Later that afternoon...

After a good bit of the day being spent in camaraderie, only the Quitmans and the Hedares decided to head outside and finish preparing the foods and activities needed for the beachside barbeque while most of the guests decided to stick around and enjoy each other's company. Ro'Niah, Kimani, and their parents opted to head home and get some rest as did Chanel and her parents, aunt, and uncle. Only the Thade family and Gwen stayed behind to mingle and also volunteer when needed.

Ja'Marco, for his part in the festivities, was lost in making conversations with his classmates and getting to know more about the other families that were part of the inner circle with the Quitmans and some of the visiting socialites and various guests who were only invited for the brunch. One of the Jefferson cousins offered him a weekend with a female cousin on her yacht in Newport. A friend of the Hallenbecks, a wealthy widowed woman, promised him a lunch date when Fall Break arrived when he wasn't studying for midterms. Someone from a local talent agency handed him his card and suggested that the teen consider doing a set of go-sees for a modeling career.

"What a day so far, am I right?"

Ja'Marco turned around after bidding farewell to a local councilwoman to find Gwen joining him and handing him a cup of punch. "It's been chaotic, but I'm making the most of things," he replied good-naturedly. "I never thought how I would get here, especially after the initial warnings about coming here and all."

Gwen sighed. "Ja'Marco, things have definitely changed," she replied before she led him to a private room. "Yeah, the people at the diner and I were caught off-guard when we found out who you're related to and all, and we all thought that you were in danger. But now...all I can say to you is that I have no other excuse for why I said that other than we didn't think you needed to know what's truly ahead of you. And as crazy as it sounds, maybe it's best that you do get ready for what's coming. You have a lot ahead of you, especially when it comes to your family's legacy. But I can only tell you that what's written in the stars is meant to be fulfilled. You cannot fight fate, Ja'Marco. No matter what you've been taught, sometimes it's best to accept the hand you've been dealt with."

Ja'Marco only nodded, unable to respond to anything but, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Just be brave and be wise, Jay. That's all I can advise for you to do."

The two went their separate ways as Ja'Marco was left with more questions. What had happened that has my friends and even the Freemans and Thades changing their tunes? he asked himself as he soon met with a local singer who was famous on the radio. Has Mom and the others told her something that I don't know about? Boy, this barbeque has better be when I finally get some answers because I'm tired of this secrecy and shit.

***************

Later...

"Time to get a move on, Ja'Marco!" Frederich's sharp voice rang from downstairs, prompting the teen to snap out of his nap and grab his shoes and jacket before he headed down the stairs.

"I'm ready when you are," Ja'Marco hollered as he bounded down the stairs, staring in confusion to see his mom and her brood dressed comfortably while the Quitmans...were only in their triangular swimsuits as if they were getting ready for a swim meet. "Aren't you guys going to catch a cold from wearing only those speedos?"

Francis smirked teasingly. "It's kind of a tradition when we do these beachside parties to wear swimsuits," he replied. "You'll get it when you find out about tonight."

Ja'Marco turned to his mother. "And you guys are okay with this?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Beau replied. "Anyway, everyone's waiting for us. Let's get a move on."

Ja'Marco only shrugged as he dutifully followed the others out the door and to the waiting caravan that would take everyone to the beach. "Showtime," he muttered.

*************

Meanwhile...

"Good thing that we knocked out those cops with the cups of soda that were laced with sedatives," Jeremiah said as he, the Westons, Felicia, and the Yuen mother/daughter duo were currently en-route to the beach themselves in hopes of uncovering the secrets. "If it didn't work, we might have been sitting ducks under lockdown."

"That's for sure," Kristen remarked as she sat back in her seat, the large van moving along through the streets of downtown. "One thing is for certain, though: I'm never going to trust the Freeman-Lancaster clan after they decided to make nice with the Quitmans and the Hedares. And once we do learn about the truth, we're going to finally tell them off."

The ride was silent until they arrived at the beach just in time for the last of the setting sun to disappear. The gang, all dressed in black, jostled out of the car and began to stake out the party in question, which wasn't far from everything else. "We gotta go stealth and be as quiet as possible," Candide warned. "No unnecessary communication from here on out or else we blow our cover and risk being arrested."

"Definitely," Felicia agreed as the gang soon fell back into a wooded part of the beaches, the large sand dunes doing enough to keep them hidden. "Wow. Only the Hedares, my kinfolk, and the Freemans are fully dressed while the GVA pretty boys are down to their swimsuits."

"What's up with that?" Jeremiah asked softly. "Keep quiet, guys. We only watch and observe from afar. Once we see the whole story, that's when we'll make our move."

The small gang of spies ducked low as they watched the barbeque began to take place.

**************

"Cool party, am I right?" Oliver said cheerfully to Ja'Marco as the latter was taking in the sights and sounds of the beachside barbeque that was taking place: music blaring from a pickup truck; the grill was currently cooking up various burgers, hotdogs, and sausage links; the guys frolicking and showing off their bodies as their swimsuits showed off their prominent yet subtle bulges; Gianna and Ciara chatting animatedly, the sea-green full moon illuminating the sky as the ocean waves crashed and rolled across the sandy shorelines.

