When Hera returned to Olympus, the mood was different. Not jubilant, but also not stagnant, like it had been before. To her surprise, the first one to greet her was none other than her husband, Zeus. “Enjoyed your time with the mortals, did you?”

She stopped in her steps, but only for a moment. “Yes, I did. What’s it to you?”

To Hera's greater surprise, her husband showed no sign of anger. An obscene grin crossed his face. “What a show you put on!” He put his arm around her shoulders. “You really wanted that girl, didn’t you? Not that I blame you. She’s quite the looker. You’re always so stolid and uptight!”

Hera had to suppress her first instinct to tell Zeus to stay away from Emily; she didn’t want to give him any ideas. “You watched me?”

“Damn right!” He gave her a juvenile slap on the rear. “I even had Demeter go down on me for the whole show!”

The groan that issued from Hera’s mouth caused two ships off the north coast of Crete to capsize. Of course he spied on her. Some things about men just never changed. He couldn’t even keep it to himself. This time, though, she couldn’t find it in herself to be angry. “That’s nice, Zeus. Good for you. What else could I expect?” Besides you tossing it to me more than once a century.

He laughed. “You haven’t completely changed, either. Come on, loosen up!” A new entry into the grand hall caught his eye as he pulled the hapless god toward him. “Isn’t that right, son? Don’t you think she could loosen up a bit more?”

She lifted his arm off her shoulders. “I got what I wanted out of that tryst. I don’t need lessons from the spawn of one of yours. Why is he even here, anyway? Olympus needs decorum, and he does the opposite!”

Dionysus put his hand on his chest in a gesture of mock offense. “Hera! Mother of gods and men! I didn’t ask to be dragged into this squabble. You have your duties here, and I have mine. You were able to let your hair down, and you enjoyed it, didn’t you?”

“I did…and it was my dedication to motherly discipline and direction that changed that young woman’s life. I’d like to see you do the same!”

“You know what?” Dionysus puffed out his chest. “I’ll take that bet! I’ll find a mortal and do exactly what you did…in my own way. If I succeed, from here on out, you have to treat me with the same courtesy you afford Ares and Hephaestus. If I fail, I will leave Olympus. Deal?” He held out his hand.

Treat an illegitimate like one of her own sons? Before her most recent trip to Earth, Hera would not have even considered the idea. But taking a little risk was worth it. She clasped his hand. “Deal. I’m sure Hermes can find a sufficient challenge for you.”

“And how!” The wind from the Messenger’s sandals rustled Hera's hair as he rushed to the scene, bearing one of Hephaestus’s mirrors. “Your target is…” 

Hera scowled at him, seeing a brief flash of herself from above with her head between Emily’s legs. “Hermes, were you watching…?”

“Nuh-uh-uh, not important! And more importantly…not the right view.” He thumped the side of the mirror against his hand, and the image refocused. “There you go, Dio! You’ve got your work cut out for you with this one.”

—

Dionysus stepped out of the ray of light into the warm air. All at once it hit him–Hera hadn’t exaggerated the heat. He felt like he was standing in an oven, and the sort of clothes the people in this land wore were no good for ventilation. As a light blue train pulled up, he stepped on almost too quickly as he felt the rush of cool air coming from it. He bumped Hermes’s medallion against the square in front, and the driver waved him through.

He smiled and nodded at people as he made his way to the rearmost car and sat in one of the sideways seats. Sliding sunglasses over his face, he turned his eyes toward a smooth-faced young man who sat in the second seat from the back on the other side of the train car. There was an attractive-looking woman sitting next to the young man. He kept looking at her, opening his mouth like he wanted to say something, then shutting it again. Then, she got up and left.

The young man pulled out a pair of earbuds, put them in, and stared out the window. Dio sat and watched as he stayed on the train, in that seat, never moving throughout the entire circuit. Then, the circuit restarted. That was enough to tell him what was going on.

He got up and walked briskly over next to the row. “Hey. Mind if I sit here?” Without even waiting for an answer, the moment he had the young man’s attention, Dio sat down.

“Uh, sure, I guess,” muttered the young man entirely too late.

“How’re you doing? The name’s Barry.” He reached out for a handshake.

The young man reached back, giving Dio a handshake like a wilted poppy. “I’m Robert.”

“Robert, huh? Not Rob, Bob, or Bobby? Where are you going? Some sort of formal gala?” He looked him up and down. “You’re not dressed for that. Why so formal?”

