Mike anxiously paced back and forth in his room. It had been thirty minutes ago when his dad asked him if he was ready for his car. Of course, he was ready! He was ready last week. Had it not been for his punishment, he would have been tearing up the roads last week. Mike had no idea what the car was going be. He wasn’t into cars that much and didn’t have a dream car. Joe was able to get a BMW because he had some savings that he could contribute to the car. Mike did not have that kind of foresight so what his parents bought him was what he was going to drive. He didn’t really care that much, however. He just wanted his own wheels. Mike heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Dan opened his door.

  “Rocco’s not in here, is he?” Dan chuckled.

  “No, Dad!” Mike exclaimed.

  “Come on downstairs,” Dan said and went down the stairs.

  Mike anxiously walked downstairs. He saw Dan, Emily, and Joe standing by the front door. This was quite an event for the Barbers. Emily pulled out the trusty family camera to capture the moment. The camera flashed as he reached the bottom stair.

  “Mom!” Mike exclaimed.

  “Well, honey, I want to capture the moment!” his mom said.

  “Are you ready?” Dan said. Mike nodded. He glanced over at Joe who was smiling. Joe gave him a wink and a nod. “It’s parked in the front.”

  Mike walked over to the front door and opened it. In front of him was a 1989 red VW Jetta. It had a big bow on the top.

  “Happy Car Day!” Emily said and snapped a picture.

  “There’s your car,” his dad said and handed him a set of keys. Mike stood at the front door stunned. The car wasn’t a sports car, but it was perfect for him. It was cute and compact. The finish shined in the afternoon sun as if it had been freshly detailed. “It’s not new, but there’s not too many miles. It’s only a couple of years old. It does great on gas. It’s an automatic,” Mike didn’t know what to say.

  “It’s perfect,” Mike said. He continued to remain at the front door in awe of this Jetta. It was not just a car; it was Mike’s car.

  “Well, aren’t you going to get in and take a drive?” Dan asked.

  Mike snapped out of his stupor. He went over to his dad and gave him a heartfelt hug. “Thank you, Dad. I love it.” He took the keys and gave his mom a hug.

  “Can I be the first one to get a ride?” Joe asked smiling.

  “Let’s go,” Mike said.

  Mike slowly walked up to his new-ish car and ran his fingers over the hood. He unlocked the driver’s side and opened the door. It gave a couple of beeps. Mike slid into the driver’s seat and put his hands on the steering wheel. He looked at the controls quietly as he ran his hands over the steering wheel. He touched the buttons of the stereo. The stereo was an after-market installed Alpine AM/FM/CD/Cassette stereo. The Kicker speakers were also not factory installed. Mike inserted the key into the ignition and turned it one click. The car beeped pleasantly while the panel and car stereo lights came on. The radio was turned almost all the way down. He started to tune the radio when he heard a tap on the window.

  “Are you going to let me in?” Joe said. Mike laughed and hit the unlock button. Joe opened the door and got into the seat.

  “What do you think?” Joe asked.

  “I love it,” Mike said dreamily.

  “It’s a nice little car,” Joe commented.

  “It’s my little car,” Mike said. Joe laughed and nodded. He rolled the window down.

  “I think he loves it,” Joe said out the window to his parents.

  “Take it out!” Dan said.

  “Seat belts!!!” Emily yelled.

  They both put on their seat belts. Mike adjusted the seat and mirrors while Joe found a pop station.

  “Come on, let’s go!!!” Joe said as he started playing with the levels on the equalizer.

  Mike turned the key and started the engine. The car gave another pleasant beep as the engine cranked and ran. The engine idled quietly. Mike checked his mirrors again and put his foot on the brake. He put the car into Drive and released his foot from the brake. The car slowly started to move forward catching Mike by surprise. He quickly stepped on the brake.

  “Dude, relax,” Joe said.

