward moment and I literally turned and ran away. Like the idiot that I am. She probably thinks I had the trots or something.

Wes: LOL! And you ate so much fried cheese at dinner. I’d think if anything you’d be bound up.

Me: Funny. Did you reply?

Wes: I said, But we’re cute too!

I laugh.

Me: Did she say anything back?

Wes: She said, LOL. Unfortunately, I agree.

I smile.

Me: Good night.

Wes: Umm… Don’t think I didn’t notice that you ignored my comment. About your next whatever…

Me: I ignore your comments every day of my life.

Wes: Again. Rude.

Wes-

I’ve had my way with his tummy for several more hours. The best hours of my life. They must have been the best hours of nameless, faceless boy’s life too because he never stopped laughing the whole time. But now the exposed strip of underwear four delicious inches south of his oval navel is beckoning for my attention. Who am I to ignore a request?

I begin to work the button and zipper of his jeans. His hips oscillate, but he does not attempt to twist away. I pull those jeans down to his knees and his underwear is tented by a massive erection. So massive that there is now a gap between the waistband and his body. My own erection is trapped and straining. I think my penis wants to be introduced to his.

The elastic barely stretches enough to clear the top of his steel rod. Finally free, I take a minute and just stare at it. It seems to be its own living entity. It proudly twitches and bobs and pulsates. Unlike his feet, I see veins and bumps and ridges and I want to touch it more than I’ve ever wanted anything else in my life. He laughs and tells me that I’m doing it again. I’m tickling him with my eyes. I’m not sure I believe him, but his twitching increases in intensity and so does his laughter. He yells at me that if I don’t cut it out, he’ll cum any second now.

I grab him in my hands and oddly, that seems to bring him relief. I begin to stroke him and he’s not laughing anymore. He’s moaning in ecstasy. My nameless, faceless friend is impressive in both length and girth. I keep up the stroking and he begins to leak precum. I am mesmerized by the monster in my hand. I rake my fingertips along the underside of his length and his toes curl.

My own erection is so raging hard that it hurts in my jeans. I let go of him long enough to shed my own clothes. I am as big as him. I can’t discern his eyes, but he sees me. He tells me he really wishes his arms worked. He says he’s dying to stroke me too. I point my member towards his and bump our tips together. He laughs again. I lie on top of him and we grind our steel rods together. It feels so right. So good. So good that I think I’m close to cumming. I sit up and my friend protests. I grab hold of him again and he falls silent.

I want to watch him orgasm and I know just how to do it. I let go of him again and stare at his throbbing cock. He asks me what I’m doing. I don’t answer, I just stare. He starts to laugh again. He begs me to stop. I say nothing. I keep staring. He throbs and bobs more and more. His laughter turns to screams. His back arches, his gasps for air and suddenly—   

I am woken by a new text from Dylan. It is five words: Pool party at my house.

~~

None of us are in the pool because the heater is broken. The water is cold and big strong football players are apparently wimps. Well, Dylan and I anyway. Mateo isn’t here yet. He’s hoping to join us. He has a job interview to go to first. All four of us have decisions to make about college and jobs. We’re grown-ups now. But Mateo’s living situation has changed a little sooner than it will for the rest of us.

I find myself in conversation with Dylan’s cousin Hayden. He says, “Hey, Wes. You’re the OG now!”

I smile, “Destiny says only OGs say OG these days. Since you were so cool with me the other night when I…umm…you know, made my bad decision, I won’t rat you out with Dylan for using slang.”

“Don’t tell Destiny either. I’m more afraid of her.”

“Oh, totally,” I agree.

He asks me, “How’s it going with your family?”

I shake my head.

He says, “Wes, to the people who truly love you, it’s like ice cream.”

That confuses me, “Huh?”

“Or a movie, a song or a color. Is your favorite ice cream flavor the same one it was when you were ten? Has a new song or movie ever replaced an old favorite? What I mean is that it just doesn’t matter. The Wes who used to love vanilla but now prefers cookies ‘n cream is still the same Wes. Nothing really changes. Maybe vanilla never was your flavor but people just assumed it was. It’s all perspective. No matter what your favorite ice cream is, you’re Wes. And I don’t think I’ve met anyone who doesn’t love Wes.”

