*A Few Days Later*

Vincent sat on the couch with Scott, his elbow on the couch arm and holding Scott's hand. He turned to Scott. "I'm bored. What do you wanna do?" He asked. "Hmm... I don't know." he said. "Wanna go hang out with the guys?" "Why not? I got nothing else to do." Vincent replied. Mike called Scott. "Hey Scott! You wanna hang out?" "Sure! Vinny is with me so we will be there shortly!" "Great! Kevin's cooking again so hope you are hungry!" "Great! See ya!" Scott turned to Vincent. "So Kevin's cooking again. Mike wants us over there." "Alright. Let's get going!" Vincent got up from the couch and marched to the door. "Someone's eager to go." Scott said getting the keys. "That's what I love about you." "Hehe..." Vincent giggled. He loved Scott being here with him. At least he isn't alone. "Well, you being here is all I need." He said, kissing Scott's cheek.

Mike sat on the couch next to Jeremy and he felt... nervous. Looking at Jeremy he began to get butterflies in his stomach. Uh oh.... Mike shook his head. Not me too. "Mike, is Scott coming over?" "Yeah." "Okay, I'm going to put more meat on the grill." Kevin said. Mike looked at Jeremy who was talking to Fritz. Jeremy.... Jeremy looked at Mike. He had been friends with Mike for a long time. Ever since his mother died, he has always been there for him. And he didn't want to admit it, but... he started to develop feelings for him. Fritz noticed the look Jeremy had. "Hey, Jeremy. Are you okay?" He asked. "Huh?" Jeremy looked at Fritz. "You seem a little distracted. Is something bothering you?" Fritz asked. "Oh, it's nothing." Jeremy replied. Fritz smiled and put a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He said. "Well, there is one thing on my mind." Jeremy replied. "Alright. Tell me." Fritz replied. Jeremy looked at Mike. Maybe later. "You know what, never mind. I'll tell you later." Fritz knew something's on Jeremy's mind, but he decided to let it slide. "Alright. If you say so." He said. They heard a knock on the door.

Mike went up and it was Scott. "Come in guys! Kevin's outside with Anthony finishing up the food." "Wow, so he's making barbecue? " "Yep." Mike said, nodding, nearly drooling at the thought. Jeremy and Fritz saw Scott and Vincent at the door. "Hey, guys! How are you?" Jeremy asked as he went up to them. "We're doing good! Thanks for asking!" Vincent replied. Fritz ran up to Scott and hugged him. "Hey Scott! It's so good to see you!" Fritz pulled away from Scott. "How are you feeling?" He asked. "I'm doing okay, thanks." Scott said, smiling "If it weren't for this guy, I'd be in worse condition." he said kissing Vincent on the cheek. "Hehe... Well, you're welcome, but I didn't really know how to do it. Luckily, Kevin taught me. You should thank him." Vincent said. Jeremy shook his head. "No. We should thank both you AND Kevin. You worked together to save Scott's life. You two are his heroes." Vincent was astonished. A hero? He smiled. "T-Thanks, Jeremy. That really means a lot." "You're welcome." Jeremy said.

"Speaking of Kevin, how is he doing?" Scott asked. "Oh, he's doing fine. He's outside with Anthony, grilling the food." Jeremy said. "He and I have had trouble with our parents. Poor guy." He turned to Mike and Jeremy. He sensed that something was up with those two but decided to forget about it now. "Well, I'm gonna go check the mail. You guys get comfortable. The food should be ready soon." Jeremy said as he went out the door. "....." Mike went outside to help Kevin and Anthony with food. "C'mon, Vincent. Let's sit down." Scott said leading him to the couch. "Okay." Vincent sat down next to Scott. Vincent kept thinking about how his father hurt him. It made his heart ache. He didn't know that Scott wasn't breathing when he got back. Well, now that he thinks about it, on the return trip, Scott's face did start to become pale. He felt stupid. If he had kept an eye on Scott, he wouldn't be in this mess. But it didn't matter. Scott's still here and that's all that matters. Vincent turned to Scott. "So, what happened to your parents after your father, well, you know..." He said.

"They...still are shocked about what I told them. They still want me to go to church. I know they still want me to go because they think if I go more I would... leave you." Scott dug his nails in his arms. "I'm DONE with them. They think they can change me, but they can't because I love you so much Vincent! I'm capable of sacrificing anything to be with you!" Vincent hugged Scott. "Shh... It's okay. We'll get through this. I know we can. You're a strong person. God loves you. God loves everyone. It doesn't matter if you love someone of the same sex, God still loves you. Just because I'm not Christian doesn't mean that I can't talk like one. Don't worry, Scott. We're gonna make it through this. We'll stand up for what we believe is right. We're gonna help you get through this."

