Christmas in Glacier Bay - 1. Chapter 1

 

Jason Barmore was late. And he didn’t really have a good reason. He had a reason, but it wasn’t a good reason. He hated being late. And judging how slow the plow truck in front of him was currently going, he wasn’t going to be getting there anytime soon. Whoever was driving the plow must be getting paid by the hour. What plow truck goes 15 miles per hour?

He glanced at the clock on the dashboard: 5:05 pm. He would not be helping Timothy set up for the party. And the guests were scheduled to arrive at six. The ringing of his phone had him cursing again. Timothy’s face flashed on the screen, and he pushed the button and started talking immediately, “I know I’m late; I’m stuck behind the slowest plow truck in the world.”

His best friend, Timothy Moran, chuckled as he replied, “Don’t worry about it. Five came early, and he’s helping me set up everything.” Nelson Miles Moore V, commonly referred to as Five, was in his small circle of close friends who had grown up together. Five was on the swim team. He and Jason had been battling for the academic top spot since 2nd grade. Five would be attending Harvard upon graduating in the spring, aiming for a career in law in the future. It was still up in the air which one would win valedictorian honors.

“Five came early and is helping?” Jason asked in disbelief. “That’s so unlike him to be helpful, ever.”

“Apparently his mother is driving him crazy,” Timothy said in a quiet voice. “He mentioned something about playing too many video games over the break.”

Jason laughed and then said, “Only his mother would complain about that. He’s the second-best student in the school.”

Five’s face popped into the camera, and he said pointedly, “That hasn’t been decided yet.”

Timothy snorted as he pushed the blond out of the way and said, “Don’t worry, the caterers are already set up; Five is finishing arranging the Secret Santa gifts, the bartender just arrived, so take your time and drive carefully.”

Jason looked at the upcoming street sign and said, “I’m like maybe ten minutes out. Have your parents left yet?”

“Not yet, but soon, I hope,” Timothy said dryly. “Mom is driving the caterers crazy.”

“I have some gifts for them from my parents.”

“If you miss them, we can put the gifts in the office,” Timothy said and then yelled loudly: “Five, make sure all the gifts are arranged neatly so we can easily read the nametags.”

Jason couldn’t hear the response, but Timothy burst out laughing. Jason said, “I’ll see you in a few.”

Every year on December 21st, Timothy threw a Secret Santa party at his house. Jason had added his own yearly tradition by introducing a trophy for the ugliest Christmas sweater. The winner each year would not only have the trophy but bragging rights until a new winner was crowned the following year.

Since this was the senior year and probably the last time they would be together, Timothy had carefully curated the guest list to include only their closest friends. Which was different from years past, as the guest list could be upwards of a hundred or more. This year, there would only be nineteen attendees for dinner, with Timothy making twenty.

After driving for a few more minutes, Jason pulled into the long driveway that would lead him to the Moran family estate. The house was built in the 1920s. It was a sprawling red brick building with a circular driveway. The main house had three stories with two wings on either side that formed a U shape. Along the back of the house was a swimming pool with a large patio surrounding it. A pool house that was recently converted into a clubhouse of sorts and a four-car garage made up the outbuildings.

As Jason pulled into the driveway, he saw Five’s blue BMW alongside Timothy’s silver Range Rover. All his friends teased him about his choice of car, but as long as he could remember, he had wanted a Jeep Wrangler. His mother insisted Wranglers were too unsafe for a sixteen-year-old, so they compromised and had bought him a Jeep Compass instead. But no matter how much his friends teased him, nine times out of ten they rode with him as his car handled better in the snow.

He parked next to Timothy’s parents’ Avalanche, making sure to leave them enough room for it to get out easily. He walked to the back of his Jeep, opened the hatch and grabbed several bags.

The night’s festivities would be held in the clubhouse out back, but he went to the front door and let himself in. He paused at the threshold to shake the snow from his shoes and saw Mrs. Moran at the top of the stairs. She waved and asked, “What do you have there, Jason?”

He grinned at the tall, slender woman as he held up the bags. He said, “Merry Christmas from the Barmore family.”

“Merry Christmas to you, too, dear.”

She walked down the steps with her black dress billowing out behind her. Her dark hair was pulled up and flowing down one side of her face. She was stunning as always. She gestured to a doorway and said, “You can put those in there. You’ll find a few bags for your family, as well. Make sure you tell them Merry Christmas for me, and we are still hoping they can make it back for New Year’s.”

“I will,” Jason promised as he walked into the formal sitting room. On the left side of the room, a long table had been placed. It was almost overflowing with gift bags. On the right was another long table that was still mostly empty. He placed his bags on it next to the gifts Five had brought.

Then he walked over to the other table to locate the bags for his family. He saw Mrs. Moran’s flowing handwriting on a note that was attached to each bag. He shouted out, “I keep telling you to stop getting me gifts. Your love is all the gift I need.”

Her laughter filtered back from where she stood by the front door as she checked herself in the mirror. She said, “I know, dear, and just like I say every year, I don’t listen to 17-year-olds.”

Jason chuckled as he walked up behind her and leaned over to kiss her gently on the cheek, “Thank you.”

Her eyes twinkled, and she said, “You’re welcome. You were always my favorite of Timothy’s friends. I’m not sure why you hang around that boy, but I’m glad you do,

because even the dumb ones need someone to take care of them.”

She laughed again and then called out loudly, “Jeremiah, we have to be going. I will not be late tonight, and I want to make sure we are long gone before the house is overrun by hooligans.”

Her husband, Jeremiah, walked down the stairs and said, “Coming, dear.”

He was wearing a long, black overcoat, and Jason knew under that coat was a silk tuxedo with a crisp white shirt.

When he saw Jason, he smiled and said, “Don’t ever get married.”

“Don’t try to be funny, dear,” she said with a fond smile as she put on her black gloves.

“Of course not,” he replied as he put his arm around her waist. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“You tell that son of mine that I absolutely forbid any drinking tonight,” Mrs. Moran instructed Jason.

“And that goes doubly for that little get-together after everyone leaves,” Mr. Moran said as he held up his finger for emphasis.

Jason managed to look innocent as he replied, “That was the first time I ever drank, sir; it wasn’t really my fault.”

“You do know I had to buy a new rug,” Mr. Moran said dryly.

“I offered to pay for it,” Jason argued. “You didn’t let me.”

“And have your parents know that you got so drunk you threw up all over the hall rug?” Mrs. Moran said with a rich laugh. “They’d never talk to me again.”

“Well, Timothy told them the next day,” Jason said.

Mr. Moran laughed loudly as he turned towards his wife, “See, we taught at least one of our children to do the right thing.”

“Truth be told, it was really more of a way to make fun of me than any burning desire to do the right thing,” Jason explained with a cheeky grin. “My dad had a really good laugh about that, though he still punished me by making me work in the yard all day.”

“Well, you just make sure we don’t have a repeat of that incident tonight,” she admonished him. “I really like that new rug.”

“I make no promises,” Jason said mischievously. “Merry Christmas!”

He quickly walked away before they could say anything else. He opened the door that led into the large kitchen. As he opened the door, he caught scents of cinnamon, rosemary, and chicken that he could see was slowly turning over the gas fire.

He saw three people wearing white chef coats busy scurrying around, putting the last-minute touches on the meal for twenty hungry teenagers. There was one man, closest to the door, with his back turned. The man was bent over, looking into the oven. Jason couldn’t help but stare at the man’s butt. He cleared his throat and said, “Excuse me.”

The man didn’t turn around but replied quickly, “You’re late. There is a coat over there; put it on; come back here. We are running behind schedule.”

“Um, I don’t think you want me anywhere near food being prepared,” Jason said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Most times they barely allow me to even walk into a kitchen.”

The man stood up and turned around. The man wasn’t a man but a boy no older than himself. The boy had sandy-colored hair peeking out from under a plain-black ballcap, a narrow face with brilliant blue eyes and a look of frustration on his smooth face.

“Then why did they send you?” the boy asked as he threw his hands up. “I specifically told them I needed someone with kitchen experience.”

“Oh, you think I was sent here to help you,” Jason said with a big grin. “No, I would be useless to you. Matter of fact, I’m mostly useless in everything.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m not here to work the party; I’m here to attend the party,” Jason explained. “I’m just here to help Timothy get things set up and to offer any assistance I can.”

