I wake the next morning and gaze at the screen of my cell. 5:47 AM. Okay, so I was hoping to sleep in, but considering that I would've been up for three hours already at home, I'm content with my body's internal alarm. I stretch beginning with my toes, then my ankles, and then my legs. Before I know it, I look as if I was on one of Torquemada's stretcher. I grunt, unknowingly waking the platinum prince beside me.

I arise, causing him to whimper. I lean to kiss him and he roughly grabs me, pulling me closer. He did such a good job that we both end up on the floor on the opposite side. I successfully embrace him prudently and whisper, "I'm going to check out the Jacuzzi. Join me?" I see the light in his eyes as he clambers to his feet and run into the bathroom. I follow suit, not as noticeably anxious. My movements defy my heart though; it's beating a million miles per hour.

I step around the shower curtain and see Ryan undressing. I look across his back, the seam from my undershirt is imprinted into his porcelain skin. I audibly gasp in appreciation and he states, "I don't think so. You have to wait until I'm in the tub before you can see more." I'm starting to love that mischievous grin. I turn around and begin disrobing as well, wrapping a bath sheet around my waist to keep modesty.

As I climb in, I turn so that the towel remains between Ryan and me, remaining inches above the water. I continuously fold it in half to keep from getting soaked and yet cover my nakedness. Finally, the twig and berries rest on the bottom of the ceramic seat. I toss the drying implement onto the counter on the wall opposite of the tub. He rests his head against my chest and closes his eyes once more. I rest my head against the wall and fall back into slumber.

I shiver so violently that I wake both Ry and myself. The water's been drained and Gabriella is standing there covering her eyes. "Bus. Five minutes. I got breakfast. Remember clothes." She was so flustered that I couldn't stifle my laughter as she ran back out of the bathroom. Ryan, however, was utterly mortified.

"Why are you bugging? What's done is done, and I honestly think that she didn't see anything. Honestly, she's still Gabby for the love of toast!" I try to calm him, but the laughter became a sarcastic tone in my voice. He hugs me tightly and I add, "Let me take you away from the world. Just for a moment, though. We've got a tournament to win." He snuggles tighter and then stands to climb out of the bathing vessel. I follow and soon, we're boarding the bus.

HSM – SY

We've been wrestling all morning. It's now 1:30 in the afternoon. I just won one of the spots for the finals in my weight class. Now, I'm sitting with Ry on the bench waiting for his semifinal match to begin. He's going against Dave Saucedo from North High. The announcer can't stop mentioning that it's a big year for Albuquerque.

Ry's brow is furrowed. I look questioningly and he leans in and whispers, "I'm totally going to have to walk the dog when we get back to the room."

"You brought a dog?" Sometimes my naïveté even surprises me.

"No. I need to exercise my wrist, make the weasel pop, and rub one out." I can tell he aggravated. My expression doesn't ease so he says blatantly, "I need to take care of myself. I've been watching you grapple young, sinewy, lanky men all day. I'm so horny that I think I'll cry." I don't know what else to do; so, I hold him.

Finally his match begins and he has Dave pinned within seven seconds, a new state record. I give him a bear hug and he whines in pain as our hips collide. "That bad?" I ask and he nods enthusiastically. I see his eyes tearing up.

So now, 20 minutes later, I stand on the mats waiting for Ryan's and my finals match to begin. As we rush each other, I whisper, "I love you so much." And he smile sheepishly. "Ry, pin me."

"What? I don't want you to throw the match, Troy."

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing." So, I grab him between his legs in what looks like an attempt to flip him. In all actuality, I'm stroking his balls and making him cry out. "Shh! If you draw attention to us, we're both disqualified." I answer.

He finally brings me to the mat and I feel his member through the singlet. He's crying. "It hurts. It really hurts."

I make him focus to my eyes and I tell him, "Make the pain go away. Just let it go. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. Let it go baby." I lull him.

"Troy, please." He's openly crying now. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Lean down, babe." He presses his forehead onto the mat above my left shoulder and sobs. I nibble on his earlobe and whisper, "I will always love you. All of my heart, all of my soul; it's all yours babe. Just make the pain go away."

Of course, I was holding up pretenses and struggling against his weight, avoiding an actual pin. Suddenly, I feel him convulse and I can tell that he's unloading into his uniform. I stick the tip of my tongue into his ear until he stops holding himself up. As his weight completely crashes into me, I stop my struggle. He's declared the victor, but I know that in the end, I truly won.

