"Normal speech"

"Thought"

A/N:

Disclaimer

1 d0 |\|07 0\/\/|\| 94|\|7Z…


A New Outing

**The next morning**

DJ had a hard time waking, but he had no choice. He had to shower before heading off to school. Even though the shower was refreshing, DJ just couldn't seem to shake the feeling of drowse. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to get in a quick nap even on the ride to school. He certainly didn't have time for one once class started. His fellow classmates didn't seem to get that they should be quiet or at least talk quietly when someone was trying to catch a few Z's. He had to go through most of the morning trying to keep from nodding off. He was relieved when lunch came. He quickly found Nicole and asked her to let him get a little shut-eye in the backseat of her car.

As he laid down, as best he could, Nicole mentioned that she had received a text from Madison. "She said that she and Ana would be busy for a while, but they'd let us know when they had some free time."

"Alright…" he sleepily responded.

Before she knew it, he had fallen asleep and was snoring in the back. Nicole found herself watching him as he slept and nearly dozed off a few times herself. The sudden ringing of the school bell shocked her awake. She shook DJ and the two drowsily made their way back into the building to continue the first day of school.

This went on for the next few weeks, though, not as lethargic on so many levels, but boring and uninteresting for the most part. It was the usual for DJ. Like a ghost that haunted the school grounds, he would go unnoticed for the most part by his fellow classmates and school chums. The only times he would get attention was when he was called on or praised by a teacher and when it came to school work. This bothered him a bit. He partially wanted to be noticed by more people, but on the other note, he didn't.

To himself, he felt that his existence was lame. In his normally life, he hardly existed, but when it came to his secret life of being involved with Gantz…

DJ felt like he would die if he didn't get any excitement or some sort of stimulation any time soon. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of returning to that room and getting ready for when that time came.

As he and the others worked on their homework, DJ could feel that something would happen soon.

"Maybe you feel that way because you don't want to do your homework… I suggest you just focus on that for the moment," Nicole said.

Then, DJ felt it…

He acted quickly. He grabbed his vibrating phone and opened the new message he received. As a smile showed on his face, Nicole asked, "What is it?"

He told her, and the rest, "They'll be back by the end of the week. They've got some free time!"

"That's nice," Nicole nonchalantly said as she put her head back in her book.

DJ chuckled a little loudly as he replied to Ana's message. Nicole noticed that, since he received that message, he seemed more chipper and more willing to do his homework.

As he focused on his work, Nicole's curiosity got the better of her. She slipped his phone away when she figured he wouldn't notice…

"You could ask," DJ said without looking up from his work.

A bit startled, she responded, "I… I just wanted to see what you replied…"

He let her. Though she said that she just wanted to see his message, she was really intending to check his phone to see how much he and Ana had actually communicated. She was shocked to find that the two had stayed in contact at least once a day since the last time they had seen each other in person. She also found…

"What is this…?" she showed him what she was questioning.

With just a glimpse, Richard proclaimed, "It's…!"

DJ got a good look as Nicole shoved his phone mere inches from his face while she scrolled through the pictures he had stored.

"Why do you have these?"

DJ was a bit embarrassed. He explained, "Even though she does this for a living, Ana's a little self-conscious about the way she looks sometimes… She needed some reassurance and sent me a picture of her wearing the things she would be wearing during her shoots…"

"And they just happened to be swimsuits…!?"

"Most of 'em… Summer is over and Fall is coming. The people she works with just wanted to get as many photos of her in bikinis and at beaches and lakes and oceans before it got too cold… or… maybe they're just getting a few until they really decide to take as much as they can…"

"Why would they do that?" Richard asked.

He turned to Nicole and hinted, "Don't… some people have certain reactions to being cold… Women are usually the ones that receive more attention for it, right…?"

Nicole's light-skinned cheeks turned slightly red. A bit flustered, she said, "Tha-… th-that's no reason for you to keep them in your phone… It's just creepy! I should delete these!"

"Go ahead; I'm not very interested in the 'less is more' thing anyway…"

Nicole cycled through them once more to find more pictures of Ana more covered than in the swimsuit ones. A bit stumped, something came to her. "I should show yo' mama these pictures…"

This got a rise out of him. "Don't do that," he warned. "If my mom saw those, she'd just embarrass me by telling everyone that she saw pictures of my girlfriend and how pretty she is… I once let her know that I liked a girl, and she still teases me about it whenever she can…"

With a sour face, Nicole said, "Fine… I won't show yo' mama and daddy…… if you can get your phone back!"

She jumped up from the table and ran out the room. DJ jumped up and went right after her. She didn't get far as DJ grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. She wouldn't let him off that easily. She continued to struggle until both fell to the floor. The two rolled around as they fought for the phone. They suddenly stopped when Nicole stopped struggling. She ended up on top of him and just stopped to stare down at him.

She was snapped out of it when DJ snatched his phone away, saying, "Nicky… get off… We got homework to finish."

She was slow to get moving as they returned to their work. But Nicole couldn't seem to focus. She couldn't keep her eyes off of DJ. Even when they finished their homework and DJ and the guys went to start a workout session, she used it as an excuse to watch him.

