Halo IV
Marco

By: Micah Diablo
(© 2010-2011 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 3
I Forgot to Remember to Forget

"Dude, get out of my face," Matt said to Nate as they both stood outside of the midnight madness for the start of the football season.

Nate folded his arms. "Or what?"

Matt breathed a deep sigh. "Look man, I am trying to be cool."

"Yeah, trying, but definitely not succeeding," Nate said with a smile. "I swear, you are pathetic."

"I'm pathetic? You're the one chasing after somebody else's boyfriend," Matt said throwing his hands up in aggravation.

"Because I am a big believer in … if you can't do your job right, step aside and let a real man do the job for you," Nate said to him as he walked past him.

Matt continued his aggravated sighs, hoping this was over.

However, Nate turned back around.

"The funny thing is, I doubt I have to put in much work because you are going to pretty much hand me Coy," he said with an evil smile. "Then I can fuck your boyfriend, over and over again. Like before."

That set Matt off. Matt tackled Nate down the hill, towards where the party was going to be celebrated.

I waved to some people I knew from school as we stood outside on the shore of Atlantic City. It was midnight, aka the start of the football season. Some of everybody was here, ready to celebrate the beginning of the season. Football was a big thing in Atlantic City.

"Have you seen Matt?" I asked Josh who looked like he had a lot on his mind.

He shook his head and went back to sipping on his punch, or what I at least hoped was punch in that cup of his.

"You okay, bro?"

He looked up at me with a sad look in his face.  "No ... I wish I WAS," he said before he turned to leave.

I wasn't sure if I should go after him or not. I hope he wasn't about to do anything stupid.  "Nah, Josh is better than that," I said shaking the thought off.

I had to find Matt. I had a feeling something was about to happen and Matt hasn't exactly been the happiest person for the past couple of days.

I noticed Daniel standing there looking like he was lost in thought.

"Wow, Daniel, you and the rainbow soldiers out-did yourselves," I said walking up to him and flashing him a smile.

He smiled weakly at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"It's this ... Anthony," he said with a sigh. "If you didn't know ... we're a couple ... Well, I heard he might be cheating on me."

He noticed my face as I looked away from him.

"So it really is true," Daniel said to me. "God, am I this much of an idiot to actually think he was a good guy."

"Anthony is a great guy," I said trying to defend my friend. "A real great guy."

"Then why didn't you date him when you had the chance, Coy?" he asked me.

As if by chance, two people came rolling down the hill and knocking over a table of food that was near Daniel and me.

All the guests around us were startled by the outburst.

"What the hell?" Darek asked as he ran up with Giselle, Carmen, Nick, and Ky.

"Guys … stop!" Daniel said as he tried to break the two up.

"Is that ... Nate ... and..." Carmen began, but I finished for her.

"MATT!" I growled in embarrassment.

********

SCENE B

Two days earlier....

"Can you believe I'm captain," Giselle remarked to Carmen as they sat in the gym of the school.

"Co-captain," Carmen corrected her.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that you were a cheerleader, too," Giselle said with a smile as she hugged her. "Ah, and here comes the part that I hate. Tryouts. I can not believe Rebecca Morgan decided to pick the first game to drop out. We have got to find a replacement for her."

"Yeah, I know," Carmen said with a sigh. "It'll be alright though."

Giselle picked up a roster of the girls trying out. "You know, I wish we could just pick-out a cheerleader based on her name."

Carmen scoffed. "Her name? How do you propose that we do that?"

Giselle pointed to a name on the paper.

"Sasha Greer," she said as if Carmen were supposed to know what that meant. "Sasha, is a sexy name. Hello, Beyonce's alter ego is named Sasha. And that bitch is fierce."

"Ah," Carmen said nodding her head in mock understanding.

"See, Griselda Pavel," Giselle continued. "That name sounds like a disease that itches."

Carmen rolled her eyes. "Let's just get this started, weirdo. Okay...Joshanna Jackson. Please step up and show us what you got."

Carmen and Giselle looked around at the girls looking to try out but nobody seemed to be Joshanna.

"Um ... Joshanna Jackson, are you there?" Carmen called out, looking at the girls.

"See, yet another ugly name," Giselle muttered. "What grade is she?"

"Says a senior but I don't know anybody by that name in our grade," Carmen replied. "Well ... if Joshanna isn't here I guess we can move on to the next..."

The door opened and Giselle gasped as Josh walked in a tight cheerleader outfit with his hairy legs showing. Nick & Ky walked in behind him and headed to the bleachers to watch their friend make a fool of himself.

"Girl," Carmen finished. "Josh, what the hell is this?"

"I am trying out for the vacant cheerleading spot," he said to her. "Hey, Giselle."

Giselle waved nervously at him. Carmen sighed in frustration.

"We are looking for girls ... Joshanna," Carmen said with a tight smile.

"Doesn't say that on the flyer," he said walking up to her, handing her the flyer. "It says on the flyer that..."

"I know what the flyer says," Carmen snapped.

Giselle looked from one to the other.

"You two just need to have sex and get it over it," she muttered to nobody in particular.

"No, Josh needs to leave because he is not welcome to try out," Carmen said handing the flyer back to Josh.