"Thank you..." Kevin walked in. "Sorry to interrupt, the food's ready so I hope you are hungry. I also have a cooler filled with drinks." "Awesome! Let's go, Scotty!!" Vincent took Scott's hand and pulled him outside. "Okay." Scott said letting Vincent lead him outside. Kevin set the barbecue on the outdoor table that had a shade. "Alright guys dig in!" Vincent ran to the table, swiping a Pepsi from the cooler and sat down. "Alright. Let's dig in!" Fritz sat down. "Yeah, and make sure it does not turn into another food fight." He said. "I spent a lot of time cooking this so I don't want to see it go to waste like last time" Kevin said. "Alright! Enough talking!! Let's eat!!" Vincent said and took a huge bite out of burger. Mike saw that Jeremy had mayo on his face. "Heh. Jeremy, you got mayo on your face!"

Kevin took a bite out of his burger. He saw Mike grab a towel and wiped Jeremy face. Jeremy smiled. "Thanks Mike." He said. "Oh, by the way guys, you'll never guess what I saw in the mail!!" Jeremy got up from his chair. "Hmm, I wonder what it is." Mike questioned. Kevin took a sip of his Pepsi. "Must be something important." "Alright! Here it is!" Jeremy pulled out a piece of paper with a Ferris wheel on the front. "It's an invitation to that new amusement park that opened up a couple weeks ago!" "So...." Mike asked him. "So! They're open from 10 A.M. til 12 A.M. tomorrow!! They got wicked rides there, including that roller coaster that loops 7 times, and they got a race track there!! Oh, and at the end, when it's closing, they do this awesome fireworks show!!"

"You must really want us to go with you." Mike said. Kevin looked at Anthony and Scott looked at Vincent. Jeremy looked at Mike, eyes nearly popping out of his head. "You totally just read my mind."

Fritz shrugged. "Since there's nothing to do, going to that amusement park should be interesting." Anthony slammed his hands on the table. "Woah, dude! With a roller coaster like that, I would LOVE to go there!!"

Vincent looked at Scott and smiled. "This should be fun, right?" "It should be as long as you are with me." Scott said, hugging Vincent.

"I am kind of afraid of heights....." Kevin said, drinking his Pepsi. "Don't worry, angel. If you're scared, you can hold my hand." Anthony said.

Vincent hugged him back. "Yep. We're gonna have a lot of fun."

"So, are you guys gonna be coming or what?" Jeremy asked.

Mike looked at Jeremy. Maybe I can confess my feelings for him there.

"Okay." Kevin said

"Sounds like it will be a blast." Mike said.

"Awesome! Thanks, guys!" Jeremy said. "Now with that out of the way, let's eat guys!" Fritz said. "Way ahead of you!" Mike said, chomping on another burger.

*Time Skip*

"Well, that was some good food..." Vincent said, patting his stomach.

"Yeah, no kidding. It was amazing! You did great, Kevin." Anthony said.

"Thanks. I learned a bit from my mom but mostly my uncle would take me and my sister to his house when our parents went out of town and he taught me the basics of cooking."

"Cool." Mike said.

"Sooo.... What do you guys want to do now?" Fritz asked.

"Hmm hey! I got the new Super Smash Bros for the Wii U! Let's have a match!" Mike said, heading towards the living room.

"Okay." Kevin said.

"Sure! I don't mind a match." Vincent smirked, looking at Scott.

"Is there a prize for winning?" Jeremy asked.

"I didn't think of that." Mike said. Kevin just shrugged. Alright, what should be a good prize? Vincent thought. Alright, I think I got a good one. "Alright. So the winner of the match gets to kiss the person they love on the lips. The loser... has to do whatever the winner says for the rest of the day." "It's on!" Mike said. "...." Kevin stayed silent. "Okay challenge accepted!" "Alright. Which match should we do first?" Fritz asked. "First match is Scott vs Vincent!" Mike said. "Oh boy, Mike what are you planning?" Kevin said. "You wanna go against me, Vinny?" Vincent chuckled. "Sure." Kevin and Vincent started. Both picked their players and got ready to fight. "I bet Kevin's gonna win." Mike bet. "Nah. It will be Vinny for sure!" Scott said. "No offense Kev." "None taken." Vincent gripped his hands on the controller. "Alright. Let's do this!" Mike was right. Kevin was getting the upper hand. Vincent stood no chance. Scott still rooted for Vincent even though it looked like he was losing.

Fortunately, for Vincent, he had a little trick up his sleeve. Both Kevin's and Vincent's opponents were down to one life. Vincent's opponent had lost a critical amount of health and Kevin was getting ready to do the final blow. "Not this time, Kevers!!" And with that, he landed an uppercut on Kevin's opponent, sending him flying into the sky. "Damn..." Kevin said. He laughed because he knew Mike lost his bet. "Ha! You owe me ten dollars, Mikey!" Scott said. "Pay the guy, Mikey." Kevin said. "Good game Vince." "It's no problem." Vincent said and kissed Scott on the lips. "Next up is Vincent versus Anthony!" Fritz announced. Anthony looked at Vincent. "Bring it on!!" Vincent looked at him intently. "You are SO going down!!" Both of them started. They picked up their controllers and got ready to fight. Fritz turned to Scott. "So, who's gonna win this time?" "Seeing how he pulled that secret move on Kevin, I still bet for Vinny." Scott replied. Kevin sat next to Jeremy. "I just wanna watch them play." Kevin said. "What about you Jeremy?"