As he pushed himself during his workout, Nicole couldn't help but wonder exactly why DJ was trying so hard. Was it just because he wanted to, or was it to impress someone? If he was doing something that wasn't good for him just to impress someone, there would be no way that Nicole would allow him to continue. In all the time she had known him, she had never seen him so passionate when it came to something however…

The end of the week finally came, and DJ and the others luckily had no other projects or schoolwork to do. Their plans to get together wouldn't be hindered. This was good, but…

DJ stood half-naked with no idea of what was going on. His face reflected the hopelessness of the situation. Suddenly, the door flung open…

There was shock on DJ's face as someone said, "Darn… I was hoping he was nude…"

"You were hoping to see him naked?" Carlos raised an inquiring eyebrow.

Hearing how it sounded, Richard quickly explained, "N-no… I-I'm not Jayden…" Jayden was obviously agitated by this. "I just… I thought it would've been funny if… when I opened the door, he would've been embarrassed about being seen naked… especially since the girls and his mom is standing here… It would've been better if I could've embarrassed them all…"

After walking by and hitting Richard, Nicole stated, "I wouldn't have been embarrassed… I've always wondered, what DJ… and Carlos and Jayden… would look like naked. It would be even better if they were together when it happened…"

All the guys, and even Kristina, reacted to this. She showed a look of disgust after picturing it. Carlos took a step away from Jayden, who bashfully looked away from DJ to keep from making eye-contact. DJ made an awkward face upon hearing it. His face turned up as if it was trying to cringe, but at the same time, it seemed like he was trying to question Nicole's statement with an eyebrow. What was worse was that his mother was still standing there with a smile on her face. Nicole found it all very funny, especially Richard, who looked disappointed that he wasn't included in this little fantasy of Nicole's.

She walked up to DJ and said, "I hope you aren't plannin' on going like that," she pointed at his basketball shorts and socks.

"Don't joke around… You know that I wouldn't go anywhere in nothin' but my underwear… I can't decide on what to wear. I've never been good at pickin' out clothes that look good…"

"That's what you wear for underwear?" Nicole hadn't heard anything after he mentioned it. "Why do you--?"

"It's a comfort thing," he told her. "Anyway, back to my problem…"

"Right," she came back. "You usually do okay…"

"Well, that's because I didn't really care how I looked."

"I'd like to help, but I'm not your mama, and you aren't dressin' up for me, so I don't really care what you wear," she snapped.

"Aw, c'mon…! Don't be that way! You're supposed to be my friend!"

Nicole just continued walking and shut the door behind her. This left DJ to make the decision himself, which just made him even more anxious.

DJ's mother led his friends to the living room and told them to make themselves at home. Richard grabbed the remote control and turned on the television. As he did, Nicole sat on the couch next to Jayden and folded her arms. Jayden wasn't sure if he should bring it up, but he could tell that there was something bothering her. Seeing her face, he decided to wait until the right time.

As they waited for DJ to finish, Carlos noticed something black barely pull into the driveway. "Is that…?"

Everyone looked outside to see a stretch limo. "That must be…"

"Ana," Nicole finished.

They all headed outside to "greet" them as they stepped out of the limo. Just as they got there, they saw legs that they instantly figured as belonging to Ana. As she stepped out, she smiled brightly at the lot and merrily greeted them. Soon after came Madison. Right after her was Justin, who looked like he didn't care to be there. He looked at the house and said, "Awfully small, isn't it…?" to himself.

Right behind the group came DJ's parents. His mother asked which girl was DJ's girlfriend. Ana strangely wanted to claim this, but wasn't sure if it was really alright to do so, seeing as the two hadn't actually made a commitment like that to each other. With no one answering, she commented, "That's too bad… He's such a nice young man that anyone would be lucky to have." His father, after getting an eyeful of the girls, complimented the choice on transportation and Justin acted like it was nothing to him, which it wasn't.

"If that's the case, then I'm sure you wouldn't mind givin' out a few dollars here and there," DJ's father said.

He jokingly placed his hand out but pulled it back as he heard DJ say, "Trust me… He doesn't seem like the type you want to take money from," DJ commented as he pushed his parents back into the house.

"I resent that little comment of yours," Justin claimed as he returned.

"Really…? Duly noted…"

"Is that what you're wearing?" Justin took a shot.

DJ wore a simple black and blue hoodie, unzipped, a black shirt and shoes, and baggy blue jean shorts, no suit underneath. To Justin's obvious down-put, DJ replied, "Of course… We aren't doin' anything or goin' anywhere 'special' or 'fancy', so why not…?"

He then waved hello to Madison and Ana, who cutely waved back…

"Can we get goin' already?" Justin asked a bit exasperated.

Madison quickly took a hold of Justin and dragged him into the limo. They were then followed by the rest.

As they departed, many of them were in awe of the spacious limo, especially Richard. "Ma~n… This is nice. This is how I should be rollin'… Once I get thangs together, this is how I willbe ridin'…"

"Only by some freak event that you manage to win the lottery," Nicole coldly dismissed.

