It took a while for us to work our way out of the meeting room. The Kenton High girls did not want Braden to leave. They couldn't have cared less about me, if you can imagine that. Really. It was like I was a sore thumb when I went back there to join them.

I suppose, as far as they were concerned, I didn't need fixing. Oh, how little they knew. But, whoa, did they ever want to fix Braden. I didn't blame them. I wanted to fix him up and down and all over too. With his pretty face and his long shaggy hair, he was like a big hunky One Direction boy, and girls in general, and a lot of boys too, totally lost their minds over dudes like that.

They each offered to be Braden's sponsor. It was like they were having a contest to see who would win him. Braden told them nicely that he'd think about it. I could tell he loved the attention they were giving him and was surprised by it. He exchanged phone numbers with them and they all three promised to call him and check up on him regularly and share other recovery tips and materials.

We finally got out of there and we walked back to the square. On the way over I'd told Braden how we'd met up with Cabel the day before. Now on the way back I told him how we found out we have the same dad.

"Ohmygod Jason, that's awful," he said. "I mean, it's great you found out you're brothers, but what an awful way to do it. I guess some men just aren't good dads. I have one, and you and Cabel have one too."

I wanted to take him back to Johnny's with me and have wild sex with him all afternoon. Or maybe sweet slow sex with him all afternoon. I would've been happy just to neck and kiss and cuddle. But I didn't know if that'd be right. He was an addict trying to recover. After having heard the stories and anecdotes the others at the meeting had given, I didn't want to mess with Braden's emotions in any manner that might influence him negatively. Recovery from addictions depended a lot on keeping emotion in check and not flying out of control.

So, struggling to keep my freaking libido in check, I bought us coffee and breakfast sandwiches for lunch at Starbucks and we went out to sit on the patio. There was still a crowd of kids there, all bopping around table to table and actually chatting face to face with each other, not just on their phones. They were watching every move Braden and I made, of course, and some of them were boldly taking pictures and recording us.

I did my girly giggle. "They like you, Braden. Maybe they'll start a fan club for you like they have for Carey and Corey."

"They're looking at you, Jason. They saw you on TV in Columbus last night and know that Johnny's still there. He was just in the parade a little while ago. They're wondering what you're doing back in Kenton."

Nah, they were majorly checking him out, but I didn't argue the point. He'd eventually learn that most girls, and boys who liked boys, preferred cute hunky dudes like him over muscleboy jocks like me, and that easily eight out of ten of them would definitely want to get to know him personally.

I was showing him the special website online for finding the local Narcotics Anonymous meetings when two of the out gay kids from school came over to our table, the effeminate Sammy Philo and the macho tough boy named Chet. Braden greeted them in a friendly manner as we exchanged hellos. I knew he was friends with them but I didn't know if it was casual or close.

"Hey, what're you doin' here?" Chet asked me. "I thought you were in Columbus with Johnny."

I knew he was only fifteen but he had an unbelievably muscular build for a kid that age. His tight tee and skinny jeans showed it off to perfection. He was nice looking in a plainer manner than usually attracted me, but I loved his badass mannerisms, macho-sexy like Trenton. If I wasn't already on boyfriend overload I'd definitely ask him out on a date.

"I had to come home for some family matter," I said. "And Johnny'll be back later this afternoon."

Sammy had leaned a hip on the back of Braden's chair and made like he was fanning his face with his hand. "Whew! That is, if those Xanadude go-go boys and the Colt models don't detain him."

He was always flamboyant and dramatic, but he was fun and most people liked him. Not particularly attractive as a boy, he knew how to make himself look good as a girl. I'd heard that he went in drag as Selena Gomez to a sophomore class party last year and that everybody thought he'd looked a lot like Jeannie.

"It'll never happen." Braden came to Johnny's defense. "Johnny will tell them all to get lost and come flying home to Jason."

Chet, his hands on his hips, was grinning at me. "Can't blame him for that."

Oh yah, I would definitely ask him out. I could feel arousal tingling in my crotch.

"Ohhhh ... so true," Sammy sighed, then turned his attention to Braden. "Why haven't you joined the LGBT Gay-Straight Alliance yet? You can be our poster boy. We're gonna have fifty posters printed and put them up all over town."

