Well, I only got one review. What a letdown. Oh well. I plan to keep going.

James stared at Carlos's picture in the seventh grade yearbook. He stroked the tan face slowly with his index finger. James and the others hadn't seen Carlos since he'd moved to California a year ago. It had been terrible timing, because James and Carlos had just started a secret relationship. Now everything was so different. James, Kendall, and Logan were completely different people now. Logan had changed from nerd to hot nerd, Kendall had changed from asshole to hockey junky, and James had changed from fat kid to toned god.

It was the summer vacation between eighth and ninth grades, and it had just started. James hadn't heard from Carlos in over four months, and it was worrying him. Carlos had promised he wouldn't let California change him, and James had believed him, but now he was starting to doubt it.

Logan came into James's bedroom, and James threw his yearbook into the corner. He smiled at Logan. Logan gave him a sad smile back. "How are you doing?"

Logan was the only person James had told about he and Carlos. Logan had accepted it. Now, he asked James if he was okay constantly. James flopped down on his bed and shook his head. "I'm worried about him."

"Don't be worried. Something tells me he's okay," said Logan, sitting on the bed next to James.

James looked at Logan. He narrowed his eyebrows. "How do you know?"

Logan shrugged. "I'm sure he's just busy or something."

James nodded. Quietly, he said, "Yeah. Busy screwing some guy."

Logan didn't say anything. He knew better. There was no way of getting James to be happy when he was moody like this. But this time was different. This time Logan was only quiet because he was trying to keep a secret from James. It was important that he keep this a secret, but he was having a hard time with it. Logan finally sighed. "Fine. I know Carlos is okay because he's coming back."

James looked like he didn't believe his friend. "When?"

"Right now," said a voice in James's doorway.

James looked up at Carlos. He gasped. Carlos had barely gotten any taller, but he looked more tan and more muscular.

James stood up and crossed his room slowly. He felt as if this were a dream. It couldn't be possible. After losing the only person he loved, he was getting him back. Before anyone could say anything else, James cradled Carlos's smooth face in his hands and kissed him. Carlos kissed back, wrapping his hand around one of James's wrists.

"I missed you," said Carlos very quietly.

"I missed you more," said James.

"Doubt it."

Logan watched the two boys, smiling.

James and Carlos moved away from each other as Kendall entered James's room. Kendall hugged Carlos. Carlos looked back at James. "Wow. I didn't even notice that half of you is gone."

"Yeah. Only the better part of me is still here," laughed James.

Carlos smiled. "I liked you better before, but this is just fine."

James felt his face flash red. He glanced at Kendall. Thankfully, the blonde wasn't paying attention. He was sitting at James's desk, balancing a pencil on the back of his hand.

"Can we talk somewhere, please?" Carlos asked James.

James nodded. "Logan, Kendall, can you guys go downstairs and help my mom with dinner please?"

Logan nodded, smiled, and pulled Kendall out of James's room. James and Carlos sat back down on the bed. James couldn't stop smiling. "So what do you need to talk to me about?"

Carlos fiddled with his hands. He rubbed them together then set them in his lap. "Um...in California, there was this boy. His name was Matthew, and we kind of had a thing together. We, um...Oh jeez...What I'm trying to say is that me and Matthew...did stuff..."

James's eyebrows raised. "Like sex?"

"Yeah," breathed Carlos. His face turned red. "I didn't want to at first, because we're so young, you know? But then he kept pressuring and one night I just gave in. I'm so sorry, James. That's why I haven't called or anything. It's because I felt guilty because I didn't save myself for you."

"It's okay," said James. "I didn't think you were ever coming back, so I kind of made peace with the fact that I couldn't have you like that."

Carlos nodded. He sighed. "So what now?"

"Now we get back to the way we were." James kissed Carlos. He pulled back and smiled. Carlos smiled back.

A little on the short side, but it's so cute! :) Reviews, puhleez!