"Aw… Can't you have a little faith in me, Nicole," he depressingly said.

Everyone had a good laugh about this. Everyone that is, except for Justin. Instead, he seemed to focus more on a few others, Ana, DJ, and Nicole to be precise. The three sat fairly close, but that wasn't what was bothering him about the scene. What slightly irritated him was how both young ladies seemed to be very cozy with him, but not once had they made an effort to get that comfortable with him, especially Ana. The entire ride, he watched as each somehow found a reason to get closer and to touch him.

As they arrived at their destination, Justin stepped out, took a look at the place, and said, "Well… maybe it's a good thing that we're at a movie theatre… If we're lucky, no one will see DJ's outfit and we won't be associated with someone who makes poor choices when it comes to dressing…"

Having heard enough, Nicole spoke up. "Don't be such a snooty snob…! We aren't anywhere fancy, and nice clothes, like yours, will probably just be ruined in a place like this," she defended her friend.

"I was only jokin' with him, it's what guys do. They make cracks about another guy, but he knows that it's all in good fun… Why are you the one jumpin' on me for that?" he questioned, even though he felt he already knew.

"Because he's my friend, and that's how people are supposed to get along," she stressed.

"Riiight…"

Without giving her a chance for a rebuttal, he led the way to the ticket-taker. Proudly, he offered to pay for everyone's expenses for the rest of the evening. They allowed him to do so and were left to decide on which movie the group would be seeing.

"So… what should we see?" Carlos asked.

Richard ran over to a movie poster and asked to see that one. "I've been dyin' to see this movie."

"No way," Madison denied.

"Why not? The movie's said to be good, and we've seen scarier things 'you know where'…"

"And that's why! I don't want to see anything that could remind me of it!" Madison scolded.

With that option eliminated, the pressure was on…

"Is there anything you want to see, Dávid?"

DJ looked around. "No… I don't think I'd really care what we see." He then turned to her and asked, "Is there anything that you might want to see?"

"That's a good idea," Justin agreed. "I would've suggested the same thing but was beat to it… A man should always give a lady what she wants…"

"I'm glad you feel that way," Madison said as she placed her arm around his.

"So… what do you want to see?" Nicole pressed.

"Well… I would love to see something romantic," Ana replied.

"Nah, I know DJ said that he didn't care, but I'm sure he doesn't want to see something mushy," Richard commented.

"No one asked you…!" Nicole scolded. She then turned back to Ana to say, "Richard might have a point. I'm not sure that anyone else wants to see something romantic, but since you want to and DJ doesn't seem to mind, why don't the two of you go together…?"

Ana thought this was perfect. Her face lit up but dimmed after hearing Kristina say, "Nah, we came here together, so we should stick together… It's much safer that way, and we won't have to worry about where anyone is after the movie is over."

Nicole, DJ, Ana, and even Madison were about to dispute this, but were cut-off by Justin who agreed with this and Richard who unknowingly made things worse for his friend. With both Carlos and Jayden who didn't seem to care either way, it was finalized that everyone would attend the same movie.

Justin approached the counter to buy the tickets. After getting snacks, they headed in to see their movie. With no surprise to DJ, once again, the others somehow managed to get in the way. After Ana had chosen her seat, he tried to sit next to her, but Kristina quickly swooped in and snatched it away. Not wanting to get into it with a girl over a seat, DJ was going to sit on the other side, but he was beat to it by none other than Justin. This time, he felt that he couldn't protest because Justin didn't seem to deliberately sit there when DJ was about to plop down. Instead, he sat beside Kristina, to her dismay. Ana thought about making an excuse to change seats, but the seat she had her eyes set on was proudly taken by Richard, who seemed to have no clue of how annoying he was being. There was no use crying about it. They just had to endure it for the next two hours or so.

Ana would have to endure a greater deal of annoyance however. At some point during the movie, Justin tried to slip his arm behind her head. Ana allowed this only because she didn't want to cause a scene. Kristina, on the other hand, had no problem with drawing attention. She noticed Justin's arm around Ana, grabbed it, and began twisting it. His loud grunts and groans caught many movie goers attention and they were incessantly shushed.

He wouldn't allow this to deter him however. He continued to try to put his arm around her only to receive the same treatment again and again. He then tried place his hand over hers. Even then, Kristina would find a way to make him regret trying. When he would least expect it, she would suddenly slap his hand hard enough to make him withdraw, but not enough to make him stop. It just caused him to set his sights on something else.

Ana was surprised when Justin slipped his hand onto her thigh and began rubbing. In a state of shock, she jolted from her seat. She looked at DJ, then back at Justin, and walked out of the theatre.

DJ was about to follow but was delayed by everyone that jumped up after. Everyone tried to follow but lost sight of her once they exited the theatre. Worrying about her, they split up to look. Having similar ideas, DJ led the girls to the restrooms. There, they found her with her back turned to them… kissing Justin…

She pushed him off and turned to see the others there. She took notice of their expressions. Madison looked as if she wasn't surprised. "It's always this way," she commented to herself.