I scoff, “Well, you don’t get out that much. But I know what you’re saying, and thank you for saying it.” I put a hand on his shoulder, “For the record, mint chocolate chip rules. Always has and always will.”

He laughs.

“My parents are awesome though.”

“That’s what Dylan told me. They certainly raised a fine young man.”

I run a hand through my wild brown hair, “If anything, they try too hard. It’s like, not everything is about that, you know? Football is still football and pizza is still pizza and Wes is still Wes. It doesn’t have to always be a thing.”

“You mean they’re cheugys?”

I laugh, “You’re lucky Dylan can’t hear us. And you’re using it wrong. It’s an adjective, not a noun.”

“That’s a hard one.”

“For someone studying a list of teenage slang off a Google search it is.”

He grins at that, “Busted.”

“You’re still totally fire.”

“Wait. That’s good, right?”

I like Hayden. I laugh, “Anyway, my cousins are still choosing sides. It’s like I’ve instigated a real-life family feud, only Steve Harvey is not about to round the corner in a bright purple suit.”

“Maybe that’s for the best.”

“No. Steve Harvey’s dope. I wouldn’t hate meeting him.”

“You’re funny,” he says elbowing me. “I mean it sucks, but at least you’ll know who to not waste your time with. Anyone who doesn’t realize that your sexuality does not define you or what an amazing human you are, those people just don’t matter anyway.”

That’s what Destiny said to me the other night. I say, “It’s kind of not really real for this town. Gay, queer, LGBTQIA+, pick a label. In this town that’s something that only exists on TV and in the movies. People here don’t actually know any questioning people in their daily lives. And then I come along…” I look down at my own muscled arms, big hands and bigger feet. “I don’t exactly fit the onscreen stereotype. I couldn’t be dropped into the cast of Glee.”

“You’ve never seen a single episode of Glee, have you?”

“No. Did I screw up the reference?”

“I never saw the show either, but I think you’re good.” He looks me up and down, “Wes, someday, you are going to make the right other boy very happy.”

“Ew.”

“No! As a person. In a relationship. Wes!”

I grin, “Gotcha!”

He snaps me with a beach towel. “Are you planning to go away for college?”

“Duh. As far away as possible. Is the University of Alaska any good?”

“Are you majoring in comedy?”

“I already have my masters in that.”

He smiles, “College will be your time. You’ll see. Life will be so different. And in the meantime Mateo’s already come out… I bet more will soon follow. And what did Dylan say? 10 to 20%? I bet some of them are the ‘hot guys’ Dylan picked out for you.”

My cheeks heat up, “I never should have told you about that.”

“Hey, I love that you trusted me. I’d never bring it up front of anyone else.”

As we make our way back over to the others I tell Hayden, “I know I can be a lot to take sometimes.”

Destiny overhears this, “Just sometimes?”

I laugh.

“Seriously,” she says. “There’s no such thing as too much Wes. We wouldn’t have you any other way.”

I know they love me.

Hayden looks at the three of us not swimming and says, “I’ll bet anything you’re all in that pool within the next fifteen minutes.”

Dylan eyes his cousin suspiciously, “No way.”

My phone chimes. It’s Mateo. I look up and realize that I don’t need to tell them that because the big dopey grin on my face does the talking for me. Hayden sees it too. I abruptly change the subject, “So what’s your plan to get us in the pool, Hayden?”

As if on cue the gate swings open and Hayden’s friend Ren steps into the yard with his two kids. Isaac is 10 and Judi is 8. They are already in swimsuits. They kick off their flipflops and run over to us. We’ve all babysat them over the years and they know us well. Isaac starts pulling on my arms, dragging me out of my chair. He’s surprisingly strong for a little guy and my butt thuds on the concrete.

Dylan-

The kids are too young and excited to even realize that the water is freezing. Wes stands and says to Hayden, “Nicely played, bruh.” He has accepted the inevitable. There is no way we’re disappointing these kids.