"Can't get any better than this," Ja'Marco answered, pausing to pop a potato chip into his mouth.

"Looks like a party straight out of the movies," Ro'Niah remarked as he joined the fray, him and his family in their conservative-themed beachwear. "The others back in LA wouldn't believe this."

Ja'Marco chuckled. "Well, it's a bit much for me, but we can only learn to adapt and have fun."

"That's for sure," Oliver agreed before turning to Ja'Marco. "Won't be long until the real party begins, Hedare. You're going to love tonight, that's for sure."

"I'll bet," Ja'Marco said.

"You will," Ro'Niah remarked.

The barbeque went on as Ja'Marco put all his thoughts to the side and concentrated on having fun for the sake of the family. Once I learn the truth, I'll have to decide whether I want to accept my birthright...or have my family and friends hate me for this, he thought as he enjoyed a limbo competition hosted by Wayne and Mara. And I pray that the decision that I'm making is the right one.

***************

Meanwhile...

"Wonder what's the hold up?" Felicia asked frustratedly as she and the others continued to watch the barbeque go on. "This is getting too boring."

Kristen shushed her, noticing the campfire being put out by two of the Quitman young men. "Something's happening."

"This could be it," Jeremiah said quietly. "Hold tight and stand by, folks."

**************

Back at the barbeque...

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, the time has come for the main festivities to begin," Francis said after the leftovers and trash were put away and all eyes were on the man and his brothers as they stood in front of the crowd. "Tonight is when we formally introduce my long-lost son into our brotherhood and show him the legacy of what our town was based on. Originally known as a haven at the time of its founding, Glenview Valley became the epicenter of a powerhouse of sensuality, masculinity, and passions."

"Thanks to a wish made by Sarabeth Allendam, the daughter of one of the founding fathers, who we are now will soon be known to all of mankind," Ferguson intoned as his sons, nephews, and their classmates (including Oliver) joined the older men, their eyes glowing brighter than the sea-green moonlight.

"Those who dare to silence or delay the inevitable can never try and decode who we are or what we stand for as a secret brotherhood," Frederich added. "And now, Ja'Marco Hedare will soon learn the whole story and why he was sent here."

Oliver, in his sea-green speedo, stepped forward with his gaze on the guest of honor. "Ja'Marco Hedare, you are from a family that has a legacy like none other, but are from two different worlds," he intoned, his voice more authoritative and full of power unlike the usual high-schooler kind. "Despite your initial thoughts about the town when you arrive, you began to come out of your shell and began embracing the impossible. And while you may be unsure of what's truly going on, you will now understand."

"Understand what?" Ja'Marco asked.

Francis turned to Oliver, who only nodded. "Boys, it is time," the older man said as he stripped out of his speedo as the others did the same.

Ja'Marco's eyes went wide as his family and friends were unusually calm. "What the heck is-"

"Just watch and observe," Chanel instructed him sharply. "I'm so sorry, Ja'Marco, but this is part of your new normal- a world that you do not know about until tonight."

Ja'Marco could only stare in disbelief as the hoarde of naked men from Glenview Valley Academy for Boys as well as more handsome men (also naked and newly-arriving) soon took to the ocean as a dense fog began to form. He began to stand to his feet before Wayne, Joel, and Beau stopped him from moving.

"Wait, what?! Guys, what is going on here?!" Ja'Marco exclaimed, wildly looking around as the full moon began to glow brighter while the ocean waves continued their dance. He heard whoops of joy and happiness that sounded melodic yet masculine. "What's going on here? Guys, enough with the games already! Can someone tell me what's  going on here?!"

"Ja'Marco!"

Said teen whirled around to see a newly-arrived Jeremiah with the Westons, Kristen and her mom, and Felicia race towards him. "Uncle Jeremiah, what's going on here?" he asked the older man. "And what are you doing here?"

"We're here to find out the truth just as you are," Candide answered just as the fog began to clear and Melinda arrived. "Mrs. Hedare, it's time that you 'fessed up."

The woman was unperturbed. "I can do better than that," she said crisply. "I can show you."

She pointed to the ocean where the men were soon coming up for air...with tails instead of legs.

"Oh, my God," Ja'Marco breathed. "Is...is this for real?"

"It is," Melinda said. "Ja'Marco, you're not totally human. And neither is your birth father nor his family."

Francis swam up until his mermaid tail was replaced by human legs, leaving him in his naked form. "That's right, Melinda," he said in a melodic and soothing tone. To Ja'Marco, "We are the real McCoys, Ja'Marco Ra'Keem Hedare, and soon...you will be one as well."

There was only one thing that Ja'Marco could do upon seeing what had he saw, gentle reader, as we close out the second act of this story: he fainted with him hearing one epithet from his mother.

"FUCK!"

END OF ACT TWO

So, now you know the truth, folks! Glenview Valley consists of gay mermen and his birth father and his family are mermen as well! And once he finally gets the whole story in act three, he's going to have his proper reaction to all of the secrets kept from him for the longest!

The prologue for act three is coming up next, folks, and it's going to be one you cannot afford to miss that depicts of what you can expect! Don't miss it!

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