"I can see that Vincent is playing pretty good. But Anthony is very skilled too. I still choose Vincent." Jeremy said. "I think I'll go with Anthony." Kevin said. Mike sat on the other side next to Jeremy. He's cute when he's nervous. Vincent was ready to use his secret move on Anthony like he did with Kevin. But then, BOOM!!! Anthony sent Vincent's opponent falling to his demise. "Damn... you're good." Vincent said. "YEAH!! WOOHOO!!! I WIN!!" Anthony yelled. He then ran to Kevin and kissed him on the lips. Kevin blushed. He kissed back. Mike lost another 10 dollars. Shoot, there goes the money... "It's okay, Mike... keep the money. I already got my prize for the bet." Kevin said and kissed Anthony again.

Anthony giggled and kissed Kevin back. Scott and Vincent laughed and kissed each other. Jeremy turned to Fritz. "Hey, Fritz. Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked. "Okay." Fritz replied. Jeremy and Fritz went into the hallway. "Okay, so what do you need to talk about?" Fritz asked. "Well, you know earlier today when you asked me if something's bothering me?" Jeremy said. "Yes. I remember that." Fritz replied. "Well..." Jeremy looked at Mike. "I kind of have a crush on Mike." Jeremy said. "Oh, so that's what's been bothering you." Fritz said. "Well, I kind of owe my life to Mike." He said. "What do you mean?" Fritz asked. "You know, my father was very abusive towards me and he would always hit me and lock me up in my room and call me mean names." Jeremy's eyes welled up with tears, but he continued. "School wasn't much better either. The kids at school would bully me and call me mean names. They would always call me a wimp." Jeremy sniffed and sighed. "But then, Mike came along and beat up those bullies. I asked him how he did it and he said he would do the same for any other person." Jeremy said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Wow. I never knew Mike will do that for anyone. I just thought he would do it for you." Fritz said. "Yeah, Mike is a pretty nice guy. Anyways, the only nice person besides Mike was my mom. She would always be there to comfort me when my dad beats me and she would sing sweet melodies to me to help me go to sleep. Unfortunately, she passed away from cancer." Tears streamed down his face. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, Jeremy." Fritz said. Jeremy sniffed. "No, it's okay. I've pretty much gotten over my mom being gone. But I still remember her. Unfortunately, it did not bode well for my father. He pretty much told me that she was worthless. So... I ran away." Jeremy said. Fritz was shocked. "Damn. That's awful. I... I don't know what to say." He said. "That's okay. I know it's pretty shocking. Luckily, Mike found me and took me to his house. I told him everything that happened. Then, Mike made a promise that he will protect me no matter what happens. From that day on, Mike still holds that promise very dear to him. He's done everything he can to protect me and I really like him for that. I was thinking of maybe... confessing my feelings to Mike. Maybe not, he would probably think I'm crazy. I always come up with the most craziest stuff."

Fritz put a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "Jeremy, it's okay for you to feel this way. Everyone feels that way at some point in their lifetimes. We always dreamed of the right moment to confess our true feelings. I'm guessing it's the same with you, right?" Jeremy nodded. "Well, you'll get your chance to say your true feelings. For now, just wait. I know you're anxious to say it to Mike, but if you say it at the right place, at the right time, it will be a great memory for you to cherish." Jeremy listened with open ears. He knew he loved Mike. He knew he had to confess his feelings for him soon. But for now, he'll wait. He'll wait for a great memory to be made. "Thanks Fritz. That really means a lot." Jeremy said. Fritz smiled. "You're welcome." Fritz started walking back to the living room. "Let's go back. We should get ready for the last match." Fritz said. "Right behind you!" Jeremy replied. And with that, Fritz and Jeremy went back to the living room.

"Next match is Anthony versus Jeremy!" Kevin said, reading the paper. "Good luck." Mike told Jeremy. "T-Thanks..." Jeremy said. Anthony and Jeremy got ready to play. Fritz looked at Mike. "Soo... who do you think is gonna win this time?" Fritz asked. "...It's hard to choose, but I'll go for Jeremy this time." "I'm going for Anthony." Kevin said. Jeremy and Anthony are down to one life now. Both their opponents have taken a critical amount of damage and one more hit could lead to one of them winning. Jeremy didn't want this. For once, he didn't want to win. He didn't want Mike to know his true feelings. Not now. "Hey, Jere-dude. Are you gonna beat me or what?" Jeremy didn't respond. "Okay. I guess I win this round." And with that, Anthony knocked Jeremy's opponent out.

"Anthony's the winner!" Scott said. Mike felt like there was something odd about Jeremy. "Alright, Anthony! You're very lucky! You get to kiss Kevin again!" Vincent said, patting Anthony on the back. "Ehh, I think I kissed him enough today." Anthony said. "Aw, come on! It was only one kiss, you can do it again." Vincent said. Anthony sighed. "Alright, Kevin come over here." Anthony said. "O-Okay." Kevin got up and walked up to where Anthony was sitting and leaned in. "Do it! Do it!" Mike cheered. "Mike, let them do it in their own pace." Scott said. Kevin and Anthony looked at each other for a few seconds. Then, Anthony caressed Kevin's cheek and kissed him passionately. Kevin blushed and kissed back. "Yeeeah!" Mike screamed. "Mike, shut up. Let them have their moment." Scott then turned to look at Jeremy who was looking at Anthony and Kevin kiss.