I sigh in helpless resignation and say to everyone, “Who wants to play Marco Polo?”

Isaac and Judi jump and squeal in delight.

Destiny says, “Five’s a crowd. I’ll watch the fun.”

I sidle up next to her lounge chair and kneel down beside her. I take her hand in mine and say, “Pleeeeaaase…”

She shakes her head.

I wait for her to look at me before pouting out my lower lip.

She can’t help it. She smiles. Then she lets out a theatrical sigh, like she’s exasperated by a three-year-old’s antics. She plants her left foot in middle of my chest pushes me back. Still holding her hand, my momentum pulls her to her feet. She punches me in the arm, “You and your cousin are exactly alike. He knew we couldn’t say no to these cute kids and you knew—”

She stops herself. How was she was going to finish that sentence? Was she about to say that I knew she couldn’t say no to cute me? But now there’s an awkward silence.

Fortunately, Wes breaks it by grabbing Isaac by the armpits, lifting him off the ground, spinning him around three times and launching him skyward. Isaac laughs and screams while he’s airborne before his NASA-like splashdown in the deep end. When his head breaches the surface on the far end he grins and waves Wes and me in. Wes complies first and I take a step to follow but quickly realize I’m still holding Destiny’s hand. I let it go.

Destiny stretches and I can’t help staring. She’s in a two-piece today and I’ve never seen so much of her skin before. I shiver. She has scattered freckles in all the right places, not that she has any wrong places. I force myself to look away. Destiny is my friend and my tingling shivers are inappropriate. Judi tugs on Destiny’s arm and pulls her down to her level. She cups her hand between her mouth and Destiny’s ear and tells her a secret. The secret makes Destiny blush redder than I’ve ever seen her.

I laugh and ask Judi, “What did you tell her?”

Destiny cuts in and answers for her, “She said she wants you to throw her in the water like Wes did with Isaac.”

Judi looks at Destiny like she’s concerned that her ears might be broken. “That’s not what I said. I mean, I do want Dylan to throw me in the pool, but I said that I hope when I’m older, my boyfriend is as cute as yours is.”

Now I’m blushing hard. It is so time for a cooldown. Without the spinning or the high arcing launch, I do throw Judi in the pool and jump in after. Destiny joins in and we forget all about the frigid cold. Mostly.

The five of us are playing games and splashing around when the gate slowly opens again, this time producing Mateo. He immediately slips off his shirt, jumps out of his high tops and strips off his socks. He cannonballs into the pool causing a not-so-mini tidal wave and making the kids laugh hysterically. When Mateo surfaces, his eyes bug out. He hadn’t heard about the broken heater and didn’t expect the jolt of cold he’d leapt into.

Eventually the six of us all pair off. Shockingly, Wes and Mateo end up next to each other like a natural magnetic pull. Lots of smiling. Lots of whispering. Everybody can feel the buzz between them. If this is still “nothing” it’s surely soon to be something. Destiny is coaching Judi through her backstroke technique and Isaac has challenged me to some one-on-one basketball on the shallow end where the nerf ball and hoop are set up. Isaac edges me out by one basket.

Isaac swims off and I realize I’m staring at Destiny again. “May I help you?” she smiles back at me.

Despite the fact that Isaac swims like a fish, he’s letting Judi teach him what she just learned from Destiny. He’s a good big brother. Water beads all over Destiny’s glistening skin and I’m almost in a trance. I point with my chin in the direction Wes and Mateo. “What do you think is going on there?”

“I don’t think even they can answer that question yet, but clearly there’s a spark.”

“Clearly. They should get out of the water before someone gets electrocuted.”

She laughs, “What about you?”

My heart misses a beat, “What about me?”

“Do you miss Tessa?” she asks.

I wonder if Wes told Destiny about our text conversation from the other night. I shake my head, “She wasn’t the right one for me.”

Destiny scoffs, “I could have told you that six months ago.”

Now I scoff, “Could you have?”

Alone now, she moves in closer to me. “Uh huh.”

I move closer too, “So, who is the right one for me?”