"Ohhhhh, really?" he asked as he leaned down in her face.

"Josh, your skirt is too short to be bending over like that," Ky yelled out to him.

Josh blushed and looked Carmen in the eye. "Look, how would the principal or school board like to know that you turned a student away from trying out? I could have this squad shut down before the end of the day."

The other cheerleaders all screamed out, "Let him try out."

Giselle looked over at Carmen. "It's just a try out. Come on, Carmie."

"Yeah, Carmie; it's just a try out," Josh said with a challenging smile. "What do ya got to lose?"

"Don't call me Carmie," Carmen said with an annoyed look. "Fine, the floor is yours ... Joshanna Jackson."

"That's Miss Jackson, if you nasty," he said flashing her a smile and heading to the center of the gym.

Giselle raised her hand. "Before you start, everything in that skirt of yours is tucked into their places, correct? We don't need to flash our young freshmen in here."

Josh smiled and closed his eyes. "Oh, Carmie, you're so fine, you're so fine, you blow my mind, Hey, Carmen," he began as he did some really good backflips. "Yeah, Yeah, Hey, Carmie."

"Wow, he is really good," Giselle said as she began getting into his routine.

"Oh, Carmie, what a pity you don't understand, you take me by the heart, when you take me by the hand," he continued. "Oh, Carmie, you're so pretty, can't you understand? It's girls like you, Carmie, oh, what you do, Carmie, do, Carmie, don't break my heart, Carmie."

He did a really good split that everyone in the gym all stood up giving him a thunderous round of applause.

"Yeah, Josh," Nick screamed out.

"That's my boy," Ky yelled out, whistling proud of Josh.

The applause was thunderous and Josh smiled at everybody who was cheering him on. Ever since he came back from rehab at the military camp, he wanted to show people he wasn't some junkie. He just made some bad mistakes and it cost him somebody important. The one girl who meant everything to him.

"You gotta admit, he was pretty good," Giselle said to Carmen as the applause finally died down for Josh's routine.

Josh walked towards the two girls and had an expectant look on his face. He looked to Giselle first who had a giddy smile on her face.

"Forget looking for a girl, Josh. Who knew you had some moves like that?" she said excitedly. "I think we should allow Josh onto the guy division of our team. What do you think, Carmen?"

"No," she said simply. That one word held so much emotion in it that both Giselle's and Josh's smiles faltered slightly.

Nick and Ky walked up behind Josh trying to understand what was going on.

"He's really good," Giselle said to her friend. "I say we forget the girls and just focus on a new routine featuring Josh and the guys.

Carmen shook her head. "Giselle, we agreed that when we both took on captain responsibilities that if we couldn't find a mutual interest in somebody that we weren't going to fight over it. I'm not interested in Josh."

Josh looked down at the ground embarrassed.

"Besides, he has football practice at the same time we have practice and he can't possibly be in two practices at once," she continued. "Basically, his tryout just wasted time for us, and we still have to find somebody before club period is over and second period begins."

Giselle looked at Josh, realizing she was fighting a losing battle.

"Carmen, don't be like that," Ky said to her. "He's been working hard on that routine for a few days now."

"I don't care, Ky," she said shaking her head. "I really don't. It was an average, corny routine. I've seen better."

"Being a cheerleader is corny anyway," Ky said, angry at how Carmen was acting.

"Just let it go," Josh said, sadly. "Thanks for watching, and I'm glad everybody else enjoyed it, even if it did nothing for you, Carmen."

Josh headed to the changing room followed behind Nick. Ky stayed behind.

"You know, Carmen you have always been the coolest girl I know, because you were so sweet and forgiving," he said to her. "But right now, you are just being a bitch."

Ky followed after the two of them while Giselle flashed Carmen a look that she tried to ignore.

"Next!" Carmen yelled out.

As angry as Carmen was at Josh, she didn't want to admit that she truly did like it. It was corny. But it was done for her.

She didn't want him to know, that on the inside, she was smiling.

SCENE C

Nate walked into Coach Taylor's office and saw Matt was sitting in there as well. He grew nervous. He flashed a look at Matt who shrugged and flashed him an equally confusing look.

"What's going on?" Nate asked Coach Taylor as he took a seat in his office.

Coach Taylor looked from Matt to Nate and Nate to Matt.

'Boys, I have spoken to each of the players individually about the possibility of who the Captain should be," he said to them both. "Two names that were constant in these conversations were Matt Gleisner and Nate Soto."

Nate smiled, pleased at his fan-base in the team, while Matt was trying to hold in his excitement. One of them was about to be crowned Captain of the team.

"Nate, you were a new addition to the team last year but made an impact as if you had been here since your freshman year," Coach Taylor said. "Josh went through an awful year and we lost him but we gained another great player. You were one of the leading figures who led our team to victory this past season. The boys admire your ferocity, your drive ... your strength as a player. You are our shortest guy on our team at 5'7" but you are our biggest team member because of your power. Your weakness is that you allow your anger to sometimes destroy you. You get angry and sometimes it clouds your judgment. That weakens you."

Nate noticed a smirk out of the corner of his eyes coming from Matt and did his best not to frown.