  Mike nodded and removed his foot from the brake allowing the car to roll forward. He slowly steered it around the cul-de-sac and put his foot on the accelerator. He made it down the driveway and turned left towards town. He looked over at the spot where Rocco would park his car when he snuck in and smiled. As he went down the road, he felt more comfortable with picking up speed. Before he knew it, he was taking the car up to 50 MPH. He was only able to do this for a few minutes before getting into town where the speed limit dropped to 30. He kept the car under 30 going through town.

  As he made the return route, he couldn’t wait to give Rocco a ride in the car. They were planning on going to the skate park that evening so that Rocco could practice, and he could work on his skateboarding with Jared. He could now actually pick Jared and Rusty up each morning. He knew they still took the bus to school which was something that high school kids shouldn’t do if they wanted any kind of street credibility.

  “This is a smooth riding car,” Joe said as they pulled into their driveway.

  “Yeah, maybe I can give you a ride to school now,” Mike said feeling confident in his driving skills.

  “Nah, man. I appreciate the offer, but I got a reputation to maintain. I can’t have my little brother driving me to school,” Joe said.

  “Sure, man,” Mike said rolling his eyes and putting the car in park. Dan came out with a huge smile on his face.

  “Well, how was it?” their dad asked.

  Mike ran up to him and gave him another huge hug. “Dad, thank you! I love it.”

  “I’m glad. Now, no more sneaking your boyfriend into the house. I can take your car away again,” Dan said.

  “What’s this about?” Joe asked approaching the two.

  “I snuck Rocco in and got caught,” Mike replied. “I could have had my car last week.”

  “Yeah, it was not a sight I wanted to see,” Dan said rubbing his knuckles across Mike’s scalp.

  “Holy shit! Really?” Joe exclaimed.

  “Language! And really,” Dan replied. “Your boyfriend is one hairy teenager.”

  Mike blushed. Joe burst out laughing at the thought of his Dad walking in on Mike and Rocco.

  “So, tonight, I’m picking you up,” Mike said over the phone.

  “You got your car?” Rocco asked excitedly.

  “Yes, I did!” Mike replied.

  “What kind of car is it?” Rocco asked.

  “It’s a Jetta with a kickass stereo system,” Mike said.

  “Awesome!” Rocco replied.

  “So, what time should I be there to get you?” Mike asked.

  “How about 6? We can cruise around in your new wheels for a little bit before practice,” Rocco responded.

  “I will see you at 6 then,” Mike said.

  “I can’t wait to see you,” Rocco said and hung up the phone.

  Mike hung up the receiver and sat back in his chair. An idea hit him. He opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out the tape that Rocco had made him for his birthday. What a perfect thing to listen to in his car. He carefully took out the guitar picks and put them in the drawer. He didn’t want to risk losing those. He got up and started to get dressed. He put on one of the many t-shirts he ‘borrowed’ from Rocco. He tied a flannel shirt around his waist and put on Rocco’s Yankees cap as he almost always did when he went to the skate park. Even though he constantly wore the hat, he still considered it Rocco’s hat. He loved wearing his boyfriend’s clothes.

  Mike got in his car and cranked the engine. The Jetta rumbled and settled into a quiet purr. He gently inserted the tape that Rocco made him for his birthday but did not press play. He wanted to surprise Rocco with the tape when he picked him up. For now, Mike kept the radio off. The little car took the curves responsively to Mike’s delight. Within 20 minutes, he was parked outside of Rocco’s apartment. He half expected Rocco to be waiting outside.

  Mike waited patiently for about five minutes before he started to get concerned. Rocco was rarely late especially when it came to hanging out together. He looked at his clock on the dashboard which read 6:10. Mike turned the car off and got out. He went up to the door of Apartment 1214 and knocked. He stood back expecting Rocco to answer his knock. Instead, Rocco’s mother opened the door.

  He had never met Rocco’s mother. He had only heard about her. She was a svelte woman in her early 40s—much younger than his own mother. She had short brown hair and piercing green eyes. She reminded Mike of Linda Evangelista. Mike knew about Rocco being half-Mexican. She clearly looked the other half—the Anglo side of his genes. She was wearing a sleeveless blouse and a pair of jeans.

