Lucy led the way into her room, followed by Jandro and Kevin.

'Oh my God!' Kevin laughed, as he spotted the contents of Lucy's noticeboard. 'You've got those pictures of the six of us in our Halloween costumes!'

'Of course,' Lucy grinned. 'If ever I'm feeling down, Kev, the sight of you and your green pecs cheers me right up.'

'Me too,' said Jandro.

'Jeez,' said Kevin, 'I'd never have imagined that! Do you mind if I sit on your beanbag, Luce?'

Lucy smiled and shook her head. Kevin dumped the two backpacks he was carrying and sank gratefully onto the beanbag, while Lucy and Jandro started unpacking their shopping. Oscar soon entered the room and sank down onto Kevin's lap.

'The beanbag won't burst, will it?' Kevin asked.

'No, it's pretty hardy,' said Lucy. 'Just don't do anything too violent on it, will you?'

'What does Had a chunder? What a blunder! mean?' Oscar asked unexpectedly. 'I saw it written on a poster in the washroom.'

Lucy and Jandro laughed.

'Didn't you read the whole notice?' asked Lucy.

'No,' said Oscar. 'I just glanced at it on my way out.'

'It's a notice telling you not to throw up all over the bathroom after getting drunk and go to bed without telling the housekeeping staff what you've done,' said Jandro.

'Ew!' said Oscar.

'I hope that's not an issue with you two,' said Kevin.

'No way,' said Jandro. 'We never touch the stuff, do we, Luce?'

'We sure don't,' said Lucy. 'We learned our lesson a long time ago.'

'So, er... how are we handling the sleeping arrangements?' asked Kevin.

'Well,' said Lucy, 'we've filled in a form to say that you're gonna be sleeping on my floor for two nights, Kev, and Oscar's gonna be sleeping on Jandro's floor. But what we're actually gonna do is, you two are gonna take Jandro's room while Jandro bunks with me in here. We sleep together most nights anyway, in one room or the other.'

Jandro grinned and added, 'We don't only sleep.'

Lucy went slightly red, smiled and said, 'I'm sure they didn't need that spelling out for them, Jandro.'

'Anyway, you guys can do anything you want in my bed,' said Jandro, still grinning broadly. 'I really don't mind.'

'Well... thanks, Jandro,' said Kevin. 'We'll probably just go straight to sleep tonight – I can feel the effects of the day catching up to me already.'

'I hope you're not too tired to talk for a while,' said Lucy. 'We need to bring each other up to speed on everything that's been happening over the past six months.'

'Don't worry,' said Kevin, 'I'm definitely not too tired for that.'

Oscar slipped between the sheets of Jandro's bed and snuggled up to Kevin.

'You don't really want to go to sleep right away, do you?' said Oscar. 'Jandro did say we can do whatever we want in his bed.'

'Okay,' Kevin laughed. 'How about you show me what you want to do?'

Oscar thought for a moment, then he said, 'Did you and Jandro ever do anything?'

'Me and Jandro?' said Kevin. 'Do anything?'

'Before you and me were together, I mean,' said Oscar. 'I've been wondering ever since Sainsbury's. I absolutely cannot believe that the two of you never at least had a moment!'

'There was a moment once,' Kevin admitted. 'It was right after we'd helped Mike to get rid of that Angelo guy. Me and Jandro were in Jandro's kitchen together... but we didn't act on it.'

'Why not?' said Oscar.

'Because we didn't want to ruin our nice friendship,' said Kevin. 'And because we were both secretly yearning for someone else. Two different someone elses, I mean.'

'And who might they be?'

'You and Lucy.'

'So which one were you yearning for?' Oscar asked teasingly.

Kevin looked Oscar squarely in the eye and said, 'You.'

'Even way back then, huh?' said Oscar.

'Yes,' said Kevin, 'even way back then.'

Oscar grinned widely and said, 'In that case, I'll show you exactly what I want to do!'

'This brunch is delicious,' said Oscar, as he finished off the last of his bacon and egg.

'I think I'm gonna drop off my tray and then go back to the room,' said Jandro. 'Is anyone else ready?'

