“You have every right to be scared, Daniel,” Diane answered. “This decision is earth-shattering for these kids.” Palmer was surprised his girlfriend was taking this so calmly. It was almost as if she already knew about how to deal with it. “You’re a great coach. You’ll help them get through it.” Palmer chuckled.

“The funny thing is, they seem to be handling it all better than I am.” He sighed, looking away for a moment. “Nick and Brandon are two of the most mature players I’ve ever coached. They’re beyond their years. I hate to see them go through something like this.” Now it was Diane’s turn to sigh and look away. She’s been here, he immediately thought with surprise.

“There’s something I haven’t told you about my son,” she began.

“Matt?” Palmer questioned curiously, leaning in over the table. It was obvious that this was a topic Diane didn’t talk about much to anyone.

“A couple of years ago,” she continued, “Matthew and his boyfriend came out to me.” Palmer’s mouth dropped open. Matt was gay? He would’ve never guessed. Diane went on: “I guess I kind of already knew when they told me, but it was still a shock.” She smiled slightly as she made eyes with Palmer once again. “I didn’t know what to think at first, but then I realized how happy they were. I saw the weight lifted off their shoulders after they did it.” She leaned closer to him, her bright blue eyes shining in the dim light of the restaurant. “Perhaps in some similar way, Nick and Brandon will be happier after they tell their teammates the truth. And maybe even happier when they know they have a coach, a role model, supporting them the whole time.” Palmer gazed in awe at Diane. He couldn’t have imagined a smarter, more caring woman to be with.

“Maybe you’re right,” he replied softly, smiling back at her.

“You ready, B?” Nick asked his teammate as they stood in the hallway outside the weight room. Brandon looked back at him and nodded with a deep breath. He was obviously scared out of his mind. But they would do this together; there was no other way.

“You’ll be fine,” Erin added, gently squeezing Brandon’s round shoulder. This was it; this was the day that Nick and Brandon would be coming out to the football team. And naturally, Erin was there for moral support. Nick looked at his girlfriend and felt like crying. God, how she had every bit of faith in him, how she trusted him.

“It’s time,” Coach Palmer announced, coming out of his office. His eyes looked slightly unsettled, but his expression was one of strength. He was determined to help them through this, it was apparent. Nick was worried at first that he would back down, but there had been a dramatic shift in his composure in the last few days. And that only boosted Nick’s confidence that it would all turn out ok.

“Let’s do this,” he said, as if it were a just big football game rather than the reveal that would change his life. Palmer led the three teens into the weight room where the rest of the team had gathered. As soon as he saw them, Nick’s heart began beating faster. Here they were, 40 of the biggest, strongest, most popular guys in the school…and he was about to come out to them. He glanced over at Brandon to see if he was alright, but his teammate already had his quarterback game face on. How else is he going to handle this, Nick asked himself.

“Guys,” Palmer boomed, “I’ve called this team meeting because Nick and Brandon wanted to say something to all of you.” He paused and flexed his jaw – something he always did when he wanted to say something important. “I’ll let them talk,” he said and nodded to Nick. Nick stepped forward, Brandon next to him and Erin not far away. He looked into the eyes of every single one of his teammates before speaking. He wanted to make sure they heard him clearly.

“I know this is kinda awkward,” he began, “but Brandon and I felt it was necessary for us to do this. A close friend of mine was in trouble – some of you may know who I’m talking about – and he was given information that if released the wrong way would not only damage our reputation, but that of the entire football program.” He swallowed and slowly blinked, preparing for what he was about to say. There was no turning back now.

“Brandon is gay and I’m bi.”

Instantly, a murmured hush fell over the entire team. Several members stared at each other in disbelief. Nick forced himself to keep looking at his teammates as he continued, wanting to keep their attention.

“As you can imagine, the decision to come out to you guys first before anyone else in the school was a difficult one,” he went on, “but we needed to. We need to ask for all of your support, to help us get through any reaction that may happen.” Nick felt his voice strengthening as every eye in the room stayed on him. Remarkably, they were listening attentively to each word he said. “We are a team…and I don’t think we would have as much success if we didn’t support each other in everything we do. So I don’t think I need to remind you all how important your support is right now…thank you.”