The boy looked him up and down and said with a welcoming smile, “Well, then, I’m Owen. This is my parents’ catering company, and they are both out sick tonight, and we’re already short-staffed, so I hired a temp from a service, but he’s super late.”

Owen talked really fast as he went back to whatever he had been doing before Jason interrupted him.

“I’m Jason, if you need anything, I’d be happy to help.”

Owen turned back, then said after a moment, “I wouldn’t want to risk you burning your pretty face if you got too close to the oven.”

Jason swallowed nervously. He stammered out, “Um…”

“Owen, how many times have I told you not to flirt with every cute guy you see,” A very beautiful girl in her mid-20s spoke from where she was decorating twenty little pies.

Jason noticed right away they both had the same color hair and the same pouty full lips. She looked at him and said, “Forgive my brother, he thinks with his dick most of the time.”

“I’m not gay,” Jason blurted out, though he blushed deeply.

She paused for a moment and then shrugged, “Perfect, then Owen can focus on his work and not try to get you into bed.”

Owen laughed and then apologized, “I’m sorry, man. It was just the way you were looking at me. I must have read that wrong.”

Jason tried to regain his composure and after a moment said, “No problem.”

This whole conversation had become a bit too awkward, and he decided it was time for him to get out of there. He said, “Nice to meet you. I’m looking forward to tonight; it really smells delicious.”

“Thanks,” The girl said with a wave of her pastry bag. “He’s a bit crude, but he really is talented in the kitchen.”

Owen winked at him and said in a loud whisper, “Not just in the kitchen.”

Jason almost ran out of the kitchen. He quickly made his way outside. He could see through the windows of the Clubhouse, Timothy and Five were standing in front of a large Christmas tree that was surrounded by gifts. Whatever they were talking about must have been serious because neither of them were smiling.

The conversation with Owen had hit a bit close to home, and that was something he really didn’t want to think about right now. It was bad enough; during the last year he had been noticing boys more and more. He’d catch himself checking out boys when they walked by or when he was in the locker room changing. A few times he even dreamt he had sex with a boy and had woken up in a cold sweat, more aroused than ever.

It wasn’t like any of his friends or family would even care if he was gay. There were several out students in school, and no one cared one bit. His friends were all cool with gay people, and a few even joined the gay-straight alliance. The fact of the matter, the only person who’d care if Jason was gay was Jason.

And he definitely couldn’t be gay. He wouldn’t allow it. He had a plan for his life, and being gay was not factored in that plan. He would be attending Stanford the following year. There he would meet the girl he would eventually marry. A few years after that, they would start having babies. He always dreamt of a big family. There was no way he could be gay.

So, he’d continue to do what he had been doing for a year. He’d ignore his inclinations. So what if he slipped up from time to time and watched some gay porn. He didn’t have to watch it to get off. Matter of fact, he had two girlfriends this year alone, and sex had been the best part of those relationships. Why worry about a little thing like that? He could make whatever reality he wanted. He’d simply choose not to be gay.

So what if Owen was cute. You didn’t have to be gay to appreciate a person’s looks. There were lots of guys he thought were cute…handsome. Straight guys say handsome, not cute. He frowned and decided he just wouldn’t let it get to him tonight.

He took a deep breath and walked into the clubhouse where he was greeted with Christmas music playing in the background. He smiled at Timothy and Five, who had now moved to two chairs, talking between themselves about the upcoming party.

Timothy was saying, “It was a good idea of yours to have everyone mail their gifts to the house so no one will know who their Secret Santa is.”

Five nodded and said, “It really was the only way.”

Five looked up and saw Jason. He gestured with his head, and Timothy looked up and jumped up and ran over to catch Jason in a bear hug. He shouted out, “Merry Christmas.”

Jason struggled to breathe as Timothy lifted him off his feet. He said, “Merry Christmas. You’re killing me.”

“A hug isn’t a hug if you don’t crack some ribs,” Timothy said as he put his friend down. He wore a bright-red-and-green sweater that had a picture of Hans Gruber and read, “It ain’t Christmas until Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi Plaza.”

“Really?” Jason said as he suppressed a grin. “A Die Hard sweater.”

Timothy shrugged. “The late great Alan Rickman played my favorite Harry Potter character.”

Timothy must’ve just gotten a haircut because his usual mess of curls was somehow contained in a semblance of order. Probably held together with a ton of products. There was no way he had done that himself; he looked good.

“Then why don’t you have a sweater with Snape on it?” Five asked as he took his turn to give Jason a hug.

Five’s hugs were always nicer than Timothy’s. Just the usual “bro” hug, none of that full-body contact Timothy believed constituted a hug.

Five wore dark jeans, black shoes with bright-white soles and a solid-green sweater that had yarn balls sticking out all over. As usual, he was well put together and even in the garish sweater looked amazing.

Jason gestured at Five’s sweater and teased, “Kind of boring this year, huh?”

“Ran out of time,” Five explained as he shrugged.

Jason noticed both of them were staring at him in anticipation. He smiled and kept his coat buttoned, “Not yet; not showing mine until everyone is here.”

“That means it’s not very good,” Five deduced and sat back down. He grabbed his phone and started scrolling through Instagram.

“You’ll have to wait and see,” Jason said mysteriously.

The older man behind the bar called out for Timothy, who walked over to see what the man wanted. Meanwhile, Jason looked at the decorations; as usual, the place looked amazing. There was an oversized Christmas tree in the corner; string lights and fresh garlands hung around almost every surface. The wall was filled with screens showing Christmas videos interspersed with videos of past Secret Santa parties. Their friend, Percy, who was amazing at editing, always collected videos from all their past events and made really cool memories for everyone.

Jason looked at his watch when he got a notification. It was their friend, Stephen, informing him they were on the way, along with his twin sister, Stephanie, and her friend Mary.

Jason walked over to Timothy and overheard his friend explaining, “No one is allowed to drink any alcoholic beverage. I want you to have full deniability.”

“Your mother made that very clear,” the man said with a straight face as he pointed to the cameras that were placed around the entire family estate for security purposes. “She made sure to remind me that multiple times, somehow without sounding threatening.”

Timothy pointed to a table that was shoved over in the corner filled with alcohol, “Well she won’t be here, and as long as you don’t worry about what we are doing over there, we’ll get along just fine.”

“I get paid either way.”

Jason spoke up when Timothy turned to face him, “Stephen just texted me; he has Stephanie and Mary with him.”

Just at the mention of Mary’s name, Timothy got a faraway look on his face as he said, “Mary is so amazing.”

Jason rolled his eyes. For a better part of a year, Timothy had been absolutely in love with Mary. And when Mary suddenly broke up with her boyfriend a few months ago, Jason was sure Timothy would swoop in. But for some reason, the moment he was in the vicinity of the fiery redhead, his tongue didn’t seem to work.

Jason had endured so many nights with Timothy ranting about the amazing Mary, but he failed to act on his obvious infatuation. It was all a bother, really, to Jason, who had gotten so tired of his friend’s endless pining. He warned that if Timothy didn’t do anything about his Mary situation, someone else would steal her away before he worked up the courage.

“You’re such a chicken,” Five chimed in without looking up from his phone.

Timothy laughed, then declared, “Something tells me tonight is going to be special.”

“It would take a miracle for you to get your head out of your ass and ask her out,” Jason teased his friend.

“Oh, J, I think tonight is a night for miracles, don’t you?” Timothy asked in a serious tone.

“A Christmas miracle?” Jason asked, amused by the seriousness on his friend’s face. “You watch too many movies.”

“Sometimes you have to create your own miracles,” Five said, just as serious as Timothy.

“You guys are acting strange.” Jason accused them as he watched Owen and his sister walk in with a cart loaded with food. He watched the two put food into warming trays and then light the Sterno that would keep them warm throughout the night. He nudged Timothy and asked, “What’s up with those caterers? Where did you find them?”

“I liked their chicken the best at a comparative tasting we had with a bunch of caterers,” Timothy explained with a shrug. “It’s a local, family-owned business; all their kids work there. And that one, she’s the oldest, and trust me, she has a smoking body under that chef’s coat.”

“She’s super nice; I met her in the kitchen earlier,” Jason said absently as he watched Owen intently. The boy moved gracefully around the long buffet table with a serious look on his face.