Braden grunted. "Just what I need. My dad would break my legs. Why not you? Or Johnny or Jason? They joined."

"They're jocks," Sammy said, as if Braden should know better than to suggest such a thing. "We need somebody more middle-of-the-road. And my picture would just scare everyone away. Unless, of course, I doll up as Nicki Minaj or Ariana Grande."

Chet snorted. "No way, dude. You in drag is too radical. We need a nice dreamy All-American boy. Like you, Braden."

Braden smiled back, starting to turn red again.

I came to his rescue. "Braden has other stuff going on right now. But maybe he'll think about it."

"Yah, I'll think about it," he readily agreed.

"Awesome." Sammy bumped Braden's shoulder with his hip. "We'd be thrilled if you agree." Then he pushed away and grabbed Chet's arm. "Come on, dude. We have more recruiting to do."

Then with some quick goodbyes they were off to visit with others on the patio.

"Isn't it amazing how that works?" Braden said. "Queer dudes run the gamut from fem like Sammy to butch like you and Chet ... and ..." He paused for a moment, his eyes rounding in surprise as he focused on something behind me.

"... and Carey Connors," he concluded with a sudden love struck grin.

I turned to look and saw Carey walking toward us with a Starbucks to-go cup in hand. Dressed in denim shorts and a yellow t-shirt he looked so hot all I could do was think of yesterday morning when I'd fucked him in the cave with my arms wrapped hard around him from behind.

Instant boner time again!

I looked back to Braden and figured that between the two of them and Chet, I'd be coming in my pants in a couple minutes.

Braden jumped to his feet, looking at Carey like he was God coming down to Earth for a special one-time-only visit. Whoops. That instantly whisked away any remaining plans in my mind to spend some sexy time with Braden today.

Meh, sure he liked me, but he was fucking in love with Carey. And Carey obviously felt the same about him.

"What the hell are you two doing together?" Carey angrily demanded when he got to our table.

He set his coffee cup down on the table. His hand was shaking so much that coffee had been splashing out the little hole in the lid. His shaggy hair gleamed like gold in the sunlight but his expression was dark, his lips set in an obstinate line.

I figured I'd let Braden answer that question.

"Aw, come on Carey, don't be mad," Braden begged. "Jason's trying to help me. I've been clean for a whole day. Really. And he just went to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting with me."

Carey flashed me a dismissive look and his voice grew even harder. "Help you? Helping himself to you, you mean. Seven fucking people sent me that picture of you two kissing on the corner!"

"We just kissed hello," Braden squeaked.

"My ass you did," Carey shot back. "Why can't I help you? Why can't I go to meetings with you?"

He gave me another angry look. "You left Johnny in Columbus to come here to be with Braden after all that crap you gave me about him being no good?" His hands balled into fists. "Dammit Jason, I'm moping around feeling lonely cuz I wanna be with Braden and ... and you're with him?"

"Carey, please," Braden pleaded. "I'm trying to straighten up so we can be together. Jason's just trying to help."

Carey struggled a moment to control himself, but then he totally lost it. He let out a mocking laugh. "Help? Help himself to your ass is what he wants. Did he tell you he fucked me yesterday morning after you left me up there at the leap? I'm sure that's exactly what he's got in mind for you too today!"

Braden looked at me with a helpless expression, but I was at a total loss what to do or say. I met his gaze with a questioning coolness. There was a cold dead silence for a few seconds and ... the click and whir of hand-held devices.

Fuck! Some of the others on the patio were taking pictures and recording us.

"Carey, stop it," I hissed at him. "You're jumping to conclusions, and we're being photographed and recorded. This'll be all over town in a few minutes."

As if he'd had no idea they were there, he looked around in surprise at the kids with their phones and tablets and cameras all aimed at us. His expression morphed from surprise to embarrassment and then to increased anger. Most of them probably belonged to his and Corey's fan club.

He picked up his coffee cup and muttered angrily, "Fuck you both!"

Then he bolted, hurrying down to the sidewalk and into the crosswalk that led to the park on the center block of the square.

Braden flopped down into his chair. "Whadda we gonna do, Jason? Oh crap, he's so pissed off!"

I pushed up to my feet. "Don't worry, dude. I'll go get him. I promise I'll patch it up. Don't get upset."

