Page 77 of Pride High 3: Yellow

“Thanks,” Ricky said. “But I can take care of myself.”

“Then it sounds like there’s nothing to worry about.” Diego took a step forward.

He had an incredible body, with a big beefy chest and brown nipples. The rest was all hard curves and ridges that soon pressed against him. Ricky loved the smell of Diego’s skin and the heat that radiated off him. Their lips met hungrily, as they had for the past week. They didn’t get many opportunities like these anymore.

“Let’s hit the showers,” Diego suggested.

Ricky laughed. “We’ll get caught! Speaking of which…” He glanced at his boyfriend’s shorts. “If the coach walks in on us now, how are we going to explainthat?”

Diego made it bounce. “I’m so fucking horny that I don’t care.”

Ricky stared before pulling his eyes away. “If we get in trouble, my mom will realize that we have classes together. She’ll make me change my schedule, I just know it.”

That was a sobering enough thought to get himself under control, although he had to focus on organizing the contents of his locker. When he turned around again, Diego had his shirt on, although it still looked like he was trying to smuggle a water bottle down his shorts.

“When are you finally gonna sneak out?” Diego asked with an edge of longing. “How about tomorrow?”

Ricky shook his head. “My parents are watching me like a hawk. They make me spend the entire weekend with them, and at night… The last time I got up for a drink, my dad walked into the kitchen, and it was almost one in the morning!” He sighed and began walking toward the gymnasium, so they wouldn’t get in trouble for being late. “I had an idea though.”

“Oh yeah?” Diego asked in interest.

“Yeah! You still have a house key. If you leave right after school, you could sneak into my room, just like when we came back into town. Except I wouldn’t try to sneak you out again. My parents leave me alone once I’m in my bedroom and would never expect someone to be in there with me.”

He thought Diego would grin at the suggestion and say something naughty. Instead his boyfriend looked weirdly uncomfortable. “Right after school?” he asked.

Ricky nodded. “You’d have to get there before me and my dad.”

“I’m too busy.”

“I thought your mom hired new mechanics!”

“She did. I uh… Got a role in the next school play.”

Ricky waited for him to snort and say he was only kidding, but he seemed dead serious. “Why? If you don’t want to go home, you can—”

“It’s not that,” Diego said.

Ricky grabbed his arm to stop him from walking through the gymnasium doors. “Then what is it?”

“I don’t know,” Diego said with a shrug. “It just sort of happened.”

“How do you accidentally get a role in a play?”

“Mindy wanted me to audition,” Diego huffed. “I only did it so she would audition too because…” He scowled and shrugged. “I wasn’t trying that hard. I mostly just goofed off but I got the lead anyway. All the dancing they make me do is lame, but when I show up there after school, it’s like people are actually glad to see me. Cameron even tried to give me a high five the other day. So I grabbed his wrist and made him slap himself, but we laughed about it. You should hang out with him instead of Anthony and Omar. He’s way cooler. The same with Mindy. When you aren’t grounded anymore, we could all party together.”

Ricky stared, surprised that he had missed so much, but it was hard to catch up between classes. He was shocked that anyone had managed to coax Diego back on stage again, because he sure hadn’t talked about the experience like it was something he wanted to repeat. Ricky had enjoyed aspects of it though. “I can help you run your lines, like last time.”

“Nah,” Diego said. “Mindy’s got you covered.”

“Mindy?” Ricky repeated.

“Yeah. The best part is, all I have to do during the songs is mouth along to the words. So unless some pervert in the audience is staring at my lips, it won’t matter if I get the lyrics wrong. Mindy’s been helping me practice the dance moves too.”

The bell rang, sounding like a fire alarm in Ricky’s head, as he watched Diego ram his shoulder against the gym door to open it. He disappeared inside, leaving him alone in the hall, which felt like a sign of things to come.

— — —

Cameron crawled on top of his boyfriend, Anthony biting his lower lip in anticipation, only releasing it again so they could kiss. His pink hair and blond roots were so cute. Cameron was tempted to ask him to grow it out, so he could see his natural color in full. That would make him stand out less too, which would be good, if it meant he wasn’t picked on as much. Since distributing his article, the name-calling had only gotten worse. And not just from Graham and his gang of goons.