A horn honking outside alerted Blink to the fact that Racetrack was outside.  Grabbing his jacket and his keys, he ran outside, slamming the front door.  He heard his mother calling his name, but he ignored her, and jumped into Racetrack's waiting van.

He really couldn't understand why Race drove that piece of shit.  It was an old beat up van, and constantly on the brink of breaking down.  But Racetrack loved it, even though the thing was practically fifteen years old.  Of course, the fact that he couldn't afford a better car may have had something to do with why he treasured his van so much.  Without it, he would have been stuck with the same transportation issues that Blink had. Long Island's public transportation system was absolutely horrible.  And as Blink also depended on Racetrack for transportation, he had to value Racetrack's crap van as well.

"Hey Blink," Race grinned.  The short Italian was one of the few good things in Blink's life.  The two of them had been friends for years, and they had grown closer as time passed.  Racetrack lived two towns away, and like Blink, was one of the few openly gay kids in his high school.  However, unlike Blink, Racetrack already knew where he was going to college, and was very happy about the fact that he was getting off of Long Island.  He'd been accepted early to Boston College, and was intending to major in psychology.  Because of that, Race also thought he was fully qualified to offer counseling to all of his friends, whether they asked for it or not.  Luckily, he was usually fairly accurate with his advice, even if he was full of himself too. 

"Hey," was all Blink managed to say as he pulled on his seat belt.  Race pulled out of the driveway, and started driving down the street.  Blink expected him to turn right at the end of the block, which would be towards Race's house, but instead Race made a left turn.  "Umm… Race? Where are we going?"

"You need a drink, so we're going to the club."

"It's a Thursday night," Blink pointed out.

"Yeah, so all the college kids will be out."

"Ah.  So in other words, you were looking for an excuse to go to the club anyway," Blink laughed.

Race grinned.  "Obviously.  But you usually don't go out on Thursdays, so what's going on?  Would this have something to do with a certain college acceptance letter that was due back today?"  He glanced over at Blink in sympathy.

"I got in," Blink informed him.

"Congrats.  So, that's a good thing.  That shouldn't have put you in such a bad mood that you want to go out.  Unless you've finally discovered the wonders that is senioritis."

"My dad."  It was all Blink had to say.  Racetrack knew exactly what Blink's family was like.  He'd spent enough time counseling Blink about it.

"Shit.  Is he going to let you go?"

"Only if I miraculously turn straight."

"Well, that's not happening anytime soon."

"I could always ask Sari to go out with me.  She's always claiming it's her goal in life to marry a gay man."

"Don't. Please.  Because she'll start singing that 'gay boyfriend' song, and it's so annoying.  It's almost as bad as the 'We like the moon' one."

"Race, nothing is as bad as the moon song."

"Wanna bet?"

"Against you?  I'm not stupid."

Race grinned as he turned onto route 110.  They were getting closer to the club now, and even though it was still early, they both knew there would at least be some sort of crowd there. 

"Next time, then."  Race's tone turned serious.  "When do you have to make up your mind about Columbia?"

"Beginning of May," Blink sighed.  "That's when the first deposit is due."  He looked down.  "Maybe Binghamton won't be so bad.  I mean, I could always move after school, even though paying for school will wipe me out completely."

"You are not going to Binghamton," Race informed him.  "Call Columbia.  Tell them what's going on.  Maybe they'll give you a scholarship, or some sort of financial assistance."

"Well, unless I win the lottery, it won't matter unless they let me pay the cost of a SUNY.  I don't even know if I'll be able to afford Binghamton," Blink said gloomily.  "And Dad will cut me off completely unless I start dating a girl."

"There are plenty of fag hags around besides Sari," Race laughed.  But he stopped when he saw the look on Blink's face.  "Dude, I was joking."

"Look, I just…" Blink didn't get a chance to finish his sentence since Race pulled into the parking lot.  For a few minutes, neither of them talked as they headed inside, ordered mozzarella sticks, and took a seat at the bar.

"You were just what?" Race demanded.

"I just… I don't know if this is worth losing my family over."

Race sighed.  It was apparently time for Blink's monthly case of PMS.  And people claim only girls get it, he thought to himself, incredibly amused.  "Blink.  Your family should accept you for who you are.  In a perfect world, they should love you unconditionally.  And this world may not be perfect, but your parents have no right at all to tell you that you cannot be yourself.  They have no right to demand that you deny your true self."

"They're just trying to -" Blink started, but Race interrupted him.

"Bullshit.  Whatever excuse you're going to make for them, it's a load of bull.  This is what is going to happen.  Either you're going to pretend to be straight, if just for a few months, and you'll then spend your entire life resenting them for making you lie to them, or you'll tell them to forget it, and you can at least know that you're proud of who you are.  You shouldn't let people change you."

"Well, thank you for the inspirational speech, Anthony," Blink hissed.  "But they're my family.  They won't actually…"

"Actually what?  Cut you off?  They've threatened it before," Race pointed out.  "Remember when you first came out to your parents? Your dad told you not to come home until you changed your mind.  You had to live at my house for a week."

"They took me back," Blink reminded him. 

"Yeah, after my mother talked to your mother."

Blink groaned inwardly.  Racetrack had a point.  That was just the sort of thing Mrs. Higgins would do.  She always interfering.  Sort of like her son, but Mrs. Higgins was a lot more optimistic.  She was also very overprotective of all of her son's friends.