I took off after Carey. He had crossed to the park and was walking hurriedly down the wide paved bike path that snaked through the center of it. I ran after him and started calling.

"Carey! Dude! Come on ... stop!"

Others on the grass and benches along the north side were watching with questioning expressions. Damn it. I could just imagine what was going to happen with this crazy scenario when everybody knitted their stories together, when the videos got online and passed around. Carey Connors stamping off angry because I fucked him yesterday but today was looking to fuck Braden Sharpe, who Carey obviously wanted to fuck too. And all this while my boyfriend Johnny Sands, who was just crowned Mr. Ohio Pride last night, was still out of town!

Oh. My. God. That may be the kind of stuff teen girls and gay boys dream about, but Mr. Connors and Mr. Sharpe and my dad would not be very happy about it when it spread all over town.

I was closing in on Carey and he turned around and threw his coffee cup at me.

"Get lost, Jason," he yelled. "You son-of-a-bitch!"

The fucker had a great arm. The cup hit me square in the chest, right between the pecs. The lid popped off and hot coffee poured all over me. Good thing he'd put a lot of cream in it because it wasn't scalding hot, just fucking hot.

Man, did it burn.

"Damn you," I yelled at him. "Just wait till I fuckin' get you."

I flew after him, pulling my tank off and trying to wipe my chest and abs with the back of it. Carey ran off down a side path that led through the trees and brush of the wooded south side of the square. But he couldn't run fast enough to stay away from me. As he reached a grassy area near the fringe of the woods by the south sidewalk, I leaped ahead, grabbed him by the shoulders, and pulled him down. We went rolling over and over on the hard ground.

For cryin' out loud, next thing I knew he was trying to punch me.

"Stop it, Carey. What the hell's wrong with you? We're friends. Ever since we can remember. I love you. You love me.. Stop it already!"

He went limp, although I could still feel his body trembling. I was on top of him, staring right into his eyes. And I couldn't help myself. I kissed him.

It was the sweetest most awesome kiss. He held me tight and squirmed against me and neither one of us wanted it to stop. It might have lasted five minutes for all I know. We had throbbing boners crunched against each other as we lay there in the grass.

When it was over, he said, "I'm sorry, Jason. I just get so fucking horny all the time it drives me crazy, and then I go nuts!"

Guess I wasn't the only one. "I know what you mean, buddy. I'm like that all the time. Some of us dudes are just more highly sexed than the others."

He squeezed me hard. "The other day I begged Johnny to ditch you and be my boyfriend," he told me. "But he said no way.  And I was so upset. I've been dying to have a boyfriend, it's all I can think about. Corey's got Harry and he and I are over with anyway. That's too fucked up now that we're older.

"We were behind the dumpsters at theThrift Shoppe and then Ginny was suddenly there ... jealous cuz she wants Johnny too. She told me about Braden, that he's liked me for a long time. I was so excited. I went back out front to the square and got him. And for a couple days I had a real boyfriend who wasn't my brother and didn't look like me. I know it was stupid doing all those drugs but ... fuck ... the sex we were having was great, Jason. And I love him."

He rubbed his lips gently against mine, "Man, I saw that picture earlier and then saw you with him just now, and I got so insanely jealous. You told me to stay away from him and then there you are, with him. I'm not gonna listen to you anymore, dude. I want to be with Braden, and I'm gonna be with him. I'll make him stop the drugs. I'll  help him. I'll take him to meetings. He's my boyfriend and I'm gonna do it!"

Wow, did I ever fuck this whole situation up. "I'm sorry, Carey. I was gonna call you later and tell you about it, and see what you wanted to do. I just figured ..."

He interrupted me. "You figured you were gonna order me around because you've always done it. That's why you became the quarterback and not any of us others. You always have to be in charge. But that's done with, dude. Braden is mine and I'll take care of him!"

He kissed me again and then pushed me roughly off him and jumped to his feet. He extended a hand and I grabbed it, and he pulled me up.

Amazingly, nobody was around to have seen us tumbling in the grass and kissing. No camera phones snapping and whirring. Good thing. We had to rearrange our dicks so it wouldn't look like we had flagpoles in our pants. I stooped over and picked up my tank top, then began wiping off my coffee-splashed torso.