"Matt, this is your third season of football and lacrosse with me, and you are another one of the elite members of the team along with Nate," Coach Taylor said to Matt. "Off the field, you can be an intimidating figure around campus to some of the other kids. I have watched your battle over the past two years with Coy James, and I've seen you fight for something other than for sports. You fought for your heart. Your heart is your biggest strength because you have compassion and you're there for your teammates as a voice of reassurance even when we lose. However, the same persona you have off the field, I don't see on the field. You have lately, ever since last season, been losing some of that emotional intensity, and you have been there. But just there. You did all that was required of you as a team member, but that 'Matt' that was there the season before, was a mere shadow."

Matt knew exactly what the coach was talking about. Last season was a rocky season with Marco and Tony and everything going on, and it caused him to lose focus a bit.

"As strong as both of you boys are on your own, you have your weaknesses that … as captain, neither of you would be a good captain," Coach Taylor said. "On your own, that is. Which is why … I'm making both of you … captains. Co-captains."

"What?" Nate and Matt asked in unison.

"Every quality that you, Matt, lack on your own, you, Nate, have, while every quality that you, Nate, lack on YOUR own, Matt has," Coach Taylor explained. "Together, you two are a perfect choice for captains."

Nate and Matt were both speechless at this news.

"It's not a problem, is it, boys?" he asked them both with an expectant look.

Nate and Matt shook their heads in a simultaneous 'no'.

"All right! Well, captains, I'll see you at practice," he said to them. "Congratulations to you both."

Still shocked at this news, both boys barely managed an audible 'thank you' to Coach before they made their way out.

Coach Taylor was aware of the drama between the two boys. He was hoping that their differences would be an asset for the team during the coming year.

Matt and Nate both stood outside the office, still in complete shock. So shocked that they didn't even bother trying to come up with a smart comment.

Instead they both went in opposite directions toward their classes.

SCENE D

Anthony sat with Darek as they worked out in the gym.

"You know, I never would've seen the day that I was hanging around Darek Bouzakis," Anthony said with a smile. "Now, he's like my BFF."

The two shared a good laugh.

"And I never would've seen the day where I would not have only a gay brother but almost every guy I'm friends with is either gay, was straight then gay, or was a junkie who just wanted to fuck," Darek said with a smile. "But I love'em all."

"Good, somebody's made a lot of progress," Anthony said to him.

"Spot me, dude," Darek said as he went to the bench press to begin some more intense work.

Anthony followed him, and they began to start lifting with Anthony spotting him. He had something he wanted to talk about, but he couldn't involve Darek, since it involved his brother. Not directly, anyway.

"Hey, you know I've been wanting Coy for awhile, now, right?" he asked Darek.

Darek breathed hard. "Yeah ... Give it ... Give it up, dude," he said as he lifted. "Coy, is Matt obsessed. I doubt they will ever breakup. Besides ... I heard that you had a small window ... and then ... you almost killed him."

Anthony rolled his eyes. "I didn't know he couldn't swim, and I didn't mean to push him into the pool. Who knew Coy was a stereotype?"

Darek laughed a little at that as he kept lifting.

"No, I got a boyfriend," Anthony said. "Two, actually."

"Really? Anybody I know?" Darek asked, being happy for his friend. "Hopefully, nobody in our circle."

Anthony thought about it. He couldn't exactly tell Darek he was having mind-blowing sex with his brother.

"Um, well one of them is Daniel, from rainbow soldiers," Anthony said. "The other one ... you don't know."

"Wow, I would've never guessed you and Danny boy as a couple," Darek said as he took a break and just lay there for a few seconds.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anthony asked him.

"I mean … it's simple," Darek explained. "Daniel is a really goody-two shoes, and you're a ... a bad boy with good tendencies."

Anthony thought about it. Maybe that was what attracted him to Daniel. Their personalities and thought processes were completely different. They countered and balanced each other out at the same time.

"What about this other guy?" Darek asked as they begin to go round two.

"He is ... he's like me," Anthony said thinking about it. "He's just as intense. Just as strong and mysterious, and he likes to do all the things I like to do and more..."

"Okay, let's keep this as uncomfortable as possible," Darek joked. "I am still learning, here."

Anthony blushed. "Sorry."

"Nah, I'm just shitting with you, man," Darek said to him. "But why are you dating them both?"

"Because I want them both ... I think," Anthony said, confused.

"That can't end well," Darek said with a grunt. "But if this other guy is just like you ... doesn't that mean he probably isn't into monogamy either?"

Anthony looked up and saw Damien outside, talking to one of the soccer players and giving him a kiss on the lips. He let the bar drop on Darek without intentionally meaning to and ran outside.

"Uh ... Anthony," Darek grunted out.

Damien smiled at the guy he was talking to and gave him a hug. He saw an angry Anthony walking towards him.

"Oh, boy," He muttered. "Hey, Ant."

Anthony looked at him, annoyed. He turned his attention to the guy with Damien.

"You have five second to run before I feed you your own dick," he said to him.

The guy looked over at Damien who shrugged.

"You might want to go," he said to the guy. "I'll catch you later."