Jeremy looked at Kevin and Anthony kissing. Of course he's happy with them, but... there's something inside of him that's been bothering him. Maybe I should tell Mike how I really feel... No. Not now! It's not time yet! But... Ugh.... Why is this happening to me?! His thoughts were interrupted when Scott put a hand on his shoulder. "Jeremy, are you alright?" Scott asked him.Jeremy looked at Scott. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" He said. "...If you say so." Scott said, pulling away. He knew Jeremy had feelings for Mike. He knew Jeremy was waiting for the right time to confess. Tomorrow is the perfect day for that.

*The Next Day*

Jeremy woke up right away. He got out of bed, went to Mike's room, and started jumping on him to wake him up. "Hey, Mike! Heeeeyyyy, Miiiike!! Get up! Get up! Get up! It's time to go!! Mike! Mikey!! Miiiiikeeeeyyyyyy!!!! MIKEY!!"

Mike felt Jeremy jumping on his bed. "Alright, alright! I'm awake, Jere!!" "Yay! Come on, let's go! Scott should be making breakfast." Jeremy said as he pulled Mike down the hallway. Mike let Jeremy drag him down the hall. Kevin was sitting down next to Anthony and Fritz. Mike sat on the other side next to Vincent. "Here Jere, sit next to me." he patted the chair next to him. "Thanks, Mike!" Jeremy sat down. "So, what are we having for breakfast?" Vincent asked. "We are having cinnamon rolls, biscuits and bacon and eggs." Scott said putting the food on the table. "Wow, it all looks good." Kevin said. "Thanks. I decided to do the cooking since you always cook Kev." Scott served the food placing what everybody wanted on their plate. "Here, Fritz, you can have extra cinnamon rolls since you like sweets."

"Thanks!" Fritz said as he took a bite out of the roll. "But Fritz, isn't your family against you eating sweets?" Anthony asked. "Well, it's okay to break the rules every now and then, right?" Fritz asked. "Yeah, I guess." Anthony replied. "You're so cute, Fritz!" Kevin said, biting into a cinnamon roll. Scott sat next to Vincent. "I think my little Vince is cute." he said, kissing his cheek. Vincent chuckled. "No, you're cuter." He said kissing his forehead. "Thanks, Vinny." Scott hugged him. "You're welcome." Vincent said, hugging him back. Meanwhile, Jeremy was watching the whole thing. He turned to Mike. "They sure do look cute together, huh?" He asked. "Yes, they do." Mike said smiling at Jeremy. Jeremy.... "A-Anthony, s-stop!!" Kevin was laughing because Anthony was tickling him on his sides. Anthony laughed. "I'm sorry! You're just so ticklish!" He said as he continued to tickle Kevin. "Hahahaha stop!!" Kevin laughed, small tears in his eyes due to the laughter. He snatched a biscuit from his plate and stuffed it in Anthony's mouth. Anthony munched on the biscuit. "Mmm... It's good." Anthony said, giving a thumbs up. "Thanks." Scott replied. Kevin sank back into his chair, relieved. "Man! I thought I'd die of laughter." "Who knows? I might return." Anthony smiled menacingly, a dark aura surrounding him. "Okay. This is getting pretty extreme." Vincent said. "You better not." Kevin said, a dark aura around as well. "Or I'll stab you with this fork!" he said, pointing the utensil at Anthony. "Whew boy..." Scott said as he finished eating. "Eep!" Anthony yelped as he backed away with his hands up. "That's a good boy." Kevin said, then turned into his sweet self. "I love youuu." He said to Anthony in a sweet tone. Mike knew now not to mess with Kevin. He wondered why Jeremy was acting strange.

Jeremy and Fritz sweat-dropped. "Oookaaaayyyy... That happened!" Fritz said. "Hehehe....." Jeremy laughed nervously. He then got up from his seat. "Anyways, it's time to go to the amusement park!" Jeremy marched to the door. "Hey Jere wait up!!" Mike said going after him. Kevin grabbed Anthony's hand. "Let's not go crazy." "Don't worry Kevin. Anthony is going to be with you, right?" Scott said as he looked at Anthony and took Vincent's hand into his. "Right." Vincent said. "Alright, everyone! Let's go!" Fritz said. Everyone went to the car and drove down the route that Jeremy put on his phone. Maybe I should tell Jeremy how I feel. Mike thought. I should tell him when we are alone in the park. Scott played with his phone playing Candy Crush. Vincent watched Scott play Candy Crush on his phone. Wow, he's really good at this. He thought. "Yes!!!" Scott yelled "I passed the hard level!!!" "Wah?! I thought it was unbeatable!!!" Mike said. Kevin was playing Candy Crush too when he got a text from his dad. Kevin growled and ignored it. I'm not ready to speak to you yet. Kevin thought.