“It’s just my name. And…I don’t like ‘Bobby.’”

“Why not? It’s a cool way to say it. Not as stuffy as ‘Robert.’”

“My family calls me ‘Bobby’. It rubs me the wrong way.” He seemed to shrink into himself.

“Alright, fine, not ‘Bobby’. Any problem with ‘Rob’?”

He shrugged. “Fine, I guess.”

“So, Rob, where are you going?” Dio kept eye contact, which Rob seemed afraid to return.

“Home.”

A one-syllable answer. “You don’t seem very excited about it.”

“I’m not.”

Two syllables. Dio decided to one-up him. “I can tell.”

“What gave it away?” Rob made a point of staring out the window.

“Besides you saying so, you bristling at being called the same thing your family calls you, or the fact that you’re stretching this train ride out as long as you possibly can?” He smirked, putting a hand on Rob’s shoulder. “Not much, really.”

“Then you’ll have to excuse my not being in a talkative mood,” Rob huffed.

“Hey, hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. What’s so bad about being there, anyway?” he moved his hand around a little, and kept it up when Rob didn’t flinch.

“They don’t let me do anything,” he growled. “I barely left the house when I was younger. They thought I’d ‘fall victim to the corruption of the world’ or whatever.”

“But you’re out here, now.”

“Yeah, they had me get tutored by students at the university. They couldn’t match all the state requirements on their own.”

“And they weren’t willing to break the law to keep you from being corrupted? Interesting.” He noticed a bag sitting at Rob’s feet, but decided to ask about it later.

“Why’s that interesting?”

“There’s something a rather stuffy acquaintance of mine–let’s call him Paulie–said. Someone's hypocrisy reveals their true nature,” he scoffed, hoping Apollo hadn’t chosen that moment to listen in.

The skepticism rang clear through Rob’s voice. “Oh? And what does my family’s hypocrisy tell you?”

“They’re not afraid of you falling away from, well, whatever they think ‘corruption’ is.” Apollo fancied himself the Lord of Reason, but as anyone sensible knew, reason was subservient to emotion. Maybe him eavesdropping wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all. He’d be defeating that uptight pomp at his own game. “They just want you to be a conformist. But you can only do so much of that when you’re homeschooling.”

“Maybe. Why does it matter?”

“Tell me: Why are you taking such a long route home?”

Rob shrugged. “It’s not obvious?”

Dio nodded. “Of course it is. I just want to hear you say it. What’s in that bag?”

Rob picked it up and opened it. Inside were several textbooks, a notebook, and a vinyl record with a black and silver motif on the cover. “Just a few things.”

“One of those things is not like the other,” Dio observed. “Do you really think you’ll be able to hide that from them?”

“If I’m careful. The money I got it with wasn’t exactly mine.”

“You mean you stole it,” he whispered, causing Rob to flinch. “Hey, don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. In fact, I admire your nerve in doing that. But it's a pretty sharp contrast to, well, whatever you’re doing here.” He waved his hand around. “Taking the long way home to spend just an hour less there? Do you really think the girls in Tabernak would approve of you being so passive-aggressive?” he pulled the record out and waved it around, much to Rob’s visible chagrin.

“They’re French-Canadian,” Rob pointed out as he snatched it back. “They turn passive-aggressive into an art form.”

“These girls? They look like they know a good time, and they're not afraid to show it. You, on the other hand…”

Any will Rob had left to argue seeped out of him. “No. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself.”

“Really? I never would’ve guessed.”

“Then why did you say–”

Dio scoffed. Hermes’s file hadn’t mentioned this, but it’d make his job interesting. “That was a joke. Do you know what those are?”

“It’s an attempt to elicit—”

“That was a joke, too.”

Rob groaned. “What are you trying to prove?”

For the first time in the conversation, Dio’s tone turned serious. “That you take everything too. Damned. Seriously. It’s not your fault, though. It’s the way you were brought up.”

“Why do you care so much?”

He leaned toward the young man until their faces were practically touching. “Because cutting loose and enjoying yourself is what I’m all about, my friend.”

Rob blinked at being called someone’s friend. Clearly, he wasn’t used to it. “I’m…”

“My friend,” Dio repeated. “And as your friend, I’d like to do a favor for you.” He handed Rob a slip of paper. “I’ve been going around town all day looking for people to attend this party I’m hosting. I think you’re just what we need. But, you’ll only make it there on time if you get off with me at my stop.” He put his face close again, Rob’s eyes bulging at his closeness. “At this point, it’s all on you.”