Anthony watched as the two shared a kiss and then as a confused looking Damien turned looking at him.

"You look mad? What's wrong, babe?" he asked Anthony, who looked at him bewildered.

"Babe? I'm your baby? Meanwhile, you are over here kissing some dude ... right in front of me?" Anthony asked, annoyed.

Damien chuckled a little. "Oh, Mark Armstrong? Oh, he's just a fling. And trust me, that arm is strong."

Anthony looked at him and shook his head. "Damien, we are a couple and you are hooking up with random dudes?"

He knew he was being hypocritical about the situation but he didn't want to be the one getting cheated on.

"Babe, it's okay," Damien said grabbing Anthony's hip.

Anthony pushed him away. "Your brother might see us. How is this okay?"

"How is hiding from my brother like Jews hiding from the Nazis, okay?" Damien asked him. "Look, I have my flings for us. Because monogamous relationships don't work, because people actually convince themselves that they can have only one partner for the rest of their lives. I don't know about you, but I can't just have sex with one person for the rest of my life. So I still have my hookups on the side. But I am not greedy. I don't go back to the same person more than once. It's a fling. One time and on to the next. You're the only one I keep coming back to. You're the only one that I do everything with. You're the only one my heart, as small as it may be, wants to be with."

Anthony stared at Damien with a shocked look on his face. "So you're telling me that in order to make us work, we should cheat?"

"It's not cheating," Damien said with a laugh. "Cheating is something that we do to have an unfair advantage over somebody else, Anthony. You have the same opportunities. Have fun but keep all emotions out of it. Save the emotions for just us. But the physical for us and whoever you choose."

Anthony looked up and saw Daniel hard at work at … apparently … some homework.

"Hmmm. Whoever I choose, huh?" Anthony asked him. Damien nodded at him. "Okay."

Anthony walked past Damien towards Daniel at the table.

"Wait ... I didn't ... mean him," Damien called out to an oblivious Daniel. "There's obviously some emotion there."

He just hoped not enough to make it anymore than sex.

"What are you doing?" Darek asked his brother, who was frowning. He looked to see Anthony hugging Daniel. "Oh, they really do look good together. He was telling me about him in the gym before he left me to die. Remind me, to punch him later."

Darek left his annoyed brother, watching Anthony and Daniel.

Anthony looked up to see a jealous looking Damien frowning.

"If it's a battle you want, then you got it," Anthony thought to himself as he smiled at Damien and waved. "But I will win the war."

Damien stormed off in anger. Anthony was soon going to find out why they called him the son of the devil.

SCENE E

"He what?" Ky, Nick, and Josh said in unison as the sat in the Student Center for lunch.

Matt sighed and shook his head. "He made Nate & me co-captains."

"Wow, is Coach smoking?" Ky asked as he ate his fries. "I mean you hate Nate, and Nate hates you."

Matt shrugged his shoulders. I looked at the four of them with an amused look on my face.

"Guys, you are so immature," I said with a chuckle. "You are obviously his best two team members ... No offense to you guys."

"Some taken," Nick said with a fake hurt look.

I threw a fry at him as Anthony took a seat at the table.

"Nate and Matt are both Captains," Nick explained to his brother.

"Oh, yeah? Ha, this'll be an interesting season," Anthony said with a chuckle. "Speaking of interesting, Josh, dude ... Cheerleading uniform? Splits? You sure you're still not gay."

"This whole thing with trying to make Carmen laugh and forgive me ... it's impossible," he said, frustrated.

"Don't give up," I said to my friend. "She'll come around sooner or later."

"I put money on later," Nick and Ky said in unison.

I looked at Matt and rested my head on his shoulder. "See, they got the whole cute antics thing going down. We need something cute like that."

"They both have their own twins as well, so I guess twin telepathy goes to other twins, too, huh?" Matt joked. "Besides we have our own little cute things. I know you love skittles and what do I do? I take all the other colors out except the red ones because I know you hate searching for them."

"I guess you're cute in your own way," I said as I kissed him.

"Gag me," Nate said as he and Darek walked up the table. Darek took a seat across from me while Nate sat beside me.

"What are you doing here?" Matt asked, annoyed.

I rubbed his arm softly to calm him down.

"Darek wants to sit with you guys," Nate said to him. "I want Coy…"

I flashed him a weird look.

"...to help me with my English homework," he said, pulling out his textbook. "Ha, what did you think I was going to say?"

I looked at Matt who looked like he was more thrilled with getting butt-fucked again than me helping Nate.

"You're good with English, right? I remember you told me you loved it," he said to me.

I smiled and nodded my head.

"Then it is your sworn duty to help me then … Edgar Allan Poe!" he said, and that caused me to laugh.

Matt got up and stormed off. I sighed and shook my head.

He was really too jealous, and he knew he had no reason to be.

"I was about to ask what's up with Matt, but I see a jackass over here, so no surprise," Carmen said, taking his empty seat beside me.

She looked over at Josh and Nate, with disapproving stares . "What do you know? Two jackasses at the table? It must be my unlucky day."