Anthony noticed the look Kevin had. "Kevin, dude, are you alright?" "Hmm?" He turned to face Anthony. "Yes I'm fine." he said, tucking his phone away in his pocket. Anthony took Kevin's hand. "It's okay. You can tell me anything." "...It was my dad. He wants me to go back home. I do too, but I'm not ready to face them again." Anthony didn't know what to say. I mean sure, he's worried that he will get into even more trouble with his parents, but he's not sure if Kevin staying longer at Mike's house would be too much of a burden for Mike. I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask. "Hey Mike? Is it okay if Kevin stays at your house for a little while longer?" Mike turned. "It's okay! My parents won't be back in a month." He turned to see Kevin. He felt bad for his friend he did not want him to hurt himself again. "Thanks Mike." Kevin said. "No prob. I don't like seeing you hurt. I don't like seeing any of my friends hurt." "Yeah. You've helped us in so many ways. You helped me save Scott's life." Vincent said. "Yeah! You're the best friend anyone could wish for. We don't want to lose you!" Fritz said.

"T-Thanks guys." Kevin said smiling. "You're welcome." Jeremy said. Fritz looked out the window. "I sure hope everything's gonna be okay." He said. Jeremy put a hand on Fritz's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be okay." He said. Fritz looked at Jeremy. "You sure?" He asked. "I'm sure." Jeremy replied. "Alright, everyone. We're here." Anthony announced. All of them got out of the car, paid money for their tickets and went in. The place is bustling with activity! People were gathered in lines to play the games, the sounds of the roller coasters rang in their ears and the smell of pizza cooking in the food court makes the place very heavenly. "So what do you wanna do first?" Scott asked everybody. "I don't know." Kevin said. "We should look around and see if an idea pops out of our heads!" Mike said, grabbing Jeremy by the hand. "C'mon Jere!" "Okay." He said. The others walked around for a little while, until Fritz saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned around and saw a big teddy bear with cute eyes. Fritz couldn't resist, so he started pulling on Kevin's arm. "OH MAH GOAD!! IT'S A BEAR!! KEVIN! KEVIN, LOOK!! IT'S A BEAR!! I WANT ONE!!" Fritz squealed.

What the.... Since when did he become Fritz's mother? But Fritz was so cute he could not say no. "All right, all right, my little impatient Fritzy! I'll get you one." He said, kissing Fritz on the fore head. "Break a leg." Scott said "Does my little Vinny want one too?" He said, kissing Vincent on the cheek.

"Nah. I already have a cute teddy bear. And it's you." He said, kissing his nose.

Fritz got his toy gun ready and aimed at the targets. "Alright, here I go." He whispered. Of course, he's never fired a gun before in his life, so his hands started shaking. But, he fired. Naturally, since he was shaky, he missed the target. "Aww..." Fritz looked down at the ground in sadness when...

"Here. Let me help you."

Fritz looked up. He saw a girl with long, strawberry red hair and ruby red eyes. The girl picked up the gun, aimed at the target, and shoots. She hits a bulls-eye, instantly winning the bear. She gave the bear to Fritz. "Here you go. I know how much you wanted it, so I wanted to give it to you." The girl said. Fritz blushed. "Uh, i-it's no problem." He said. "Cool. Well, I'd better get going. See you later." The girl started to walk away when Fritz called her back. "Ah, wait!" She turned around. "Yes?" "Um, what's your name?" Fritz asked. The girl smiled.

"Denisse."

And with that, she vanishes into the crowd.

Kevin looked at Fritz. "Who was that?"

Kevin looked at a now dazed Fritz. I think someone is in love.....

"Aww, Vincent, am I really a cute teddy bear?" Scott said, hugging Vincent.

"Yes, you are." Vincent said, hugging Scott back.

Fritz kept thinking about the girl. Her gorgeous strawberry red hair, her beautiful red eyes, her sweet voice - she was perfect.

"Wow. She's so pretty." Fritz whispered.

"Ooo Fritz has a crush!" Mike teased.

"Mike, let him be!" Kevin said, putting a hand on Fritz's shoulder.

"You okay, Fritz?"

"Huh?" He snapped out of his daze and looked at Kevin. "Yeah, I'm fine." He said. Vincent walked up to Fritz. "Are you sure? You look a little lovestruck." He said. "Yes, I-I'm sure!" Fritz replied. Vincent put his hands up. "Alright. Whatever you say." He said, walking back to where Scott is. "Well, at least you got that teddy bear you wanted." Jeremy said. "I know! It's just so adorable!" Fritz squealed while hugging the teddy bear.

"Let's go do something else then?" Kevin asked.

"Yep. But something exciting" Mike added.

"What do you think, Vinny?" Scott asked Vincent.

"Hmm..." Vincent started to think, but he was cut off by Anthony. "Oh! Oh! Let's go to the race tracks!"

"Aww yeah!!! Now you're talking!" Mike said.

"Sounds cool." Kevin replied.

"What do you think, Jeremy?' Mike asked Jeremy.

"That sounds fun." Jeremy said, holding Mike's hand. "Alright! To the race track we go!" Anthony said and marched off. Are you sure you even know where you're going? Vincent thought.

They eventually reached the race track. The sound of the race cars skidding against the tracks filled their ears. "So, who's going first?" Fritz asked.