'I am,' said Oscar.

'I'm gonna have another mug of hot chocolate, before they turn the machine off,' said Lucy.

'Can you get me one too?' said Kevin.

'Sure,' said Lucy.

'Do you know what we should do later?' said Jandro. 'We should all spend the night in the same room and... well, do some stuff.'

'I knew you'd suggest an orgy sooner or later, Jandro,' said Lucy.

'I'm not suggesting an orgy,' said Jandro. 'I was thinking it'd be like the Halloween party – you know, separate couples in separate beds in the same room, doing some stuff at the same time as each other.'

'I guess we could move your bed into my room,' said Lucy. 'It probably contravenes a ton of fire regulations, though.'

'No one will ever know,' said Jandro. 'You want to do it, guys, don't you?'

'Sure, I'm up for it,' said Kevin.

'Me too,' said Oscar.

'Maybe I'll see if I can move my bed across the corridor right now,' said Jandro.

'I'll help you,' said Oscar. 'I bet we can do it between us.'

'I'll get our hot chocolates, Kev,' said Lucy.

'Thanks, Luce,' said Kevin.

Lucy and Kevin were sitting opposite each other and sipping their hot chocolate. Lucy reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Kevin's.

'I really have missed you, Kev,' she said. 'I'd gotten so used to having my best friend around, I felt like I'd left a part of myself behind in New York when I first came here.'

'Are you sure that was about me?' said Kevin. 'Maybe you were thinking of your family.'

'Pfft, my family!' said Lucy. 'The only one of them I really miss is John, and he keeps sending me video messages so I kinda feel like he's here anyway!'

'You've been watching my YouTube videos, haven't you?' said Kevin. 'Doesn't that make it feel like I'm here too?'

'No,' said Lucy. 'It doesn't work that way with you, Kev.'

'You know we're not gonna see each other for more than a year after this, don't you? I'm gonna be in Mexico when you're back in New York, then you'll be in Hong Kong when I get back, so...'

'Oh, don't! I'm gonna miss you like crazy, Kev.'

'I'm gonna miss you too, Luce,' said Kevin. 'But it's not gonna be so bad – I'll have Oscar and you'll have Jandro, so we'll both be very well off for company.'

'I know,' Lucy laughed, giving his hand a squeeze, 'but I'm greedy – I want you too!'

'I'll send you a postcard from Mexico,' said Kevin. 'When you're back in New York, I mean. And I know that when we're back together at the end of it all, we'll be friends for life – all six of us, I mean; Michael and Ella too.'

'Yes, I think you're right about that,' said Lucy. 'But while we are apart, you're the one I'm gonna be missing the most. I really love you, Kev; I hope you know that.'

'Of course I do,' said Kevin. 'And I love you too, Luce. That's not gonna change, no matter where we are in the world.'

'Yeah, I guess not,' Lucy sighed. 'Kev, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?'

'Ask me anything you want, Luce.'

'It might seem really random, but it's something I've been wondering ever since Sainsbury's.'

'I'll be happy to answer your question, no matter how random it is.'

'Did you always know you were gay? Like, at the time we first met?'

'Not exactly,' said Kevin. 'I've never thought about it quite like that, to be honest with you. Oscar's the only person I've ever really... liked in that way, but it took me a long time to straighten out those feelings in my mind.'

'But did you like girls when you were about eleven or twelve?' Lucy asked. 'You know, just physically.'

'Well, obviously there was Buffy,' said Kevin, 'and then there was Eduardo's sexy calendar – that used to do things to me – and I had a booby magazine I used to enjoy fairly regularly, but... well, I quickly came to realise that wrestling with Oscar in pyjama bottoms turned me on much more than any of that girly stuff, so I guess in that way I did always know, if you want to look at it like that.'

'Interesting,' said Lucy. 'You didn't ever fancy Ella, then?'

'Fancy?' said Kevin.

'Sorry,' said Lucy, 'I'm picking up Britishisms.'

'Well, I wouldn't say I ever exactly fancied Ella,' said Kevin, 'but obviously I can see that she's very attractive... if you like curvaceous blond girls, which I know a lot of people do.'