She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “They say that opposites attract. Tessa was your opposite in a bad way.”

“Oh?”

“Dylan, you’re sweet, kind and generous. You do need someone who can be tough for you, but tough for the right reasons. Not just tough for the sake of being…” She trails off.

“A bitch?” I ask.

She snorts. “Right.”

Tough for the right reasons. Is she aware that she’s describing herself? She holds my eye for a moment before swimming off to join the kids. I survey the scene around me again. I have some pretty amazing people in my life.

~~

I need a break from the water. I’m toweling off when Hayden appears beside me, “You okay, kid?”

I smile and nod.

He eyes me suspiciously.

We both look out over the pool. We can’t hear what, but Mateo says something that makes Wes splash him. Mateo laughs and lunges, dunking Wes. When he pops up, all five of them crack up.

I tell Hayden, “It looks like Wes won’t need me to pick out hot guys for him anymore. I think he just might already have one.”

Hayden says, “I guess you know that he told me that story.”

I nod again.

“Are they official?” he asks.

“No. But come on. It couldn’t be more obvious if one of them had hired a skywriter.”

“If it’s true, I assume you’re happy for them?”

“Of course.”

“You know you’ll always be his best friend no matter what, right?”

“I’m not placating you. I really am happy.”

“He chose you, Dylan.” He grips my shoulder, “Four years ago, you’re the one he ‘came out’ to. You and only you for a long time. And without you to lean on, to confide in, to trust… Who knows how much tougher Wes’ journey could have been?”

“I’ll never not be there for Wes, but the reality is that he would have been fine without me. I’m just one of many in the cast of supporting characters in Wes’ story. He has his parents, Destiny, Mateo… He even has you. You’ve been like a third parent to him.”

“Let’s call it big brother. I’m ridiculously too young to be a teenager’s father. And I’m way too fire—”

I don’t want to smile, but I do. “Did my friends put you up that shit? Don’t ruin it.”

“My point is, no matter what happens with boyfriends and girlfriends, what colleges you each go to, where life takes you, you’ll always be best friends.”

I nod with a lump in my throat.

“What about you?”

Destiny just asked me that same question. I reply to him the same as I did with her, “What about me?”

“Do you still need Wes to pick out hot girls for you?”

“That’s probably something we’ve outgrown at this point.”

He cocks an eyebrow, “My question wasn’t literal but it wasn’t rhetorical either.”

“I’m not missing Tessa if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“It’s not.”

“So be literal then. What are you asking me?”

“I was once eighteen too.”

“Okay boomer.”

He laughs, “This boomer can shove you back in the pool.”

I’m not so sure he can but I raise my hands in surrender.

“There’s no doubt that sparks are flying between Wes and Mateo, but between the four of you, we’re in for a full out fireworks show.”

I thought I was doing a decent job of hiding my incredibly inappropriate feelings for Destiny. I should have figured that Hayden would see right through me. I lead us a little further away from the others and sit us down.

“Hayden, I don’t know what to do. She’s my friend and I can’t lose her. The way I’ve been feeling is so wrong. I’ve tried to ignore it. It won’t go away.”

“Boys are so dumb.”

“Thanks man.”

“Dylan, it’s a pretty low-risk situation.”

“But I—”

He cuts me off, “She’s crazy about you, fool!”

“Wait… What?”

“She’s only dropped like a million hints. You’re just cluelessly tripping over all of them.”

“But we’ve been friends forever. I figured we were too deeply rooted in the ‘friend zone’.”

“Dylan, the ‘friend zone’ only exists if you want it to. And believe me, neither of you do. You said you have feelings. Tell me about them.”

                       

“She makes me smile, laugh, blush, tingle…”

“That’s more than friendship. Look, these ‘tingles’ she gives you… That’s been happening for a long time, hasn’t it?”

I nod.

“So being confused by these feelings and afraid of scaring off your friend, you turned to someone else. You started dating Tessa. But you never really wanted to date her in the first place. You dreamed of a different destiny. A destiny with Destiny.”

I ask him, “Are you like a wizard or something?”