Rob slowly pulled back, his face flushed, without breaking eye contact, and put his record inside his bag with all his textbooks, zipping it shut, and sat back in his seat. Then, he looked straight ahead. The train stopped, but Barry stayed on. Then, at the next stop, Barry stood, without even looking behind him, and Rob stood and followed him.

The place looked familiar enough. It had been built as an auto shop, then was repurposed as a cinema, which went out of business after three years. Now, it was an event venue available for rent. Rob had snuck off to it a number of times before the projectors had darkened for good, but after that, there was no point. He wondered what sort of party could be thrown in a place like that. He stepped in and looked around. A group of attractive tanned blonde girls were gathered in one corner, and a group of well-dressed guys in another. Along the front wall was a group of guys dressed in university colors–probably fraternity brothers.

And there, in the back, was Barry. He was talking to a tall, green-eyed Asian woman, who was laughing and touching his arm. He pointed to the group of blondes, gave her a pat on the rear, and she walked over to them. Rob’s stare on her lingered for some time, but then he continued to Barry. “Hey, Rob! Glad you could make it!”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” He tried to sound smooth. “What kind of party is this?”

“Does it matter?”

“It looks like a frat party,” Rob observed. “I don’t have money to pledge with, and I don’t plan to anytime soon.”

“Sure, Kappa Pi Delta’s here, but this isn’t their party. It’s mine. If you don’t want to pledge with them, you don’t have to. But, since they did a lot of heavy lifting to make this happen, it would be good manners to go and talk to them, don’t you think?” he encouraged Rob.

“What if they think I’m lame? What if they think I’m weird? What if they think I’m boring?”

“I don’t think you’re any of those things. They don’t know how you were brought up, and even if they did, they wouldn’t care.” He put a hand on Rob’s shoulder. “Just go up there and talk to them, like the people they are. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. And, most of all, loosen the fuck up.”

Rob took a deep breath, but his hands were still shaking. “I don’t know…”

“Alright, go grab a cup from the punch bowl first.” Dionysus pointed to a small bowl on a nearby table with a fountain sprouting from the middle.

Rob scooped some of the dark red punch into one of the plastic cups. He could have sworn that he saw the punch bowl’s level dip, then rise, then stop when it reached the brim. Barry clearing his throat snapped him out of trying to figure out the inexplicable phenomenon, and he walked over to the frat guys, his cup in his hand. “Hello,” he said to the first one he saw.

“Oh, hey there!” He said. “I’m Dave. I think I saw you on campus. What year are you?”

“I’m…” Barry’s advice came back to Rob. “I’m a freshman. I’ve been homeschooled, and it took me a while before I could get onto the right track.”

“Nice, nice. We’ve actually got a couple homeschooled guys in our house. They’re insanely smart.” He looked and noticed Rob’s bag. “It’s kinda late. What’s with the bag? You brought it all the way out to the party? Why?”

“I like to make a stop at Ria Records once a week and pick something up. I have to pack it just right so my parents don’t see what I’ve got. I don’t think they’d approve of me listening to Tabernak.”

“No way, you listen to Tabernak?! I thought I was the only guy around here who did!”

Discussing the merits of an all-girl metal group from Quebec seemed to be just what Rob needed to loosen up. All his reservations melted away as he moved from one guy to the next. He hi-fived three, did a kegstand, and flirted with a brunette. She declined to give him her number, though. As he was telling himself repeatedly not to take it personally, Barry came back up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, look at you, Mr. Life of the Party!”

“Hi Barry. I’m feeling great, but I don’t think I’m quite there yet,” Rob admitted.

“I heard you talking with Chloe. You might’ve had a chance, but you didn’t think you deserved one.”

“You’re right. Sorry.”

Dio squeezed Rob’s shoulder tighter. “That right there. That’s part of it. You apologize for a lot of things you shouldn’t.” He pulled Rob a bit closer at sensing yet another apology. “Here, let me give you a practical lesson.”

Rob followed the prompts Barry gave through his shoulder, and the two of them wound up in the back office. “Uh…what are we doing back here?”

“I told you, I’m teaching you how to stop getting in your own damn way. And I’m starting by asking you a question: How do you feel about me?”

Rob’s eyes flicked from Barry’s eyes to his mouth, to the shirt tightly clinging against his pectorals, back to his mouth. “Well, you’ve been pretty good to me, especially for how short we’ve known each other.”