'So you never actually considered trying to steal her from Michael? Before you and he became such close friends and sleepover buddies, I mean. I bet you could've done it, if you wanted – you always proved you were stronger than him, and Ella likes that in a boy. That's why Michael was so threatened by you, if you ask me – because he knew you could've had Ella if you wanted her.'

'It was just never an issue to me. And I think you're underestimating the strength of Michael and Ella's relationship – it really is rock solid!'

'Now it is, yeah,' said Lucy. 'But back then, in a new school with a whole bunch of new people, and with Michael acting like a total jerk most of the time... I reckon you could've had her, Kev!'

'Then we should all be grateful I didn't want her,' said Kevin, 'because we've definitely ended up with the right partners in the end! Speaking of which, what about you and Jandro? How long were you desperately pining for him before you finally got together?'

'Since about the first Christmas we all knew each other,' said Lucy. 'I think I kinda knew we'd end up together after that time we got drunk and made out on his couch, but I'm glad we waited until the time felt right... and everything's felt right with us ever since.'

'That's truly heart-warming, Luce,' said Kevin, beaming at her. 'I feel the same way about how things have gone for me and Oscar. I think we're engaged now, by the way.'

'Is that even legal?'

'I don't know, but we've done it anyway.'

'Well, I'm really pleased for you,' Lucy smiled at him. 'Have you finished your hot chocolate?'

'Yeah,' said Kevin. 'This is just dregs, really.'

'Then let's get back to our perfect partners,' Lucy grinned.

That night, Lucy returned from the washroom to find Kevin, Oscar and Jandro all wandering around her room in their underpants. She closed the door behind her, took off her towel robe and hung it up.

'Yes!' Jandro declared, when he saw Lucy's state of undress. 'That's the spirit, Luce!'

'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em,' said Lucy.

'Cool,' Jandro grinned. 'Let's all get into bed and talk for a while, and see where things go from there.'

'I'm gonna open the window first,' said Lucy. 'We'll need the ventilation with all four of us – there's already a pretty strong smell of teenage boy in here. That's if I can pick my way through all the naked male flesh and actually reach the window!'

'We'll get into bed first,' Kevin suggested. 'Everyone ready?'

When her path was clear, Lucy moved across the room and started wrestling with the window.

'You're giving the burglars quite an eyeful, Luce,' Jandro remarked.

Once she had got the window into a position she was happy with, Lucy went to the foot of her bed and wormed her way under the duvet to join Jandro.

'Of course,' she said, as her head emerged onto the pillow, 'if anyone actually did look in and see me, they'll also have seen that I have three strong boys in here to protect me, so they won't try and get in tonight. Okay; let's get comfy and chat.'

'I can't think of anything to say now,' said Oscar.

'When do you have to leave tomorrow?' said Jandro. 'I hope we'll have time to do some more stuff first.'

'Our train's supposed to leave one minute after four in the afternoon,' said Kevin.

'Great,' said Lucy. 'That'll give us time to have a bowl of cereal each, take a walk around the lake, come back for brunch, have a final chat and then set off for the station.'

'It's such a bummer that we won't get to see each other for more than a year after that!' said Jandro.

'It's gonna be quite a year for all of us,' said Kevin. 'I can't wait to experience everything that Mexico has to offer, and then when we get back... well, I'm gonna be putting all that first aid training to good use, one way or another.'

'Yeah,' said Oscar, 'and I'm gonna be finding out just how hard it is to be a professional musician, and wondering what the hell kind of further education I'm gonna do!'

'It'll be so amazing, studying in Hong Kong for a year,' Lucy sighed. 'Finally I can find out if my Cantonese is really up to scratch!'

'I wish I could speak Cantonese,' said Jandro.

'You'll be okay, bro,' said Oscar. 'I'm gonna be relying on Kevin to speak all the Spanish for both of us, but I'm sure he's not gonna accidentally sell me to a white slaver or something.'

They all laughed.

'You are looking forward to spending a year in Hong Kong, babe, aren't you?' Lucy said to Jandro.

