Chapter 4

"We totally have to stop meeting like this. People are gonna think we're totally hooking up, and that will destroy my game." Crystal slid next to me and handed me a beer. "This is one of our faves and even made in state. Tell me what you think."

I took a sip and nodded. "Smooth and mellow. I like a good red ale. What is it?"

"Redrum Ale. It's totally a Shining reference. It's brewed at the hotel where King wrote the book."

"Oh, I've heard of it, but I don't really read… very much." I snickered shamefully.

"You've seen the movie, though. Right?" Her stare could have turned me to stone.

I looked down and tried to hide my grin. "Nope. It's old, right?"

She banged her hand on the table. "It's a classic. You are totally fired."

Danny scooted onto the other side of me. "What's going on, guys. Blake said to give you all a big hug, but he's studying a script right now. He finally got his friend Vicki Dean to turn her book into a script herself. He wants to star and produce it. He seems pretty happy so far, so I'm guessing it's as good as he hoped for."

"Adorable. One day, I hope she comes for a visit and brings Cory. I miss him." Crystal stuck her bottom lip out. "I want to make him my pocket gay."

"He's way too big for that. Besides, you can't replace me." Danny chuckled. "You're stuck with me for life."

"He is totally more fabulous than you, hon. But I would never replace you. Mommas got plenty of pockets for all her little gaybys." Crystal howled.

"You are so weird." I shook my head and rolled my eyes at Danny.

"You don't know the half of it. Crystal collects gay boys like we're Barbies." Danny snorted and took a sip of his beer.

"If I could keep you in your cellophane forever, you'd never devalue." Crystal licked her top lip. "Liberties is slow as shit tonight. Where is everyone?"

"Point Pleasant's first baseball game of the season is tonight. This place will be packed in about two hours when we lose. We usually lose." Danny shook his head sadly. "They haven't had a great season since we all graduated. But the town still goes and cheers and supports the team. I'm surprised you didn't play football or baseball."

"Oh, I did, but it's called soccer." I laughed. "Kidding. I played football in middle school through Sophomore year, but my parents thought it would be best for me to stop so I could concentrate on soccer, which was my favorite sport. They had read a lot of stories about kids getting brain injuries."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Soccer is kind of violent, too."

I shrugged. "Yeah. I didn't say they made a lot of sense. I didn't really like football that much, anyway. I always preferred soccer and baseball. I'm thinking of signing up for the town's summer softball league. It could be fun."

"You should." Danny beamed at me with his million-dollar smile.

"Maybe you should join me." I grinned back at him. "Might be nice to have a friend out there."

"He's too old," Crystal said sternly.

"You guys act like you"re seventy." I huffed. "You're not."

Danny chuckled. "We don't feel as young as we used to. But… I'll think about it. It's hard to commit to much of anything with Blake traveling so much. He likes me to go with him whenever I can. Besides, we're trying to figure out this wedding thing. I wish he would agree to just elope and…"

"I will murder you in this booth." Crystal pointed her finger at him right across my chest. "I will actually reach over Hot Stuff here and stab you with the… ok, so there's nothing to stab you with… I'll throttle you if you take away that moment from me. I want to cry as I watch you tell Hollywood that you will forever. Seriously, I will kill you."

"I know." Danny held his hands up as if he had surrendered. "If we did that, you would still be a part of it. It really doesn't matter how or where we say I do, as long as we… do."

"It matters." Crystal frowned. "Evan and Everett should plan it for you. It would serve them right."

"Nope." Danny laughed loudly. "I would never let them do that. Their taste is questionable at best. I mean, they did let me plan theirs."

"You did an admirable job." Crystal giggled. "It was what Ev wanted. But I don't blame you. I get it. I do. I just want it to happen as soon as possible."

They both glanced over at me. "What? I have no idea what you're talking about, and you definitely don't want me planning a wedding."

"So… Hot Stuff… It's just the three of us here, and I think it's time you spilled some tea, don't you?" Crystal leaned in and nudged me with her shoulder.