Timothy noticed him staring at Owen, and said, “That’s her youngest brother. He’s like super out and proud.”

Jason snorted, “I noticed that, too.”

“He hit on me outrageously at the tasting,” Timothy explained as he studied his friend. “In front of his parents, my mom—he didn’t care who heard him.”

“His sister says he hits on everyone,” Jason said as he pulled his attention away from Owen bending over to light a Sterno can. “Don’t feel too special.”

“Yet it must be nice to be so confident in who you are to live your authentic self,” Timothy said carefully.

“I guess so,” Jason said as he again felt that uncomfortableness in the pit of his stomach. So, he made sure to change the subject, “When is Percy getting here?”

“His brother is dropping him off,” Timothy explained with a big grin. “He didn’t want to leave his car here overnight.”

Percy Adams was by far their weirdest friend. Percy dressed like a goth, played baseball like a god, and drank like a fish. This month, Percy’s shoulder-length hair was dyed red and blond. His nails were always painted black; he wore eye makeup and rarely wore anything but black.

It was always jarring to see him in his baseball uniform; white pin stripes just didn’t look right on him somehow. He was far from being sad or depressed. He was extremely outgoing, gregarious, and a minor celebrity on TikTok. He had been in their friend group since the third grade.

“Speaking of Percy,” Five said as he looked up from his phone. “Guess who just got here.”

“How do you know?” Jason asked as he looked around for his friend.

“’Cause he just posted on TikTok from the driveway,” Five said as he held up his phone.

A few minutes later, Percy strolled into the clubhouse with a big grin on his face. His hair was pulled back into a tail at the base of his neck. He wore a black sweater with a photo of Jesus on it that read, ‘Go Jesus, it's your birthday’.

Percy spun about so everyone could see his sweater, he asked, “What do you think?”

“Not bad,” Timothy said.

“Oh, you have Hans Gruber,” Percy said with a hint of jealousy on his face. “That’s pretty good.”

Five didn’t look up from his phone, but he said, “You should’ve painted your nails with Christmas colors.”

Percy rolled his eyes but pointedly ignored the statement. He rubbed his hands together and asked, “Where’s the drinks?”

Timothy pointed across the room and said, “Help yourself.”

Percy quickly walked over to the table and grabbed a bottle of vodka. He poured himself a shot and drank it down in one gulp. He grinned and declared, “That’s better. I’m starting to feel like myself again. I had too much blood in my alcohol system.”

“You feel like a potato beverage?” Five asked absently.

“You say potato; I say let’s get fucked up.”

“You always say let’s get fucked up,” Five accused him.

Percy poured another shot and said, “It’s called tradition, Five, and I don’t like to break tradition.”

Jason didn’t have to see her arrive. The look on Timothy’s face told him that Mary Hollaway had arrived. Jason turned and smiled warmly as Mary walked into the clubhouse with Stephanie and Stephen close behind.

Mary had a smile that could light up any room. She had long, natural red hair that tonight she had curled and left loose about her shoulders. She wore black yoga pants, brown Ugg boots and a Christmas sweater that was the furthest thing from being ugly. She was beautiful.

Percy walked over, holding a vodka-and-orange-juice cocktail. He greeted Mary by saying, “You kind of missed the point of ugly Christmas sweater, you know?”

Mary laughed, soft and musical, “I don’t own anything ugly.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Jason said as he led her away by her arm. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you, Jason,” Mary said as she looked over at Timothy, who was blushing for some reason. “Hi, Timothy; thank you for inviting me this year.”

“Um,” Timothy stammered but then managed to say, “You’re welcome. Thank you for coming.”

Stephanie hugged Percy and Five and then walked over to Timothy. She whispered in his ear softly, “Don’t worry, she likes you. She told me in the car.”

Timothy’s grin grew even broader if that was possible, and he gave her a tight squeeze.

She murmured, “Don’t break my ribs.”

Timothy let her go, and Jason said off-handedly, “Hey, Timothy, can you show Mary where to put her coat?”

Jason gave Stephanie a wink as Timothy and Mary walked away. Stephanie gave him a big hug and said, “Merry Christmas, J.’

She kissed his cheek and he replied, “Merry Christmas, Boo.’

Jason tugged at Stephanie’s coat and asked, “Are we going to see this year’s entry?”

Stephen blurted out with a glare at his sister, “That can wait.”

Jason wondered what that was about. The twins rarely fought, though they were notorious for playing pranks on one another. Maybe she did something that embarrassed him in front of Mary. Mary wasn’t a usual part of their circle and was not privy to their inside jokes and habit of casual insults.

Stephen wore black pants that were so tight they could’ve been painted on his muscular legs. Jason tried hard not to notice how those pants made his friend look, but they hugged him in all the right places.

Jason greeted Stephen with a brief hug. He said, “I love your sweater.”

Stephen’s sweater was red with three words in white lettering, “The Dude Abides.”

Stephen tried to unbutton Jason’s coat as he asked, “Where’s yours? Let’s see it.”

Jason turned away and said, “Not yet.”

“Hey, Stephen, let’s have a drink. I’ll make you a White Russian,” Percy called out loudly.

“Remember, you’re driving,” Stephanie said pointedly as they walked over together. She would supervise the making of what would probably be the only drink Stephen would be allowed to drink for the rest of the evening.

For Jason’s tastes, Stephen was by far the most attractive of all his friends. They were the same height, but Stephen was more muscular. He had started working out, and the results were really starting to show. Jason watched his friend from across the room.

“Are you sure you’re not gay?” Owen whispered as he watched Jason staring at the boy.

Jason blushed and managed to look both upset and embarrassed at the same time. He whispered back, “Isn’t there something you should be cooking?”

Owen chuckled and winked at him. “If you want, we can get something cooking in our catering van. No one has to know.”

Jason was speechless. His mouth opened and then shut, only to open again as he struggled to find some response. Owen continued to tease him by saying, “Cat got your tongue?”

“Let me guess,” Jason said dryly, though he felt his ears turn red. “Either you say lucky cat or you’d like to have my tongue.”

“You’re even cuter when you blush,” Owen said thoughtfully as he rubbed Jason’s cheek.

Jason looked away and saw that Five had been watching their entire exchange. He turned back to reply to Owen but was saved when Percy declared loudly they should all do shots before the rest of the guests arrived.

Jason managed to avoid Owen for the rest of dinner. By the time the rest of the guests arrived, Jason was on his second shot. It was good to forget about his worries and focus on his friends for a change.

Timothy had been right when he said Owen’s chicken had been the best. That boy really knew how to roast a chicken. It was tender, with crispy skin, and moist in the center with the sweetest honey glaze. It was delicious.

At least for now, he didn’t have to think about his growing attraction to boys or the way Stephen’s pants hugged his ass so perfectly that he felt the urge to reach out and cup each cheek with both of his hands. No, thinking about that would be reserved for later, when he was alone in his room.

Jason had gotten a lot of compliments on his sweater. He had chosen a green-and-red-striped sweater that read, ‘On the Naughty List’. He felt he had a good chance at winning this year. Then he saw Stephanie’s sweater and knew he’d lost.

Her sweater was the reason Stephen was upset. It was dark green with fur lined around the neck and wrists. The front boasted an old photo of Stephen’s very first Christmas. He was sitting on a couch, wearing a tiny little Santa hat and nothing else. All his goods were on display as he giggled directly into the camera. Of course, she won the trophy; it wasn’t even close.

Stephen took all the jokes at his expense in stride. Which for the most part consisted of tiny-dick jokes and speculation that it hadn’t really grown since that picture was taken seventeen years earlier.

It really didn’t help his self-esteem when his Secret Santa gift happened to be a pair of elephant underwear. Except the trunk of the elephant was tiny, almost non-existent. Someone even had the nerve to say it looked like his baby photo. Jason wondered if Stephanie hadn’t been behind that gift as well.

On the other hand, Percy received a great gift. It was some kind of editing software he had been wanting. Mary received an expensive bracelet, and from the look on Timothy’s face, Jason knew who had given it to her.

There were more gag gifts, thoughtful gifts, and then it came down to the last gift of the night. The previous year, Jason had received a gift card for a full-body wax at one of the local spas. The joke being, at 17, he still hadn’t hit puberty yet as he was almost hairless.