  “Are you Mike?” she asked in a thick Southern accent.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Mike said politely.

  “Oh, don’t call me ma’am. That makes me feel old. I’m Catherine,” she said, stepped aside, and motioned him in. It was surprising to Mike that he had never met Rocco’s mother. It was also surprising that she looked nothing like him—maybe a little in the nose but certainly in no other facial features. “Come in, come in!”

  “Thank you,” Mike entered the apartment. The few times Rocco brought him here, his mom was already asleep, and the apartment was dark. He finally got a good look at Rocco’s home in the light. It was a modest two-bedroom apartment with one large open area in the middle. The building was likely built less than 10 years ago. The décor was beige with touches of rose here and there. There was a glass and brass coffee table with matching end tables in the living room area which was matched with a beige cloth sofa-loveseat combo. The dining room area was behind the loveseat. It had a small wooden breakfast table with two chairs. The kitchen was more of a nook. The appliances were along one wall of the dining room and were inset enough for one person to stand in the kitchen area. On either side of the large living/dining/kitchen were two doors leading to bedrooms and bathrooms for each bedroom. The apartment was not cramped, but it was much smaller than Mike was used to. His bedroom was the size of the large open area.

  “Have a seat. Rocco is running a little late. I believe he is still in the shower,” Catherine said as she pointed to the couch. “Can I get you something to drink? A coke, maybe?”

  “Thank you, that would be great,” Mike said as he sat down on the sofa.

  Catherine brought him a can of coke from the refrigerator and placed it on the coffee table. She sat down on the loveseat. Mike reached up and popped open the can. He took a sip while Catherine watched him closely.

  “Do you mind if I smoke?” she said and pulled out a cigarette.

  “No, that’s fine,” Mike replied and placed his coke on the table.

  Catherine lit her long Marlboro 100 and took a deep inhale. She blew out smoke and crossed her arms. Mike began to feel uncomfortable as he felt her eyes pierce through him.

  “So, you are the boyfriend?” Catherine said after taking another drag.

  Mike started to blush. He was not prepared for an interrogation. He was not sure if her tone was one of interest or one of consternation.

  “Yes,” Mike said looking down at his coke.

  “Oh, it’s alright. I don’t want to come across as accusatory. I’m just making conversation,” Catherine said in a lighter mode. Her lighter tone did not make Mike any more at ease. “How long have you two been going out?”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “About three months now,” Mike replied still looking at his coke. Beads of condensation trickled down the can.

  “Just three months?” Catherine said exhaling smoke. “From the way Marcus acts, it sounded like you’ve been going out for years.”

  Mike could sense that, even though she was just making conversation, she still had a biting tone to her voice. “Just three months,” Mike repeated.

  “Hmm, interesting,” Catherine said exhaling smoke again. “You do know that he is hellbent on going to California after high school.”

  “He’s told me,” Mike said. Despite her request to call her by her name, Mike felt the formality of the conversation did not warrant such familiarity. He decided to play it safe and just answer the question.

  “And are you going to move out there with him?” Catherine asked.

  “I’m just a sophomore,” Mike replied.

  “Oh, I didn’t know that. I thought you looked awfully young,” Catherine said taking a drag from her now half burned cigarette.

  “Yes,” Mike said.

  “What’s going to happen when he graduates and move?” Catherine asked.

  “I’m not sure, but he said he may not be able to go to California,” Mike answered.

  “So, he’s told you about that?” Catherine retorted blowing smoke out.

  “We’ve talked about it,” Mike said.

  “Oh, I see,” Catherine said putting out her cigarette. “Young love may win over after all.” Her tone was saltier. Mike began to understand where Rocco got his sarcasm. He swallowed hard at a loss for anything to say.

  Rocco entered the room, his hair still wet from the shower. Mike breathed a silent sigh of relief. He didn’t have to spend another moment alone with Rocco’s mother.

  “I’m so sorry. I took a nap and woke up later than I expected,” Rocco said. “I see you two have met.”