And then, an impossible silence filled the weight room; no one knew what to say next. Nick glanced over at Brandon who stared at him stoically, though a hint of uneasiness leaked through. Finally, Billy – who was leaning against the squat rack in the back – raised his beefy arm.

“Can I say something, Coach?” he asked in a timid, gravelly voice. Immediately, every head turned toward him.

“Sure, go ahead,” Palmer answered. Billy took in a deep breath and swallowed.

“I, uh, I just wanted to say…” He looked nervously at Erin who mouthed a word of encouragement for him to continue…and he did. “I’ve known Nick since second grade…and, well, most of you know I’m not exactly the brightest guy in here.” A few chuckles were heard, giving Billy enough confidence to keep going. “Nick has never looked down on me, he’s never treated me different from anyone else…” Nick felt tears begin to well up in his eyes as his childhood friend spoke. “And Brandon has been the same way. They both have not only been great teammates…but great friends.” Billy’s voice started shaking as his emotion seeped into it. “And my dad once told me a long time ago…that when you have great friends…you never turn your back on them.” Nick stared in awe at the boy. He had never heard words so eloquent come out of his mouth…and that only meant they came directly from his heart. “Guys,” Billy went on, “I will never turn my back on you.” He stood up straight, presenting his full height. “You have my support.” There were a few errant murmurs of agreement from other areas of the team. Nick smiled and looked down at the floor, flexing his jaw. Suddenly, Peter Evans stood up, immediately commanding attention.

“I just wanna say…that I agree with Billy,” he stated proudly, turning toward Nick and Brandon. “Last year when I missed that field goal at States, Nick was the first person to console me. And over the summer, when I nearly quit football, Brandon came up to me and persuaded me to become a quarterback.” He sighed and smiled, directing himself to the rest of the team. “What I’m trying to say is…when I was down, when I felt like shit…these guys got me out of it. And I’m sure many of you have similar stories.” Nick looked over at Brandon, his face frozen with amazement. “I think they deserve to have us help them out. They’re our teammates…and I don’t know about any of you, but…I don’t care if they’re fucking gay or whatever…I still respect them.” Then, he stepped forward and held out his hand to Nick. Nick took it and felt himself being pulled toward Peter in a hug. He had to try his hardest not to cry. Never did he think that there would be this kind of outpouring of support from his teammates.

“Guys, read this and tell me if you think it’s alright,” Palmer said as he handed the paper to Nick. Nick read it over quickly and licked his lips in thought, smiling.

“Yeah, it looks good,” he answered. Coach Palmer had drafted a letter that would be sent home to all the football parents telling them the situation and asking for their support in return. He knew how important it was to get the parents on their side. “What do you think, B?”

“Huh?” Brandon snapped back to reality as he heard Nick’s voice cut into him. He had been in somewhat of a daze since they came out to the team. It had been a rush watching them come on board. It wasn’t the kind of rush he got when winning a championship. No, this was completely different. This was…shit, he couldn’t explain it! Hearing the words of Nick as he broke the truth…followed by Billy and then Peter as they expressed whole-heartedly their support…it seemed like this was a dream, like any minute he’d wake up and be faced with 40 guys laughing at him and calling him a homo.

“What do you think of the letter?” Nick repeated, grinning. He could tell what Brandon was feeling, the overwhelming surprise of what had happened barely an hour ago.

“If you think it’s good, I’m sure it is,” he replied. “You’re the genius.” Nick blushed and handed the letter back to Palmer. The coach looked up at him with soft eyes.

“Don’t worry, Brandon,” he said. “You’ll get through this ok. That’s why you’re a quarterback. You can handle pressure.” He said it as if this was a third and long situation, but Brandon knew what he meant. He just wished he felt the same way.