So, with some hesitation, he took the small box that was beautifully wrapped. Timothy seemed to be almost jumping out of his skin in his excitement when he handed the box over. Jason noticed the box was light, almost like there was nothing inside. He hoped it wasn’t another gift card. He opened the lid and peered hesitantly inside. He gingerly moved the tissue paper aside with one finger and then blushed. His face turned a dark shade of red, and he looked at the expectant faces of his friends and swore loudly. “Oh, fuck, no.”

“Your face is as red as your sweater,” Five teased him.

“What is it, J?” Timothy asked with a big grin.

Jason quickly shut the box and held it tightly in his hands, “I don’t think so.”

“Come on, it can’t be worse than last year,” Stephanie insisted with a grin. “Show us.”

Jason shook his head with a stubborn look on his face.

“It must be good,” Timothy mused. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so red.”

“Show us,” Stephen urged. “I showed you mine.”

“We all got to see yours,” Stephanie countered as she pointed to the front of her sweater.

Stephen rolled his eyes and said, “Come on. Part of the fun is watching everyone open their gifts.”

Jason looked at Timothy, silently pleading with him. Timothy shook his head, “You know the rules, J. Just show us and it will all be over.”

“I hate all of you guys right now,” Jason muttered as he took a deep breath and then pulled the object out and held it up so all could see.

“Oh look, someone got him a pink jockstrap,” Stephanie said with a giggle. “Are you going to model it for us?”

Jason ignored her and held the jockstrap out between his hands.

“Oh, it has a little rainbow flag on the front,” Stephen said with a confused expression on his face. “How…cute?”

Everyone had a good laugh which only made Jason feel more uncomfortable. He quickly replaced the jock into the box. He endured all the snide comments and lewd suggestions while wishing he could just go hide under a rock.

While they had been opening their gifts, Owen and company cleaned the buffet area and laid out the dessert table. So, it was almost ten o’clock when Owen approached Jason and casually stood next to him.

Jason looked over and braced himself for something sexual but was surprised when Owen asked, “How’d you like the food?”

Jason replied honestly, “It was really good. Best chicken I ever had.”

“Thank you,” Owen said with a hint of satisfaction in his voice. “It’s my specialty.”

“You’re a really good chef,” Jason admitted.

“You say that like you’re surprised.”

“Well,” Jason paused as he struggled to find the right words. “You do come on a bit strong.”

Owen chuckled as he looked around the room. He asked, “Do you want to come outside with me for a cigarette?”

Jason frowned as he said, “No.”

“Don’t want to be seen hanging out with the hired help, huh?” Owen asked playfully, but Jason saw the disappointment in the boy’s eyes.

“That’s not it,” Jason declared as Owen cocked an eyebrow, clearly not believing him. “I leave tomorrow and don’t get back until New Year’s. This is kind of a tradition—my friends and I—this is our Christmas night.”

Owen looked over at the partygoers and mused, “I’m sure they won’t miss you for ten minutes.”

“Why do you want me to come with you?”

Owen rubbed one gloved hand over his chin thoughtfully. He admitted, “I’m not really sure.”

Now it was Jason’s turn to raise an eyebrow. Owen laughed and said, “I do think you are hot. I know you’re not gay, but for some reason I like you. I think you’re cool.”

Jason snorted, though he blushed again. “You don’t even know me.”

“I see how your friends react around you,” Owen said quietly. “I’ve been watching you all night. The big guy is always looking around to see where you are—the one you call Five but everyone else calls Nelson; he’s been watching you, too, like right now.”

Jason looked over and, sure enough, Five was looking intently in his direction with a frown on his face. Jason nodded his head as if to say, “What?” Five looked away and Jason said absently, “They’ve been acting weird all night.”

“You’ve been acting weird all night,” Owen accused him, but then he turned serious and asked in a quiet voice, “What’s the one’s name with the killer ass?”

“Stephen,” Jason replied immediately.

Owen started laughing. Jason got annoyed at Owen’s implication. No one likes to be laughed at, and he felt that was exactly what Owen was doing. He demanded, “What?”

Owen reached out and put one hand on Jason’s shoulder and said through another fit of laughter, “Look man, for someone who professes they aren’t gay, you sure knew who I was referencing.”

Jason stood there in shock. He glared at Owen and said forcefully, “Look, I don’t appreciate that you keep hinting that I’m gay. I don’t need some kid telling me who or what I am.”

Owen seemed taken aback at that statement, and then he asked in a curious tone, “Kid? How old do you think I am?”

“Like 15, 16,” Jason blurted out in frustration.

Owen really started to laugh as he struggled to say, “You really don’t know who I am, do you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jason responded angrily. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Owen continued to laugh as he walked outside.

With a confused look on his face, Jason watched him disappear around the side of the building. He wasn’t sure what kind of game Owen was playing or if he just wanted him to follow. But he wasn’t going to do that. Especially not when Owen continued to bring up a subject he didn’t even want to think about, much less discuss with a stranger.

He probably should just go back to the party and forget all about Owen and his cute ass. Instead, Jason stormed outside and headed along the side of the building in the direction Owen had gone. He followed the path around the side of the house towards the front. He saw Owen half inside the cab of the catering van. He walked over as Owen lit a cigarette. He grabbed the boy’s arm and spun him around so they were face to face.

Owen had a satisfied smirk on his face, like he knew Jason would follow him. He took a deep drag and waited patiently for Jason to speak.

Jason waved the smoke away from his face as he demanded, “Why should I know you?”

“Do you want a cigarette?” Owen asked pleasantly.

“No, it’s a filthy habit.”

Owen countered, “Do you really think I look 15?”

Jason stared at him for a moment and then started laughing in disbelief. “You are amazing, you know that?”

Owen shrugged and replied, “I know I am. But I’m glad you figured it out, though.”

“So how old are you?”

“I’m 18: I graduated last year,” Owen said through an exhale of smoke.

“That’s a disgusting habit you have,” Jason said with a dramatic cough. “Why don’t you vape like all the other cool kids?”

“I only smoke a few each day.”

Jason crossed his arms and demanded, “Why do you think I should know you?”

Owen cocked his head to one side and said, “I watched every debate you had in school and most of the away debates, as well.”

“I don’t recognize you,” Jason muttered. And Owen’s face along with his body was one he would normally have noticed.

“That doesn't matter; at first, I thought you were just being an ass,” Owen said with a smirk. “But it’s even funnier that you don’t remember me from school at all.”

“Why would I remember you? You were a senior when I was a junior. It wasn’t like we ran in the same circles.”

“There weren’t that many people attending your debates,” Owen countered as he waved his hand about.

“Look, Owen,” Jason said as he ran his fingers through his hair. “I just came out here to tell you for the last time, I’m not gay.”

“Coolio,” Owen said as he dropped his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it.

“I wouldn’t leave that there,” Jason warned. “Mrs. Moran wouldn’t look kindly on anyone littering on her property.”

Owen bent over and picked up the butt. He sighed and said, “Look, I’m sorry I said anything. I wasn’t trying to make you feel uncomfortable, okay. But I don’t think you need to be telling me you aren’t gay.”

Just then Five came strolling around the corner with his arms wrapped tightly around his body. He said, “J, almost everyone is going; are you coming back?”

Jason hoped his friend hadn’t heard their conversation. He offered lamely, “Um, I just came out here to get something from the Jeep.”

Five frowned and urged, “Come on, it’s freezing out here.”

Owen agreed and said, “We wouldn’t want you to freeze your bits off.”

Jason glared at him, so Owen added, “It was nice meeting you again, Jason. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”

“Nice meeting you, too.”

Five pulled on Jason’s arm as he headed back towards the back of the house. “Do you know him?”

Jason replied thoughtfully as he allowed Five to pull him, “Maybe.”

“He’s a bit much,” Five said with a chuckle.

“But he makes good chicken,” Jason offered with one look back.

Owen was staring at him, and when he saw Jason look, he waved.

By the time they made it back inside, all the other guests were on their way out the door. Once the caterers had finished packing up, it was after 10:30. The only ones that remained were Percy, Five, Stephanie, Stephen, and Mary, of course.

