A quick update about updates! I will be on holiday next Sunday, so the next update will be on Thursday, followed by an extra on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!
Moving On : Part I
In Princeton the next few days were marked by hurried packing as the three young men prepared for their move to the West Village. On top of that, Beats and Flint had to rehearse for their final gig as the Preppy Boys. To their horror, the night had sold out, guaranteeing them a full house of people desperate to see them strip. Ethan had just laughed at their faces, and had smiled secretly that he and Izzy had already managed to secure themselves tickets and would be there, watching. Even better was the fact that they would not be alone, but with a group of their friends…
In Bushwick, Luke, Duncan and Seth had managed to complete all their packing by Tuesday night, and on the Wednesday they had assisted with the loading up of the movers' van, and had then proceeded through the Midtown Tunnel to their new abode in the West Village. This time Jeff was there to assist his cousin with moving into his new place, and it was greatly appreciated by the three younger men. Nick and Mike both had to work, and this time, there were also no anxious mothers in sight; they had agreed that they could come and check out the new house later, when they were settled. It would be another two weeks or so before they were joined by Colin, Edward and Skylar, so for now the three of them rattled around a little in the much bigger house, making the most of the space. Seth did dread the fact that he had to go to work the next day, as he had a horrible feeling that his two roommates might well christen several of the rooms whilst he was out of the way. Having moved in, they joined Jeff on an expedition on the subway through to Brooklyn, to stock up on supplies at the big supermarket at the Atlantic Terminal. They returned laden, and tired, but the money they had saved by making the trip justified it in the end.
Elliott had also come to an arrangement with Josh over the date that he would move in with him. Beats had finally settled on the Wednesday of the following week, so Elliott had asked his little brother to move in with him on the Monday, so that they could have a couple of days of brotherly bonding with just the two of them in the house. Josh had agreed, and had then gone to break the news to Cooper and Grace. They would both be genuinely sorry to see him leave, as they had become quite fond of him, but the choice of date was ideal; it meant that they could fly out to London with a clear conscience.
Now that matter was settled, the two of them could move on to a plan that they had decided on a couple of weeks before. They went to speak to Mason, told him that Josh would be moving out just before they left for England, and then asked him to invite Roderick to stay. This took the young man aback, and he replied that whilst he appreciated the sentiment, he would be more than ok on his own for a couple of weeks. On hearing that reply, Grace laughed, and made things more clear. They did not want him to ask Roderick to move in whilst they were away; they wanted him to ask his friend to move in permanently, as a replacement for Josh in a way. There would be an empty room, and it seemed a shame that it would be left empty… Mason had at once called his friend, now on his own more or less in the dorms, as people moved on. To no-one's shock, he agreed to move in at once, and a date was agreed on; he would move in the day Josh moved out.
Back in Princeton, everything was building up to one major event. The final appearance of the original Preppy Boys was being anticipated and dreaded in equal measure. It held out so much promise to the regular audience, but it also marked the end of an era. The two new boys, Callum and Alan, had made a favourable impression with the crowd on the previous weekend; Callum had come along and exploited every ounce of geek chic that he had going for him, whilst Alan had worn an old jockstrap under his uniform, which had driven the crowd into raptures. Their respective tips that weekend had been big enough to allow them to pay for a month's food shopping and still have cash left over to pay some of their other bills. Everyone was certain that if they kept going the way they had, it would not be a one off occurrence either. However, everyone at the bar, patron and staff, would miss the two young men that had created the act in the first place. It was acknowledge that whilst Beats had created the concept, it had only been when Flint joined him that the thing had gone into the stratosphere.
The few days that had been their own between commencement and their last show had been busy for them, and not just with packing. Flint had heard back about his interview for the vacancy at Izzy's father's firm; he had been successful, and he was reassured that he had been so on his own merits, not just because of who he was. The job itself did not start until the beginning of August, which gave him more or less two months of vacation. He made plans at once for that time, most of it to be spent getting his new home just right, but there would be time for a trip back to Kansas to see his family, and hopefully, at least one weekend in a beach house in Port Jeff. On the Thursday, it had been Beats' turn to receive a long awaited phone call. He was asked if he could attend an interview the following day in New York; he had agreed and had left early, as the interview was first thing in the morning. It was a long one, and it was just before lunch that he was able to get away. Hungry, he made his way towards the Spotlight. He had just sat down with some food when his phone rang; he had not expected to hear back from them so soon, but it was a call to offer him the position. He did not even need to think about it. He beckoned frantically to Elliott, and he was at his side as he accepted the job; there to pull him into a hug as he ended the call. He would start work with the MTA at the end of July.