“Hey, Brandon,” Erin suddenly appeared in the doorway, smiling sweetly. “Come out here for a sec.” Brandon glanced at Nick, wondering what she was talking about.

“I’ll catch up with you later,” he told him and walked out of the room. As soon as he turned the corner, the saw the reason why – Greg. Immediately, a complete sense of calmness came over Brandon as his boyfriend’s bedroom eyes – half hidden by his long, blond-streaked brown hair – met his.

“Hey,” Greg said softly, coming toward him. Brandon sighed; he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life. As their hands touched, he felt warm, protected. Without a word, the two boys leaned into each other kissed. The feeling of Greg’s tongue against his made Brandon feel so much better. He finally knew everything was going to be ok. “Erin told me what happened,” Greg whispered once they parted. “You’re my hero, you know that?” Brandon grinned bashfully and cocked his head.

“Please,” he exhaled. But Greg placed his hands tenderly on his pecs.

“No,” he went on, “it took a lot of guts to do what you just did. I’m proud of you.” Then, Greg leaned his head against Brandon’s chest and closed his eyes. “I love you,” he murmured.

“I love you, too,” Brandon returned, wrapping his muscular arms around his boyfriend.

Ryan came back into his bedroom after his shower, drying his damp hair with a towel. Ashley was sitting on his bed, looking at a photo album.

“You were so adorable when you were little,” she cooed. Furrowing his eyebrows, Ryan looked over her shoulder to see what she was looking at…and then laughed.

“I was fat,” he replied. His girlfriend was paging through some old pictures of him before he started lifting weights. Unbeknownst to many people, Ryan had actually been an overweight kid growing up. It wasn’t until middle school when he finally started shaping himself into the Adonis he was now.

“No, you were cute,” Ashley insisted. No, I was fat, Ryan thought, gazing down at the rolls of blubber coming out of his bathing suit. He was ten years old in that picture. But then, Ashley turned the page…to see a much trimmer – and slightly older – Ryan hanging out with his brother. As she continued turning pages, the figure in the pictures got dramatically bigger and more muscular. “Wow,” Ashley commented, “now you’re starting to look familiar.”

“What, I’m not cute anymore?” Ryan teased. Ashley laughed as she put down the album and stood up in front of him. Looking him straight in the eyes, she gently fingered his thick abs.

“You look hot wearing only boxers,” she commented quietly. Ryan watched her lips move as she spoke, entranced by her beauty. He smiled and placed his hands around her slender shoulders.

“Guess what?” he said. “I got a letter today.” He could tell immediately that his girlfriend knew exactly what he was going to say.

“You got accepted for the modeling job!” she guessed. Ryan nodded, causing Ashley to yelp with glee, giving a little jump in his arms. Her covered breasts hit lightly against his pecs.

“It’s not as prestigious as Jansen’s,” he admitted.

“But it’s something you love,” Ashley finished his sentence, gliding her hands up to his broad shoulders and standing on her tip-toes to kiss him. Instantly, Ryan felt her body melt into his as they embraced. God, she felt so good! Then, she moved her lips to his bare chest, affectionately kissing his hard muscles. Ryan closed his eyes, letting her take over his body. She looked up at him with fond eyes. “Do you have condoms?” she asked.

“No,” he answered, “but my sister does in her room.” Erin and Nick were always having sex with her boyfriend was over so she had a large stash in her bedside table. Ashley grabbed the waistband of Ryan’s boxers and peered up at him seductively.

“Are they big enough?” she breathed. Ryan grinned.

“You kidding me?” he replied. “Nick is bigger than I am.”

Moments later, the two lovers were in bed, their limbs intertwined in hopeless love-making. Ryan had his commanding 10-inch cock up Ashley’s vagina as he straddled her shapely body, his knees nudged up against her thighs. Her arms were wrapped around his wide lats, taking in every bit of his alpha-male strength. The sweat from their bodies mixed together as he continued pumping her expertly. Ryan had had sex with so many girls that this was second nature to him, but having sex with Ashley was indescribable; he knew they were meant for each other…and their bodies fit together perfectly.