"Look Blink, your parents will eventually realize that you are gay, and that there's nothing they can do to change that.  Either they're going to come to terms with that, or they won't.  But you shouldn't have to pay the price for their prejudice.  You need to take care of yourself first.  And the important thing is for you to go to a place where you'll be happy.  And you won't be happy at Binghamton."

"But I can't afford Columbia unless I pretend to be straight."

Race sighed.  "We'll think of something," he told Blink.  "We always do."

Just then, someone stepped up behind Race, and wrapped his arms around him.  Race smiled, and turned around.  "Hey Spot," he smirked, pulling him into a deep kiss.

Blink coughed, trying to tactfully remind the two of them that they were in public, and that if they were going to continue to play tonsil hockey, could they do it somewhere else.  However, he knew from long experience that not only did Race and Spot not care about where they were when they made out, they also didn't care if they had an audience.  According to popular rumor, the two of them had first hooked up on the floor of the bar after hours, and Race had refused to say exactly how far they had gone there. 

He sighed, and left the table.  Going over to the bar, he nodded to Jack, who was working that night.  "Get stuck here again Cowboy?"

Jack laughed.  "Well, Davey has an early class tomorrow," he said, referring to his longtime boyfriend David.  "So it isn't like we'd get to see each other tonight anyway."

Blink laughed.  "Sucks to be you then."

"What are you doing here on a Thursday? Usually Race is the only high school kid who comes on weeknights."

Blink groaned.  "Don't ask."

Jack raised an eyebrow.  "Where is he…" he trailed off as he caught sight of Spot and Race, who had moved onto the table by this point.  "Keep it clean you two!" Jack called.  Spot moved his hands away from Race long enough to flip him off, and then went back to turning his full concentration on Race.

"Those two," Jack sighed.  "I thought they were fighting again?"

Blink shook his head.  "That was last week.  They got back together."

"They're like a freaking soap opera," Jack groaned.  "Heh. They seem to be done, for now anyway.  Guess you can go back now."

Blink waved at him, and went back to rejoin Spot and Race at the table.

"Sorry about that," Race said.  "Hadn't seen Spot in…"

"Two days," Spot supplied.

"Yeah.  He had a class yesterday night.  It was awful."

"Freshman psych," Spot groaned.  "Why on earth do they make us take that?"

Race glared at him.  "I like psychology."

"We were talking about my problems," Blink reminded them.

"We'll be here all night if we do that," Spot said, rolling his eyes.

However, Race was interested.  He never missed a chance to analyze his friends' problems, and apparently he hadn't had enough of it for the night.

"Something else?" he said sympathetically.  "What's going on?"

"Just the usual stuff.  Mush."

This time Race groaned.  "Blink, I thought we talked about that.  Mush is so deep in the closet that by the time he realizes that he's gay, he'll be thirty and have two kids.  It'll end in a messy divorce, and hopefully by that time you'll be happily fucking your partner, whomever he may be."

"Mush is straight," Blink reminded him.

"He's a wrestler," Race stressed.  "The entire purpose of that sport is to get a chance to tackle a hot guy to the ground without people questioning your sexuality."

"You just think everyone is gay."

"Given the opportunity, I guarantee you that everyone has at least questioned themselves about it.  Look, we'll find you another guy.  One who knows who he is, and what he wants." He turned to Spot.  "Is Bumlets dating anyone currently?"

"No, he and Dutchy broke up months ago, after Dutchy started screwing Specs on a fairly regular basis."

"Good, Blink, we'll set you up with Bumlets.  You guys can go out this weekend."

"But he isn't Mush," Blink sighed wistfully.

"He's gay, he's hot, and he's available.  Blink, Bumlets will at least help you get over Mush.  And you really need to.  Obsessing over someone you can't have really isn't healthy."

Blink sighed.  "I'll think about it, okay?  I should probably head home anyway…"

Race nodded.  "Come on, I'll drive you."  He pulled Spot into a long kiss, and then the two of them headed back to the parking lot, and drove home in silence.

~*~

Author's notes:  Somehow or other, Racetrack seems to have stolen my best friends personality.  Really. I'm not joking.  The whole thing on the bar?  Yeah, he was telling me about that about Christmas break.  Unfortunately, both the 'gay boyfriend' song and the 'we like the moon' song both do exist, and I've been subjected to listening to them many many times.  And, as this is me, Spot and Race will continue to make out.  A lot. Next chapter, Blink and Mush talk.   And Race will probably try to convince Blink that everyone in existence really is gay.

Shout outs!

B-33333333333333333333333333  This fic is for you.  You keep writing Spot/Race, and I will keep writing Blink/Mush.  Even though I've written more for your OTP now than I have for mine.  Love you too.  (And thanks for letting me invade your suite, again, while I wrote this.  And for the beta job.)

Dakota-Jones-Blink's dad really is an ass.  He'll just get a bit more obnoxious as time goes on.  Since I seem to like torturing Blink almost as much as I like torturing Race. (This is B's fault.)

Jazzcat Mel-Glad you're enjoying. More is coming soon, I promise.

Thistle-Believe it or not, the whole thing about Blink being threatened is based on actual events.  My best friend was threatened, I reported it to the principal, and the principal told the kid who had reported them.  Luckily, it was almost the end of the year so I was just left pretty much alone.  And yes, Blink does have Race.  Who is awesome, and I love him.

Liams Kitten-I'm just going to torture Blink more before things get better.  Since Blink!torture is fun. :D

Checkmate-I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. And thanks for the compliment!