Almrez laid in his bunk with a stress ball in his hand. The rest of his roommates were sleeping but he couldn't stay comfortable. He'd sent a friend to check on Jim after their encounter in the locker room showers, but he hadn't heard back from them at all. Maybe he should've chosen somebody else. As he was mentally checking off people in his head, a little buzzing sound came from beside his shoulder. He reached over and picked up his communicator, which had a new message on the screen.

Couldn't get a clear enough listen to confirm identity.

Get to the locker room early until you see them. Don't confront. Almrez typed back.

Want pictures?

No…I trust you.

Got it.

Almrez set the communicator down and closed his eyes. Until he heard it buzz again.

Might pay a visit to his roommates, get a feel for his activities.

Good.

Almrez smiled as he closed his eyes again. He'd gotten away with his threat to Jim. He hadn't had a chance to approach him since their conversation in the locker room. Pline said he saw Jim with a man in the showers. If he could find that man then he had something to hold over Jim. He didn't know what he could really do with the information, but that didn't matter. Even if he couldn't use it to get Jim expelled, he could at least have a little fun. Jim was just a punk after all. A thorn in his side. Hopefully, he thought, this would turn out in his favor.

. . .

Jim reached for the next suspended ring like it was a lifeline. He moved swiftly over the pit and jumped into the sand pit on the other side. Maneuvering through the giant tires, he made it to the climbing ropes and began the ascent.

"Go, go, go!" His sergeant bellowed from across the field. "Faster!"

He made it to the top of the rope and crawled onto the net where he needed to make it to the final jump without falling. Aside from getting his foot caught for a second, he made good time as he climbed down the net wall and passed the finish line.

"Again, Hawkins!" the sergeant called.

On the second run through Jim saw Jernish Pline and a friend of his, Leitch, sitting on the bench at the side of the field. They were just sitting and talking to each other. Jim looked around for Almrez but couldn't see him.

"Who did he pick?"

"Some girl who's interested in one of his roommates. I've seen her with them before. "Kila" or something like that." Jernish rested his elbows on his knees. "She should be able to get something out of them. Maybe that David guy. He and Hawkins are pretty 'buddy buddy.' He's our best bet on information but going straight to him would be too damn suspicious."

"When are you gonna talk to her?"

"Already did. She should be snooping around right now."

…

Killion was sitting at a lunch table with his books, when Kina walked over to him and leaned on the table. "Hey there." She smiled.

"Oh, hi!" Killion swallowed. "Were you, did you need this table?"

"Oh, no!" She giggled. "I wanted to talk to you." She batted her eyelashes. Killion blushed in response.

"O-oh. You did?" He swallowed. "What can I do f-for you?"

Kina twirled some of her hair with one finger. "Oh, I just was looking for David. Since you two are such good friends, I thought I'd ask you."

"He uh, should be in class. He leaves lunch early now to hang out and prepare for the lecture." Killion smiled sheepishly. "Just down at the end of the hall, by the administrative offices. Room 128."

"Thanks!" Kina winked. "Catch you later." She left Killion a blushing mess and hurried down to the classroom. It was just as Killion had said. She could see David sitting in the front row, chatting with some friends. "David!" She waved.

David looked up and gave her a polite smile. "Oh. Hey."

Kina came over and leaned her hands on David's desk. "So, watcha doin?" She batted her lashes. "Just hanging out?"

"Uh, yeah." David smile. "Class doesn't start for another fifteen minutes so we're just…waiting."

"Oh, fun! Whatcha talking about?"

"Uh nothing really."

"I know some juicy gossip we could talk about." Kina smiled deviously.

"Oh yeah?" One of the girls leaned closer to her. "What's up? Something about a teacher? Is Mr. Nedsimren doing some illegal stuff, again?"

"No. More juicy than that." Kina whispered. "One of the male officers," she leaned in closer so they formed a little huddle. "is sleeping with someone."

"Jeez, Mida that's not news!" One of the male alien officers scoffed. He rolled all three of his eyes. "Guys sleep around all the time here."

"With other guys?" Kina asked.

"What?" The first girl gasped.

"There's gay guys at the academy?" Another boy asked.