The expression among the group that caught her eye most was that of DJ. For a brief moment, she saw shock in his eyes before it faded. "Oh, uh… Sorry if we're interrupting." Though he said it like he wasn't too concerned about what he had just seen, Ana could tell that he was just hiding how he really felt. It was evident when he turned and left. Ana tried to stop him, but he disappeared into the lobby.

"Man, the kiss was great and all, but I didn't think that it'd draw an audience," Justin proudly commented. Ana looked as if she was trying to stare daggers into him. To try and lighten the mood, he said, "That guy isn't much for competition… Another guy is bold enough to get further with the girl he likes and he turns tail and runs. Ana continued to look at Justin with a bit of anger in her eyes before walking by him and entering the restroom. With the rest of the girls following suit, Justin said, "Women… they're so sensitive…"

DJ sat in the lobby with his hood over his head. Whether he realized it or not, he had caught the attention of the staff. He looked rather suspicious as he just sat there. "Why do I care so much about this? I always figured, if I couldn't be with one girl, there would be another someday, maybe not the same, but still… 'There's other fish in the sea'… So, why do I care, especially with this whole 'Gantz' thing? She could just be taken away as quickly as she was tonight…" He looked around to see people walking around the lobby, families, groups of other teenagers, and couples here and there. He thought, "I know that I wanted to protect her from this as best I could, but why do I care so much about her anyway? Sure she's got a great body, but that isn't enough to make someone worth the trouble… She's pretty, but that's basically the same… I do love it when she smiles though… and the way she looks at me sometimes sends chills down spine. Not to mention, she's kind and caring. She's not a bad person as far as I know… Could it be that…?"

The rest of the girls followed Ana into the restroom and found her with tears in her eyes. Once she saw them, she immediately tried to hide it from them. Wanting to lend a little support, Nicole took a deep breath…

"Ana… you get that, even though he doesn't show it very well, DJ likes you, right?"

A smile came onto her face as she confirmed, "He really likes me…? I'm glad to hear it! I was worried that he didn't because, even though he got me this beautiful necklace, he would always talk about being friends…"

"Yeah… He really seems to genuinely like you… but do you?"

"Of course," she replied.

"Really…? Why would you like him?" Kristina inquired.

"That's what I want to know," Nicole stated. "Do you like him because you really have feelings for him, or is it some hero-type thing where you see him as your 'Knight in Shining Armor'?"

Ana looked shocked. For a moment, she didn't seem to know how to respond, but…

"It… it might have a little to do with that," she revealed. Nicole looked as if she was getting a bit miffed, but Ana continued, "I admired how he risked his life for me, someone he didn't know, and anyone else he could save on that first day, both before we ended up in that room and after… but that isn't what's drawing me to him. For a while now, everyone has seen me as nothing more than a model with big breasts, especially guys."

"Tch! Figures," Kristina scoffed.

"Many of them would come up to me and act as if they were actually interested in me, but before long, I'd find out that I didn't mean anything to them."

"And how do you know that this guy is any different?" Kristina questioned.

"I can't be completely sure, but there's just something about him that makes me feel better," she said dreamily. "I feel so comfortable with him… nervous but comfortable."

"He treats you like you're just another person but makes you feel like you're special," Nicole finished. "I think he likes to treat people as kindly as he can, even if they don't treat him the same way."

"Yes, that's it," Ana agreed. "Because of that, I think that I may… be falling for him…"

"Could it be… that I might… like her more than I thought?

After coming to this revelation, DJ felt renewed. He was about to go find Ana but was instead met by Jayden.

Nicole then said, "I get it now… and I hope that you two can be happy… together…"

Ana's face lit up. She hugged Nicole and ran out of the restroom. After she was gone, Madison showed a little concern. "Nicole you… you like DJ too, right?"

Before heading into a stall, she turned back for a brief moment and said, "No… no… I don't see him like that… He's just my dearest friend, so it only makes sense for me to be a little concerned about him…"

Before anyone could say anything more, she went into the stall. Not wanting to leave her alone, the two remained.

DJ found himself being kept company by Jayden. Although, he wouldn't say it that way. He felt more like he was being held captive by someone that wanted him to listen to their issues. The two sat and watched people as they walked through the lobby. One certain group caught their attention as they walked by, a group of girls and a single guy with a lot of flair.

"DJ…"

"Yeah…"

"Why do you think you're the way you are?" Jayden asked.

DJ was a bit surprised by this question. He had often wondered that himself. After a moment of pondering, he answered, "It could be anything from the way I was raised and the habits and experiences I've had to the way my brain works or maybe even genetics… The thing is, I have no real clue why I am the way I am. The only thing I know is that I'm me and that's all I can be…"

"I guess I should've figured that you would say something complicated. You're just a weird guy."

"Yeah, I guess I am," he agreed.

After a moment of silence, out of the blue, Jayden said, "DJ… I think… I'm gay…"

"Yeah… so…" he didn't seem to care.