As Ethan had already taken a job before he had even graduated, the future was now mapped out for all three Princeton graduates. However, as Beats and Flint headed down the familiar route to the bar on what would be their final night, it seemed as if the past had come sharply back into focus. Normally as the walked together, they would have chatted, but that night they did it in silence, both deep in their own thoughts. Doing the work that they had been would have been a test on many friendships, but theirs had strengthened because of it. They know knew everything there was to know about each other, more or less; there could be very few secrets when you spent so much time together naked in a dressing room. As they rounded the final corner and came in sight of the bar on what would be their last visit there, at least as performers, Beats stopped suddenly, and a moment later, Flint did too.
"I just wanted to stop and take one last look at this place," Beats explained. "The first time that I walked up here, for my interview, I was a bag of nerves. I was about to strip in front of a stranger, for the first time… I can also recall the first time that we made this walk together, on your first night, and I felt so guilty that I had pulled my best friend down with me into such a seedy world. Now, I feel pride. I had to support myself, and I did it, with your help. When I start work, I will be on a higher rate of pay, but not getting those tips is going to be weird at first. Anyway, tonight I am not going in there with my best friend, my co-conspirator. I am going in there with the man that I see as my brother in all but birth. I love you, Flint Wilson, and I am not ashamed to admit that, in a purely fraternal way…"
Flint smiled, and said "And I love you too, Beats. Just so you know, had I been differently inclined…"
Beats nodded, and replied, "Yeah, it would have been the same here. Ok, so are you ready to head in there and shake that darn fine ass of yours one last time?"
"Yeah, let's do it. Let's go and end our stripping career on the highest note possible…"
As Flint and Beats headed in, they still had no idea that Ethan had been conspiring behind their backs with Izzy. As they were sat in their dressing room, putting on their stage make up one last time, they did not witness the two of them arrive at the door to the bar, and then stand and wait for a car to arrive. The people carrier, when it did arrive, brought seven special guests to the show, all of whom did wonder if they were doing the right thing by being there. As Ethan welcomed Nick, Jeff, Sebastian, Dave, Santana and Brittany to the bar, handed them their tickets then escorted them inside, he was every bit as worried. Trent and Rory had been invited, but they had declined. Trent did not want to risk causing embarrassment to his two friends. Sebastian had had no such qualms, but Nick and Jeff had been fretting about it since they had agreed, and had almost cried off that night; then Santana and Brittany had appeared at the door, and before they had known what was going on, they had been bundled into a car and where being driven into New Jersey.
The driver of the hired car, and the seventh member of the party, was Sam. He had also had doubts, but he had made a decision that only he could of all of them. He had discussed the matter with Rachel, and she had agreed that he could not only go, but carry out his plan. Ethan had been shocked when he suggested it, but had willingly phoned the bar, and spoken to the manager, and he had eventually agreed. Tonight, the Preppy Boys would be proceeded by a special guest act. Tonight, for one night only, White Chocolate would be making a return to stripping for the public on stage.
In their dressing room, Beats and Flint had been told that there was an extra act that night; all they knew was that they were a guest star from Kentucky, but neither of them had put two and two together on hearing that. They had no idea what was going on when Sam walked in to join them, until suddenly they both got it. There was a moment of silence and confusion, the two former Warblers just staring at the younger man, until he spoke. "Hey guys! So, you should have been told by now that there is a one off special act on the programme tonight…"
"Someone tell me that this is all fiction, a crazy dream, a figment of my overactive imagination," exclaimed Flint. "Beats, please tell me that this isn't happening…"
"I wish that I could, but no. Sam Evans is standing in our dressing room, and I am guessing that White Chocolate is coming out of retirement to make a dramatic return to the stage. I guess that it is quite appropriate really, seeing as he was the one that taught me my initial moves, and honestly, he did inspire the costume we wear with his act at Niff's bachelor party… I do have one question though; does Rachel know that you are doing this? The last thing we need is a screeching Rachel Berry at our door at some point in the future…"
"Yes, she does know, but I have also been told that no matter how much money I am offered, it is a one off, never ever to be repeated show. She said to wish you guys good luck by the way, and that she would have been here herself had she not been tied up with work," replied Sam.
"Thank God that she isn't! I do not think I could have handled that. The idea that any of our closest friends were going to be here watching us… Well, I don't think I would be able to go on, trust me!" said Flint.