"I will!" Mike said

"Maybe later." Kevin said.

"Aw, come on, Kev! It'll be fun!" Vincent said. "It's okay, Vince. Kevin doesn't have to go on if he doesn't want to, right, Kevin?" Anthony asked.

"You know what? I am going then." Kevin finally decided "It looks fun."

"That's the spirit, Kev!"

"Alright, then! Let's go!" Mike and Kevin got into their cars and started racing. "Woohoo! Go Mike!" Jeremy cheered. Vincent turned to Scott. "Hey, Scott? Who're you rooting for?" He asked. "Hmm, I don't know." Scott said.

"I'm rooting for Mike. Woo! Go, Mike!" Jeremy said.

"I'm rooting for Kev!" Anthony said.

Mike was in first place while Kevin was in second. Kevin just wanted to let mike go first then he'll seize the opportunity to pass him.

Mike kept on pushing forward. He looked back but did not see Kevin.

"Miss me?"

Mike jumped and saw Kevin next to him.

"Mike, look out!!" Jeremy shouted.

"Woohoo! Kevin, dude, you rock!!" Anthony cheered.

Kevin managed to pass Mike and came in first when the race ended.

"What are you, a ninja?!" Mike asked Kevin.

"...Maybe?" Kevin said, shrugging.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Anthony said, high fiving Kevin.

"Alright. Who's going next?" Fritz asked.

"Me and Jeremy!" Scott said.

"Okay then." Kevin said and sat next to Anthony.

Jeremy and Scott got in their cars and started the race. Vincent and Mike were cheering for them. Jeremy turned at the curve of the track and got in first place. Scott immediately went behind Jeremy in an attempt to get in first place. He saw Scott in his rear-view mirror and sped off. C'mon Scotty you can do this! Vinny's watching! Scott said in his head. He sped up a bit.

"Wooooo! Scotty, you can do this! I love you!!" Vincent said, blowing Scott kisses.

Meanwhile, Jeremy was focusing on the race when he saw Mike cheering for him. He was happy that Mike was cheering for him. He was so distracted that he didn't notice Scott passing him. "Yes!!!" Scott passed Jeremy and looked back. Something was odd about Jeremy. Jeremy was looking at Mike when he heard Scott passing him. He was jerked out of his daydream and started racing behind Scott. But he had already passed the finish line.

Scott got out and walked towards Vincent.

Mike walked towards Jeremy.

"Dude, are you okay? You seemed out of it."

"Yeah, I-I'm fine." Jeremy stuttered. He wanted to tell him, but.... Screw it. He's gonna tell him now! "Mike, can I talk to you?" Jeremy asked. Mike blushed. "Sure, you can tell me ANYTHING Jere!" "Um, can you come with me to the Ferris wheel?" Jeremy asked, blushing. "Okay." Mike answered, blushing. "Have fun, you too." Kevin said.

"Dude! Be quiet!" Anthony said, playfully nudging Kevin.

Mike and Jeremy eventually went to the Ferris wheel. They got in one of the cars and the ride started. As the car they were in slowly ascended, Jeremy looked at Mike. He remember what Fritz said. He took a deep breath. This is it. The moment he's been waiting for. Mike looked at the view. "It sure is pretty up here Jere." Mike said. "Yeah. It sure is." He said, blushing. Mike looked at Jeremy. The more he thought about it... Jeremy was... cute. He's always been there for him and will cut down anybody who dares make Jeremy sad. Jeremy looked at Mike. "Hey, Mike. There's... something I got to tell you." He said. Mike looked at Jeremy. "Hm?" "W-Well, we've known each other for a long time and... I had this feeling for, well, as long as I can remember. Hehe... I've been thinking about telling you for a long time and... I'm just gonna say it." Jeremy held Mike's hand. "Mike... I-I love you." Mike blinked. H-he...loves me? He squeezes Jeremy's hand. "Jeremy.... I've felt the same way...ever since...we met." Jeremy was surprised. "Really?" He asked. He hugged Jeremy and whispered into his ear "Yes."

Jeremy felt overwhelming happiness. Mike loves me. He loves me. He smiled and hugged back. "Thank you." "You're very welcome Jere." Mike said as he hugged him. Jeremy pulled away from Mike and looked into his coal black eyes. Then, he kissed him on the lips. Mike's eyes widened at first but then he closed them. He put a hand on Jeremy's back and rubbed circles on it to tell him he was not dreaming. Jeremy broke the kiss and looked at Mike. "I'm really glad you feel the same way. I always wanted to tell you, but I was scared. Scared that you would say that I was just a good friend and nothing more." He said. "Jeremy... I waited so long for this moment." he said, putting a hand on Jeremy's cheek. "Me too." He pressed his lips on Mike's lips. Mike blushed. Jeremy's lips were soft... Jeremy got deeper into the kiss as he ran his hand through Mike's hair. Mike moved his hand to Jeremy's back and felt Jeremy deepen the kiss. So he wants to go rough? Jeremy broke the kiss. "H-Hey... Let's save it for when we get home, shall we?" He said, smiling. Mike grew red. "Okay." He grabbed Jeremy's hand and kissed it. "I love you, Jeremy Fitzgerald." Jeremy blushed. "I love you too, Mike Schmidt." At this point, the ride ended and the two of them got off. Jeremy looked around them and saw Scott and Vincent coming towards them. "Hey, you were gone for a little while, so we came to check on you. What's..." Vincent trailed off when he saw Mike's hand intertwined with Jeremy's. He looked at them and smirked.

