“Nah,” he answered, “I think I’ll skip this one.” He had no intention of going back to that life; it reminded him too much of all the things he had done wrong.

“Damn, you still sick?” Luke laughed.

“No, I just don’t wanna go.”

“Ok,” the disappointment was obvious in Luke’s voice. “Well, we’ll keep a keg open for you in you change your mind.”

I won’t, Ryan thought to himself as he hung up and turned back to the TV. He leaned back against the couch, flipping through channels, searching for something to watch. Just then, the front door slammed and JP came into the room, his gym bag slung over his sweaty shoulder. Ryan turned his head to look.

“How was practice?” he asked.

“Not bad,” JP replied, plopping the bag down on the floor and making his way to the couch. “Anything good on?”

“Not really,” Ryan sighed, but then he smiled. “You ready for this weekend?” JP instantly turned red, knowing exactly was his brother was talking about. The state wrestling championship was that Saturday and JP was pegged as an overwhelming favorite to win, but he had been staying low-key about it. As usual, he just shrugged.

“Yeah,” he answered simply, sprawling out on the loveseat opposite Ryan. “You gonna be there, right?” Ryan grinned.

“Of course,” he said. “I owe you big time.” Ryan peered across at his little brother and couldn’t help but feel regret. He had neglected him – almost pushed him away – for so long, he felt he needed to make it up to him. Every time he looked at JP’s broad, muscled body, he hated himself for not being there to watch his brother achieve his dreams. He should have helped him become the teen jock he was now instead of fighting him the whole way.

“What?” JP turned his head toward him, feeling his eyes.

“Nothing,” Ryan muttered, looking away.

“No, seriously, what?”

“It’s just…” Ryan didn’t know how to explain it. “For years, I kept looking over my shoulder for you, afraid you would one day surpass me.” He shook his head. “Now here you are, 3.9 GPA, on your way to a second state wrestling title, you have a free ride to just about any school you want…” You have someone who loves you, Ryan thought, but he couldn’t mention it; it was still weird to know that his brother had a boyfriend. “And me? I’m just sitting here, channel surfing.” JP leaned in toward Ryan.

“Ryan,” he began, “will you stop feeling sorry for yourself. So football and modeling didn’t work out the way you had planned, but that doesn’t mean your life is meaningless.” He looked away for a moment and then came back, his deep blue eyes bearing deeply into him; Ryan could feel them. “You’re my big brother; I always looked up to you when I was little…I still do.” He could tell JP meant those words and an immediate sense of calm came over him. His brother deserved so much more than he could ever give him, but he was trying not to think of that now.

“I’ll be there in the stands on Saturday,” he said, smiling. JP smiled back and stood up, his massive body towering over his big brother.

“I gotta finish some homework,” he remarked, as if their conversation had been perfectly normal for two manly studs. “I’ll see you later, bro.” And then, he walked out of the room. Ryan turned back toward the TV, still grinning. He was proud of his brother.

Nick yawned as he rushed to finish his math homework before class started. He hadn’t had time to do it the night before; Erin had come over and they had had sex all night. Sometimes, even he couldn’t believe how long they could go: five hours, seven times in a row in every position they could think of, with only breaks to change condoms. It was beyond amazing.

But even now, as he completed the last few problems, he couldn’t get the face of his girlfriend out of his mind. She was so beautiful, so perfect, he couldn’t imagine ever being with someone else.

“Class!” the teacher called from the front of the room. “Before we begin today, I’d like to introduce you all to a new student.” She gestured toward a boy who was standing next her, smiling broadly. Nick’s mouth literally dropped open when he saw him. The guy was gorgeous – no, he was beyond gorgeous! Fuck, he looked like he had just walked out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue. His dusty, blond hair was combed perfectly over his sky blue eyes. His face was tanned and gave off such a glow, it seemed to brighten the whole room a shade or two. He had those aw-shucks good looks with a beautiful smile and perfect, white teeth.