Carey grabbed the tank and did it for me. "Now you'll be all Starbies-flavored for when Johnny comes home. Too bad it wasn't a mocha. He really likes those."

I started laughing. "Hey stop it. It's just turning me on all the more to have you cleaning me up." I grabbed the shirt from him and stuffed an end of it into my back pocket. Then I pulled my keys out of my front pocket and gave him the one to Johnny's apartment.

"Here. Go get Braden and go over to Johnny's place. You two can be together. Johnny won't be back till about six or so. He has an appointment with Daniel Random and some businessmen this afternoon. Uncle Ted probably won't be at the house either. He usually works at the store on Saturdays when he's in town. I'll go over to my mom's."

That got a happy smile on his face. He went to grab me.

I pushed him away. "Don't kiss me again, dude. I'll take the key back and totally molest you right here."

So he punched my shoulder instead. "Thanks Jason. Sorry, but I'm so happy to hear you're terminally horny too. I was thinking it's just me."

"Same here. I guess we're just insatiable. Tell Braden I said you're in charge now, and I hope it all works out awesome."

He punched my shoulder again, chuckling. "I'll tell him I said I'm in charge now, and you totally agreed with me."

Then he was walking away and I so badly wanted to go with him and make it a delightful afternoon threesome. But I knew I'd already interfered enough. Their futures were up to them.

"Just leave the key on the kitchen table and the door unlocked," I shouted to Carey.

He pumped a fist in the air in answer and then broke into a jog. I stood there watching his hot butt running away through the woods, wondering why everything was going so fucking haywire in my life.

Then out of the corner of my eye I saw the shadowy figure again. I flinched and jumped sideways to look. As I did, it disappeared into the deep thickness of the old shrubs and bush that lined the path. But this time there was no doubt. Somebody had been watching. Angrily, I stormed to follow and ran into the thick brush, pushing branches aside so they wouldn't slap me in the face.

There'd been gardens here along the edges of the woods back in the middle of the last century, but over the years it all got out of hand and was eventually left to overgrow. Every now and then it was talked about to fix it all up and make this part of the park more attractive again. But this was Appalachia and money was always a problem, especially with all the cuts the latest governors had made to help themselves look good by chipping away at funding for important city services.

I stalked through the overgrown maze and into the woods for almost ten minutes but found no trace of the person who'd been watching. I pushed through some thickets and found a little path that I figured led back out to the bike path, and I followed it. A couple minutes later I hurried out onto the wide paved path right smack dab into Trenton.

"Ooof!"

"Jeezuz ..."

We grabbed onto each other so we wouldn't fall down and we both started laughing when we saw who the other one was.

"Hubby!" He turned our grab into a hug. "What the hell you doing in the bush half-naked?"

"Looking for another hot dude who's half naked too."

He was wearing a pair of baggy shorts with a tee-shirt hanging out his back pocket. He'd worked up a sweat running and the touch of his glistening skin against mine sent shivers streaking all over me and I forgot about the shadowy figure I'd been looking for.

"Well here I am," he grinned at me, knocking his forehead against mine. "Will I do?"

"Shit the fuck yeah. You are bomb as fuck, dude."

"Then let's get it goin' on."

Next moment he was pushing me back into the trees and brush, branches slapping at us all over, both of us laughing like we were drunk or something.

"Fooling around with each other in the park on the square," Trenton croaked, shoving his hands down the back of my shorts as we settled in a leafy spot where we couldn't be seen. "Why didn't we ever think of it before?"

"Because we were pretending to be straight. We wouldn't have dared think about it."

"Mmmm." Trenton's hands were on my butt and he pulled me hard against him. I felt his hot big daddy growing. "Right. Maybe not here in the park, but I used to imagine doing this with you a lot, Jason. Johnny too. You guys were always my dream boys."

My hands slid up his back to his shoulders and we were pressing our chests together so hard it was like we were trying to break them.

Trenton started sniffing. "Jeez, you smell good." he lowered his head and sniffed at my left pec, then licked it. His tongue circled the aroused nipple. He snorted. "And you taste like coffee."

I couldn't hold back my giggle. "Starbies coffee, dude. Courtesy of Carey."

He raised his head. "Whaddaya mean?"

"He threw his coffee at me, just a few minutes ago. We were fighting. I'm lucky I didn't get burned."