'Yeah, I am,' he assured her. 'I'm nervous about it – of course I'm nervous – but I'm gonna do it.'

'Just think how great it'll be when we all meet up again in the summer of two thousand seven,' said Oscar.

'We'll have to have another orgy to celebrate,' said Kevin.

'You can always count me in on a plan like that!' Jandro grinned. 'So long as Lucy's up for it too, of course.'

Lucy smiled and said, 'Well, I certainly don't hate the idea.'

Kevin and Oscar followed Jandro and Lucy down a set of steps and onto a railway platform.

'I think I can see the train,' said Kevin, squinting along the line. 'Yes, that must be it.'

'Oh, then we have to say goodbye,' Lucy sighed. 'Thank you both so much for coming – it's been wonderful!'

'We should do it again, when we're back here after Hong Kong for our final year,' said Jandro. 'Obviously we'll already have met up again by then, back in New York, but... well, we won't have done this.'

'It's a date,' said Kevin. 'Thanks for having us, and for paying for our Beefeater and our brunch.'

Kevin went to hug Jandro, who squeezed him tightly in return but refrained from kissing him this time. Lucy kissed Oscar on the cheek, and then they swapped partners. Oscar went in for a handshake and a shoulder-clasp with Jandro, but Jandro wrapped his arms around him instead, so Oscar hugged him back.

'The train's almost here,' Oscar remarked, after a few more seconds had passed.

'Oh,' Lucy sighed, 'curse us all for pursuing our globe-trotting adventures! I'll be thinking about you every day, Kev, and I'll keep watching all your YouTube videos, even though I was never really that much into Buffy.'

'I appreciate that, Luce,' said Kevin, giving her a kiss on the forehead. 'I'll do a special video about my thoughts on Nottingham, just for you.'

As the train trundled to a stop, Lucy reluctantly detached herself from Kevin and took a step back to where Jandro was waiting to put his arm around her. Kevin and Oscar stepped onto the train, and stood at the window waving furiously until they passed out of sight of the platform.

'It's strange,' said Jandro. 'We're not gonna see them again for more than a year, but in some ways I feel closer to both of them then I ever have before.'

'Me too,' said Lucy. 'Kevin told me they're engaged now, you know.'

'Is that even legal?' said Jandro.

'I guess it can't be illegal to be engaged, even if you can't actually get married,' said Lucy. 'Well, not yet anyway.'

There followed a few seconds of silence as they watched the tail end of the train gradually disappearing from view.

'Luce,' said Jandro, 'are we engaged?'

'I... I'm not sure,' said Lucy. 'I don't know if I want to get married... or if I'll ever want to get married... but if I do, I definitely want it to be to you.'

'I, er... I have a ring for you,' said Jandro.

'You do?' said Lucy.

'Yeah,' said Jandro. 'Not here in Nottingham; back home in New York. Ana's keeping it safe for me in the locker compartment of her nightstand. Mi Abue Tomás gave it to me last summer – it was the day before he died, actually – and told me to give it to my special little lady when the time was right.'

'He did, huh?'

'Yeah, he did. But that's not why I want to give it to you.'

'No?'

'No. The reason I want to give it to you is that I really want to marry you, Luce... someday, I mean; not anytime soon... you know, when we're done with all this Nottingham and Hong Kong stuff. But if you'd wear the ring in the meantime, it really would be... I mean, apparently it's been in the family for generations, but then I guess grandparents have to say that when they pass engagement rings on to their grandkids... and that doesn't really matter to me; the only thing that matters is that you... well, I mean that we...'

Lucy gave Jandro an enormous smile and threw her arms around him.

'I'd love to wear the ring, Jandro,' she told him. 'I'll put it on the moment we're back in New York... and we're in your house... and Ana's unlocked her cabinet... and probably after we've had a bit of a sit-down and gotten our breath back.'

'Thanks, Luce,' said Jandro, hugging her tightly.

'You don't need to thank me for that,' Lucy giggled. 'You really are wonderful, Jandro; you know that, right?'

'I've never doubted it,' Jandro grinned.

Lucy laughed again, then the two of them stood and kissed on the platform for quite some time.