He shakes his head, “No, but I was you once upon a time.” He points a finger at me, “Don’t call me boomer again.”

“Tessa was never my person.”

“Everybody but you knew that. And then she pushed you to get intimate. Who knows even with the right person when you’ll be ready, but with the wrong person – Tessa – you might never have been.”

“How old were you for your first time.”

“Twenty-eight.”

I snort, “I’m being serious.”

“I was eighteen. A freshman in college, away from home for the first time. But everyone has their own timetable and both people need to be ready.”

“Thanks for telling me.”

He nods again. “Umm, Dylan? There’s actually something about me that I haven’t told you yet.”

I grin, “I may be a dumb teenage boy when it comes to my own love life, but I’m not so dumb when it comes to others. Someone gives you tingles.”

He blushes hard. “You could tell?”

“Uh huh. You could be the grand finale in our collective fireworks show. And if I was why you were keeping things quiet, please don’t on my account. I’m super happy for you.”

Just then Ren walks over and Hayden takes his hand and kisses him. I grin like an idiot.

“Back to you and Destiny,” he says. “You are both afraid to make the first move.”

I chuckle, “Destiny isn’t afraid of anything.”

“Exactly,” he says. “What does that tell you about how scary this is for her too?”

~~

I walk back out onto the patio and Wes is coming right at me. He’s still grinning like a fool. He says, “The kids are done with the pool. We thought we’d all do something else with them.”

I look at my best friend. They don’t come any better than Wes. He could have said that he and Mateo are gonna take off – that would be his obvious preference, but he’s not abandoning those kids. Or Destiny and me.

“Sure. The six of us can play a game or walk to the park, or whatever Isaac and Judi want to do.”

“Are you and Hayden okay?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?”

“I have no idea. But you’ve talked more to him today than to anyone else and you two live together.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m just checking.”

“I needed some adult advice.”

“Well, we both know you picked the right guy. His advice is always spot on.”

“So… Mateo?”

He grins again, “We’re going on a real date tomorrow!”

“I’m so happy for you.” I hug him. “Let me guess. The mall. Chili’s and a movie.”

“Lame.”

I give him a little shove, “What then?”

“I’m actually going to his house for dinner. I’m meeting his sister and his mom will be there too.”

“Fire.”

He laughs, “I thought I banned you from saying that.”

“It didn’t take.”

“Right,” his eyes drop to his feet. “I’m a little nervous.”

“Why?”

“It’s like I said before, I know I’m a lot to take. What if I go in there acting all Wes-like and I make a bad first impression? I could screw this whole thing up before it even gets started.”

“No Wes, you won’t. The only way you could is if you went in there trying to be someone you’re not. Go in there and be you. That’s the guy we all love. That’s who Mateo wants you to be. You are not a lot to take. Sure, you have a gigantic personality but it matches your gigantic heart. Destiny was right. We wouldn’t have you any other way. Mateo’s family is gonna love you.”

His grin turns to a beaming smile. “Thanks, D.”

“Hey, do you really want to go to Alaska for college?”

He snorts, “Hayden told you I said that?”

“I was walking by and overheard that part.”

“It was an exaggeration for comic effect. But I have always imagined getting the hell out of this town. Why?”

“I don’t know. We’re overdue to make a decision about colleges.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t come too.”

“You’d allow me tag along?”

“As my shadow. My sidekick.”

I shove him again.

He says, “How about as my roommate and my best friend?”

Hayden was right. Boyfriends, girlfriends, college… Wes and I will never break up. I say, “I’m not going to Alaska.”

He shoves me back, “I said I was joking. What about you? Hayden told me you were considering New York.”

“Maybe. I don’t know. What do you think about Western Carolina University?”

He cocks an eyebrow, “That’s like thirty minutes away from where we’re standing right now.”

“I know. But it would still be going away. They have dorms. They have a great football team. What do you think?”

“What I think is that we are going to figure shit out. We’ll figure out something that makes sense for all of us.”

He knows I’m still raw from the loss of my parents and that I’ve recently grown close to my cousin. Whatever I do, wherever I go, I can’t imagine being too far from Hayden. But Wes is right. We will figure it out.