  “Yes, dear,” Catherine said. “We’ve been having a lovely conversation about your intentions after graduation.”

  Rocco gave Mike a glance and then glared at his mother. “Hopefully you didn’t get an earful, Mike.”

  “Oh no, it was fine,” Catherine said lounging back in the loveseat. “You two have a good time and enjoy yourselves.” She waved them away as if to say she was done with the conversation. Rocco grabbed his jacket and the two started towards the door. “Wait, Mike, I didn’t know you were a Yankees fan.”

  “Mom, it’s my hat,” Rocco sighed. “Mike is wearing my hat.”

  “Interesting,” Catherine said and lit another cigarette.

  “We’re going now,” Rocco said and opened the door. Catherine did not say goodbye as he closed the door.

  Mike looked over at Rocco.

  “I don’t think he liked me too much,” Mike said once they got to the car.

  “Of course she doesn’t like you. You’re my boyfriend. You’re taking me away from her evil clutches,” Rocco said and rolled his eyes.

  “That was very uncomfortable,” Mike said.

  “Yeah, well, let’s forget about her,” Rocco said. “Look at this sweet ride!” Rocco abruptly tried to change to subject.

  Mike shook his head as if trying to change his frame of mind and smiled. “Get your sweet ass in my sweet ride!”

  “Oh my goodness!” Rocco cooed and waited for Mike to unlock the door.

  Mike got into the car and unlocked the doors. He started up the engine and looked over at Rocco. “I’ve got a surprise for you.” He pressed play on the cassette.

  A few moments later, Rocco heard his own voice shouting ‘Happy Birthday’ followed by Pete’s voice. Rocco let out a laugh when he realized it was his birthday present to Mike.

  “This is the first thing I picked to listen to in my first car!” Mike exclaimed.

  Rocco’s heart melted a little. “I love you, Mike Barber.” Mike smiled as they drove off to the skate park.

  O’Malley was working the front gate with his usual scowl. Mike and Rocco approached the gate. Mike had the skateboard he was using to practice. O’Malley waved and looked as friendly as he was going to look.

  “Hey fellas,” O’Malley croaked and waved them in without paying. There was a sizable crowd that night at the skate park—a mix of younger kids and high schoolers. Fred had started attracting an older crowd which O’Malley appreciated. Most of the new, older crowd did not skate, but O’Malley did not mind this so much. So long as there was a crowd, O’Malley was happy whether the crowd was there to skate or watch the band.

  “There’s Jared. I think it’s time for my lesson,” Mike said spotting Jared giving a lesson to a sixth grader. Jared was wearing his typical knit cap, jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket. Mike thought it was a funny sight to see that Jared and his student were the same size.

  “Okay, don’t break a leg,” Rocco said and pecked Mike on the cheek. Rocco trotted off to the stage to practice.

  Mike walked over to where Jared was teaching. He sat down on a bleacher nearby setting his board next to him. He caught Jared’s eye. Jared nodded and went back to his student to finish up. The kid was working on pivot turns. Mike watched as the kid tipped up the board over and over while twisting his body. Jared would occasionally clap or give the kid a “good move”.

  A few minutes later, the kid gathered up his board and gave Jared a high five. Jared walked over to where Mike was sitting.

  “Are you ready for your lesson?” Jared asked Mike. Mike nodded and grabbed his board.

  “What are we working on today?” Mike asked.

  “Let’s see how you do in a bowl,” Jared said. Mike’s face went pale but, with Jared teaching him, he knew he had nothing to worry about.

  “I gotta confess, I’m scared about the bowl,” Mike said.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll get you through it. The only thing you have to remember is to commit to it. Don’t lean back,” Jared said and patted Mike on the back. They walked over to one of the small and shallow bowls that no one was using.

  “How’s things been going?” Jared asked when they approached the rim of the bowl.

  “I got a car,” Mike said.

  “What?” Jared exclaimed.

  “Yeah, I would have gotten it last week, but my dad caught me and Rocco in my room,” Mike said.