"I noticed, recently… that I can't… seem to keep my mind off of you…"

This got his attention. "Huh?!" he said in shock and disbelief.

"I should've figured this out long ago. Guys would always seem to easily grab my attention, even over good-lookin' girls… The only time I would actually check out girls was when the guys would draw my attention to one. I even had a flair for decorating…"

"So," DJ dismissed. "Just because you have a little style or you can match colors and stuff doesn't make you gay. I remember how my cousin went through this faze where my brother would where pink collared shirts and he still dresses with more style than me, but he still 'chased tail' like the dog he is. Certain behavior doesn't necessarily mean you're gay either. It could just be something that stuck with you. Your 'man-crush' on me could be something to do with how you feel about yourself. There's probably something you don't like, but you see something you do like in me. That's probably only because you may want to be like me. You want to be able to do the things I can, and instead of hating me for it, because I'm a likeable guy, you like being around me in hopes that it'll rub off on you."

DJ's analysis sunk in and Jayden said, "That… makes sense! What you're sayin' is that I've felt pressured to think this way because of recent things that I've gone through. What, with the stupid black ball and the others teasing me and whatnot…… but what if I said… I wanted to kiss you…?"

"O-ka~yy… then that would make you gay, or maybe bisexual, or at the very least bi-curious… It's no big deal though…"

Jayden looked at him with big puppy-dog eyes. He then started to lean in…

"No!"

"But--,"

"Not gonna happen, not even a little bit. I'm never gonna kiss you, or any other guy. I won't even hold your hand to make you feel better, and if you make any move that makes me uncomfortable, I won't hesitate to sock you… because you're a guy, not because you're gay," he cleared up. "I'm not into guys, and that's just the way it is."

Jayden looked like he had been shot in the heart. Seeing his expression, DJ went on to say, "If you're going to be gay, then don't care what anyone else has to say about it. If you need a friend to give you a little support, then you got me, as long as you don't try anything with me."

Jayden bucked up and the two shook on it. "I thought you said that you wouldn't hold my hand," Jayden jokingly teased.

DJ snatched his hand away and walked off, hiding a smile from Jayden…

"Hey, wait…! Where are you goin'?" Jayden laughed.

DJ told him, "I've got someone way more important to me to talk to," while giving him a smirk and the finger.

A little curious, Jayden followed DJ back to the restroom area. There, they ran into Justin as he exited the restroom.

"Ah, so you've come back… So, what for? Maybe you got some courage and now you want to fight for your girl like a real man or maybe for a bit of payback on the guy that progressed further than you with her in such a short time," he tried to aggravate.

DJ was about to say something when he heard arguing from behind. He turned to see the group of girls from before loudly confronting a few guys that, at the time, thought they wouldn't be heard as they ridiculed the girls' male friend's behavior.

As the volume of the argument rose, DJ had the feeling that things could escalate rather quickly if no one stepped in and stopped it.

"You're gonna step in, aren't you…?" Jayden questioned.

DJ walked up with Jayden behind him asking what the problem was.

One of the guys spoke up. "We were talkin' amongst ourselves when the little girlies here heard somethin' they didn't like and jumped in our conversation. That's when they little 'girlfriend' thought he was real cute by hittin' on one of my boys…"

"I can't help it," the young man said. "I have a soft spot for 'bad boys' that don't know what they're missin'…"

The guy and his buddies obviously didn't like what they heard. As they were going to try something, DJ stepped between the two groups.

"C'mon fellas… There are ladies present. You shouldn't give them any trouble," Justin smoothly said. He gave a quick wink in the girls' direction. The guys threatened them with violence, and Justin responded, "That's fine, but I'm more of a lover than a fighter, so… I'll leave it to these guys. Come ladies…"

The ladies did as he said and stepped aside with Justin. As the group of four leered at the two, Jayden whispered, "Uh… DJ… How are we gonna take these guys when you don't even have your suit?"

Before he could answer, a female worker tried to stop them. The group of guys complained about her trying to get in the way, but DJ and the others didn't seem to mind. Things were about to clear up until Ana arrived. With an opening, one of the guys shoved the worker aside. She was caught by Justin, but the guy didn't stop.

DJ heard his rapid footsteps across the ground drawing near. He quickly turned to see a fist coming at his face. A surprise to himself, it seemed that it was coming a little slower than he expected. He easily evaded the straight right by stepping to his right and throwing one of his own, his hood falling over his eyes. It connected with his jaw and he went down hard.

The others were going to jump in but thought twice as DJ menacingly gazed at them with one eye from under his hood.

"What's with that look?"

"I don't like the way that guy is lookin' at us…"

Instead, two of the guys helped their friend up and they left.

"Dávid…!" Ana called to him.

From where Justin stood, it looked as if he had just snapped out of a trance. "What is it?" he asked.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded. She grabbed his right hand and began gently rubbing his knuckles. This was surprisingly pleasant, but the pleasantries ended when the worker stepped in…

"I'm glad that things didn't get too out of hand, but I'm sorry to say that I have to ask you to leave…"

She was happy to find that there was no complaint from any of them. As they were leaving, the worker felt it necessary to slip Justin her number. As they exited the building, she wasn't the only one with this in mind. The group of girls also gave him each of their numbers.