"Carmen … God! Stop being such a bitch," Ky said angrily. "You are being cold and heartless right now. The dude was beat by his father for no reason, not that there is a reason to justify that, and his father shot him. No wonder he was fucking screwed up. No offense, Josh. You call yourself his friend? You say you love him? What kind of loving friend treats her friend like the scum of the earth? Nate, I can understand. Josh? He's been our friend for like almost ten years and you treat him like shit. No wonder he didn't tell you about it when it first happened. Because you are a fucking bitch."

Ky got up and walked off with Nick following behind him. Josh flashed her an empty look and followed after them.

"You ARE kinda being a bitch," Giselle said to Carmen who flashed her a dirty look. "What? I'm just saying. It doesn't look good for you. Save it for the natural bitch, aka me."

"I can't believe you would want to fuck Daniel and you're my boyfriend," Damien said as he walked up to the table.

"What?" Darek bellowed out.

"Is it this dramatic all the time?" Nate muttered to me.

"Like a revolving door of drama," I muttered back.

"You're fucking my brother? AND Daniel?" Darek asked turning on Anthony.

"I can explain..." Anthony began.

"Why do people who cheat always start off with that?" Giselle asked.

"Not helping, Giselle," Anthony muttered through his teeth.

Damien stormed off, leaving an angry Darek with Anthony. He knew what he was doing.

"I am whooping your ass ... right now," Darek said to him.

"Whoa, wait," I said rushing to stop Darek. "Look, your first game is this week and we really don't need to be fighting."

"He's right, baby," Giselle said trying to calm her boyfriend down. "Come on, let's go."

Carmen, Giselle, and Darek left the three of us there.

"And you," I said turning on Anthony. "Damien Bouzakis & Daniel Rodriguez? This will kill Daniel when he finds out about this."

"I know, I know," Anthony said annoyed with this whole situation. "But you don't understand."

"Then help me understand, Ant," I said frustrated. "I feel like all of our lives is a freaking story and every chapter is drama, drama, drama, and more drama. It would certainly make a good read."

"You don't understand Coy," He said storming off and leaving me at the table.

I sighed. "I should go find Matt."

"But my homework... It's due tomorrow."

"Nate, I'm sorry, but I really should find my boyfriend. You have Professor Miller .. .all he does is take 10 points off for late homework," I said to him. "You remember where I live right? Meet me at the Dairy Queen by my house and we can get some ice cream and work on it at my house. Just meet me there after practice."

"It's a date," he said with a smile.

I looked at him before I walked off in search of Matt.

"You will be mine, Coy," he said with a sly smile.

SCENE F

Matt, Anthony, Nick, Ky, and Josh all sat on the field waiting for the rest of the team to come.

"My first meeting as co-captain and everybody is late," Matt said looking at his watch. "Including the other co-captain."

Anthony looked over at Nick who looked at him angrily.

"You told me you were going to fix this, Ant," he said to his brother. "All you did was make it worse."

Anthony looked down at the ground. "It's just complicated … Nobody would understand."

"Try us," Josh said to him.

Anthony sighed softly. "Since sophomore year, I've wanted Coy. He is so different than most people you will ever come across in your lifetime, and when you have somebody that special in your life, it makes you want to keep them there forever. But Matt came along, and the better man won his heart. For two years, I've wanted Coy. Part of me still wants him, now, in senior year, but most of me now wants what Coy ... and Matt  … have. True love. Ky and Nick have each other. Giselle and Darek. Carmen had Nate and Josh. Oh, and Josh, I want you to know that I don't blame her. You hurt her more than once. Her forgiveness shouldn't be won that easily. If she is even taking the time to hate you, then that should tell you she cares still because she could just ignore you."

Josh nodded in agreement.

"I never have anybody," he said to them. "I never have anybody to talk to the way you guys do. I never have anybody to keep me warm. I'm scared of lonely, because when you're lonely you began to think about how much your life sucks. So Damien came along and he is hot; he is a fantasy come true. Daniel came along and he is like an angel. He is probably the first guy who came along and actually makes me forget about Coy in that way."

"What are you saying?" Ky asked him.

"I'm saying, as selfish as it sounds ... my heart wants them both," Anthony said sadly. "I want them both to be mine."

Nick rolled his eyes and got up. "I want to go run by myself."

He went and ran around the field leaving the four of them there.

"Is my watch fast or something?" Matt asked looking down at it. "Everybody is now like forty minutes late. Coach was giving us the first half of practice, unobserved to see how we would do. He will be here soon to check on progress. Maybe I should call Nate."

"No need," Josh said pointing to Darek and Nate and the rest of the team walking towards them in uniform.

Matt got up and ran towards them. "Where the hell have you guys been?"

"We were at The Shack like you told us to be," Nate said to him. "To get some floats."

"What the fuck are you talking about? I never told you to be at the shack," Matt said confused.

"Yeah, you all sent us emails telling us to meet you there," Darek said confused. "Only you weren't there. So we left and came back and got ready."

"I never sent anything," Matt said to them.

"Yeah, we never got an email," Anthony explained.

"Well, we did," The team all said in unison.

"Your email address is matthewpgleisner@ac.edu ... correct?" Nate asked him curiously.

"Well, yeah," Matt said still confused. "But..."