David said nothing. He was too focused on calming his drumming heart. "Where'd you hear this?"

"A little birdie. Actually, I wanted to talk to all of you separately." She pulled each one aside by themselves and only asked one or two questions before returning to the table. Only one of them was left to question. "David, could you come with me?" He was about to get up, but his teacher walked into the room. "Oh! After class, huh?" She winked and scurried off.

David breathed a sigh of relief. He had time to think of something to say to Kina. This would also give him time to calm down and practice the interrogation in his head. That way, hopefully, his answers wouldn't seem rushed and suspicious. He had to message Jim. He got out his communicator and hid it behind an open book. "Hey, Kina says she knows there's gay people at the academy. What if Pline and Uriratha squealed about the other day in the showers?"

Jim swiftly replied. "Yikes. Thanks for the heads up babe. I'll be careful. Just stay calm and act like you don't know anything." Then a new message: "I'll see you at lunch. Love you."

"Love you." David typed back and set his communicator in his bag.

…

Kina was back at David's class as the teacher dismissed them. She and David went to a quiet nook in the hallway near a water fountain and the door to some stairs. "So, David. What I want from you, is to know about your roommate."

"My roommate?" David played dumb.

"Yeah. I kinda involved the others in your class so it didn't look like I was singling you out." She came closer, just a forearms width from his chest. "What can you tell me about your roommate, Jimmy?"

"It's just Jim. What do you need to know?"

"I was told he was caught with another man. I don't know what they were doing, but apparently they were in the locker room showers together!" She whispered.

"Where did you even hear that?" David shook his head.

"Why? Is it true?"

"Even if it was true, where did you hear it? Not only is it outrageous for you, someone who doesn't know him, to be spreading what could be only a rumor. But its outrageous to accuse him of such a thing. Where did you even get this information? What exactly did you hear and where?"

Kina looked a little hurt. "I was just curious. I heard he was in the showers with another man, naked. Like, together, in the same shower. And I heard he was kissing the guy. That sounds pretty gay, doesn't it? And the guy wanted to know if there was any truth behind it before reporting him, so-"

"Reporting him?!" David hissed.

"Yeah, I mean," Kina crossed her arms. "he thought it would be a good idea, so that the rest of the guys would be safe." Kina crossed her arms.

This made David more than a little angry. "Safe. What do you mean, safe?" he grunted.

"You know, safe from him." Kina looked over her shoulder as if a predator could be watching her. "If he's gay then he could ruin some reputations. Even yours David! He is your roommate after all."

"That's the most ignorant thing I've ever heard." David snapped. Kina blinked at him, looking taken aback. "Where'd you hear this? Who told you this stuff?"

"I-I heard it from Leitch. He was wondering who James would be sleeping with and asked me to ask you. I'm sorry, David. I didn't think you'd be mad. I thought I'd want you to know. He could be doing weird stuff and you not know it."

"Kina, Leitch has a history with Jim. They do not like each other at all. So that is motive for Leitch to start rumors. Also, is it now against the law to be gay? If Jim wasn't assaulting anyone, which it sounds like he wasn't, then its nobody's business but his. And honestly I hope this talk makes you realize that this kind of rumor is super harmful."

"Well, I guess." Kina rubbed her hands together. "I just thought you'd wanna know."

"Yes, I am glad that you told me. Especially before this could go any further. Jim is my best friend and I'd hate to have a rumor tarnish his reputation. Don't listen to anything Almrez, or Pline, or any of their friends have to say. They're guys you don't wanna get to know. And you definitely don't want to get on their bad sides."

"Oh." Kina looked worried. "Really? Okay David. If you say so. I won't talk to them anymore."

"Wait, hang on. Just tell them you couldn't find anything out and walk away. Just play dumb if they ask you to do more stuff and say you're too busy. You don't wanna be stuck as their errand girl, do you?"

"Well, no. I don't." She felt a little worried now.

"Okay then. So, just tell them you didn't find anything out and be on your way. That way they can't hold anything against you."

"Why would they-"

"Please, Kina." He gently put his hands on her shoulders. "Please just do what I'm telling you. You'll be fine if you just report back and remove yourself from the situation."