The only one that didn't seem interested in Justin was the male friend. "Sooo… I'd like to thank you for coming to me and my friends' rescue… Maybe I could repay you personally… like dinner or somethin' like that sometime…?"

DJ looked at Jayden and snickered…

"What…!? What's so funny?!"

"This is," he chuckled.

"What?! I thought that you wouldn't make fun of me…!"

Still stifling his laughter, he said, "I never said that I wouldn't tease you… but that's not why I'm laughin'…"

"Then why…?!"

"You blushed big time when he asked!"

"That's not--!"

"It was a little cute," the young male snickered. "So, what do you say? Want to do somethin' sometime?" he pressed.

Jayden hesitated. "I-I'm not really sure… I've never even thought of doin' something like this… I'm not even really sure if I'm gay…"

"Oh, come on… I'll be gentle," he sweetly pressured.

Once again, Jayden was quiet. Seeing that he was unsure, DJ suggested, "Why don't you take his number, give it some time, and call him when you're completely sure… Even if he isn't your type, I'm sure he could help you get comfortable."

Jayden considered DJ's suggestion. He bashfully agreed.

Seeing him help a friend through something like this, warmed Ana's heart and brought a smile to her face. As they sat on a bench outside, waiting for the limo to return and their friends, who were still allowed inside, to come out, Ana still hadn't released his hand. DJ found himself sitting much closer and cozier with Ana than he ever had. She felt so soft and smelled so nice. DJ felt like he was going to overload. He tried to stay in the moment and keep his mind from racing. Luckily, the others had finally come out…

"Aw man… I can't believe that we had to sit through that movie alone," Richard complained.

"Where were you guys?" Kristina asked. After seeing how DJ and Ana were sitting, she asked, "What are you doin'?"

Ana told them that DJ had gotten into a fight, and she was trying to comfort him.

"Are you alright?" Nicole asked with a hint of attitude.

DJ was about to answer but Ana did for him. "I saw him knock this guy out with one punch. That's why I'm rubbing his hand!"

Trying to tiptoe around the possible "mines", Madison asked, "So… are things okay with the two of you?"

Ana stopped rubbing but didn't let go. She turned to DJ to ask, "Are… we okay? Because I didn't want to kiss Justin, it's just… he got a little touchy-feely, and when I left, he followed me, and… well…"

"So that's what happened… I was kind of worried that… it was what you wanted," DJ said.

"No… I've never liked him that way, if even a little… He's handsome and can be charming, but even though my friend liked him, he led her on only for her to find out that he didn't feel the same the she did."

"That's only because I had my eye on someone else, and I can't stand to hurt a girl's feelings," Justin disputed.

"Even so, you hit on me even though I wasn't interested…"

"It's called persistence. Any guy that's worth a damn has it…"

The limo pulled up just in time to keep this from going back and forth. Everyone began getting in, but Ana held DJ back. She wanted to confirm something. "Sooo… You said that you were worried that I had chosen Justin… Is there a reason you felt that way?" She bit her lip in anticipation.

DJ looked into her eyes, bit his own lip, and bashfully looked away. "I… like you…"

That's all she wanted to hear. She held onto him and dragged him into the limo. The entire ride home, Ana wouldn't let go of DJ's hand. She noticed him looking at their hands and asked, "Am I being to rough?"

DJ became lost in her eyes as she showed concern. They both stared until everyone else became uncomfortable and Justin had the lights turned out. Other than that, they had a nice, peaceful ride back.

They arrived at DJ's house and most got out. Ana was reluctant to let DJ go. As she began to loosen her grip, he grabbed her. He pulled her out saying that he wanted to ask her something, if only for a few minutes.

"I don't feel like waiting for you guys to stare into each others' eyes all night, I have other things to do," Justin stated as he waved his phone.

"Then… we'll take a cab," Ana told him.

"Awww… a cab… I'd rather go in the limo," Madison whined.

Kristina thought about volunteering Nicole to give them a ride, but figured that maybe it was best not to. If she volunteered herself, then that would have been a different story, but she didn't…

Hesitantly, Ana said, "I… don't think that I'm comfortable yet to be around Justin…"

Madison could understand what she was saying. She wouldn't be much of a friend if she didn't appeal to Ana every now and then. Madison got out of the limo and asked DJ if it was alright for her to go inside. He unlocked the door and his friends entered, leaving him and Ana alone outside.

He was about to ask her when he noticed something strange. Ana asked and he explained that he didn't recognize the car that was following the limo. The two rushed inside and had Madison call Justin…

She called and asked him if he noticed a certain car tailing him. He looked back and noticed a vehicle matching the very description they had given following him. After hearing this, DJ bolted to his room, got into his suit, and had Nicole drive him a few blocks away to where the limo was. Everyone but Ana and Madison came along, with DJ riding on the roof while invisible.

Under the advice of the others, Justin was to ride around the neighborhood so that they could catch up quickly.