Jason felt more like himself once Owen had left. For multiple reasons, Owen made him super uncomfortable. And it wasn’t just his insistence that Jason was gay, either. Because he wasn’t. For a brief moment, Jason felt jealous. Jealous that Owen was so confident in who he was and wasn’t ashamed to hide it from anyone. Not that he had anything to hide. But if he did, he’d want to be like Owen.

He looked around and saw Five and Percy were playing some first-person shooter game. From the looks of it, they were fighting each other, and from the curses coming from Percy, he wasn’t doing that well. Probably due to the fact that Percy was drunk and Five was not as drunk.

Five leaned back into the couch; the only movement was from his fingers as he hit the buttons. Percy was moving his entire body as he tried desperately to win whichever game they were playing.

Five looked out of place sitting next to the makeup-wearing Percy with his long hair. Jason always thought their friendship was one of the weirder ones in his circle. Five could have been the poster boy for the all-American boy with his blond hair and blue eyes. But the two had been joined at the hip for as long as he could remember.

Timothy sat on the other end of the L-shaped couch, and Jason plopped down next to him. He leaned over and asked, “Where are the girls?”

Timothy responded without taking his eyes off the TV, “They are in the house changing.”

“Have you seen Stephen?” Timothy asked after a few moments.

Percy chimed in, “He’s outside on the phone. I think he’s talking to his dad.”

Timothy looked over and asked, “Did you have fun tonight?”

“Except for the gift exchange,” Jason answered truthfully.

“That was the best part,” Five commented as he skillfully shot Percy’s character through the head.

“Definitely the best gift of the night,” Percy said as he grinned at Jason.

“I don’t know. Stephen’s was pretty good, too,” Five countered. “Who do you think got Mary’s bracelet? That looked expensive,” Five added absently.

“No doubt someone who’s trying to get into her pants now that she’s single again,” Percy said as he jumped around trying to escape a grenade blast.

Jason saw the smirk on Timothy’s face. That told him all he needed to know about that particular gift. Though how he managed to pull it off was beyond him. All the names had been put into a bag, with each attendee blindly reaching in to pull out a single name.

Maybe Timothy never put her name in the bag. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility for his friend to be that sneaky.

What was it Five had said earlier in the night? Sometimes you had to make your own Christmas miracles.

“Damn you,” Percy yelled as he threw the controller onto the couch. Five laughed as Percy jumped to his feet in frustration. Jason had never seen anyone beat Five in a video game.

Five looked at him innocently and asked, “What did I do?”

Percy threw up his hands in defeat, then turned to Timothy and asked, “Do you mind if I get another beer?”

“Are you driving, or is Five?” Timothy asked.

Five and Percy both answered at the same time, “He is.”

“Worse comes to worse, you could always crash out here, I guess,” Timothy said with a shrug.

“I get the bed this time,” Five said quickly.

Percy walked back to the couch, handed Five a beer and then sat down. He grabbed the controller again and said, “Let’s play for it.”

“You’re on,” Five said excitedly.

“You never learn,” Stephen said as he walked back inside shivering. “What are they playing for this time?”

“Who gets the bed tonight,” Jason replied as he turned his phone over and over in his hand absently.

“Why don’t they just share?” Stephen asked as he sat down next to Five. “It’s big enough for two.”

“Because Five likes to cuddle,” Percy said with a frown as he concentrated on the game. “One time at his house, I woke up with him cuddling me, and his dick was poking me in the back.”

“You mean poking you in the butt,” Stephen corrected him with a chuckle.

“I can’t help it if you smelled so good,” Five said dryly. “Reminded me of my girlfriend. All feminine and sweet.”

“I reminded you of your left hand?” Percy countered with a big grin. “Awe, that’s sweet.”

“I’m right-handed,” Five reminded him as he literally blew the head off Percy’s character with a rocket launcher. “Looks like I get the bed tonight.”

Percy dropped the controller and reached for his beer. He asked, “How do you always win?”

“Just lucky, I guess.”

Timothy turned his head when he heard the door open. Jason saw the dopey grin on his face as Mary walked into the room followed closely by Stephanie. They had changed from their ugly sweaters and were both wearing jeans and thick wool sweaters. Stephanie blew into her hands and declared, “It’s so cold out there.”

Mary locked eyes with Jason, and she looked at him expectantly. He said, “You look beautiful.”

“Oh,” Mary said with a big smile. “You look beautiful, too.”

Timothy looked at him, then over to Mary. He declared, “Jason is not beautiful.”

“Can guys even be beautiful?” Five asked.

“Some guys can,” Percy said and then finished his beer in a single gulp. “The question you should be asking is not if guys can be beautiful, but can Jason be beautiful.”

Stephen sat down next to Percy and lightly smacked the boy on the back of his head. Percy glared at him as he rubbed his head. He asked, “What was that for?”

“Because I felt like it,” Stephen responded as he grabbed the controller from Percy’s lap. “Why don’t you show me how to play this game?”

For the next fifteen minutes they watched Five try to teach Stephen how to play. He was getting a lot of advice from all of the others, but it really wasn’t doing any good. Mostly they were just enjoying the company. They knew it would be a few weeks before they’d see each other again.

Jason had only been partly paying attention to his friends. His mind was focused on the jockstrap he had received, and more importantly, who might have given it to him. And why. He hoped he had played it off during the party that it hadn’t bothered him. But on the inside, he was shaken.

It wasn’t that he never had girlfriends before. Everyone knew that over the years he had several. Nor was he still a virgin. He had lost virginity at 16 on an overnight trip he took when he was debating at another school.

Her name was Stacy, and she was the captain of the opposing team. She had sneaked into his room the night before the debate and seduced him. It was the best five minutes of his life up to that point.

And since that encounter, he had a few more experiences that thankfully had lasted longer. And he always enjoyed them. If he were to be honest, he might have admitted something had been missing in those encounters. But he did enjoy them.

He liked being naked in bed with them, at least while the act itself was happening. And maybe he had been missing a feeling of connection like his parents clearly had. But he had just assumed that was because he hadn’t found the right girl yet.

Then, last year over the Christmas break, he had been walking his grandfather’s dog. He had gone into a public restroom at the dog park. While he had been standing at the urinal, he heard the unmistakable sounds of two people having sex. And since all the stall doors were open but one, he knew someone inside that stall was having some fun.

He might have been a bit jealous that someone was having sex and he wasn’t—and a bit grossed out that someone was having sex in a bathroom. But he had a smile on his face when he left the restroom.

And it really wasn’t that he was trying to spy on the occupants of that stall by hanging out in front of the restroom longer than he normally would. But five minutes later, when two boys came out of the restroom with smiling faces, he realized the sounds he had heard had been made by those two boys. He was stunned speechless. He had just heard two boys having sex, and he found that extremely arousing. And while logically he could explain his erection as nothing but a teenage reaction to being that close to where sex had taken place, in the back of his mind, he had his doubts. And in the days following that incident, he caught himself thinking about those two boys more than he cared to admit.

For the next two weeks, he had been in an almost constant state of arousal. Even when he was eleven and first discovered masturbation, it was nothing compared to what just the thought of those two boys doing in that stall did to his libido.

He had almost been caught twice at his grandfather’s house that Christmas break. One time was in the garage when he couldn’t take it anymore and just had to take matters in his own hands. Thankfully his grandfather’s car was tall enough that when his grandmother came in, his lower half was hidden by the car. He shuddered at the thought of what she would have done if she had caught him jerking off in the garage.

The other time came the very next day when his younger cousin burst into their shared bathroom without knocking when he was in the shower just about to explode. Luckily his cousin failed to notice the state he was in due to the fact he had to pee so badly.

Thankfully, a few days later he was back in the safety of his room, so he could handle himself whenever he wanted without the fear of getting caught. Plus, he had all the extracurricular activity and his homework to keep him busy and his mind occupied.

It was in the quiet moments when he struggled the most, right before he fell asleep. That little voice in the back of his head kept reminding him that maybe, just maybe, he had found what had been missing with his previous girlfriends.

Because no matter how much he argued with himself, he could never convince himself that sex with a girl had aroused him as completely as a single time just listening to two boys have sex.

And he had held out as long as he could, almost a year. But lately he had been dipping his toe into looking at gay porn. And though he’d never admit it aloud, he had the desire to try some of the things he had been watching on his phone what other boys do. And his body seemed to appreciate what he was watching. Because much like the time he was thirteen, he was back to doing it two or three times a day.