"What the hell were you two fighting about?" His head was down again, his tongue now licking the right pec. My overworked dick was chubbing up again.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you some other time. Right now I just wanna eat you all up."

"Yah, but after I lick you all up. Even where there's no coffee."

He was suddenly down on his knees undoing my belt with his fingers. My hands were on his shoulders and I could feel the muscles there moving as he pulled and tugged. My right hand went up his neck to his head, my fingers combing through his thick pomped-up hair. I'd forgotten all about Carey and Braden and everything else that had just happened. Fooling around with Trenton could make you forget anything.

The belt undone, he grabbed the sides of my shorts and briefs and pulled then down to my knees with a whisk. My cock, hard as a rock now, wanged out and hit him on the nose. He hooted and grabbed it and moved to put it in his mouth when, suddenly, he flinched and jerked in fright, letting out a garbled cry.

The next thing I knew, he had jumped up and grabbed me. His arms were around me, his head whipping this way and that as he gaped into the sun-dappled green darkness of the woods.

"What the fuck's wrong, Trenton?"

Something had frightened him. No doubt about that. He was holding onto me like a scared little kid. One who was trying to protect me, too.

"Jesus fucking Christ," he hissed, his eyes probing the shadowy depths. "I must've imagined it, Jason."

I grabbed his chin and made him look at me. "What, dude? Fuckin' tell me!"

He shook his head, shrugged his shoulders. "I thought I saw a dude watching us." He pointed in the general direction to our right.

There was no one there now. I hadn't seen anything, I'd been looking down at Trenton.

"And what was so scary about it?" I demanded. "You jumped and grabbed me like it was Godzilla over there."

"Aw Jason, it was just my imagination. You know ... and the sun and the shadows."

I was still holding his chin and pulled it right up to my face. "Tell me what you fucking saw or I'll break your damn eyebrows."

His eyes widened. "Okay! I thought I saw a dude. Dressed in black. Hooded."

"Like some guy wearing a hoodie?" I asked. "It's way too fucking hot for anybody to be wearing a hoodie."

He looked down at my chest and I could feel him trembling. "Nah, it was a total hood. The kind you pull over. Slits for the eyes to see through."

"Fuck! Goddamn shit!" My hands dropped down to my sides and I stooped to grab my shorts and briefs and pulled them up. I stuffed my still-hard dick in as I zipped and belted, all the while moving in the direction Trenton had pointed.

"Dude! What's wrong?" He grabbed me from behind. "What the hell's going on?"

"That's why I was in here," I hissed, looking into the shadows for any sign of movement. "It's like somebody's been stalking me all day."

"Somebody wearing a hood?"

"No, was just a dark-haired dude I saw. But a hooded figure wouldn't surprise me either at this point."

Trenton was holding onto my arm as we moved through the underbrush. "Now it's your turn to tell me what's wrong, Jason. Sounds like you know what's up."

"I don't know anything except it's totally possible you saw what you thought you saw."

"Damn, Jason. What the hell? What could be ...?" He paused for a moment, then, "Whoa ... you think it could be Rydell back in town , and Eddy Stevnik, planning some kind of revenge? He's gonna go to jail for sure on that attempted rape charge ... if they ever find him."

"It wasn't Mark I saw. He's blond like me. And Eddy's too wimpy and thin to be the dude I saw. Yah, but Mark in a hood. That'd make sense."

Trenton tried to pull me around. "Whaddaya talkin' about, dammit. Why would he stalk you like that?"

I tried to shake him off me but he held fast. "Just shut up, okay? You go east and I'll go west. Meet you out by the south sidewalk. If you see anybody, just shout."

"Fuck no, dude." He eyed me worriedly and let go of my arm, wrapped his fingers around the back of my belt. "I'm not leaving you alone if somebody's after you. Mark has guns. His own fucking guns. His dad and uncle are a couple of yahoos and they made sure he's one too."

"All right then. Stop asking questions. Just be quiet."

We'd made so much noise already we probably chased whoever it was away. But we roamed around the southern part of the square, most of it wooded and overgrown except where the narrow path in the center led through. We didn't see a sign of anyone else being in there. When we walked out to the grass strip along the south curb close to where Carey and I had been a few minutes ago, Trenton was still holding onto me.

"You can let go now," I reminded him. There was traffic navigating the square north and south right in front of us.