"Well, that's the address we got the email from." Nate said folding his arms. "I mean, we all can't be lying."

Matt was confused. He never sent anything out.

"Maybe you have a hacker or something," Nate suggested.

Matt looked him in the eye and that was when he knew that Nate had hacked his email account and sent out letters to the team ... except his friends.

"Maybe," Matt said with a smile. "Guys, forgive me, the heat must have made me forgot. Hey, Nate I gotta suggestion. Since we're both co-captains, I thought it'd be cool if we rotated power daily. One day, I will be captain, the next day you will be. That way everybody can get used to our way of doing things and we won't always have a conflict about how we want to do something. Two leaderships styles. Best of both worlds."

"Okay, Hannah Montana," Nate said sarcastically. "Fine, best idea I ever heard you come up with. I will even let you go first."

"I was hoping you would say that," Matt said with an evil grin. "Alright, everybody get ready and do double suicides."

The team all groaned and complained while Nate flashed Matt a challenging glare.

"That means you, too, Nate," Matt said with a smile. "After all, today is my day. Tomorrow is yours."

Nate smiled back at Matt, realizing he'd walked into a trap. "Okay ... Oh, and guys before we start our double suicides ... I want to let you know. Practice tomorrow morning, 4 a.m. Don't be late or it will be triple suicides. You too, Matt."

"Sounds like a plan," Matt said before the rest of the team got ready for the double suicides. He turned to his friends. "Sorry, guys that includes you, too. I can't have favoritism on the team, you know."

Ky groaned. "I hope you know what you are doing, man."

Matt and Nate shared a smirk.

"Trust me, I do," he said with a smile. "GO!"

********

 SCENE G

Damien watched Daniel walk towards his car. He was never one for monogamy, but for some reason it bothered him that Anthony and Daniel could have something together as well.

So he was going to do what the Bouzakis guys were known for.

Ruin people's lives.

"Danny boy," Damien said walking over to his car.

Daniel forced a smile. "It's Daniel, and can I help you, Dame?"

Damien smiled at him. "I was just making some convo. You know, I'm new here, but since I've been here, I've heard about you and your fag soldiers have really made a difference for the gay community."

"It's called the rainbow soldiers," Daniel said trying to keep his cool. "You know, I feel by us calling ourselves fags or dykes or queers or whatever, we are giving homophobes power to use the word."

"Spare the peace, love, and crap, Ghandi," Damien said rolling his eyes. "I just think it's remarkable that you're making a difference and you don't have a soldier of your own standing beside you and fighting."

"Actually, I do," Daniel said with an evil grin. He didn't like Darek, and he certainly didn't like Damien and was hoping to knock him down a peg. "Anthony and I are a couple."

Damien laughed for a few moments. So it was more than a possibility. A certainty.

"Wow, see? I was going to say that you and I share the same love for Abercrombie clothes, but now I see we share a whole lot more," he said still laughing.

Daniel eyed him confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," Damien said. "Except we have the same taste in guys. My boyfriend is your boyfriend."

"You're lying," Daniel said not wanting to believe him.

"Am I, Danny boy? Am I? I mean I was blowing him at a back-to-school party on the shore," Damien said throwing his hands in the air. "It wasn't the first time either, and I even let him blow his load in my mouth. Something, I never let any other guy do. I mean the story pretty much writes itself."

Daniel tried to fight back the tears in his eyes. "We just started dating ... like two days ago, and he's cheating already?"

Damien patted him on the back. "Guess, you aren't man enough for him and he needs something a little wilder to make him feel good. It's okay though, bud. I have no problem picking up your slack. We can share the boy. Who knows, maybe we can do a threesome. Never mind, I do have standards that you don't meet."

Daniel shrugged Damien off his shoulder and flashed him a teary glare. "Why are you such an ass?"

"Because you touched something that is mine," Damien said to him. "I told you before I don't share. So stay the hell away from Anthony."

Damien turned to leave.

"Or what?" Daniel asked him.

Damien stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Or what, he asks. Daniel, do you really want to go up against me and fight me for Anthony? Because I can guarantee … you … will … lose."

Damien stood right in Daniel's face, ready for an answer. He smiled when he got one.

"Stay in a child's place and stay the hell away from Anthony," he said as he left a nervous Daniel standing at his car.

Damien smiled to himself as he walked off. He had staked his claim into what was his own.

SCENE H

Nate and I sat in Dairy Queen laughing. We had finished his homework and were just eating our ice cream and talking.

"Coy, I don't know if anyone has ever told you, but you are a nerd, my friend, a nerd," Nate said as he ate his ice cream.

I laughed and flashed him a dirty look. "Hey, now; this nerd just helped you probably get your first 'A' in English, ever."

"Good point," he said, biting his lip. "You're a nerd. A hot nerd."

I choked on the cherry that I was about to swallow.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he made a move to try to help me.

I pushed him away as I felt it finally go down.

"I'm fine," I said clearing my throat. "Nate, why do you have to always ruin things by saying inappropriate stuff like that?"

"Because it's true, Coy," he said.

I sighed and got up and grabbed my bags. "Look, maybe this was a mistake. I should go."