That was the reason the pink jockstrap put him in such a paranoid frame of mind. A year ago, he probably would’ve modeled the underwear for the group as he enjoyed it for the joke it should have been. But now, just the thought one of his friends could think he might be gay, had him questioning all the decisions he had made last year.

“Why are you so quiet tonight?” Percy quietly asked him.

“What?” Jason stammered as he looked up and noticed the long-haired boy was sitting next to him.

“I’ve been sitting here for the last five minutes, and you haven’t said a single word to me,” Percy explained as he peered into Jason’s blue eyes.

Jason ran his fingers through his hair and said with a deep sigh, “Just tired, I guess. I have a long drive to Maine tomorrow.”

Percy nodded, but Jason could tell by the look he hadn’t fooled Percy for a moment. Percy’s hair was hanging in his face, and Jason got the urge to push those silky strands behind the boy’s ears so he could get a better look at his friend's face. But he resisted, because straight guys don’t do things like that.

“Do you like the movie?” Percy asked quietly so as not to annoy the rest of the group.

When did we start watching a movie? Jason looked around and noticed all his friends were on the couch watching the TV. Jason said with a shrug, “Movie? It’s okay; it’s good.”

“Okay,” Percy whispered loudly. “Now I know something is wrong.”

Timothy hushed him, and Jason saw Mary snuggled up tightly to his friend. When the hell did that happen?

Jason asked, “What do you mean?”

“It’s Hellbender. You hate scary movies,” Percy reminded him with a satisfied smirk.

Jason looked at the screen and frowned, “I’m going to pee.”

Percy opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he shut it as Jason walked away.

Jason walked past the table where all the open gifts were laid out and saw the little box sitting on his pile of gifts he would be taking home later that night. He stared at the box hesitantly. He quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching, then grabbed the box and walked as fast as he could into the bathroom.

He shut the door behind him and turned on the light. He put the box on the edge of the sink and splashed water on his face. Who had given him this gift? It was driving him crazy. He dried his face and then carefully, almost cautiously opened the box. He pulled the jockstrap out and held it up between his hands so he could get a good look at it.

It was a brand he didn’t recognize, Skull & Bones. The material was soft, almost silky to the touch. The branded rainbow flag on the pouch seemed to glisten under the lights of the vanity. He suddenly wasn’t thinking about who gave him the jockstrap; instead, he was wondering how it would feel against his skin.

The moment that thought registered in his brain, he immediately began to feel aroused. Without even thinking about it, he kicked off his shoes and unbuttoned his pants. He slipped off his jeans and kicked them to the side. And with every heartbeat, the anticipation continued to grow until he felt like he was about to explode from the inside.

He looked into the mirror at his bulging boxers and took a deep breath. He put his thumbs in the waistband and slid them down his legs. He tried to will himself to relax and then quickly pulled the jockstrap up. He smoothed out the leg straps, adjusted himself in the pouch and then took a step back.

He admired himself in the mirror, the pink fabric standing out against his pale skin, and he turned to get a good look at his bare cheeks. The pouch hugged his body while still somehow making his bulge even more prominent; he wondered why he had never worn a jockstrap before.

He never felt sexier than he did at that moment. For all his teenage life, he had worn gray boxer briefs like most of his classmates. And while he thought he looked good in them, it wasn’t the turn-on he was experiencing at this moment. He was so turned on he felt he could lose control without even touching himself.

“Hey, hurry up in there, I have to pee,” Timothy suddenly shouted through the closed door.

Jason panicked and looked over at the unlocked door. The last thing he needed was Timothy to see him standing in his pink jockstrap with a semi. He rushed to the door and locked it. He said breathlessly, “I’ll be right out.”

“You better not be taking a shit,” Timothy warned. “You know the rule.”

“No shitting in the clubhouse,” Jason called out as he scrambled to pull up his pants. “Just give me a minute.”

Jason slipped into his shoes, smoothed his hair in the mirror and then took a deep breath. If Timothy noticed his heavy breathing when the door opened, he didn’t say anything.

Though Timothy pushed past him and went directly to the toilet, opening his pants and letting out a loud sigh. He asked, “What were you doing in here, anyway?”

Jason suddenly remembered his discarded boxers. He frantically looked around as he stammered, “I was washing my face.”

Then he saw them, partly tucked under the vanity. He debated whether or not he could quickly reach down and grab them without Timothy noticing. But Timothy seemed to be watching him intently, so he stammered out, “What?”

“You’ve been acting strange all night,” Timothy accused him. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

“Nothing,” Jason blurted out quickly. “Why? Nothing is wrong. Why do you think that?”

He really hoped he didn’t look as guilty as he felt. Nothing is wrong unless it’s wrong that I’m kind of getting off wearing pink underwear while staring at myself in the mirror.

“Probably because you’re acting like a lunatic,” Timothy responded as he looked down to finish his business.

Jason took that moment to put his foot over the top of his boxers in what he hoped was a casual way so Timothy wouldn’t notice. He said, “I’m just tired, I have a long drive tomorrow.”

Timothy closed his pants and turned to look at his friend. “You said the same thing to Percy. He didn’t believe you, either.”

“So, now you’re all talking behind my back?” Jason asked, his eyes narrowing in anger.

“J, seriously,” Timothy said with a smile. “I’m your best friend. I know everything about you.”

“I hope not everything,” Jason blurted out before he could stop himself. He turned to wash his hands but the way his foot was positioned to hide the boxers made it really awkward. “What’s your point?”

Timothy chuckled, which only made Jason glare at him. He said, “My point is, you’ve been acting strange ever since you opened your gift.”

Jason panicked. He had thought he had been doing a great job at hiding his emotions. But then again, Timothy really did know him better than anyone else. If anyone could sense something was off, it would be Timothy. But he couldn’t admit that, so he shook his head and said, “No, I haven’t.”

“Really?” Timothy said as he crossed his arms. “So why don’t you show me what’s under your foot?”

“What? Why?” Jason asked as his cheeks turned red. “There’s nothing under my foot.”

Timothy chuckled again, but it was with kindness when he said, “You don’t think it’s a bit strange that you’re hiding a pair of boxers under your foot.”

“Oh, that foot,” Jason said with an embarrassed grin. “I thought you meant my other foot.”

“That’s the one,” Timothy said as he gently moved his friend away from the sink so he could wash his hands.

“I can explain that,” Jason offered weakly.

Timothy dried his hands on the towel and looked at him. He said, “I don’t really care what you are doing in here as long as it wasn’t Number Two.”

Jason rubbed his fingers through his hair and muttered something before he shut the door. Timothy looked at him calmly as he said, “Okay.”

Jason tried to pace in the confined space, then he whirled around. Timothy stood with no judgment in his eyes or a demand for more information. Jason knew that if he told Timothy he didn’t want to talk about it, Timothy would nod and never bring it up again.

And that gave him the confidence to just admit the truth. Well, some of the truth.

“So, I never wore a jockstrap before, so I came in here to try it on,” Jason said finally as he felt his cheeks flush. He bent down and grabbed his boxers. He shoved them in his pants pocket. Timothy opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Jason added, “And no, you can’t see them.”

“I’ve seen enough guys in jockstraps to last me a lifetime,” Timothy said dryly as he rubbed his cheek thoughtfully. “Though there might be a few people out there that wouldn't mind seeing you in one.”

“You’re an ass,” Jason declared and then turned towards the door. He stopped and said, “A few people, there are only two girls out there.”

“I know what I said,” Timothy grinned mischievously.

“What is your definition of a few?”

“A few is more than two.”

“Correct, so two is a couple, who is this few?” Jason asked curiously.

“Promised I wouldn’t say,” Timothy said with a stubborn look on his face.

“You better tell me what you know, Tim,” Jason demanded as he crossed his arms and tried to glare menacingly.

“You haven’t called me Tim since the first grade,” Timothy accused him in shock. “Remember the last time you called me Tim, I punched you in the nose.”

“I’m not scared of you, dumbass,” Jason retorted. “I wasn’t scared of you then, and I’m sure as fuck not scared of you now.”

“Damn right,” Timothy declared loudly. “I’ve always got your back.”