But then, there was his body. He was fully-clothed – long-sleeved shirt and jeans of the latest trend – but that couldn’t hide the immense musculature that lurked beneath. The fabric clung snugly to his large pecs and his biceps bluged noticeably in his sleeves. And the v-taper from his ridiculously broad shoulders to his impossibly trim waist was striking. And his legs looked sturdily built, even through the denim material of his pants. It almost seemed as if he couldn’t possibly be real.

“Everyone,” the teacher continued, “this is Brandon Jones. He just moved here from Indiana a few days ago. I’m sure we will all make him welcome and help him assimilate into our school.” Then, she turned toward the boy. “There is an empty seat next to Nick in the back row.” He thanked her quietly and made his way toward the back of the room. As he went, every girl followed his body, not bothering to hide their attraction to the new hunk. He seemed to know he was being ogled, but kept walking.

“Hi,” he said to Nick when he finally reached the empty seat. “You must be Nick.” His voice was thick and deep; it rumbled through Nick’s bones and made him shiver.

“Um, yeah,” he croaked, but quickly recovered by holding out his hand. “I’m Nick Angelakis.” Brandon took it. His grip was very strong and Nick could see the tendons and veins in his hand jump. The guy is probably ripped to shreds, Nick thought. “Where in Indiana are you from?”

“Jasper,” he answered. Nick’s face flinched; he didn’t know where that was. “It’s down by Evansville,” Brandon explained. “No one’s ever heard of it.” Then, he smiled and Nick could’ve sworn his heart skipped a beat. His eyes twinkled and so much confidence projected from his smile that it completely enveloped Nick. “This place is, like, five times the size of my old school,” he continued, un-snapping his backpack – one of those that strap diagonally across your chest – and placing it next to his desk. “You don’t mind helping me around…at least until I get myself on my feet.”

“Sure,” Nick immediately answered. You don’t seem to be having trouble with that already, he said to himself. Before they could say another word to each other, the class started. But Nick couldn’t help looking over at him every once in a while. He couldn’t help but admire how his triceps shifted underneath his sleeves, how his lats jumped out when he moved his arms, how loosely the shirt fit around his waist despite being fairly tight around his chest. But most of all, Nick couldn’t stop looking at his face; he simply couldn’t take his eyes off of Brandon. He was possibly the most beautiful boy he had ever met in his life…maybe even more beautiful than JP. When class ended – Nick had barely been able to follow what was happening – the two boys headed out into the hallway, Brandon closely behind Nick.

“Thanks for helping me,” he said as they made their way toward the lockers. “Everyone’s been so nice around here to me.” Nick looked over at Brandon. Probably because you’re so fucking gorgeous, he thought to himself.

“They’re used to people moving in and out,” he answered as steadily as he could. “You know, military families and all.”

“Hey,” Brandon went on, “by the way, I’ve been wondering…do you work out?” Nick blinked at the question. He wasn’t expecting that. Brandon seemed to realize his surprise. “Sorry,” he smiled – shit, that smile! – “it’s kind of hard not to notice.” He pointed toward Nick’s thick neck and shoulders. “You look pretty jacked.”

“Thanks,” Nick answered, a little more easily than he thought he would, “you look kinda buff yourself.”

“Thanks,” Brandon grinned proudly. “You must be a wrestler.” Nick stared at him, shocked. “You have a wide neck, that’s how I knew. You play football, too?” Nick nodded.

“I’m hoping to make Varsity at the high school next year.”

“Sweet!” Brandon beamed. “Football’s my sport. I’m looking to be quarterback. Maybe we can work out over the summer together.” Nick’s heart skipped another beat at the prospect of lifting weights with a stud like Brandon Jones.

“Um, sure,” he replied. “I have a weight bench at home—”

“Actually,” Brandon interrupted, “I have a whole gym in my basement.” And then he bit his lip, as if he was trying not to sound too cocky. “Well, my dad’s been training me since I was a little kid, so…”

“Well, that sounds great,” Nick picked up. “I gotta get to history, so…”

“Yeah, I’ll see you around.” And then, Brandon gave a Nick a hard pat on the shoulder as if they were best buddies. Well, it wasn’t like they weren’t, but…Nick turned around just as Brandon disappeared around the corner.