"Same goes for me! I don't know how you kept your composure at Niff's party. If that happened to me - well, I'd freeze up, and then run!" added Beats. "It's bad enough that Izzy and Ethan are here. I mean, Flint doesn't mind Izzy being here, but the very idea of even Elliott sitting out there is a no-no!"
Sam nodded, and then pretended he had forgotten something, and headed back into the corridor backstage. He pulled out his phone and sent an urgent text to Nick - 'Sit at the very back in a dark corner guys! I think that if they see that you are here, they will run, and this place would riot if that happened!'
The bar was crowded now, and noisy. Nick was never more grateful that his phone was on vibrate than at that moment, as he never would have heard it over the music, and the shouts of encouragement for the current act from the crowd - and one of the people being most vocal was Santana. He blanched as he read Sam's words, feeling guilty about being there. He tapped Sebastian on the shoulder, and showed him the message. He nodded, and whispered in Dave's ear. Nick did the same with Jeff, and then they between them dragged a struggling Santana away from the front and into a darkened recess, Brittany following them with no complaint. They could still see the stage, just nowhere near as well.
"Would someone mind explaining why we have just left the excellent spot I fought hard to obtain us at the front for this dingy hole, where the floor appears to be very sticky?" Santana snarled at them when they pushed her into a seat.
Nick shuddered as he thought of several reasons why the floor would be sticky, and prayed that it was from spilt drinks. He was going to speak, but Sebastian beat him to it. "Much as I have to agree with you that the eye candy is nowhere near as clear from here, dearest Satan, it appears that White Chocolate has discovered that the Preppy Boys would run for the hills if they discovered we were all here. We have to hide at the back as a consequence. Ethan and Izzy can stay at the front, as they know they are here."
"Well, if seeing me would make them run, then I guess I can live with this. I mean, I would hate to be here if the show got spoiled; I think that they would want the people that made the Preppy Boys leave to step up to replace them, and let's face it, Britt and I would not fit the bill for that at all…"
"Which is why we are staying here, in the dark," exclaimed Nick, as beside him Jeff nodded.
Then it was time. The visitors from New York all cheered when it was announced that an old friend of the Preppy Boys had stopped by to help them out on their final night, and that they should all put their hands together for White Chocolate. Once the crowd saw Sam, they all did the same. His routine was much less tame that the one that he had performed at Niff's party almost two years ago. Santana was left speechless, and the others just watched open-mouthed. The music was exactly the same though, and by the time he had finished, the hat he had been wearing at the start was all he had left to cover his modesty. The applause was thunderous, and the amount of cash that was being flung at the stage made Sam blush. He just hoped that he had not cleared out the crowd's pockets before his friends stepped out to perform their swansong. He made his way over to the microphone at the side of the stage, ensuring the hat stayed in place, and then, with his best country accent on, he spoke to them all. "Why thank you kindly folks for that reception. I was, however, just the warm up act… Now it is time for you all to welcome two good friends of yours and mine to the stage for one last time. The stars of the show… Folks, give it up for the Preppy Boys!"
The noise in the room at that moment was so loud that people were forced to cover their ears until it had died down again. To the strains of the Keane song This is the Last Time two blazer clad boys stepped onto the stage, backlit, and proceeded to rock the audience's world. Every tiny movement was well judged, well timed, and executed to perfection. Buttons were undone in perfect synch; items of clothing were thrown aside in unison. Their bodies moved in time to each other, mimicking the movements of the other. It was all just a build up to the final moment, the last thing they would ever give their loyal fans. At the climax of their stripping career, they stood, side by side, then turned to face each other and removed the last tiny piece of fabric. That was when the lights usually went down, but not that night. That night they had added a final twist. After a few seconds of seemingly staring at each other, naked, they stepped towards each other, leant forward, and kissed…
Jeff would later describe the noise at that moment as like being inside a massive firework when it exploded. They had thought that the applause for Sam was loud, but this was deafening. The loyal fans that had come to see them, without fail, twice a week for so long had been rewarded with a moment that they had all hoped for, for so long, but had never even dared to hope might become a reality. At the front, Ethan was left completely gobsmacked, turning to face a grinning Izzy, who was yelling as loudly as everyone else at the sight before her. He realised then that she had known that this was going to happen; indeed, at the very second their lips had touched, she had snapped a picture on her phone, and was in the process of forwarding it to Elliott as he watched. He too had been asked and granted permission for the moment.