“I asked you how you feel about me, not how you think I’ve treated you.”

“Um…well, I…I like you, I guess.”

Dio let out a long, tired sigh. “Be still, my beating heart. You guess you like me.”

“I do like you!” Rob insisted. “I like how you actually put the effort into getting me. You make me feel included, you listen to me…”

“Is that all?” Dio probed. “Go on, it's just the two of us here. Say whatever’s on your mind.”

“I…” Rob swallowed, took a deep breath, and let it out. “I think you’re handsome.”

Dio smirked. He hadn’t read the eye contact wrong. “You are, too. What’re you gonna do about it?”

“I…I don’t know. I’m…”

“Inexperienced,” Dio finished his sentence. “It’s written all over you. But it doesn’t bother me. Everyone has to start somewhere.”

“Okay, so…where do we start?”

“By showing our interest. I mean, we're guys. That’s really all it takes.”

Rob’s brow furrowed. “I said…”

“I know what you said. I asked you to show.” When Rob didn’t take the prompting, Dio tried another angle. “I dare you to show me your cock.”

“My–”

“Are you interested or not? Prove it.”

Even with the alcohol in his system, Rob’s hands trembled as he put them down to his fly, undid it, and pulled out his erection. “Is that good enough?”

Dio undid his own pants and pulled out his erection. It was the same length as Rob’s. “You tell me.” He noticed Rob’s eyes following it as he waved it side to side. “I dare you to touch it.”

Rob gave a silent gasp, but this time he hesitated more briefly. He put his hand on Barry’s cock, rubbing it back and forth. It jumped, standing almost straight up. Before he could fully comprehend what he was doing, Barry grabbed his back, slowly stroking it. He breathed faster, bracing himself for what normally happened when he did that, but Barry stopped before it did. “Hey, I liked that!”

Dio kicked off his shoes, undid his pants, and slid them off his legs. “I did too, but it gets so much better.” A mere flick of his eyes was all it took for Rob to follow suit. “You’re not just into girls, are you? You’ve had a thing for guys for a while.”

“How did you know?”

“A hunch. Mostly the way you’re looking at me. But you’ve never been with a guy, have you?”

Rob shook his head shamefully. “No. And I’ve never been with a girl, either.”

“Hey, knock that off. You said you were inexperienced earlier. Did that scare me off?” Again, Rob shook his head. “No. I like you, too. What more reason do we need?”

That was what it took to push Rob forward. He took Barry's shoulders in his hands and pressed his lips to the other man’s. He’d wanted this for so long, and finally, here it was. A warmth spread through his face and down his shoulders, then abruptly stopped when he remembered what he was doing.

Kissing another man. A major no-no, according to everything his parents had ever told him. He pulled back.

Dio gave him an inquisitive look, but it wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on. “First-time jitters?” Bobby nodded. He pressed back, relieved that he’d finally gotten the other man where he needed to be, even if there was a road bump. Hermes’s file had covered everything, but it didn’t capture all the damage the poor guy had to overcome. Letting loose wasn’t going to cover it. “Alright, let’s take this to another level. You loved grabbing it, now…I dare you to suck it.”

Again, Rob had that sheep-in-front-of-the-chariot look on his face. “Suck it? Um…I don’t know…”

“Come on…you were so enthusiastic earlier. Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about this.”

More panting. “I…I was just told so many times…”

“You don’t believe in that anymore, do you? But you’ve still got emotional baggage.” Spelling everything out was a sad necessity for this one. “Alright. There’s no way out of that but to just press forward. As a bonus, you’ll even get some idea of how to do it right.”

Before Rob could say anything else, Barry was on his knees in front of him, the head of his cock between his lips. An intense, pleasant tingle spread through his cock, up his hips, all the way into his chest. “Hahh…ahhh…wow.” The feeling lessened a bit as he pressed his lips together and moved his head along the shaft, cradling Rob’s balls.

The young man’s enjoyment spurred Dionysus on, a testament to his skill and determination, the latter of which he hoped was already rubbing off on his partner. Heh…rubbing. For one final demonstration, he put his tongue on the underside of Rob’s cock, just to balance out the sensations. Then, when he was sure it was about time, he pulled back. “You get the idea.”

“I do, but…I was going to get off, too.”

“Oh, you were?” Dio pretended to be surprised. “You wanted that?”

“Uh…yeah.”

Dio raised an eyebrow. “Convince me.”

Rob’s confusion lasted a mere half second before he pushed his cock back into Dio’s mouth and started thrusting again. “Come on…get me off, like you promised.”