He grunted. "No way. I still wanna suck your dick. That was a totally ridiculous cockblock. Like we were in a Supernatural episode."

"Yah right. If Sam and Dean Winchester were in there we'd still be looking." I grabbed his wrist and forced his fingers off my belt. "But we can't make out here. Everybody will see us. And then your reputation will be as bad as mine. Where were you running off to anyway?"

"Just jogging for a while. Then I have to go to Ginny's house later. We're gonna watch the latest Hunger Games movie, the mockingbird one. Liam Hemsworth is gonna get her all turned on, and me too of course, and that should lead to some real hot sex."

I laughed at that. "And you want to suck my dick before you go to Ginny's and make out with her?"

"Yup. Cuz when I get there I'll tell her all about it and she'll totally die over you and me making out in the square. All she talked about last night at the drive-in was you and Johnny and can I get you two to join us for a foursome. She's nuts about queer dudes and wants them, lots of them."

He was smiling now, back to his usual humor in the relative sanity of the sunlight.

"So I take it your date last night was a success?" I asked.

"Definitely. I got real aggressive with her in the car, like you told me. Then I held back a little and let her paw at me. Then I clinched it by telling her about you, me, and Johnny the other night. That did it - boy-by-boy-by-boy sex. She went nuts. We left for her house before the movie was even over and I climbed into her bedroom through the window."

"All right dude!" I grabbed his neck and shook him. "Good going. You look like you're in love."

"Totally. I love being in love with a girl. And Ginny's hot as fuck, and fun too. But she definitely wants me to bring along a hot dude now and then."

"You'll find them. Ernie for one. And there's got to be more bi boys on the football team. As soon as practice starts you can begin finding out who they are. You'll have a new game to play in the locker room - turn on the bi boys. If eight on the team are gay - so far, that is - then at least that many have to be bi."

Trenton bobbed his eyebrows. "I'll just ask them all if they watched the Jacey sex video. That oughtta be a good start. Ginny told me about it last night and we watched it online during one of our ... umm ... breaks. It was awesome, dude. That's why I'm so hot for you today."

He reached out to grab me again but I got hold of his forearms and spun him around, shoving him in the direction of the narrow path.

"Go on, save it for your girlfriend. She'll need all you've got to give."

But he spun right back around. "Dream on. You're one of my hubbies and I'm gonna kiss you goodbye if I want to. Kenton's just gonna have to get used to queer public displays of affection now that we jockbros are all at it."

Well, since he put it that way ...

We hugged and had a nice long lingering kiss. We were right in front of the cars headed north as they turned to go around the square, so we had quite an audience. But at least they couldn't see us from over in front of Starbucks. The woods were in the way.

"What are you doing in town anyway?" he asked after we surfaced for air. "Why aren't you still in Columbus with Johnny? Didn't you stay for the parade?"

"Howabout I tell you next time we talk. I've got some stuff to take care of now."

He pressed his lips together and stared. "Sure you're okay? Come on, I don't want to leave you alone with some weirdo after you."

"I'll be all right. I'll just stay out of the woods."

Reluctantly, he went on his way. I watched him as he jogged over to the center path that Carey had just gone up a little while ago. After he got some headway, I followed. As I walked up the path, I was waiting for someone to jump out of the trees at me. I wondered what Trenton had actually seen. Could it be that someone would  wear a hood in the square on a hot afternoon just to scare me?

Trouble was, it worked and I was fucking scared, and had been since Tuesday when this crap had all started before we went to the rally. But I didn't care about me. Fuck me. I was worried about the others - my mom, Johnny, Jeannie, Ginny too, the other guys, and even my dad, the son of a bitch.

Just thinking about it, I could feel myself beginning to panic. My heart was thumping, my body trembling. I felt trapped in a swirling vertigo of danger. All I had done was the right thing, tried to protect me and Johnny, our very lives, and help out a sweet innocent kid in trouble ...

I didn't know what to do. And I couldn't tell anybody.

I was approaching the paved bike path and heard familiar voices. It caused me to slink back into the trees to watch as the owners of those voices passed by.