I ask him, “Hey, do you and Mateo mind getting started with the kids? Pick out and set up a game or whatever.”

“While you…?”

We both look at Destiny lounging and soaking up some sun.

“I just need a minute.”

“Or fifteen?” he grins. “Do you have something you need to tell me?”

“Not yet I don’t.”

“Uh huh. But you will. Do I have more insane nighttime texts from you to look forward to?”

I grin back, “With any luck.”

His expression turns serious, “Dylan, you don’t need luck. You’re the only one who doesn’t realize it. Go say what you need to say… What you should have said six months ago. Go get each other.”

He claps me on the back as he calls Mateo over and they slip inside.

Destiny and I suddenly have a lot of privacy. I walk over and take the lounge chair next to hers. She glances at me and says, “Hey stranger.”

“Sorry. Hayden is going through some stuff right now and he desperately needed my advice.”

She laughs, “Is that what was going on? I’m sure you’ve righted his ship and got him all squared away.”

“We’re gonna go play a game or something with Isaac and Judi.”

“That sounds like fun.” She sits up.

“We have a little time.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Wes and Mateo are gonna get things all set up.”

“And what are we supposed to be doing?”

“How about one more dip in the pool?”

She had let her hair loose at some point after getting out of the pool. Now, she ties it back into a quick ponytail with some elastic thing that had been around her wrist. She has no mirror but her practiced moves have me mesmerized as I watch her work. She finishes and it’s perfect.

“Do you want me to teach you the backstroke too?” she asks.

I scoff, “I taught you.”

She scoffs back, “And then I learned it properly.”

We ease into the water and glide over to where it’s shoulder deep. I have to just about kneel to match her height.

“Destiny, I…” I hesitate. We’re facing each other and we’re really close together. My hands find hers and our fingers lace together. “I’m just a dumb kid, but I freaking love you!”

She turns crimson red and smiles the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. Our fingers untangle and her hands find my hips. I follow her lead. We pull each other in until our bodies are touching and suddenly we’re kissing. A lot. For a long time.

When we finally come up for air she says, “I kind of think you’re okay too.”

We both laugh. Then we kiss again. This time when we stop, we notice four smiling faces watching us through the window, two of them short and two of them tall. When they realize that we see them, the faces laugh and vanish.

Destiny says, “I guess there’s no need for a big announcement to our friends.”

“I think they saw this coming a from a mile away.” I kiss her again because it’s my new favorite thing in the world. “Even Judi called it.”

“How stupid are we?”

“Ridiculously stupid.” Another kiss. “But I feel smarter already.”

Wes-

The four of us are watching Dylan and Destiny through the window. When they kiss, Isaac and Judi giggle. When they turn and see that we’re watching them, we all laugh and disappear into the depths of the house.

The kids take turns in the downstairs bathroom changing out of their swimsuits while Mateo and I head up to Dylan’s bedroom. On the way, we pass by Hayden’s room. His door is open and he’s inside but he’s not alone. Isaac and Judi’s dad Ren is in there with him. I know they’ve been friends for almost as long as Hayden has lived here. What I didn’t know is that they’ve been special friends. Kissing friends. But I do now because that’s what we catch them doing. Mateo and I pretend like we saw nothing and hustle past.

Safely behind Dylan’s closed door we gasp and our eyes almost pop out of their sockets. I look at Mateo and his grin is as wide as I’ve ever seen it. We haven’t put our shirts on yet and I take a good look at the guy I have an official date with tomorrow. He’s been my friend for years but I almost feel like I’m looking at him for the first time. A familiar first time. I’m not making sense to myself.

I close the distance between us and up close I realize that he is the boy of my dreams. I mean that two ways. He is my dream boyfriend and he actually is the nameless, faceless boy I’ve been dreaming of. All of that glowing olive skin. His concave oval navel, his smooth hairless feet. He was my fantasy, now he’s my reality.

I take his hand and angle him toward me.

“Are you okay?” he asks me.