Hardly a commanding performance, but Dionysus decided to humor the mortal. Little steps, and they’d get there. He resumed the tongue-underneath touch and the pressure with his lips. A little more, and finally, Rob finished, Dio swallowing what came out. He looked up. “How was that? You’re not a virgin anymore.”

“I guess not,” Rob admitted. “That was…wow.”

Standing up, Dionysus patted Rob’s cheek. “You just gonna stand there, or are you gonna return the favor?”

“Sure.” Rob pushed Barry over until he was leaning against the venue manager’s desk, then kneeled down on his crumpled jeans, taking the other man’s cock in his hand. He licked the head at first, just like Barry had done.

“Ah…careful, mind the teeth.” Dio touched Rob’s forehead ever so slightly. “That’s it, you’re doing great.” Without warning, he let out his load in Rob’s mouth.

Rob enjoyed the taste of Barry’s spunk far more than he expected to. Wasn’t it supposed to be saltier? No matter, it wasn’t. He swallowed it quite easily. “Wow.”

Dio laughed. “I guess everything’s a surprise to you when you’re new.”

“I’ve thought about that kind of thing a lot. To actually do that…”

“Is that all you’ve thought about?” he asked as he pulled his shirt off.

Rob removed his shirt as well. “I’ve thought about a lot of things,” he said as he looked Barry up and down. “You know, you look familiar. I can’t quite place where I’ve seen it, but I swear I’ve seen a man with a body just like yours.”

“Flattery’s nice, but it gets boring after a while. Come on, let’s see some more of what you’ve been thinking about. You fantasized about that man you mentioned? Let’s live them out.”

“Anything?”

“If I don’t like it, I’ll tell you. But nobody’s been able to push my limits yet. Still…” Dio reached into the pocket of his discarded jacket and pulled out a small bottle filled with oil. “If you really want to go there, we’ll need to use this. Can’t have fun with friction burns.”

For once, that was enough of a hint for Rob. He took the bottle from Barry, squirted some onto his once again hardened cock and spread it out. 

The other man’s earlier words echoed in his ears, and he pushed him onto the desk until he was lying on it. Lining his head up with the other man’s rear entrance, he started pushing slowly.

Even at this point, the mortal still needed encouragement, so Dio pulled his legs back to make his entrance straighter. Finally, Rob made it fully in. “Ah…good job.”

If I don’t like it, I’ll tell you. Rob reminded himself once more, then started thrusting. He grabbed Barry's arms, pinning them on the desk behind him, and licked his nipples. His tongue moved faster at hearing the moans of pleasure, running along the edges of his pectorals.

Dio stared into Rob’s eyes, silently daring him to give more. Urging, continually urging him. Finally, Rob finished inside him and kissed him warmly, holding his head close. “You’re a fast learner, you know that?”

“I’ve always thought so,” Rob nodded. “And now…I want to know what it's like for you. You know, what you just did.”

Dio oiled up his own member and turned Rob around. “That’s not so difficult.” He stood, bending his partner at the waist and slowly entering him. Another person was going inside him. He was no longer a virgin. Someone desired him enough to intertwine their bodies.

Faced towards the door, Rob felt himself clenching around Barry. He was being taken by a desirable man who desired him back. One who liked him as another man. All his life, his mother and sisters had stamped out any attempt he made to express himself as a man. Despite their overbearing religious strictures, they’d made him think that being a man was something to be ashamed of, something that he should always do in a way that women would approve of. Anything he wanted was either denied or used to punish him by being given, then taken back. 

But here was this other man, this shameless, confident man, who had no trouble claiming what he wanted, laying claim to him. He wanted to be like Barry. Maybe he should. 

His train of thought was interrupted by the office door opening. He froze in place, seeing the brunette he’d talked to earlier standing in the doorway, a red plastic cup in her hand, her gait wobbly and her eyes unsteady. Goodbye, wonderful new social life.

Barry, for some reason, hadn’t stopped thrusting. The girl smiled at the sight. “Oh wow. Wha’s this? Maaannnn, this's really really hot. Ohmygod. You guys are gonna set the room on fire! You know…’cause you’re hot!”

“Do you mind?” Barry answered the girl. “We’re kind of busy here.”

“Hey, don'stop b’cause of me! I like t…”

“Hey Rob, mind if she gets between us?”

He laughed. “The more, the merrier!”