"Y-Yeah, we did." Mike said, smiling and blushing. "Yeah, we got together." Jeremy said, blushing. Vincent gave a small chuckle. "I always knew you two were a perfect couple." He said, smiling. Jeremy looked at Mike. "Well, if it wasn't for Fritz, I don't think I would have the guts to tell him. So I really have to thank him." He said. "Yeah." Mike looked to see Fritz and the others join them. "Now we can thank him." Fritz saw Mike and Jeremy together and smiled. "See, what did I tell you?" He asked. Jeremy smiled. "Thanks, Fritz. You... really helped me in a lot of ways." He said. "You're welcome. I'm always here to help a friend out." Fritz said, putting a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. Anthony looked up to the sky and saw that the sun had already set. "Wow. Nighttime already. All the more reason to make this more exciting!" He said, enthusiastically. "What do you mean by exciting?" Kevin asked, grabbing Anthony's hand. Mike looked at Jeremy. "Say, Fritz, did you ever find that girl that got you that bear?" "Well, going on rides at night gets the adrenaline running in your body!" Anthony said, his eyes sparkling. Fritz looked around. "No... I don't think so. I think she might have already left." He said, looking down at the ground. "I think I see her over there." Kevin said. Scott pointed and there was the girl.

Fritz looked to where Scott was pointing and saw the girl. He went up to her. "H-Hey." He said, blushing. She turned around and saw Fritz. "Oh, hello again!" She said, smiling. "Hey, thanks for getting the bear for me." He said. "Oh, it's no problem. By the way, what's your name?" She asked. "My name's Fritz." He replied. "Cute name." She said, smiling. Fritz blushed. "T-Thanks." He said. Denisse giggled. "You're so cute when you blush." She said, smiling. "Wha- Really?" Fritz asked. "Yeah!" She replied. Vincent watched the two of them and smiled. "They sure do look cute together." Vincent said to Scott. "Yes they do." Scott replied. "They kinda look like twins except her hair is longer." "Yep. They sure do look like twins." Vincent said. Jeremy looked at Fritz and smiled. He was happy for Fritz. He had gotten a girlfriend. He always knew how he felt towards Kevin. He had feelings for Kevin ever since they started high school. But Kevin sees Fritz as nothing more than a younger brother. Of course, that's not the only thing that Jeremy was worried about. What he was worried about was that if Fritz had confessed his feelings to Kevin instead of Anthony, it would cause some tension between the two of them. He didn't want it to happen. He wanted his friends to be happy. But now, Fritz has got a girlfriend. And for that, he's happy for him.

Kevin smiled. Fritz now had a girlfriend! "Hey, um, Anthony?" Anthony looked at Kevin. "Yeah?" Kevin thought about the text he got earlier. "I think I am ready to talk to my parents." Anthony held Kevin's hand. "I'll come with you." "Thanks. I hope it doesn't go bad... and I hope they accept the fact that I love you." he gripped Anthony's hand a little. "I hope so too." He said. Kevin and Anthony both headed to the exit. "Hey, where you two going?" Jeremy asked. "We're going back home." Anthony replied. "Why so soon?" Vincent asked. Kevin looked at Vincent. "You might not want to know..." Vincent walked closer to Kevin. "It's alright. You can tell us anything. We can help you." Kevin sighed. "I am ready to face my parents." Vincent's eyes widened. He looked at Scott. He did not want the same thing to happen again. But if Kevin's ready to face his parents, then they have to be ready for whatever comes after. "Alright, I understand. If anything goes wrong, call us." He said, gripping Scott's hand. "We are with you." Jeremy said.

Kevin gave them a sad smile. Then he looked at Anthony. "Ready for this?" Anthony nodded. "Yeah." "Let's go, then." Both exited and went to the car. On the car ride back, Anthony looked down at his hands. He thought about his decision. He didn't want Kevin to get hurt, but at the same time, he didn't want to see him sad. He wanted to see him smile again. He looked at Kevin. He was unsure about his decision. He held his hand. "Don't worry. I'll make sure that they won't hurt you." He said. "Thanks, Anthony." he said as they reached the house. They went to the front door when Anthony saw Kevin shaking. He hugged him. "Don't worry, dude, everything will be alright." He said. "O-Okay." Kevin replied. Kevin knocked on the door, nervous. Anthony held Kevin's hand and swallowed the lump in his throat. Kevin's mom opened the door. Upon seeing them, she dragged both inside and sat them down on the couch while she sat next to his dad. "Kevin!!! How are you sweetie?" "I'm... fine mom...." "Ever since that accident... who did that to you?" Kevin jolted. They didn't know? THEY DIDN'T KNOW?! It was because of them he started to cut himself. He griped his lap.