I walked out of the restaurant. Nate jumped up and ran after me.

"Coy! COY!" he yelled out as I started crossing the street.

He ran after me and almost got hit by an oncoming car.

"Wait up," he yelled.

I stopped and looked at him. "What is it, Nate?"

"I just want to talk to you," he said, out of breath.

"You just want to cause problems," I said to him. "God, maybe Matt was right about you?"

"Right about me? Fuck him," Nate said, trying to catch his breath. " He's jealous because he knows what we had."

"We had nothing, Nate," I said to him. "You had something with Marco, not me."

"Marco is still in there inside of you; I know it," he said to me. "Just like you were inside of him then."

"I hope not," I said, turning to leave.

"Coy, you think I'm chasing after Marco, but I am not. Marco is dead. I'm chasing after Coy. I'm chasing after you."

"Stop chasing me because I don't want to be caught," I said. "Not by you. I am happy where I am."

"Are you really? Because when I almost kissed you the other day, you seemed to be afraid of Matt hurting you again," he said.

"Matt loves me and he's not going to hurt me," I said.

"Are you sure about that? Or is that what you're trying to tell yourself?" he asked.

"I am sure about it," I answered. "Matt is still here, has been here through it all. He made a mistake, and I trust him."

"You trust somebody who cheated on you? You know that when they cheat, they'll do it again. Why not get with somebody who won't cheat on you?"

I folded my arms. "You cheated on your girlfriend last year with me ... my other personality," I said to him. "If they cheat once, they'll do it again. Right?"

"I did it because I didn't love her, Coy," He said. "I loved you. I love you, Coy."

"No, you love Mar..." I began but was interrupted by Nate kissing me. It took me so much by surprise that I didn't know what to do for a second.

Then I shoved him off and looked at him with a look of confusion. Then I stormed off.

"I got the pic," Damien said to Nate as he walked towards him.

Nate took the camera phone from him and looked at it. He was going to get what he wanted, even if he had to play real dirty.

SCENE I

Josh was jogging down the street back to Anthony and Nick's when he realized that the light to his old house was on.

He saw a familiar car in the driveway.

"No," he said as he stopped in his tracks. "God, no!"

He walked across the street, hoping that the car he was thinking about wasn't the same car.

His dad was back. Josh turned to leave but the front door opened.

"Josh?" his dad called out to him.

Josh stopped in his tracks but couldn't turn to face his father.

"I am not going to hurt you, son," he said, walking down the steps. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Josh said, still unable to face his father. "Why ... How ... Are you out?"

"Having money can get you out of virtually anything, Joshua," he said to his son. "I was able to talk the case down. I told them that I thought you were a burglar, and I didn't realize who you were until after I shot you."

Josh sighed angrily and turned around to finally face his dad.

"You cut your hair," Mr. Jackson said to him.

"You should be in Jail," Josh said through gritted teeth.

"Son, I am terribly sorry for what I did to you," Mr. Jackson said, voice shaking with emotion. "I was going through a bad period, and I took it out on you. Then I found out you were hanging with those fags..."

"News flash, Dad; I was one of those fags you call…" Josh said trying to hold back his tears back.

Mr. Jackson looked at him with a confused look.

"Yeah, Dad, I was so fucked up on drugs last year, that I wound up fucking my best friend and having a relationship with him," Josh said hoping to piss his father off. "Because I was fucked up with the drugs, and because of my sorry excuse of a father."

Mr. Jackson didn't know what to say to his son's revelation. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Maybe you should leave, Josh," His dad said to him.

Josh shook his head and walked towards the Pagan residence. He turned and looked back at his father.

He knew his father was back and that meant that his problems were far from over.

He just had to remember that he didn't need the drugs to deal anymore.

SCENE J

Ky sat with his boyfriend as they watched people around them mingle at the Midnight Madness celebration.

"You still mad at your brother?" Ky asked him.

Nick sighed. "You know, Ant and I are ... were … troublemakers in our younger days, and we caused problems here and there, and he was known as a player," he explained. "I didn't really care back then, because it wasn't my problem, and it wasn't anybody's I know. But he is playing a genuine good guy like Daniel. It's not right."

Ky had been dating Nick for almost two years, and he could tell when something was bothering his boyfriend, and he knew why.

"Nick, stop thinking about the past," he said grabbing his boyfriend's hand. "I fucked up and hurt you bad and played you and with your heart. I shouldn't have did that. Stop making Anthony and Daniel into Nick and Ky because they aren't us. He doesn't love Daniel as much as I love you."

Nick didn't say anything. He realized that Ky hurt him really bad then, and that was still with him.

"It's okay to still be angry at me a little," Ky said to him. "I'm angry at myself, daily, for how I acted then. But don't make Anthony into me. What was the one thing Anthony did that we hated? He tried to force his way into our relationship and tell us what to do. He wasn't telling us anything wrong, but he was in our relationship, nonetheless. Don't force your way into his relationship. Let him make the mistakes he needs to make on his own to learn the lesson he needs to learn."

Nick looked up at his boyfriend and kissed him softly on the lips. "I love you, Kyle James."

"I love you too, Nicky Pagan," he said as he gave him an angel kiss.