“Hey, Nick!” Billy greeted him suddenly. “Who was that?”

“This new kid,” Nick answered, still staring in Brandon’s direction. “His name’s Brandon Jones.”

“Brandon Jones?” Billy exclaimed excitedly. “Shit, that’s who he is? He’s some kind of football stud. All the girls keep talking about him.” Nick looked up at his friend with a weird expression on his face.

“Since when do you talk to girls?” Billy had always been shy around them. He shrugged.

“Well, I do…”

“I guess Brandon’s not the only ones who’s a stud, huh?” Nick remarked, making Billy blush. “Come on, I gotta get to class.”

JP heard the roar of the crowd out in the arena as they announced his match. There was nothing like the feeling he got when he walked out…well, except maybe for…but he couldn’t think about that now; he had a state championship to win.

“You ready, JP?” Coach Graves yelled to him over the din. JP grunted his reply – as if the man had to ask – and heaved his round shoulders, flexing his huge pecs. The jacket of his warm-up suit jumped noticeably as he did. He had the zipper open so that the taught crease between his pecs as well as he washboard abs were visible; it was meant to intimidate his opponents, many of whom had nowhere near the amount of muscle JP had. And it was definitely working on this guy. The other wrestler kept making side-glances over at him, shocked that a 215-pounder could be that ripped.

Finally, they stepped out into the arena and the cheers got louder. There were a few hundred Spartan supporters and they were excited. They had already seen two of their own win titles: Kyle won at 112 pounds and Danny Tranh pulled the upset at 145. Even Graves couldn’t remember the last time Central High School won in three weight classes. Of course, JP was extremely proud of his teammates, but right now all he could think about was winning his own match. His coach helped JP slip off his jacket, revealing his shredded torso packed with perfectly-built muscle. He was 217 pounds of pure, rock-hard beef. Peering confidently at the mat – his domain – he pulled the straps of the singlet up around his shoulders, the material stretching around his massive pecs and deeply etched back. Then, he slid his pants down to the gasps of the girls in the stands. His gorgeous bubble butt and sizeable bulge always garnered attention. Some of them never even got down to looking at his gigantic thighs and diamond-cut calves. JP was the whole package…and that’s what beat his competition before he ever stepped foot on the mat.

The other kid was downright shaking as the two wrestlers met at the center of the ring. JP didn’t take his eyes off of him just before the whistle blew and was on him, taking him down in less than 5 seconds. Already, the score was 2-0 and his opponent barely had time to exhale. The first period was easy for JP; the other wrestler was in defensive mode the whole time and was doing everything he could to avoid the pin. In the mean time, JP kept racking up points so by the first intermission, he was leading 8-0.

“Just keep going at him,” Graves told him off the mat, shoving a bottle of water into his hand to guzzle. “You’re tiring him down fast.”

In the second period, JP’s opponent seemed to have gotten over his initial shock – it was about time! He was finally putting up a fight. But he was still no match for JP Maloney. JP wrapped his arms around the guy’s side, his forearms digging into the rolls of fat, and took him down again. JP smiled; that was the best thing about wrestling heavyweights – you could usually count on them having considerable amounts of fat, making it easier to grip. JP, on the other hand, was solid muscle – there was nowhere to grab hold. And add the sweat to the mix, he literally slipped through the hands of his opponents.

As the score became more lopsided, the other wrestler began to get desperate – JP could see it in his face. In a poor attempt to knock JP off his feet, the kid pulled at his singlet and yanked him toward the mat. JP quickly re-gained his balance, touching only his hand to the floor. Immediately, the referee blew his whistle, assessing a penalty to the opponent. JP elected to take the bottom of the par terre position with the other wrestler kneeling over him. JP grinned; he had him right where he wanted him. As soon as the whistle blew, JP agilely twisted his torso – a feat virtually impossible for most heavyweights – plunged his hand underneath the guy’s crotch and forced him to his back – receiving a point for the reversal. Then came the part he loved the most: seeing the defeat in his opponent’s face as his shoulders inched closer and closer to the mat, his legs trapped beneath JP’s massively strong thighs, his arms flailing helplessly. Finally, his shoulder blades made contact and the ref ended the match. The crowd erupted into deafening cheers. Final score: 15-0. JP had dominated the match.