The girl hiccuped. “Wow. Yeah, alriiiiight, I’m gonna…” She took a step toward them, then stumbled and slumped against the wall. “Fuck.”

“Maybe some other time. It’s down the hall and to the left.”

She hiccuped, then turned. “Dammit to dick. I wanted two hells inside me!” She grabbed the doorknob, swayed sideways, and slammed the door shut, no doubt stumbling off to the nearest toilet.

“Don’t mind her. I’m almost finished.” Barry reached around and squeezed Rob’s cock, and both of them released within seconds of one another. As he tried to come to his senses, Rob felt Barry’s mouth closing over his. They kissed for what felt like half an hour.

For the first time that night, Rob relaxed. He was where he belonged, emotionally if not physically. Someone had taken the time to understand him. Best of all, he had a way forward. Finally, he extricated himself from Barry’s arms.

“I know I’ve said it a lot tonight, but wow. It’s like so many dreams coming true at once.”

“Don’t tell me you’re at the end of your rope.”

“I had fun,” Rob said as he started putting his clothes back on. “But this was a lot to take in. Literally and figuratively.”

That got a nice laugh out of Barry. “Alright, fair enough. I won’t pressure you in this state. I can’t enjoy it if you’re not enjoying it.”

“And I enjoyed every second of it. I just wish I knew what to tell my folks when they pounce on me at home.” Rob picked up his bag, making sure his Tabernak record was still in one piece.

“Tell them the truth, but be as vague as possible.”

He picked up his phone and checked it. Sure enough, there was a load of unread messages and a new voicemail. He replied only to the message from his mother. I’m fine. I’ll be home soon. “I’ll try. Again, thanks for inviting me, and thanks for all the sex.”

“No problem.”

“Does this make us boyfriends now?”

Barry let out a sigh, this one softer. “I’m afraid not. I was never going to be in town that long. Gotta leave tomorrow. You’ll be fine without me. You’re a clever fox, more than you give yourself credit for. Just stop doubting and denying yourself, okay?”

“Alright. And how…?” 

“I’ll get you a rideshare.”

Rob made his way out of the building, walking past a pair of girls making out against a wall, two guys cheering on a third doing pushups, and a girl dancing with a lampshade on her head. On the ride home, he listened to five seconds of the voicemail from his mother berating him for not telling her every little detail of where he’d been before deleting it. She’d responded to his latest text telling him that he was in for a serious talk when he got back.

He made his way straight for the back door, knowing just the right way to turn it to keep it from making any noise. It was no use–she was waiting there for him. “Just where the hell have you been?!”

“Out.”

“Out where?” She demanded.

“I’m an adult. Why can’t you treat me like one?”

“Don’t take that tone with me, young man! You may be a legal adult, but this is still my house, and you need to follow my rules.”

He shook his head. “I wasn’t in the house. I didn’t break any laws. I’m not drunk. I was just out living life. Why do you have a problem with that?”

His mother’s eyes widened with fury and she put her face next to his. “Bobby–”

“And that’s another thing,” he said without raising his voice. “I’m sick to death of you calling me ‘Bobby’. I want you to stop. It makes me feel like a little kid.”

“Robert Joseph Graves–”

“That’s no better. You only call me ‘Robert’ when you want me to feel bad about myself. I’m a man. I have my own needs, and I’m sick of you making me feel bad for having them.” He stood his ground, glad she couldn’t see how his knees were shaking.

“What am I supposed to call you, then?”

“Call me ‘Fox’,” he recalled Barry’s nickname for him. 

“That’s not going to happen.”

He stared, unblinking, hoping the silence was just as uncomfortable for her as for him. “Are you going to let me go upstairs and study, or keep telling me what a disappointment I am?”

“You know what? I can’t deal with this. You ignoring my texts, coming home late, and having the audacity to tell me I’m the bad guy is just too much. Fine, go do your homework. I guess I should be grateful you’ll at least do that much.”

He briskly walked away and up the stairs. After stowing his new record with his others, he emptied his pockets and opened his Ancient Philosophy textbook. As he did, a plastic card fell onto his desk. It had a surprisingly detailed line drawing of Barry’s face on it, winking and doing gun fingers at the viewer. On the back was a message in Times New Roman reading, “Don’t go home tomorrow until you have at least three sexy people’s numbers in your phone. -Barry, Lord of the Cool, God of Parties, Master of the Revel.”

Rob’s heart raced at the idea of the challenge, but he felt like he’d lost the ability to tell anxiety apart from excitement.