"I have no tea to spill, and I'm enjoying this beer way too much to pour any of it out," I smirked knowingly.

Crystal sighed loudly. "No, straight boy. I mean, spill the tea… Tell the gossip. You've been playing things way too close to your chest. Isn't it time you shared with us a little of your love life."

I snorted loudly. "I have no love life. I left college and came here. You people are my only friends. What do I have to say? A big fat bucket of nothing."

"Yeah," Crystal said as coyly as possible. "But don't you want a little something-something? What kind of girls are you into?"

"You keep making a lot of assumptions about me," I muttered as I took a drink. My voice was garbled and impossible to understand, which made me almost choke on the beer as I tried not to laugh.

"Well, we know you're straight. So, do you like girls your own age or older women? You're totally into cougars, aren't you?" Crystal was enjoying this way too much, so I decided to play along for a bit.

"I do like more mature people." I shrugged. "Sometimes."

"How old? Thirty?" She posed dramatically. "Or are you into MILF's. You look like the type who would totally fuck your best friend's mother."

"Good God!" Danny cackled. "You are in a mood tonight."

"I just wanna know," she whined. "I've come to care for the little shit, and he tells me nothing. I hate it, and it's not fair. Momma needs the kiki."

"You really want to know, huh?" I smirked. "Are you a professional nosy person or just like this among your friends?"

"Well, you said we're your only friends, so… Who else would you talk to about this stuff? Come on, Justin, please?" She begged. Her eyes widened as she gave me her most innocent look. It was the first time I had ever seen it. Crystal was anything but innocent, and I barely knew her.

"I do like older people. I've never really been into people my own age. There. Does that make you happy?" I grinned, knowing that I was driving her crazy. It was fun.

"What's with the people thing?" Danny glanced over at me and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not into farm animals." I chuckled.

"But you chose that word. Are you bisexual or something? Are we really on the same softball team?"

"At his age, he's probably try-sexual," Crystal cackled and then banged her hand on the table again. "Wait! Are you? Holy shit!"

"Do you collect bi boys, too? Am I safe, or will I find myself behind cellophane in a Ken doll box?" I smirked.

"Holy shit!" Crystal looked like she had been struck dumb.

"Surprise," I said sheepishly.

"Why didn't you tell us?" She asked pointedly.

I shrugged and looked back between the both of them. "Uh… I don't really see a reason to tell anyone. If it comes up, I just… It's who I am. I hate all the coming-out stuff. It's so last generation, you know? We've moved past it. I guess I was just having fun with you since you started calling my straight boy."

"Well, that's on us. We shouldn't make assumptions. Do your parents know?" Danny patted my arm.

I nodded. "So does my twin. He's bi, too, but he rarely dates anyone. He smokes pot and plays video games. My parents are so proud." I snorted again. "Completely identical in every way except how we look. He's a skinny skater kind of dude with long hair, and I'm the jock."

"But you're identical? Doesn't that mean you look exactly alike?" Crystal crossed her arms and stared at me as if she were seeing me for the first time.

"Yeah, but no. When we stand side by side – we're the same height and share facial features, but… With all the working out and playing sports, I filled out in places he never did. He is much smarter than me, though, and always has been. I used to copy his homework. He's like a genius or something," I said proudly. The truth was that John and I rarely saw eye to eye anymore. It was like college had made him a totally different person. I missed the camaraderie that we had all the way through high school. One day, maybe we could get it back.

"Slap my tits and kiss my ass! I am shocked – shocked, I tell you. My own little bi-boy. Momma's gonna take real good care of you."

"Welcome to the collection." Danny raised his glass and winked at me.

"I'm not going behind cellophane."

"I poke holes in it, don't worry." Crystal cackled and threw her red hair behind her head.

"Hi, Crystal. Boys." Larry nodded as he walked by us.

"Don't. Just don't." Crystal looked down and grabbed her beer before looking back at me. "Don't."