  “Wait, what???” Jared exclaimed even louder.

  “Yeah, I snuck Rocco into my room last week and my dad walked in on us in the middle of the night,” Mike explained.

  “Were you guys doing anything?” Jared asked.

  “Not at that point. But he saw us….you know…,” Mike said and blushed.

  “Oh shit!” Jared laughed. “That’s nuts.”

  “Yeah, lots of nuts,” Mike snickered.

  “And the car???” Jared asked.

  “Yeah, I drove it over here. It’s a Jetta,” Mike said.

  Jared nodded. “Not bad at all.”

  “Hey, if you want, I can give you a ride to school and take you home,” Mike said.

  “Nah, man, you don’t have to do that,” Jared said.

  “I want to do it,” Mike answered.

  “Yeah? You sure?” Jared said cocking an eyebrow.

  “Of course, I’m sure. I’ve thought about it a lot. I want to get you off that bus,” Mike said looking at Jared.

  “Ah man,” Jared smiled. “I’m touched that you thought about this.”

  “I take care of my friends. Plus, I want the company,” Mike said flipping his board up.

  “Let’s do this—rides for lessons,” Jared said extending his hand.

  “Deal,” Mike said and shook Jared’s hand.

  “You know, you guys have made gay a cool thing at our school,” Jared said. Mike wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion.

  “What do you mean?” Mike asked.

  “Ever since you and Rocco made your relationship public and ever since Joe made his confession, all the kids are trying out same sex relationships now,” Jared said.

  “What???” Mike exclaimed.

  “Yeah, cheerleaders are dating other cheerleaders. Guys are holding other guys hands in the hallway. It’s like we are in a big Pride parade,” Jared explained.

  “I had no idea our tiny hick town would be okay with something like that,” Mike said in disbelief.

  “What the popular kids do is what the entire school does,” Jared said. “I’ve even heard tell of some of the guys in the vocational school hooking up.”

  “No way!” Mike said. The vocational school kids were the most conservative kids at school.

  “You guys have started a fad,” Jared said.

  “It’s not a fad though. It’s how I really am,” Mike added.

  “Oh, I know. But it’s made things a lot easier for you. You haven’t been bullied since Joe said he hooked out with that David dude,” Jared stated.

  “You know, you’re right. I was expecting all kinds of bad shit to happen, but it hasn’t,” Mike thought.

  “You see, you guys busted down a wall,” Jared said. Mike let out a “ha” as if in thoughtful amazement.

  “I’m really glad to hear that,” Mike said looking off to the distance.

  “This place has even become a cool spot to go,” Jared said.

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed the crowd here,” Mike said looking around. At that moment, he spotted Chris at the gate paying O’Malley to enter. He never would have thought Chris would come to the skate park, but he never imagined himself here either. Chris was alone without Stanton or Matt which was a relief to Mike. Chris was wearing a denim jacket and a ballcap on backwards. Jared looked over to where Mike was looking.

  “Is that Chris? Here?” Jared asked pointing him out.

  “Yeah, it is. I’m shocked to see him here,” Mike said watching Chris enter the gate and look around.

  “He looks lost. Shall we wave him over?” Jared asked.

  “If you want,” Mike said. Mike was getting a little more comfortable around Chris but there was still a little distance between the two of them. After Chris had lunch with him and Jared, Chris started going back and forth between him and Stanton during lunch. One day, he would eat with Stanton and Matt, the next day with Mike, Jared, and Rusty. Lately, he was spending more of his lunches with Mike, Jared, and Rusty. Still, Mike was slow to open himself back up to Chris.

  “We don’t have to,” Jared said.

  “Nah, it’s fine. He’ll find us eventually,” Mike said and watched Chris to see if he looked over. Chris scanned the crowd and spotted Jared and Mike. When their eyes met, Mike waved at Chris. Chris raised his hand to wave hello and started towards them.

  “Hey guys,” Chris greeted as he approached.

  “Hey man, good to see you,” Jared said.

  “Hey Chris,” Mike said and flipped his board up.