Ana and Madison had been left behind with nothing to do but worry. They were startled when DJ's parents came into the living room.

"Where is everyone?" his father asked.

"They left," Ana said.

"And David…?" his mother asked.

Thinking quick on her feet, Madison told them, "He went along to make sure that Nicole came back safely. She'll be takin' us home…"

The group had caught up and was now tailing the vehicle that was tailing Justin's limo. They had him pull over to see what the people in the mysterious vehicle had in mind. As the limo pulled to the curb, so did the mystery car.

All four doors opened and four guys stepped out. Justin looked out the window as they made their way towards the limo. As they drew near, he recognized each of them from the movie theatre. As one reached for the handle, they heard a voice call out…

They all turned to see a figure with a black hoodie, fully zipped, and matching black and blue sweatpants. As he peered from underneath the hood over his head, the way he looked reminded the guys of the incident at the theatre. For a moment they were hesitant, but they wouldn't let it end the same way. This time, they would gang-up on this guy.

"Get out of here…! Go home!" DJ demanded.

They recognized this voice. "So it is you! This time, we gonna beat the shit outta you!"

"This is a warnin'… Don't do anything stupid!" he told them.

"YOU SHOULD'VE THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE!!" one shouted as he and the rest charged.

In the blink of an eye, DJ defeated them all. Unconscious, DJ took them all and set them in their ride.

Since that little problem had been taken care of, they figured that it was safe to head home. They left in time to see flashing lights in the rear view mirrors, signifying that someone had called the police. Luckily, they weren't being followed or questioned.

With no problems, Nicole proceeded to follow the limo to ensure that there would be no more incidents.

As he got out and sent the limo on its way, Justin called DJ over. "Don't think that I'm gonna thank you or anything because it was your fault that we got involved in that in the first place…! I just wanted to tell you that no matter what, I'm not gonna let up on Ana." As he headed towards his house, he stated, "Hell… even if the two of you got married, I wouldn't stop until I at least got her into my bed." Without turning back, he waved goodbye.

With one member of their team safely home, they proceeded to take everyone home. Once they returned, Nicole, to her discretion, offered to take Ana and Madison to their place if they hadn't already left.

"That's nice of you, but that's outta your way, right?"

"I don't mind…"

They entered to see if they were still around and found them watching television in the living room.

"You're still here…?" Nicole said, a bit bewildered.

"Oh, you're back…"

"Welcome back!" Ana said.

"What are you still doin' here? Did you decide against the cab? Or were you hopin' that I would take you home?"

Madison responded, "We were gonna call a cab, but……"

"Dávid's parents said that we could stay for the night!" Ana finished.

Both DJ and Nicole were shocked to here this. They didn't believe it…

"They both said it was alright. They even said that we could sleep in your room if it was alright with you," Ana elaborated.

DJ could barely process this. He was definitely going into overload. What Madison said next was just overkill…

"Your dad even mentioned where there was 'protection'… just in case…"

DJ's mouth hung open. The girls could tell that the "lights were on, but no one was home". Ana and Madison thought that this was funny, but Ana also found it cute.

"I'm leavin'…! Good night!" Nicole sounded upset.

"Do you really have to go…? If you stay, then we can have a slumber party," Ana suggested.

Madison couldn't believe her friend. She was thinking, "What're you doin'!!? You may not have realized this, but this girl is your competition! I don't know if she would or if she wouldn't, but if she ever got the chance, she could try and take DJ from you!"

"I can't," Nicole said nearly out the door. "I'm sure my mama would be worried about me…"

"I'm sure if you called her and told her, she'd be alright with you stayin'," DJ assured her.

"No… I don't think that that'd be a good idea, but I'll come by tomorrow…"

"Oka~y," DJ said, a bit deflated.

He saw her out and watched as she pulled out of the driveway. Once she was gone, he returned to his guests.

"Okay… Sleepin' arrangements… If you don't mind, the two of you can take my bed…"

"You want us to sleep together…? Dávid, I had no idea you were so bold…"

"N-no…! I was sayin' that you two could take the comfy bed while I find someplace else to sleep. I'm tryin' to be a gentleman… and keep the beast in me from tryin' to hump you like crazy," he thought the last part to himself.

"Are you sure…? 'Cause I was sure that you were you lookin' to add another girl to your fantasy when you asked Nicole to stay," Madison teased.

A bit flustered, DJ didn't reply. He went to his room to remove his suit and change his sheets. Once he returned, he said that the young ladies could make themselves at home and asked if there was anything that they needed. Madison mentioned that something to sleep in would be nice, and DJ led them to his room.

"Take your pick… Anything you want to wear is fine with me…"

"So this is your room… It's kinda small," Madison commented.

"I like your room… It's nice and…"

"You don't have to be so nice… I know that there isn't a lot of space, so I wouldn't be upset if you felt the same way as Madison. But it is my room, and I'm perfectly fine with it."

He shut the door to give them some privacy. A smile came across Ana's face as she sat on the bed. She curiously observed Madison as she began looking through DJ's dresser drawers.