Once we got into the locker room, he throws himself onto me and kisses me passionately. "When do I get to return the favor? I owe you BIG time." I just smile as I give him love bites along the clavicle.

"Troy!" I hear my dad yell into the room, causing me to jump, sending Ryan onto the bench in front of us.

"Ow, my ass!" he exclaims until I shush him.

I ran to the door and my dad says, "Aunt Phoebe and Uncle Coop are here. They're just passing through town so come to say 'hi' before they have to leave." I nod and grab Ryan by the top of the arm.

"I want to introduce you to my favorite uncle and his wife, Ry. C'mon! You're gonna love 'em!" I practically squeal. And so we go. The normal formalities are exchanged and, of course, both Ryan and I receive praise for our competition. Suddenly, Coop pulls me aside and pulls a box out of his pocket.

"When you visited over the Fourth of July, you left a sketch book at our homestead. I tried to give you your privacy, but you always were such an artist, I couldn't resist myself. I found some jewelry sketches and you know how I'm a silversmith. So, I made these for you."

I open the box and there were two necklaces inside. Homemade charms hung from the simple chain. I quickly hug Coop into a bear hug and he pats my back affectionately. "Troy, I'll see you soon. Go get your prince Charming, okay?" I nod and he half-smiles like only he can.

HSM – SY

We make our way back to the hotel and I pull Ryan to the bed. "I have a gift for you. My Uncle Coop made it." He opens the box to find the word's "Troy's Boy" carved into sterling silver with a gavel on one side and the masks of comedy and tragedy on the other.

He smiles politely but closes the box. I give him my, now common, befuddled look. He stands and takes a few paces before turning around. "Let's get one thing straight, Bolton." There's an edge to his voice. It surprises me. "I won't stand… wait. I refuse to be the girl in this relationship. Do I make myself clear?"

I bolt over to him trying to ease his voice. I figure that if I physically held him, it would be harder for him to break up with me. "I'll make you a deal then." I offer. "When I ask you on a date, let me be chivalrous. Let me show you how much I love you. But when you ask me, I'll do my best to let you treat me well. Agreed?" He nods.

"Fine. But if you want me to wear that necklace, you have to wear my class ring. Deal?"

"Yeah, if you wear my ring too."

"But then, what's the compromise?" He's beginning to get cross.

"The compromise, is that," I lean over to pick up the box, "You wear this necklace, and…" I proceed to lift the felt out of the outer container revealing the matching jewelry underneath. "I'll wear this one."

He smiles broadly, taking the newly revealed metal into his hand. "Ry's Guy. I like it." He runs his thumb across the charms adorning my necklace. On the left is a basketball going into the hoop, complete with the holes in the net. On the right is a putter making a slender 'x' form with one of those flags that goes into the hole on the green. He finds the clasp and secures it around my neck, with the writing laying across my collarbones.

Once he's done, I reach around his graceful appendage as well and notice that it's hanging a little too low. So, I reopen the clasp and set it five rings from the end and refasten. "C'est parfait." (It's perfection.) He whips his head around making sure that I heard him. I smile gently and he leans closer, "T'es parfait." (You are perfection.) He brushes his lips against mine and leads me to the bed. "I know that you helped me earlier, so I want to help you now." He states matter-of-factly.

"Ry, I'm just not ready for sex. I love you but I'm not ready." I don't want to lose him, but I won't budge.

"I thought of that. That's why I brought these." He pulls out a portable DVD player and a CD case. After expertly connecting the video device to the television in the room, he tosses the case to me. I open it and find such titles as, He don't do Windows and My Big Studly Greek Gangbang. I smile and throw him a disc entitled, Hot and Hung Summer. He starts to play it and lies next to me on the bed.

He gives me a simple kiss and proceeds to make himself comfortable. "It's not sex because it's you over there and me over here. We just happen to be watching the same movie at the same time."

I cannot control myself any longer. "Okay Ry. Another deal." His interest is piqued. "This is a one-time thing. We aren't going to be sex-crazed teenagers. This just happens to be something we did while we were just friends. Our relationship starts fresh tomorrow. I won't give myself up when we've gone out for only one day."

He turns to me, places a hand on my cheek, and says, "As long as you're with me, I don't need sex. We are plenty intimate without sex. But, I want to show you how much I love you. This experience, this one today, is just that. We never have to do this again… until you want to, that is."

I kiss his as animalistic as I can and suddenly, he's running his mouth along my length. We spent the entire afternoon in that bed. When we were both finally finished, he looks at me and just smiles. I smile back and soon we drift to slumber.