JJ met my gaze again. "I guess I, um, I guess I know how you feel. I mean, I've always been into you. Not literally, obviously." He scrunched his eyes shut for a second and flushed, then grinned.

"What do you want to do about it?" I asked tentatively.

"Uh, well, nothing right now because I'm drunk and I won't remember much tomorrow, and I'm kinda jumpy, too." He edged farther away from me.

"JJ, I didn't mean that. I didn't mean anything. Hey." I reached out and offered him my hand, palm up. He stared at it and didn't move. "I didn't mean that we should do anything, you know, like that. I just meant we could, I don't know, hang together." I dragged my free hand through my hair and made it wet. I was useless at this. I groaned.

JJ smirked and slid his hand into mine. "You know, you're really shit at this."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"We hang together all the time, by the way," he pointed out.

"Yeah, usually with Pope and Kie."

"If they hook up, they won't be around so much."

"I hope not, if they're gonna start locking lips." I grimaced, then grinned. "You know what I meant, right? Us doing stuff—just us."

"Yeah, I know what you meant, you dick." JJ slid closer to me again and lowered our hands back into the water between us. "I really want to try that locking lips shit."

"I didn't think you wanted me near you right now," I reminded him.

"Those guys weren't gonna kiss me, John B. I know you won't do anything bad, I just… my skin's crawling, y'know?"

"It's okay." I squeezed his hand. "How about this." I leaned over and brushed my lips across his, so lightly it was barely a touch, and only for a second. Then I pulled back. "We can try the locking lips shit some other time."

JJ smiled—a proper smile, not a fake, painful grin. "What are we gonna tell the others?" he asked. "Anything?"

"It's up to you. I have to tell them I broke up with Sarah anyway."

At that moment, Kiara's car pulled up near the house, and she and Pope jumped out. JJ put his sunglasses back on. I released his hand and moved a few inches farther away from him as they walked towards us. In fact, Kie marched.

"John B, what the hell?" she cried, loud and shrill above the music. "You broke up with Sarah?"

"Shit," I muttered.

"Tell them whatever you want," JJ said quietly. "I don't care if they know about me now you do, but if you'd rather keep it a secret—" He stopped as the others came within hearing distance.

"I was gonna tell you when you showed up," I said. "Did Sarah call you?"

"Of course she called me! She called this morning, crying her eyes out. Why would you break up with her? She loves you!"

"Um, well, I can't carry on a relationship just to keep the other person happy," I said, flushing. I felt guilty as hell that Sarah had been crying her eyes out. I hadn't wanted to hurt her.

Kiara stood on the opposite side of the tub to me, glaring down at me with her hands on her hips. "What, you don't love her anymore? Is there someone else?" she demanded.

"Kie—" Pope said awkwardly.

"Don't 'Kie' me!" She shot him a glare before switching her attention back to me. "What's going on, John B?"

"Nothing's going on." I frowned. "I just wasn't as into it as she was."

"You've been together a year and a half!"

"And?" JJ put in. "You can go off people, y'know." He peered over the top of his glasses pointedly at Kiara when he said this, and I bit my lip to stop myself smirking. I poked his foot with my toe under the water.

"So, what happened?" Kiara asked again. "Is there someone else?"

"It's not that."

"So, there is? Who? You cheated on Sarah?"

"What? No! I didn't cheat. Stop putting words in my mouth."

Pope glanced at me sympathetically and shook his head. Kie caught sight of him from the corner of her eye and rounded on him. "Don't you side with him! He cheated on Sarah!"

"I didn't fucking cheat!" I bellowed and stood up. "I'm gay! Okay? I didn't want to accept it and I tried. I really tried, but it's who I am, so I couldn't pretend anymore." I sat back down in the water with a splash and avoided looking at both Kiara and Pope, whose mouths hung open.

"You're gay?" Kiara said in a small voice. "Since when?"

I shrugged. "Always, I guess."

"And you don't look in the least surprised." She pointed at JJ. "Did he tell you already?"

"Of course. I'm his best bud," JJ said, smiling.

"How long have you known?"

"Uh, about ten minutes. It's no big deal. You better not say it's a big deal, Kie. You're not a homophobe, are you?"

"Of course not! How could you even think that?" Suddenly, she was on the defensive and she backed down. "I'm sorry. How could I know, John B? Why did you never tell us? We're your best friends. Don't you think we'd have understood?"

"I don't know. I was confused." I shrugged. "I didn't want to just come out with it."

JJ snorted. "Look, guys," he began. "It's not just him. I'm gay also. And before you jump on that, Kie, no we have not been cheating on Sarah together. We literally just found out about each other because… this." He pushed the sunglasses up into his hair, got to his feet, and gestured at his bruised torso.

"Fuck," Pope muttered.

"JJ, what?" Kiara's face took on a look of horror and sympathy. "Your dad did that?"

"Yeah. He found out I'm gay. This is what you get if you bat for the same team in my house." His bravado had vanished, and his voice shook. He slumped back down into the tub and reached for my hand under the water. I gripped it tight and squeezed it. "So, I told John B why. I was sick of hiding myself," he finished.

"Wow," Kiara said. "I, uh, I never would have guessed. Have you ever had a boyfriend? Either of you?"

"Must you?" Pope muttered.

