Liberty High School

8:00 am

One hour! It's only been a fucking hour? Justin thrust his head forward into this cupped hands. So. Bored. He used up all the paper so he doodled on the table with his pencil mindlessly.

He glanced around the room out of sheer mind-numbing dullness. He noticed Brian first; still staring at his picture with a dazed look. Justin fought the deep urge to reach out and comfort him knowing his ego would never allow for that. In fact, Justin was reluctant to look too long for fear of setting him off.

Next he turned his attention to Ben who was sitting in his chair keeping his legs straight out and repeatedly bending his knees into his torso for an abdominal crunch. Justin smiled thinking now this is a man who invited stares. He might be attempting to fill the tedious day with exercise but it was the look-at-me flamboyance of a lifted muscle shirt that Justin noticed most. Ben was hot but not at all Justin's type. He admired slim, toned physiques rather than bodybuilders which if he was honest, he disliked only because it highlighted his own petite frame and made him self-conscious. Unlike Michael who, as Justin continued his survey around the room, surmised was clearly interested in Ben's rippling bicep muscles and eight pack abs.

Michael was an enigma to Justin. The only kid at Liberty High to admit he was gay if asked directly, he was as out as it came for this school. Justin studied Michael carefully as he watched Ben. He wasn't bad-looking either, sort of effeminate, but he had a nice face and shiny hair. He wasn't much for subtle. His arms were bent at the elbow and lay flat on the table. His head lay on top of his arms but turned sideways angled unnaturally so he could see Ben. Ben seemed unaffected by the audience.

Michael couldn't recall ever being as excited as he was at that moment watching Ben. When he first arrived at detention he was prepared for a day of sleeping and daydreaming. He thought Brian might be his eye-candy for the day but as soon as Ben started in with the crunches; Michael's dick was at full attention. He knew Justin had seen him but he didn't care. No one understood his situation. His mom had forced him out in Junior High showing up with her rainbow shirts and PFLAG stickers. Now he was in high school and the dating pool was empty. Not one other gay kid to even flirt with so Michael got his straight boy crushes and waited for a time when there would be a way to meet other gay men more easily. Even if it meant he was still a virgin and probably would be for a long time.

Justin's attention was pulled back to Brian as he heard the flick of a lighter.

"You're not lighting that in here" Justin demanded as Brian stuck a cigarette in his mouth and went to light it.

"Oh, I'm not?" he asked as he proceeded to stick the end into the flame and inhale.

"Gross" Justin added rolling his eyes and waving the barely visible waft of smoke away from himself.

"Fine princess" Brian added bowing sarcastically, "If it bothers you, I'll go upstairs" Brian lifted from his seat and climbed the circular staircase to the second floor of the library. The upper floor overlooked the tables they occupied. He sat on the floor straddling the railing, dangling his legs between the steel bars and smoked. Brian appreciated his new vantage point from the upper level. He had a great view of Justin and the rest of the room. He watched Ben's he-man display in feigned disgust but secretly respected the commitment and discipline it took to look like that. He wouldn't mind feeling those muscles ripple under him as long as he didn't try to talk during plus there was that goofy face. Brian laughed out loud at the thought of what Ben would be like in bed if he were gay. He imagined he would have to tie him up so he couldn't turn around and stuff something in his mouth to fuck him. The thought did get him semi-hard however at the moment the only person to wish Ben was gay more than Brian was clearly Michael. Michael literally had drool dribbling from his mouth and he used his arm sleeve to wipe away every few minutes. He also shoved his hands suspiciously under the table. Brian knew Michael was gay of course, the entire school did. Brian respected anyone who was out. He couldn't wait to come out himself but his father would kill him and his mother would probably force him to some Bible-thumping re-education camp so he figured he would never tell them. He had 154 days until his eighteenth birthday and then he would leave home and never look back.

Brian sat back amused pulling books from the library shelf behind him. It would seem he and Michael weren't the only homos in detention judging by the way Ted was checking out Justin. He couldn't be sure because Ted was just awkward all together so it may have been social envy more than a gay fantasy that was giving Ted that starry-eyed look as he stared admirably over in Justin's direction.

Brian lit another cigarette and pulled a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray off the shelf. He had never read it but recognized the author, Oscar Wilde's, name. He saw Justin eyeing him and decided to incite the fire he knew the pristine blonde was capable of erupting. He ripped the first page out of the book slowly and purposefully before tossing it over the ledge. He was secretly aiming to hit the floor beside Justin so he could catch a glimpse of the ass that was plastered to the chair all morning. However the paper floated down to Justin's table; which he promptly ignored. Brian took another page, the title page, from the book and let it float down too. This time when it landed, Justin picked it up and realized the book Brian was destroying.

"Fucking cut it out" Justin mouthed not wanting to capture the attention of Mr. Horner, "That's a good book. At least tear up a crappy one."

"You've read this?" Brian asked in disbelief holding up the book.

Ted spoke up, "Um Brian that's required summer reading for sophomore's; so I think we've all read it"

"I haven't" Michael spoke up; he hated reading anything other than comic books and never did summer reading assignments.

Ted looked embarrassed, "it's actually pretty good" he stuttered, "You of all people should read it"

Michael recoiled, looking offended, "What do you mean by that?"

Ted didn't know how to explain without sounding like a jerk so he just muttered, "never mind" and tried to drop the matter.

Justin rolled his eyes, "He means because you're gay Michael. Oscar Wilde is a famous gay author and the book raises questions appealing to the gay community"

Brian couldn't give a shit about the book; he was more interested in hearing about exactly how much Justin knew about the gay community. Not that he considered his own homosexuality induction into any "community" but he wouldn't mind being the welcome wagon should Justin decide to explore the neighborhood.

Ted nodded, confirming Justin's statement aligned with his intention, "That's what I meant, no offense. The book sort of asks the question, what would you do to be beautiful forever?"

Brian returned to the downstairs aggravated that Ted was interrupting Justin before he had a chance to hear more from him, "I'm sure you read in the summer for fun, Theodore" he mocked.

Brian stood in the middle of the tables and looped his arm around Ted's neck pulling him close. "You're every parent's wet dream Theodore" he said before releasing him with a small push.

"So Justin" Brian asked leaning in close to the man and feeling for the first time that maybe Justin was more like him than he originally thought, "What would you do to be beautiful forever?"

"Why Brian" Justin batted his big blue eyes, "Are you saying you think I'm beautiful?"

A/N: Please comment if you are enjoying.