"David, you're scaring me." Kina looked to her right at the empty hallway. "Like they're a gang or something."

"I'm sorry," David moved his hands to his sides. "But they kind of are. They're pretty nasty. But as long as you do what I said, you'll be just fine. Lunch is gonna start soon." The bell rang not long after he finished speaking. "Tell them now. Please? I don't want you to get in trouble with them. They're bad guys, Kina."

"Okay." Kina nodded.

David put a hand on her shoulder as they walked into the hall. "You're gonna be just fine. I'll walk in with you so they know we talked. When you've told them you couldn't find anything out, go sit with your friends, everything will go back to normal." They walked into the cafeteria and David smiled, speaking through his teeth. "They're right over there, near the trashcan in the middle. Make your words brief and to the point. Then be on your way." He patted her shoulder and walked to the other side of the cafeteria where his friends were waiting.

Almrez, Pline, and their friends watched Kina and David split up. Kina sheepishly walked up to the table with her hands folded in front of her chest. "Well?" Almrez leaned one elbow on his knee on top of the table. "What'd he say?"

Kina replayed the words David said in her mind: 'Tell them you couldn't find anything out.' She took a deep breath, subtly. "I couldn't find out anything. No one seems to even know if this is true." 'Stupid!' She told herself. 'Don't question them. Just do what David said and this will all go away!' "I mean, no one saw anything and it sounds like even David thinks he isn't gay."

"But Pline saw Jim with someone in the showers." Almrez furrowed his brow. "Are you saying he lied?"

"No, I'm just saying that he is the only witness. No one else knows anything about James." She shrugged, trying to make it look like she was uninterested.

"Alright." Almrez turned his head to watch Jim and David sitting next to each other at their table. "Good work anyway."

"If that's all you wanted-" Kina started backing up.

"Yeah yeah," Almrez waved her away. "Thanks."

Kina held her breath and used all her will power not to run to her friends. She never wanted to see Almrez, or Pline, or their friends ever again.

"Pline?" Almrez asked, while his head was still turned.

"Hmm?"

"Jim might need some, encouragement, to loosen that tongue of his."

"That sounds gay, man." One of his friends laughed. In return, he got a slap upside the head.

"Shut up, you idiot." Almrez stared at him. "I'm gonna get that kid. I saw him in that locker room. I know someone was in there with him. Just a matter of time before he gives up who it was."

The alien that was hit rubbed his head but still found it necessary to comment. "What about that David guy? What kind of guy has a best friend?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Almrez looked down at him. "That 'David guy' comes from a military family. I'm sure they'd have beat the gay right out of him if he was. No, I don't think its him."

"We'll figure it out." Pline picked at his teeth. "Plus, I like the idea of an interrogation." He and Almrez shared a sideways glance. Pline smiled.

"That is a great idea." Almrez sneered.

"Just text me where you want him followed, and I'll be there."

David and Jim were sitting at their table, when their friends had to get up and go to separate meetings. They got up as well and headed outside to where the tables and benches were. There was a bench sitting under a tree, a little farther than the courtyard attached to the cafeteria, where they thought they wouldn't be overheard. Then David spilled the details of his conversation with Kina.

"Oh man." Jim leaned on his knees and shook his head. "I hope she took your advice."

"Me too, babe." David closed his eyes.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, eating and enjoying the nice weather. David sighed, breaking the silence.

"What's up?" Jim bumped his shoulder.

"Nothing. I just wish," he pursed his lips. "I wish it didn't matter. You know? I wish it didn't matter to Almrez, to the academy, to my dad. I wish it was you and me and our friends. That's the people that matter. And they're the only ones that need to know."

Jim put his hand on top of David's. "I know, Day." He glanced toward the students getting up from the outside tables to go inside. "I know." He gave David's hand a quick squeeze and stood up. "Back to work." He smiled down at David who stood up with a groan. "Common you big baby." Jim smiled as they walked side by side into the cafeteria. It wasn't the same as being to hold hands in public, but knowing David was at his side no matter what gave Jim some comfort. Even as they walked into the hall and saw Almrez with his buddies, Jim was at ease knowing David would be there for him no matter what. Right?