As the ref raised JP’s sweaty, beefy arm in victory, JP looked up into the stands, searching the throngs for the three guys that were most important to him. Sure enough, there they were, sitting next to each other: Ryan, Nick and Matt – his brother, his biggest fan and his boyfriend. All three were smiling broadly – Ryan was pumping his fists, Nick was jumping up and down and Matt…well, Matt just stood there beaming down at him. Instantly, JP felt his stomach flip as he looked into his boyfriend’s deep blue eyes. Smiling back, he pointed his finger at him triumphantly. This is for you, Matt, he said to himself, this is for you!

“How amazing was JP today in that match?” Erin asked, staring up into her boyfriend’s eyes.

“He was awesome!” Nick exclaimed. “He totally dominated that guy!” The two were lying in Erin’s bed. They had just had sex and now were resting in each other’s arms, Erin’s head nudged against Nick’s round shoulders, her hand massaging the short hairs on his broad chest. Her naked body felt good against his, her tits tickling his ripped abs, his half-hard cock pressed between her thighs. And he was still buzzed from watching his idol win another state wrestling title. “I’ll be just like that one day,” he smiled. Erin shuddered.

“No,” she replied, “you’ll be more than that someday. I want you to be bigger and better and stronger than my brother.” As she spoke, her hand ran up his pec, around his shoulder, along his neck and behind his head. Her touch was so soothing, so warm. He bent down and kissed her passionately, their tongues playing with each other inside their mouths.

“I love you,” Nick breathed. And that’s when it happened again. Just as he was staring at his girlfriend, the face of Brandon Jones flashed across his mind. Shit, what the fuck? Ever since yesterday, when he met Brandon for the first time, he couldn’t get him out of his head. It was like he was imprinted in his brain and he couldn’t stop thinking about him, even when he was making love to Erin.

“I feel your heart beating faster,” she observed, laying her head down against his chest. Nick swallowed quietly, hoping she wouldn’t realize the real reason why.

“I love you,” he repeated, trying to push the visage of Brandon out. He closed his eyes and wrapped his muscular arms around his girlfriend. Erin’s the only one, he thought, there is no one else.

“I want you to get so big,” Erin began to sigh, her lips grazing his pecs tenderly. “I want you to get so huge, so massive.” She settled her lips around his nipples and started gently licking them. Nick breathed in; damn, that always felt so hot. His cock grew to its full 8 inches, throbbing between Erin’s legs. She moaned as she felt its hardness against her skin. “I want you to fuck me,” she urged, her voice sweeping through Nick, her eyes gazing up at him with lust. His heart began to pound even harder as she moved her body above his thick cock.

“Yeah,” he whispered and gently thrust his hips upward into his girlfriend’s cunt. She gasped as he filled her with his juicy manhood. God, this was phenomenal! It never seemed to get old. The two humped each other deliriously, Erin’s hands groping Nick’s glistening shoulders, his hands clutching her pulsating butt. His pelvis effortlessly lifted her up and down, his abs flexing with each thrust. Suddenly, his ass tightened as he blew his wad into her. She shrieked in ecstasy, her mouth open, her fingers grasping his traps. Nick continued pounding her until the last drop was out of him. Shit, every time seem to get better than the last. He couldn’t imagine what the next time would feel like…but he knew they’d only have to wait a few minutes for that.

“You are a god,” Erin swooned, kissing him again. “Promise me you’ll never change. Promise you’ll only get better from here.”

“I will,” he muttered, smiling. She blushed as she stared into his eyes, his dimples deepening. But then, Brandon entered his head yet again and Nick felt his stomach churn. Shit, why did this have to keep happening? It was same feeling he had when he first met Erin…so he knew what that meant, but it couldn’t be true.

Was he falling in love with Brandon? •