"You're kidding, right?" JJ replied. "You think I'd risk bending over for someone with my dad around?"

Pope grimaced and Kiara's eyes widened.

"No," I said simply. "I was too worried about all of you finding out. And, uh, I wasn't ready to accept it anyway," I added.

"Is there anyone you like?" Kiara asked then. Pope groaned and mouthed 'sorry' at me.

"Yeah," JJ and I both said at the same time.

"Who?" She looked from me to JJ and back again, then realisation dawned. "Oh. Ohh!"

"Ohh," Pope said with another groan.

"Don't worry, Pope, I think we can keep our hands off each other in front of you," JJ said. "I mean, it'll probably be tough for John B, with me being so hot and all, but I guess he can manage it. But what about you, Pope? We've seen how things are going with you and Kiara. Think you can keep your distance from each other around us? You wouldn't want to turn our stomachs, now, would you?"

"JJ," I muttered, shaking my head.

"Guys, I'm sorry," Pope said. "I didn't mean anything bad. I just… it's a shock. Unexpected. I don't care if you like each other."

"You just don't want to see us 'liking each other', right?" JJ grinned.

"I don't care." Pope repeated. "It's honestly just a huge surprise. I mean, I've known you guys since the sixth grade, and I never had any clue."

"Not did we, and we spend a lot more time together than with you two." JJ glanced at me and quirked an eyebrow. I grinned.

"Are you gonna join us then?" I invited Pope and Kiara.

"Yes." Kiara took off the shorts she wore over her bikini bottoms and stepped into the tub opposite me.

"Wait, Pope, can you grab some beers from the kitchen?" I asked. "There should be a couple left if JJ didn't drink them all." I gestured to the litter of cans around the tub.

"Sure." Pope made for the house.

"I wish you'd told me," Kiara said when he was out of earshot. "Don't you trust me?"

"I didn't want anyone to know. Least of all JJ," I said.

"That's because he's had a thing for me for years and that would have been kind of awkward, since he didn't know I had the same thing for him." JJ beamed.

"Is that true?" Kiara asked me.

"Yeah, it is. Hiding the fact you like somebody for years is pretty hard going."

"I know." She sighed. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"I get it. I really didn't want to hurt Sarah."

"Why now?" Kiara asked.

"Because she kept going on about how we were going to sleep together on my birthday," I admitted.

"But she told me you already had, ages ago." Kiara frowned.

I groaned. "And girls say that we guys are the ones to make shit up and boast about what we've done. No, I haven't touched her. Not once. We kissed a lot, and it was like acting a role for me."

Kiara scowled. "The lying bitch."

"She's your friend," JJ reminded her. "She probably did it for the same reason guys do. She didn't want the shame of admitting the hot guy she was with didn't give it to her at every opportunity."

"JJ!" I protested.

"What? I'm just telling it like it is."

"You've got a big mouth, JJ," Kiara said.

"You love me," he responded.

"More fool me." She smiled a little. "So, what now? Are you two… dating?"

"Um—" JJ glanced at me.

"I guess," I said. "We haven't really talked about it. What about you and Pope?"

"I wish he'd ask me," she sighed. "It's like he's scared. As if he thinks I'll say no."

JJ laughed. "Just grab the boy and pash him. He needs some encouragement."

"But—" Kiara blushed furiously. "He might reject me."

"Trust me, Kie, he ain't gonna," JJ said. "You two are hopeless."

"Look who's talking." She rolled her eyes.

Pope appeared with four beers and handed them around. JJ took his and gulped half of it. Pope sat down in the water.

"So," JJ said. "It seems the two of you need some help."

"JJ, no!" Kiara glared at him.

"A minute ago you said I have a big mouth. I'm just living up to expectations. Pope, when are you gonna ask Kiara on a date? She really likes you. She ain't gonna say no. There you go, Kie. Now you two can just decide where you're going on your first date."

"Oh, my God." Kiara sunk her burning face into her hands.

"JJ, you dickhead," Pope muttered.

"I'm just speaking the truth, guys, come on. You both want to get it together, so get it together already. No one is going to reject anyone, right?"

"No," Kiara said from behind her hands.

"Absolutely not. No," Pope said.

Kiara looked up.

"You want to go for dinner with me tomorrow? No, not tomorrow, the next day," Pope asked.

"Yes, please," Kiara said at once.

JJ clapped. "My work here is done, folks."

"So, what's happening tomorrow that you can't have dinner then?" I asked with a grin.

"Nothing, I'm just busy," Pope replied.

"Me too, actually," Kiara added. "I have some stuff to do."

"Funny, that. I am busy tomorrow, too," JJ added.

"You are not." I gave his shoulder a shove. "Since this is now your home you'll be hanging here, so the only thing you'll be doing is clearing up all this shit you left lying around."

"Wait a minute. He's moving in?" Pope's eyes widened. "Isn't that a bit soon?"

"Asshole," JJ muttered. "I can't live with my dad anymore, that's all."

"Sorry," Pope said. "What set him off this time? I mean, how'd he find out about you?"

JJ just shrugged.

"Leave it," I said. "So, you all claim to be busy tomorrow. Should I get out of your way for this busy time?"

Kiara rolled her eyes. "All right, John B, you know we're going to give you a party. You're eighteen—it's the law. And yes, you can get out of our way."