I was right. It was Dino walking along the path with Danny and his little dog Pip. Dino had his hand on Danny's shoulder and they were talking about Johnny and the Xanadude float in the parade this morning. A little ways behind them were Corey and Harry, laughing and throwing punches at each other's shoulders and arms as they walked along, one of the few acceptable ways for dudes to touch each other in public and show affection.

I figured they were on their way to Starbucks and I felt like a complete jackass hiding from them in the woods. But I didn't want to talk to anyone else in case I was actually being stalked. Who knew what the stalker's intentions were? It was bad enough I'd already been seen with Braden, Carey, and Trenton. I didn't want to involve anyone else.

At first I'd thought the threats on social media were just another example of homophobic bigotry, cowardly attempts at bullying that wouldn't amount to anything. Or at least I'd hoped so. Now I was beginning to think differently.

I waited until the boys had passed by, then ran out across the bike path and over the grass on the north side of the square past the big playground and playing fields. I didn't want to go back to my mom's, not if some psycho was following me. I crossed over at the sidewalk to the Columbus Road and began jogging back up to the library. I hardly ever went there but this would be the second time today.

I slowed down to a walk as I passed the fire station and city hall, and I pulled out my phone and called Johnny. It was almost two-thirty and I figured he'd be done with all the parade activity by now.

He picked up right away. "Jason! Man, you oughtta be here. We're having a really good time."

Oh jeez, it was so good to hear his voice. "Hi Johnny. I miss you. Where are you?"

"We're at Jocko's. Cabel had to come in to work, so we came to eat and hang around. Channing had to go home cuz he has to work tonight. I'm waiting for Daniel to pick me up. He's getting an Uber car to go out to meet those Abercrombie executives. Ernie and Shondo are gonna hang out here till I get back." He paused and let out a laugh. "You know, shoot pool and probably hit on some of the hot dudes here."

"Yah, sounds like them. Did those Colt Studio models bother you?" I asked, sitting down on a bench outside the library.

"Hell yeah, they were all over me. Some of them are here now. I keep telling them I have a boyfriend and show them your football selfie."

"Ho! What do they say to that?"

"They want us both to go out to San Francisco and make porn videos with them."

I snorted at that. "Yah, only so they could fuck our brains out."

"Nah, they're nice guys, Jason. And I'm sure some of them would rather have us do the fucking."

That got me smiling. "Now we're talkin'. You looked really hot in the parade. My mom said you looked yummy."

"Yummy?" He hooted at that. "It's so weird to be a sex object to my future mother-in-law."

"Fuck. I love being a sex object. Makes you wonder why women complain about it so much. Way better than not being lusted after. Did you put your clothes back on?"

"Yah, I kept the Speedo on and a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. That way I can strip for the executives if they want."

"Cool. I'm sure they'll definitely want that. I'd sure wanna see your bod. Just wait till I'm close enough to touch it again. Hey, who slept with who last night?"

"Everybody slept in our room. Me and Channing and Cabel in one bed, Ernie and Shondo in the other."

"Did ya's fool around?" I had to ask.

"Nah, we were fuckin' tired. And really bummed worrying about you. Did you have any trouble getting home?"

I laughed. "Not really, but it was sort of an adventure. I'll tell you about it when you return."

"I heard your mom knew about Cabel, huh?"

"Oh yah, I'll tell you all about that too."

"I probably won't be there till later. Maybe seven or eight. Daniel and his producer and his crew are coming down to Kenton. The boss in Atlanta wants more video of us at home doing the things we normally do every day. They'll be in town three or four days filming us."

"Whoa! Fuck, Johnny. That's amazing."

But I could feel myself shake all over. Was more attention what I really wanted now? Would it just make things worse than they already were?

"Just come home, Johnny," I told him. "I miss you. I love you. I wanna be with you."

He was quiet for a second, then, "Are you all right, Jason?"

"Yah I'm okay. Just get your ass home, dude, and I'll be even better."

"I love you too, babe. You're the most important person in the world to me. Don't forget that. I'll see you later when I get home."

I ended the call and pulled out the pill box from my pocket. No way was I going to make it through the day without some help. My hands were shaking so much it was difficult to take out one of the pills and pop it into my mouth. But I managed. I sucked up enough saliva to swallow it and then sat there in the hot sun trembling with my dark little secret, waiting for relief to come.

**

Thanks everybody for reading, commenting, and voting.

Next ... another hooded figure?