  “So, you are skating!” Chris said pointing at Mike’s board.

  “Well, learning,” Mike said.

  “He’s doing just fine,” Jared added. “Speaking of which, are we going to do this or what?”

  “I was just about to have my first lesson in the bowl. Have a seat and watch me bust my ass,” Mike said jokingly. Chris laughed and went over to the side of the bowl to watch.

  “Okay, when you’re going down, lean forward and commit. You want your weight towards the front,” Jared said.

  The bowl was more like a slight dip in the pavement. It didn’t look intimidating at all. Mike hopped on his board and made it to the edge. He then took a breath and started down. Before he knew it, the board flipped up throwing Mike off. He landed on the pavement on his thigh.

  “Ouch!” Mike yelled.

  “You leaned back. I saw you do that and knew it was coming,” Jared said. The board rolled to the other end of the bowl and then rolled back to him. Mike got up and dusted himself off. He flipped up the board and caught it. He made his way to the edge and tried again with the same effect. He landed on his butt this time. The board came back. Again, he went to the edge and tried again. The third time was a charm as Mike remained on the board all the way to when the bowl started to incline on the other side.

  “Good job!” Jared exclaimed. “Now come back to this side.” Mike tried successfully from the other side rolling back to Jared.

  “Hey, I did it!” Mike shouted. In the distance, he could hear Rocco’s band start to play.

  “Now, do that back and forth ten times,” Jared said. Mike was almost perfectly successful all ten times. He only fell off the board a couple of times but not nearly as hard as the first time. He had learned the momentum enough to know to walk off when he felt the board get too far out from under his feet.

  “My first bowl!” Mike said.

  “Congrats!” Jared said. “You want to go watch Rocco?”

  “Yes!” Mike replied and started towards the stage.

  Chris grabbed Mike’s arm. “Hey, could we have a minute?”

  Mike stopped and looked at Chris. He could sense Chris had something he wanted to get off his chest. “Sure. Jared, I’ll meet you over there.” Jared nodded and walked off to the stage.

  “What’s up?” Mike asked Chris.

  “I just wanted to say something to you alone,” Chris started. “I have not been a good friend to you. I should have seen that something was going on with you and didn’t say anything. Friends know when their friends are going through things. I didn’t. I’m so very sorry about that.”

  “Chris,” Mike replied. “You already told me this at lunch the other day.”

  “Yeah, I know, but I wanted to do it again without the audience,” Chris said.

  Mike stared at Chris for a few seconds. He could tell Chris was having a hard time getting these words out. He had never known Chris to be sensitive about his own feelings. He had never opened to Mike about anything deep. This apology was sincerely heartfelt. Mike was taken aback by his sentimentality.

  “Chris, thank you for saying that,” Mike said deeply touched by what Chris had said.

  “I want you to know, I’m totally behind you and Rocco. I think it’s great you are in a relationship. I wish I had expressed that from the start and not worry about what Stanton would think. I am very happy for you,” Chris said.

  “That means the world to me, Chris,” Mike said.

  “I want to be here for you two from now on,” Chris said smiling at Mike. Mike gave Chris a huge hug.

  “And I want to be here for you,” Mike said. They stood there for a moment. “Come on, we’re missing the show!”

  “You think Rocco would like me?” Chris asked nervously.

  “Well, he doesn’t like anyone at first, but he’ll warm up to you,” Mike chuckled and put his arm around Chris.

  “We’re off a little on that one but I can’t figure out where,” Pete said.

  “I think I came in a little late,” Rocco replied.

  A small crowd gathered at the front stage to watch Fred practice. It was a group that Rocco had seen in school but had not met. From the looks of them, they were not regulars at the park. They looked a little too put together. He was happy nonetheless that they had an audience.

  “From the top…2…3…4…” Pete said into the mic as the band started on time. Halfway through the song, Rocco spotted Mike in the crowd and gave him a wink. Mike waved and bopped his head to the song.

  “Oooo, ooo, oooo” Rocco and Raz sang as backup to Pete.