The kiss itself had lasted mere seconds, but for those in the room watching it, time had slowed down. As their lips parted, they turned their back on the baying audience, Flint draping an arm casually around Beats' shoulders. The latter turned his head back to face the crowd, and then, with an oh so suggestive wink, the two of them made their way off stage, as around them, money rained down thick and fast. Sam was waiting in the wings with the other performers to give them a high five as they walked off. At his side stood Callum and Alan, dressed in their blazers, ready to step onto the stage and perform their own take on the Preppy Boy routine, but stunned at what they had just witnessed. "I think that we have warned them up nicely for the two of you," quipped Beats to the two boys as they passed. "Go out there and make them scream again!" The two boys nodded as the MC, seeing that the stage had finally been cleared of cash, announced that whilst the older generation had just graduated, the new one was still in school, and asked for a warm welcome for the new Preppy Boys…
As Flint and Beats headed to the dressing room with Sam, they swore that the ground shook as the crowd roared. Sam had already popped his clothes back on before he came to watch, and so having seen his two Warbler friends back to the safety of their dressing room, he congratulated them on their show, then left them to it. Normally after a show they would both quickly remove their stage make up, and leave the glitter behind for the normality of student life. Tonight though they both just sat down and looked in the mirror in front of them.
"Well, that's that. Our totally unexpected career as gay bar strippers is over," said Beats.
"Yeah," replied Flint. "You know, it feels kind of strange… It's funny, but I am really going to miss all of this. It was ours, the unique thing that united us, and now…"
"This chapter might be over, but Fleats, that will never die. Heck, we are going to be living apart, but with only some joists, plaster and floorboards between us."
"I am still going to miss this…"
"If I could go back in time, and bring the Flint Wilson I knew at Dalton in 2011 into this room right now, he would collapse in shock! He would never have done something like this, and he would never have imagined his best friend doing it either."
"I think all of us Warblers at Dalton in 2011 have changed so much since then. I mean, everything that happened with Hunter; all the deaths; the way the whole world is heading has made all of us very different men to the boys we were. I am certainly not that slightly boring, goody two shoes Jewish boy anymore!"
Beats laughed, then turned to look at his friend. "That's very true. You're the straight Jewish boy stripping in a gay bar, who stood up to his mother, who then got the girl, and has surprisingly soft lips…"
"Flattery will not get you another kiss, Nathaniel! It was definitely a one time thing only. Although I must admit it wasn't so bad from my end either," replied Flint, his voice softening at the end.
Beats blushed, then laughed again. "Right, enough of this. Let's get this greasepaint off, and go and find your girlfriend, before she starts to think the two of us really had a moment and have run off into the sunset together. Also, I think that we might have broken Ethan, and she would probably appreciate a hand with fixing him." Flint laughed again, and then reached for the wipes. As the make up came off, they both realised that like all good things, this chapter of their lives had now come to a more than satisfactory end.
As they headed towards the bar, fully clothed, the manager stopped them, shook them both warmly by the hand, then gave each of them a bulging envelope. "Your final set of tips, boys. That was quite the stunt you pulled at the end there; earned you the big bucks, and helped your replacements earn a good lot of tips too. It had been a pleasure having you work here, and if you ever feel like a return for old time's sake…"
"We will let you know. After all, never say never…" responded Flint, making Beats stare a little in surprise. If he was honest, that was the last thing he had ever expected to hear his friend say that night. That surprise was nothing compared to the one now waiting for them both in the empty bar, the crowd having headed home. There they found Izzy, Sam, a still shell shocked Ethan - and six other very familiar faces…
As the two of them stared, rooted to the spot, it fell to Sebastian to break the silence. "Well, that was certainly eye opening. You two are really, really good at that! It got me hot under the collar, that's for sure, and as for that final moment - well, what can I say but…"
"Wanky! Definitely wanky!" said Santana.
Beats looked at Flint, who was now crimson, and then couldn't stop himself. He burst out laughing, realising that although the fact that all these people had now seen him in a way they hadn't before, it wasn't so bad. In fact, they were probably more embarrassed than he was…
It took Flint a moment, but then he too started to laugh. He had nothing to be ashamed of after all. He had just been doing his work, and when they came here, they had known what to expect. The fact that neither Nick or Jeff could quite meet his eye let him know that they felt every bit as awkward about things as he did. Well, that was their own fault; he guessed that the others hadn't come because they had known they wouldn't be able to handle it. He was sure Niff would bounce back soon enough… He also knew that every other Warbler in their circle would know within the hour that he and Beats had kissed, if not from Sebastian, then from Santana. The fact was that he didn't really care, because these days, Flint Wilson was a man of the world…