“Then tell me who the other person is,” Jason pressed harder.

“In all the years you’ve known me, have I ever broken a promise?” Timothy asked as he leaned against the vanity.

Jason ignored him and continued his train of thought, “Mary and Stephanie would love to see my ass in a jockstrap, Stephanie always says I have a cute butt.”

“I concur,” Timothy agreed and then quickly added, “Not that you have a cute butt, but those are two of the three.”

“So, you admit there are only three,” Jason declared triumphantly. “Who is the other person?”

“Maybe it’s the same person who gave you the underwear,” Timothy said in a conspiratorial whisper. “Have you thought about that?”

“Oh, I fucking hate you,” Jason said as he threw his hands in the air. He stared towards the living room as if he could see through the wall. Five was out there, but he was the biggest slut out of all of them. Percy might wear makeup, but he had a new girl almost every other week. Then there was Stephen; he didn’t date much, but he was always going on about this girl or that. Jason couldn’t see any of them being like him.

Then he got an idea, and he looked at his friend and asked quietly, “Please tell me it’s not you.”

“Don’t be absurd,” Timothy said as he made a disgusted face.

“Oh, thank you,” Jason said with relief.

“Look, J,” Timothy said as he put his hand on Jason’s shoulder. “I promised I wouldn’t tell you; he’s been driving me crazy for over a month ever since I caught him—well, let’s just say I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see one night.”

Jason’s eyebrows shot up, and he demanded, “What did you see?”

“Definitely promised I wouldn’t tell you about that, either,” Timothy said with a grin.

This was beyond frustrating. The whole thing with Owen, then the Secret Santa gift, and now one of his close friends might be gay and interested in him. He felt so confused and conflicted. And then Timothy asked the question that almost sent him to his knees, “Are you gay, J?”

Jason looked at him as fear and panic shot through his body. Timothy could plainly see those emotions, so he added, “I don’t care one way or the other. I love you. Probably since way back in first grade, when you punched me back. And nothing is ever going to change that.”

Jason swallowed and averted his eyes, so Timothy continued, “At first, I thought you were just embarrassed about the jockstrap, but now I’m starting to get the feeling it might be a bit more than that.”

Jason sighed and said, “I don’t know if I’m gay or not. I do know I’m having all these thoughts and I’m really confused.”

“It’s okay,” Timothy said sympathetically. He wrapped Jason in a hug and said, “When he first started talking about you, I thought it was only a crush, and he’d have to come to terms with that because I didn’t think you were gay.”

“Who, Timothy?“ Jason pleaded.

“Sorry, but I will tell you it’s okay to be confused,” Timothy said encouragingly.

Jason pulled back and looked at him accusingly, “How could you know? Have you ever been confused in your life?”

Timothy laughed and admitted, “I’ve always known what I like sexually.”

“Then you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” Jason said with a frown. “The last year has been horrible.”

“You’ve been dealing with this for a year and you never told me,” Timothy said in disbelief.

“I’ve been with a lot of girls.”

“Four,” Timothy said as he held up four fingers. “I wouldn’t call that a lot.”

Jason glared at him. “Really, that’s what you are going to say right now?”

“Truth is truth, J.”

Jason dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “I’ve had sex lots of times, then.”

“Seven times,” Timothy said cheekily. “You told me seven times.”

“Will you shut the fuck up?” Jason demanded as he tried not to smile. “I’ve always liked having sex with girls. But something was always…missing. I don’t know. Then last Christmas in a public restroom…”

“Did you fuck a guy in a public restroom?” Timothy interjected with a shocked look on his face.

“There is something seriously wrong with your brain,” Jason declared loudly. “I’m trying to explain myself, and you think I fucked a guy in a public restroom.”

From the other side of the door, Jason heard, “You fucked a guy in a public restroom.”

Jason’s eyes widened, and he looked accusingly at Timothy. Timothy said blandly, “You were the one yelling, not me.”

Jason pulled open the door, and Five almost fell into the room. He somehow managed to look innocent as he straightened up with a grin on his face. He said, “That is a story I’d love to hear.”

“I didn’t fuck a guy in a restroom,” Jason yelled out in frustration.

“Then why did you say you did,” Five wanted to know as he flashed a grin towards Timothy.

Percy walked around the corner somewhat unsteadily but managed to ask with a confused look on his face, “We kind of have a follow-up question: have you fucked a guy anywhere else besides a public restroom?”

“All my friends are assholes,” Jason blurted out. “Every single one of you.”

“What did I do?” Stephanie called out from the couch.

Jason pushed past Five and stormed into the main room with Timothy, Five, and a very confused Percy following. Jason muttered to her, “I’m sure you did something.”

Mary, who was lying down on the couch with her eyes closed, said through a yawn, “Was he right, did he go in there to try them on?”

“Do all of you just gossip about me behind my back?” Jason asked as he glared at each of them.

“It’s only because we care about you,” Timothy said calmly as he gently moved Mary’s head so he could sit back down. She buried her head in his lap and sighed contentedly.

Jason ignored him and looked over at Stephen, who was somehow looking both amused and guilty at the same time.

Jason demanded, “Do you have anything funny to say?” Stephen shut his mouth tightly and shook his head. Jason said, “At least one of you idiots has some sense.”

Percy raised his hand and asked, “Do you want to talk about you fucking guys now?”

Jason glared at him, so Percy added quickly, “I’m only asking for a friend.”

“Percy, dear, hush,” Stephanie said with a giggle. “We’ve already moved past that.”

“Is that all you guys do is speculate if I want to fuck guys or not?”

“Speculate is such an ugly word,” Stephanie said in a slow, measured voice. “We mostly ruminate on your sexual proclivities.”

“That’s really none of our business,” Stephen said as Jason shot him a look of gratitude.

Jason sighed and said, “I don’t know. That’s not such an easy question for me to answer.”

Five looked at Timothy and asked, “Hey, Timothy, do you want to fuck a guy, sans public restroom or not?” Timothy shook his head. Five continued, “Okay, hey, Nelson—yes, other Nelson—do you want to fuck a guy?”

Five paused for effect and looked at each of his friends in turn before he said, “I did once, about a month ago.”

“What?” Stephanie asked, shock plainly on her face.

Jason shared a look with Stephen as Five continued, “Don’t get me wrong. It was fun. But it’s not like I’m out cruising for dudes every weekend.”

Stephanie looked over at Mary, who was now sitting up and paying close attention to the conversation. They exchanged a look between them, and Mary asked, “What about you, Percy?”

Percy grinned at Jason and said proudly, “Well, I have never wanted to fuck a guy per se, but I did let a guy fuck me once or twice.”

Jason almost choked as he stammered out, “Really?”

Percy responded casually, “It was a while ago. I was a bit drunk. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was getting fucked.” Percy toyed with his empty beer bottle for a moment, then added thoughtfully, “I think I did, anyway. The guy’s dick was so small I’m not sure if he was fucking me or dry humping me.”

Five exploded loudly, “That’s bullshit. I have a big, beautiful dick, and you were moaning like a dog in heat.”

Jason looked at Five and then at Percy in disbelief. Percy raised his empty bottle in a mock salute and said, “That’s true. He does have a big dick.”

“Well, that was quite the revelation,” Stephen murmured to Jason.

“See, J, I told you it was okay to be confused,” Timothy said smugly.

Jason collapsed on the couch and said to no one in particular, “They don’t seem confused.”

“Look, Boo,” Stephanie said as she leaned over and put her hand on his knee. “I know a little about what you’re going through. And you don’t have to decide today—or tomorrow, for that matter. Just experiment until you find the answer whether you want to fuck guys in public restrooms or not.”

Jason started laughing. The funny thing is, he did feel better now that the whole thing was out in the open. He wasn’t any closer to understanding anything, but he did feel better now that he didn’t have to be alone. He said, “I don’t know if I’m just curious or if I really do like guys. But thanks all the same.”

Percy suddenly asked, “Hey, Stephanie, have you ever wanted to fuck a girl?”

Stephanie raised one eyebrow and looked at him as she asked, “Fuck a girl?”

“I don’t know what to call it,” Percy said as he groped for the right word. “Scissoring?”

“Scissoring?” Stephanie said through her giggles. “No.”

Mary blurted out suddenly, “I was with a girl for about six months last year, if that helps Jason.”