  They finished the song. Pete was pleased with the results. The audience clapped and whistled for more.

  “We’re gonna take a break. We’ll be back,” Pete said to the crowd. There was a disappointed moan from the audience.

  Mike, Chris, and Jared went backstage to meet the guys. Mike went up to give Rocco a kiss and a hug.

  “You guys sounded great up there,” Mike said.

  “Thanks! We’ve got a few things to work on, but I think we’ve got a good lineup,” Rocco replied.

  “Rocco,” Mike said and waved Chris and Jared over. “This is my old friend, Chris.”

  Rocco’s expression turned a little cold. “We’ve met.”

  Chris smiled and extended his hand. Rocco looked down at Chris’s hand and reluctantly shook it.

  “You guys sounded really good,” Chris said trying to be nice to Rocco.

  “Thanks,” Rocco said curtly.

  “When are you playing?” Chris asked.

  “Um, our next show is here next weekend,” Rocco replied.

  “What day?” Chris asked interested in attending.

  “I think Saturday. It’s on the flyer at the front,” Rocco said looking off to the side. Mike caught on to Rocco’s discomfort with Chris.

  “So, Chris has been having lunch with me and Jared,” Mike explained remembering how Rocco’s mom made him feel so uncomfortable earlier. This iciness was most definitely a trait Rocco learned from his mother.

  “Oh, cool. Hey Jared!” Rocco said looking at Jared.

  “Hey man! Can’t wait for the show,” Jared said. Rocco snatched Jared’s cap off his head. Jared’s hair fell down around his face. “You dick!” Rocco laughed and gave Jared his cap back.

  “How’s the lessons been going?” Rocco asked Jared.

  “We tackled the bowl today,” Jared replied.

  “No way!” Rocco said looking at Mike. “I’m impressed.”

  “Well, I busted my ass a few times, but I got the hang of it eventually,” Mike replied.

  “He did an awesome job at it,” Chris interjected. Rocco faked a smile at Chris and nodded. Mike had an idea.

  “Do you guys want something from the snack bar? I’m going to get something,” Mike asked.

  “Sure, how about a coke?” Rocco asked.

  “Jared, I’m going to need some help. Come with me,” Mike said. “Chris, why don’t you stay here and keep Rocco company?” Rocco gave Mike a silent disapproving look. Mike shrugged which was his silent way of saying to Rocco to give Chris a chance.

  Rocco picked up on Mike’s gesture and nodded. Mike and Jared went off to the snack bar leaving Chris and Rocco alone.

  “So, you liked our playing?” Rocco asked uncomfortably.

  “Yeah, it sounded awesome,” Chris said enthusiastically.

  “Awesome…” Rocco repeated. They stood silently looking at each other for a few seconds.

  “Look, Rocco,” Chris started. “I want to apologize for being a dick to you and Mike. I was wrong about everything. I think it’s awesome you and Mike are going out. I’m happy you two found the courage to be who you are. I hope you can forgive me for my thickheadedness."

  Rocco looked at him for a moment. "Do you really mean that?"

  "I've realized that I have not been much of a friend to Mike lately. I’ve been trying so hard to fit into the crowd that I forgot who my real friends are,” Chris said. “Hanging out with Mike again made me realize how much I missed him.”

  Rocco’s iciness started to thaw. If Mike was willing to hang out with him again, perhaps Chris was worth getting to know. Everyone deserves a second chance.

  “It takes a lot of courage to realize you were wrong and admit to it,” Rocco said and smiled.

  “Yeah, I was totally wrong. I think your relationship with Mike is something to celebrate.” Chris said. Rocco could tell that what Chris was saying was coming from an authentic place.

  “Thank you for saying that,” Rocco said.

  “I really mean it. I hope I can have that someday,” Chris replied. Rocco smiled and nodded.

  “So, you’ll come to our show?” Rocco asked.

  “Of course I will!” Chris exclaimed.

  “I can’t wait to see you!” Rocco smiled and extended his hand to redo their handshake. Chris accepted the handshake.