Suddenly, he felt his girlfriend reach her climax and he let go a gigantic load of semen, gushing from his dick like a geyser. Ashley’s mouth flew open in ecstasy, her fingers digging into his rock-hard traps. She gasped in shock, squirming underneath his tremendous mass, gazing up at him in at first what seemed like fear. Was he hurting her? He peered down at her with his piercing green eyes, mentally telling her she was ok. In a few seconds, she began to relax again, her arms drifting down to his sides.

“Are you ok?” he asked, lifting himself off of her and sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Yeah,” she answered groggily, nodding. That’s when Ryan peeling the condom off his flaccid cock and realized the reason for her sudden reaction.

The condom had split open.

“Did you hear about Nick Angelakis and Brandon Jones?” Brionna questioned as she walked up to Travis in a dark corner of the Springfield Mall parking lot. Travis glared at her from behind his cigarette. She seemed awfully calm about all of this.

“Of course I did,” he replied. “The whole school knows already.” He clenched his jaw and threw his cigarette to the ground. “Damn it!” he yelled.

“What are you so mad about?” Brionna grinned villainously. Travis scoffed and thrust his face into hers.

“You told me this plan would be foolproof!” he sneered.

“Well, it did work,” she pointed out, maintaining her cool. “Nick and Brandon were forced out of the closet.”

“Yeah, but I was supposed to get my money before they came out,” he instantly reminded her. Brionna clicked her tongue against the inside of her cheek. Travis narrowed his eyes at her and pulled out another cigarette.

“Now, Travis,” she said in fake sincerity, “everything’s not always about money.” He glanced at her in mid-light, cocking one eyebrow. Did she mean what he thought she meant?

“You’re not finished yet,” he surmised. Brionna Duncan was a lot of things, but most of all, she was crafty…and patient. The girl nodded.

“This was only the beginning,” she stated plainly. “Just wait.”

Brandon slipped into his house as the sun peeked over the horizon. He had spent the night at Greg’s house…in Greg’s bed. He could still feel his boyfriend’s dick in his ass even hours after the fact and it felt so good. Knowing he had someone like Greg to lean on whenever he needed him made his world fall into place. It just couldn’t get any better. He tip-toed toward the stairs when he noticed his father having breakfast in the kitchen, reading the morning paper. He was up early.

“Where were you last night?” he asked sternly. Brandon gulped, trying to act normal.

“I slept over at Nick’s house,” he fibbed, hoping his dad would buy it. Brandon leaned against the doorpost, his backpack still slung over his shoulder. His dad peered at him, unconvinced.

“What is this I’m hearing about you and him?” he finally said. Brandon froze. Oh shit, he knows, he thought to himself. Now what?

“What do you mean?” he grinned awkwardly. Mr. Jones stood up, taking advantage of his own intimidating size.

“Are you really gay?” Brandon bit his lip, trying to stall for time. He stood up straight and swallowed hard. “Well, are you?” the man repeated. Brandon gave a slight nod. Instantly, his father slammed the newspaper onto the table, making Brandon flinch. It had been years since he saw his dad get this angry.

“Dad, I can explain—”

“There is nothing to explain,” he retorted. He exhaled harshly and seethed through his teeth. “Is this what you meant when you told me you didn’t want to be an athlete?”

“Dad, that’s not—”

“Is this some kind of revenge for giving you this life,” Mr. Jones went on, “for giving you everything I could, for making you successful?”

“Please, it’s not—”

“Brandon,” his father interrupted, lowering his voice once again, “I don’t want you ever to step foot in this house again.” Brandon couldn’t believe what he was hearing; he was being thrown out.

“Dad!” he pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes. “Please!”

“Go ahead!” his dad taunted. “Be a sissy faggot and cry!” Brandon was stunned silent. How could his own father say something like that? “Now go and move in with your boyfriend Nick!” Brandon realized there was nothing he could do. And as he headed upstairs to pack, he suddenly felt his whole world crashing down around him. •