“I was with a girl for six months last year,” Jason declared with a grin. “I know how to be with a girl, so no, that didn’t really help me at all.”

“I might be able to give you some pointers,” Five offered with a sly look over at Percy. “I only did it once or twice, but at least I have first-hand experience.”

Jason laughed as Percy spoke up excitedly, “All you did was insert, thrust, repeat, until you made the funny face. How is that ‘experience’?”

“All you did was lie there moaning,” Five fired right back with a twinkle in his eye. “And I wasn’t the one that wanted to cuddle afterwards.”

“The only time you don’t want to cuddle is after you cum,” Percy snorted loudly.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this now, but that’s more information I really never wanted or needed to know,” Stephen said as he glanced at his sister.

There was silence for a few minutes. A lot had been shared, and they were all processing this new information. Jason wasn’t close to admitting anything, but it didn’t feel like the world was closing in on him anymore, either. It was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.

Five finally broke the silence, “Hey, whoever got you that jockstrap might have known something the rest of us didn’t.”

Jason’s head shot up. That’s right. Timothy hinted that the someone behind the gift was a someone that was still in this room. He looked over at Timothy and immediately wanted to punch him. The boy had a big grin on his face as if he could read his mind.

“About that,” Jason said as he stood up. “I wonder who bought that for me.”

“Wasn’t me,” Stephanie declared quickly, though she glanced over at Timothy for just a moment. “I’d only buy jockstraps for you if you weren’t into displays of affection in public restrooms.”

“We’ve already settled that,” Five said with a wave of his hand. “He’s not sure if he wants to or not.”

“Well, I for one would like to see him in a jock,” Mary admitted as she pointed at Timothy.

Timothy blushed as Five declared, “I have no thoughts one way or the other.”

Percy leaned over to whisper to Jason loud enough for everyone to hear, “He says that now, but get a few beers into him and he’d be snuggled against those cheeks in a heartbeat.”

Jason had a growing suspicion he knew who gave him the jockstrap. He pointed at Stephen and asked bluntly, “Did you get me that jockstrap?”

Stephen looked embarrassed, but he quickly denied it, “It wasn’t me.”

Jason lifted an eyebrow as if to say he didn’t believe him. Stephen pointed at Stephanie and declared, “Ask her, she knows who my Secret Santa was.”

“It’s true; it was Ashley.”

Jason confronted Timothy and said, “You said it was one of us.”

“Wait,” Percy said excitedly. “You mean someone in this room gave him that gay underwear?”

Stephen smacked Percy in the back of the head as he said, “Underwear can’t be gay.”

Percy rubbed his head as he glared at Stephen. He said, “I didn’t think my asshole could be gay, and then Five stuck his dick in it. And my asshole definitely liked it.”

“Well, if I’m to be honest,” Five said thoughtfully as he tilted his head as he stared at Percy. “My dick kind of liked your asshole.”

“Underwear and assholes can’t be gay,” Timothy said as he rolled his eyes. “Only the owner of the penis in the underwear can be gay.”

“Whew,” Five said as he wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. He looked at Percy and said sadly, “I guess it’s my straight dick and your gay asshole from now on.”

Jason demanded loudly, “Which one of you gave me that fucking jockstrap?”

Everyone shook their heads, so Jason accused them, “One of you is a liar.”

“After everything we already admitted tonight, why would we choose to lie about some gay underwear?” Five asked blandly.

“I didn’t admit to anything, you bunch of freaks,” Stephen said with a triumphant grin on his face.

Five jumped up and pointed at him as he said, “That’s right. We all admitted to fucking a guy.”

“Not me,” Percy said helpfully.

“I stand corrected,” Five acquiesced. “To even things out, you have to tell us a secret, Stephen.”

Stephen crossed his arms and shook his head as he said, “I don’t have any secrets from you.”

“Everyone has secrets,” Five argued stubbornly. “I think you should tell us at least one.”

“I said I don’t have any secrets from you,” Stephen repeated. This time he stressed the word ‘you’.

“Leave my poor brother alone,” Stephanie ordered as she came to his defense. “I think we’ve told enough secrets for one day.”

‘Enough secrets told for one day.’ That meant Stephen did have a secret to tell, and maybe Five and Stephanie both knew it already. He got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he shot Timothy a look. The knowing smirk was enough, so he said as he stared at Stephen, “If I ever do find out who gave me that jockstrap, I just might have to model them for him one day. If he asks nicely.”

Just then the phone rang, and Timothy looked over at the phone attached to the wall.

Timothy’s parents were the only ones that ever used that phone. He walked over and said, “Hello.”

“Yes, we’re just wrapping up.”

“Five and Percy are sleeping in the clubhouse…

“I know, but it happened, so it’s better if they stay here tonight...

“Yes, their parents know…

“Okay, I’ll be in, in a bit….

“Love you. too.”

Timothy hung up and said, “That’s it. Time to call it Christmas.”

They took their time gathering the gifts and saying their goodbyes. They all felt like something momentous had taken place and they didn’t want to break the spell.

Stephen, Stephanie, and Mary would be going in Stephen’s car, and after some hugs and well wishes, they drove away.

Five and Percy were already crashed out on the sofa, too tired or drunk to make it into the bedroom. Timothy spread a blanket over them, and then he and Jason walked around the side of the main house towards the front where Jason’s Jeep was parked.

Once all the gifts were safely inside the Jeep, Jason turned and gave his friend a hug and said, “Thank you for everything.”

Timothy grinned and said, “You know it.”

“I’m going to miss you, you know,” Jason said somewhat sorrowfully. He loved his family but the idea of not seeing his best friend for almost three weeks was always difficult.

“I know,” Timothy said softly, “I also know you’ll figure it out.”

“My sexuality or who sent me these undies?” Jason asked with a grin.

“Knowing you, probably both,” Timothy admitted as he broke off the hug. He held the boy at arm’s length and said plainly, “You know it doesn’t matter to me either way, right?”

“That I know,” Jason said earnestly. “That is something I’ve always known.”

“Good.”

Timothy turned to walk back towards the house when Jason called out to him, “Hey.”

Timothy turned and looked at him expectantly.

“Has Stephen really been bugging you for weeks about me?” Jason asked quietly.

Timothy smiled and asked, “Why not Five—or Percy?”

“As he said, they had admitted to so much already, why would they lie?” Jason explained as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Timothy waved and turned again. Jason asked, “Are you ever going to tell me why?”

“Tell you why about what?” Timothy asked with an amused look on his face.

“Why you bought me a pink jockstrap with a rainbow flag on the front.”

“Oh, that,” Timothy said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, that. And then not only did you choose to buy it, you decided to give it to me in front of all my friends.”

“Let’s say I was tired of Stephen pestering me about whether or not you were gay, and if you were, that maybe you liked him the same way he likes you,” Timothy said as if that was a logical thing to do. “I didn’t know if you liked him, but I was fairly certain you might be gay.”

“Really?” Jason asked incredulously. “I’m not even sure if I’m gay.”

“Remember a few weeks ago, I was at your house, and you were taking a shower before we went out to Chris’s party?”

“Yes.”

“My phone died, so while it charged, I used your iPad,” Timothy said while maintaining a straight face. “You know the one I mean, by your bed?”

Jason’s eyes went wide, and then he blushed. “I can only imagine what you might have found out.”

“It was enough to know to buy you that pair of undies you are wearing.”

“You sneaky bastard, “Jason said and then broke out laughing.

Timothy said with a satisfied look, “I told you a miracle could happen tonight.”

“Yes, you did.”

“And are you really that upset about how things turned out tonight?”

Jason thought about it for a moment and said, “Not really. But what the fuck am I gonna do about Stephen?”

Timothy shrugged and said as he turned to the house, “I can only orchestrate one Christmas miracle a year. Merry Christmas, J.”

“Merry Christmas,” Jason said with a wave at Timothy’s back. He walked around to the driver's side and unlocked the door.

As he opened the door, he saw a piece of paper slipped under his wiper. He grabbed it and read, “If you ever need to talk or fuck or anything in between, text me.”

Owen had written his phone number. Jason shoved the piece of paper in his pocket and climbed inside the car. He might not know what the future held but for the first time in over a year, the future didn’t look so chaotic. And that really was a Christmas miracle.