“You have no idea,” I kiss him. I’ve never kissed anyone before in my life and I probably suck at it, I didn’t even get to practice in my dreams, but based on the soft moans Mateo makes in my mouth, maybe I do alright. For a first kiss, I go at him pretty good.

When we come up for air he says, “Wow! That was fire!”

I laugh, “Totally dope.”

“You surprised me there.”

“I just didn’t want Dylan and Destiny to be ahead of us. This is nothing but a competition to me and I intend to win at all costs.”

He knows I’m kidding. His only response is a smile and another heart stopping kiss. When that one ends he says, “I’ve had a crush on you since the day we met.”

We touch our foreheads together, “Why?”

“Because you’re Wes and Wes is sweet and loyal and kind and cute and freaking hot.”

I feel a tingle roll all the way down to my toes.

“I know we have to get dressed and join the others but promise me one thing.”

“Anything.”

“Later, when it’s just us, your shirt comes back off.”

Mateo smiles and blushes.

~~

“You’re just so wrong,” Dylan is saying. “It’s DC all the way.”

“Then why exactly will you be dragging me to see the next big Marvel movie on release night?” I ask.

Destiny asks Hayden, “Who’s your favorite superhero?”

“Yeah Hayden,” Dylan says. “Are you Team DC or Team Marvel?”

He tells us, “I really don’t have a horse in this race.”

“You’re only twenty-eight,” Dylan mocks. “You’re too young to not care.”

Hayden takes Ren’s hand in his and laces their fingers together. That simple gesture speaks volumes and I find that I’m grabbing Mateo’s hand as well. We are three couples. Three deliriously happy couples.

Mateo fake-scowls at him, “Weak, Hayden.”

“I’m not gonna be a Stan about it like you fools.”

Mateo laughs and Dylan shakes his head, “Don’t encourage him.”

Destiny leans into Dylan, “Hayden’s right. Who needs pretend superheroes when we’re standing in a room full of real life ones?”

~~

I am lying on my bed and my arms don’t work. What the hell? I always thought my nude model was playing a game with me. How can I paint him with no working arms? Where is he anyway? I hear footsteps approaching. A figure materializes and it’s him. Except now the tables have turned. He asks himself what he’s going to do with me. I say nothing. He says he wants to start by doing to me everything that I did to him. I feel my crotch begin to stir.

Fortunately, I’m fully clothed. He tells me to strip for him. I tell him that my arms don’t work. He doesn’t believe me. He calls me a liar. He picks one up and drops it like a wet noodle. He makes a tsk tsk sound with his tongue, snaps his fingers and suddenly my right shoe is gone. He does it again and so is my left. He continues on until I’m in nothing but my underwear. My crotch is still stirring to life but I’m not fully hard yet. He looks at me and says he can’t decide where to start. My feet, my belly or somewhere in between.

As he’s talking I’m getting harder and harder. He tells me that my athletic physique is his fantasy come true. My boner is now raging. It yearns to be free of its fabric prison. My captor snaps his fingers and my underwear is gone. I am fully naked and fully erect. He tells me that I am about to experience the orgasm of my life. My dick does a little dance. He tells me that I am about to succumb to unimaginable pleasure. I am about to blow my load. He laughs.

He asks me if I remember how I tickled him with just my eyes. I nod my head. He tells me that his power is his words. When he says this I feel like my dick is being swallowed by the deepest, warmest, wettest mouth that ever existed, but nothing is actually touching me. I don’t know when it started, but I realize that I’m screaming. Not in pain, but in rapture. And then I know that there’s no going back. The fuse has been lit. Detonation is imminent. He tells me I have the biggest, hardest cock he’s ever seen. I throw my head back. My eyes roll back into my head. My heels dig into the mattress. I feel my seed roll up the long length of my shaft and then—

Another text wakes me up. Fuck! Why don’t I power my phone off at night? I have an erection and a wet spot on my underwear. I know I’m eighteen, but I feel like I’m going through puberty again.

The text is from Mateo. It says his sister will be out late tonight. It’s accompanied by a round yellow guy who is suggestively raising one eyebrow. I smile. Tonight… Dreams come true.