"What are you doing Maddy?"

"I'm snoopin'…"

"For what?"

"I want to know what kind of 'things' he's into…"

"'Things'…?"

"You know… Dirty magazines, dirty movies, porno, weird sexual fetishes… Something like that…"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because he's pretty weird, so he must be into some weird and kinky things…"

Ana tried to ignore Madison and find something to wear, but she couldn't help but notice…

"Most people use a computer… don't they?"

Madison stopped her search to see the computer in the corner of the room. She realized that Ana was on to something. She turned it on and began checking DJ's browsing history…

"What is this…? Wikipedia… Dictionary… music websites… Even his searches are clean!"

With a smile on her face, Ana asked, "Is that a bad thing?"

"Of course it is! What teenage boy in this country with access to the internet shows no sign of curiosity in sex…? I'll tell you who, a weird one that has freaky interests that not even the internet can satisfy!" Madison proclaimed.

"That's a bit much, don't you think…? You saw the cute way he reacted when he found out that we were going to be staying and sleeping in his bed…"

"Mm-… maybe…"

"If you're caught up on not finding anything that has to do with sex, then maybe he just cleared his history…"

A revelation dawned on Madison and a smiled crept onto her face. With her suspicions satisfied, for the moment, she began putting things back and proceeded to find something to wear.

DJ had been patiently waiting in the living room. On the couch, for some reason, he laid upside down while watching television. From his position, he saw two feet across the way. He quickly righted himself to see the two young ladies standing there awaiting his approval.

"It's alright that we wear these, right?"

"Sure," DJ said, his voice cracking a bit. He then saw something he thought was eerie. With the lighting of the television, the smile on Madison's face appeared wicked and creepy. As she moved towards him, the fantasy that the night began as now resembled a dream that was going horribly wrong. As she grabbed his hand and led him away, he asked, "Wha-… what are you doin'?"

"We're goin' to bed," she answered.

DJ's eyes became large as he was led from the dark living room to his brightly lit bedroom. Before following, Ana took the television's remote and turned it off. After Ana entered, Madison closed the door and locked it. The look she gave him gave him the feeling that things would definitely resemble more of a nightmare.

"So… how do you feel about sharing a bed with two beautiful young ladies?"

A brief pause as it sunk in, DJ responded, "I-… I'd love to. It'd be the best thing that ever happened to me, but--,"

"'But', what…?"

"I… wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable, so… I don't mind sleepin' on the floor or the couch…"

"It's fine… It's not like this is the first time either of us have shared a bed with a guy," Madison revealed.

Although he tried to hide it, DJ could be seen taking a big gulp. He was trying his best to keep his mind from racing to things he knew he shouldn't be thinking at the moment. Even if they were just to sleep, his bed wasn't exactly made for three people to fit in. To take his mind off of the situation, he turned his gaze to something else. Unfortunately, he panned over to see Ana bouncing on his bed. It was strangely hypnotic…

"I know that I've been havin' fun teasin' you, but there's no way what you're thinkin' is gonna happen tonight. I'm too tired," Madison told him.

Ana finally stopped and DJ was freed from his trance only to be placed in another one. He watched as Ana uncrossed her legs and crawled into bed. She then patted it, signaling for DJ to join her.

DJ wanted to keep his cool. He didn't want to seem too eager and excited. He took a deep breath to try and steady his breathing and clear his mind, otherwise, he may never live down the possible embarrassment he could face.

He made his way over to the bed, but didn't know where he would be. Madison crawled under the cover and slid over to leave a space between them. Hesitantly, he took them up on their offer. He climbed over Ana with a fleeting glance and took his place in bed. He laid back, as did the girls. A little uncomfortable and very nervous, DJ could feel his temperature rise. To keep from hopefully overheating, he removed his shirt.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…! This isn't that kind of party," Madison stated.

"Huh? Oh, no… I usually sleep with no shirt… but I could put it back on if you want…"

"I don't mind," Ana said.

Madison agreed to allow it, and the issue was dropped. He got out of bed to place it on a chair and turned on the ceiling fan before getting back into bed. As he did, he didn't know what position to take. Should he roll to Ana's side or Madison's? He felt that if he slept on his stomach, he would avoid embarrassment the next morning. As he tried to turn over, he was surprised by Ana, who rolled over his arm. She took his other arm and brought it over. But that wasn't the end of it. Madison threw her arm over him and nuzzled into his back. It was a nice feeling, but he couldn't seem to move. He couldn't tell if he was too afraid to move or if his body had just shut down or decided to continue on its own.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Ana asked.

"Y-yeah," DJ nervously answered.

Ana chuckled a little. "I could feel you vibrate when you talked just now… It tickled…"

"Oh, sorry…"

She chuckled again. Even though laughing in this situation was something he didn't expect, it brought a smile to DJ's face.

Just when he was beginning to get comfortable, he got goosebumps all over his body. Madison moved from DJ's back, still pressing a little skin-to-skin, and placed her lips to his ear…

"Do you know any pornos that start out like this?" Madison questioned.