"Who knew you had some philosophical views inside of you?" Nick joked.

"Coy has been forcing me to watch Oprah, what can I say? She has rubbed off on me," Ky said with a laugh.

SCENE K

Matt stood with his mates from the team, joking around, when he felt his cell-phone vibrate in his pocket.

He opened it to see that it was a picture message from an unknown number.

"Hey guys, I'll be right back," he said to them. "I need to get a better signal."

He began to download the image as he walked trying to get a better signal. Finally after about thirty seconds or so, he got the image.

"Oh, my God!" he said, dropping his cell-phone.

"Nice pic, huh?" Nate asked, walking behind him.

Matt turned to see Nate standing right there. Face to face.

"Dude, get out of my face," Matt said to Nate as they both stood outside of the Midnight Madness for the start of the football season.

Nate folded his arms. "Or what?"

Matt breathed in a deep sigh. "Look man, I am trying to be cool."

"Yeah, trying but definitely not succeeding," Nate said with a smile. "I swear, you are pathetic."

"I'm pathetic? You're the one chasing after somebody else's boyfriend," Matt said throwing his hands up in aggravation.

"Because I am a big believer in … if you can't do your job right, step aside and let a real man do the job for you," Nate said to him as he walked past him.

Matt sighed in aggravation, hoping this was over.

However, Nate turned back around.

"The funny thing is, I doubt I have to put in much work because you are going to pretty much hand me Coy," He said with an evil smile. "Then I can fuck your boyfriend, over and over again. Like before."

That set Matt off. Matt tackled Nate down the hill, towards where the party was going to be celebrated.

I waved to some people I knew from school as we stood outside on the shore of Atlantic City. It was midnight aka the start of the football season. Some of everybody was here, ready to celebrate the beginning of the season. Football was a big thing in Atlantic City.

"Have you seen Matt?" I asked Josh who looked like he had a lot on his mind.

He shook his head and went back to sipping on his punch, or what I at least hoped was punch in that cup of his.

"You okay bro?"

He looked up at me with this sad look in his face. "No...I wish I Was," he said before he turned to leave.

I wasn't sure if I should go after him or not. I hope he wasn't about to do anything stupid. "Nah, Josh is better than that," I said shaking the thought off.

I had to find Matt. I had a feeling something was about to happen and Matt hasn't exactly been the happiest person for the past couple of days.

I noticed Daniel standing there looking like he was lost in thought.

"Wow, Daniel, you and the rainbow soliders out did yourselves," I said walking up to him and flashing him a smile.

He smiled weakly at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"It's this...Anthony," He said to me with a sigh. "If you didn't know...we are a couple...Well, I heard he might be cheating on me."

He noticed my face as I looked away from him.

"So it really is true," Daniel said to me. "God, am I this much of an idiot to actually think he was a good guy."

"Anthony is a great guy," I said trying to defend my friend. "A real great guy."

"Then why didn't you date him when you had the chance, Coy?" He asked me.

As if by chance, two people came rolling down the hill and knocking over a table of food that was nearby Daniel and I.

All the guests around us were startled by the outburst.

"What the hell?" Darek asked as he ran up with Giselle, Carmen, Nick, and Ky.

"Guys stop," Daniel said as he tried to break the two up.

"Is that...Nate....and..." Carmen began but I finished for her.

"MATT!" I growled in embarrassment.

I made a move to try and pull Matt apart from Nate, but he hit me across the face and caused me to fall back.

"Coy," he called out as he realized what he had done.

He tried to grab me but I pulled back from him.

"Oh, my God! Your nose is bleeding," Carmen said as she tried to get a napkin and wipe it off for me.

"Coy, I am so sorry," he said to me. "I didn't mean to do this."

"Take me home, Matt," I said to him softly.

I walked past him and I met eyes with Nate, but ignored the look he was giving me.

Anthony turned and faced a teary-eyed Daniel.

"You are still fucking Damien," he said to him sadly. "I hoped you were the guy I was waiting for. The guy that I could give my heart and all to. I am still a virgin and I would be willing to lose it to you. But you aren't that guy, anymore. You're just an asshole."

Daniel pushed past him and began to chastise Nate for fighting.

Anthony met eyes with Damien, who smiled at Anthony before he disappeared in the crowd.

"Fuck," Anthony said to himself as he realized that his two relationships were already coming apart and it had been less than a week.

I walked towards Matt's car and climbed inside the passenger seat. He walked up and got in on the driver's side.

He started the car and pulled out as we drove home.

"Second fight of the week at a party," I said to him softly. "I should start calling you 'Rocky'."

"He fucking kissed you, Coy," Matt said to me, pain evident in his voice. "He kissed you and you weren't going to tell me."

"I was going to tell you," I said angrily at him. "Forgive me for being the boyfriend who is concerned for your game tomorrow evening and wanting your focus to be on that and not on this. Cheating is not what you have to worry about. I am not the one known for cheating in this relationship."

My face hurt really bad.

"Coy. I..."

"Just drive, Matt," I said to him. "Just drive."

Something had to give. Because I couldn't deal with a jealous boyfriend for much longer. 

To be continued...