Anthony felt rage build up inside him. How could they not know when he knew the reason why? "How... how could you be so blind about what happened?" He stood up. "Do you know the real reason why Kevin was in that accident? Do you know why he's not the happy son you used to know? It's because of YOU! YOU are the reason WHY Kevin was in the hospital! YOU are the reason why he isn't happy! YOU are the reason that he almost died! You have been pressuring him for a long time to meet your quality standards! You pushed him to be perfect for you! Both of you!! I can't believe you would do this!!" He grabbed Kevin and showed them the wrist scars. "It's because of YOU! It's because of both of you that Kevin's like this!! If it wasn't for me and my other friends, then Kevin would have died!!!" He got in front of Kevin. "You got to understand that no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, but with these mistakes, we learn. We become stronger because of the scars we get in life. We learn valuable lessons during our lifetimes. It's what we as humans do. But sometimes, these people get corrupted by the sins they've made. They think that if they treat people like this, then they would be like them. But what they don't know is that those actions have consequences. The scars that Kevin had, the fear, the anxiety... That is the consequences of YOUR actions. And that's why I ask you to forgive Kevin for what you've done." He said.

Kevin saw as Anthony protected him. Tears in his eyes he covered his face with his hands. "P-Please... stop." Anthony turned around and saw Kevin covering his face with hands. His eyes widened. "Kevin, I-I'm so sorry." He said, hugging him. Kevin's father got pissed. His own son cutting himself? He refused to believe it was their fault, but it was the truth. He got up and pushed Anthony out of the way and slapped Kevin. "H-Huh?" Kevin said, feeling the slap. "Why son... why?" "I'm sorry...." Anthony got up and got in front of Kevin. "Don't you dare touch him!!!" He shouted. His heart raced and his body became weak. No... He thought I will NOT faint! I have to protect my angel! Kevin sensed it. "Anthony, please!" Kevin's mom hugged Kevin and Anthony. "We are so sorry..." "I didn't mean that son." Anthony smiled weakly and hugged back. "Well... at least... you apologized... I'm sure.... your son.... will forgive you..." His vision started to become blurry, but he managed to stay awake. "Anthony..." Kevin made him lie down on the couch and put his head on his lap. He caressed Anthony's hair making him feel relaxed.

Anthony smiled and closed his eyes. His breathing was steady, signifying Kevin that he had fallen asleep. Kevin's tears fell on Anthony's face. He wiped them off and kissed his forehead. "You must really love him." "Yes. I do, mom." "He makes you happy?" "Yes, dad." "Good. I swear if by any chance something happens-" "Nothing will. Dad... mom. He loves me so much that he couldn't even lay a hand on me." "We are happy for you, son... I wished Scott's parents can see that." "Yeah.. " Kevin's mom sighed. Anthony heard everything. Kevin's parents are happy about Kevin and him being together. All the things that he said to them... it paid off. Kevin's mom kissed Kevin's forehead. "I'm so happy." "Me too mom... me too. Ever since he came into my life... I've been so happy." Anthony listened with open ears. "The day he confessed his feelings... he made me so happy. I'm glad I met him. He's brave... kind and that's what I love about him." "Aw, honey. don't cry." Anthony opened his eyes and looked at Kevin. He reached out his hand and wiped Kevin's tears.

"....." Kevin smiled down at him. "I thought you were asleep." Anthony chuckled. "Well, I was. But I was woken up by your beautiful voice." He said, smiling. Kevin blushed. His parents went to the other room to give them privacy. "It's not that beautiful..." Anthony sat up. "What are you talking about? You have the voice of an angel." He said. "A-An angel?" Kevin blushed even more. Does Anthony think of him as an angel? "Yes. You are the sweetest angel I have ever met. And I don't want to lose you to anybody." Anthony said, hugging him. "I care about you so much. I love you." "I-I love you too, Anthony." Kevin hugged him back. "Why don't we go back with the others? I can move back here later." Anthony nodded. "Okay." They both said goodbye to Kevin's parents, went to the car and drove back to the amusement park. Anthony checked his cell phone. 11:56 P.M. Almost time for the fireworks show. They both got out of the car and met the others at the plaza. "Hey guys!" Anthony said, waving to them. "Hi." Scott said, waving. "Welcome back." Mike said, holding Jeremy's hand. "How did it go, Kevin?" Vincent said. "It went well." He hugged Anthony. "Thanks Anthony." He kissed his cheek. "You're welcome." He said, blushing. "Look, it's starting!" Fritz said. And with that, the fireworks show started.

"It's pretty." Kevin said. Mike held onto Jeremy's hand. Scott grabbed Vincent by the chin and took the opportunity to kiss his lips. Vincent kissed Scott back, rubbing circles on his back. Mike saw them. "Hey! Save it for later!" Kevin wrapped his arm around Anthony's and put his head on his shoulder. Anthony looked at Kevin and smiled. You're so cute... He thought. Vincent looked at Mike and smiled. "Alright, alright!" He said, laughing. Fritz and Denisse sat next to each other. "Hey, Fritz?" Denisse asked. "Hm?" Fritz looked at her. "Your friends are really great, you know." She said. "They sure are." Fritz smiled. They both looked up to the sky that the fireworks continued to dazzle.