OK so this, this is happening whether they like it or not.

It's Monday, Valentines weekend with BeBe was amazing.

But right now, Cody, Olivia and I are walking in to school, but before Cody could turn the hall to his locker, I grabbed him by his arm and started pulling him the opposite direction.

"Uh, where are we going?" He gave me a look.

"We, are going to Josh's locker." I smiled.

His eyes got so wide I swear they almost popped out of his head.

"No no little one." Olivia shook her head. "Now is the time. You made your big boy moves and came out to your family."

"I exploded." He nodded. "I exploded to my family."

"But, you still told them. Now, it's time for you to tell the boy you want to be with him because you do." She rubbed his shoulder.

"He doesn't want to talk to me." He shook his head.

"Well, you don't know that. And you won't unless you try to talk to him." I shrugged.

"He had a good weekend, he went to the spa and got pampered, he went on a candy binge in NYC, he took a bubble bath in my bath tub. He's relaxed, he's calm, and he told the boys he would think about it. He spent all weekend doing it. It's time." Olivia nodded.

He took a deep breath, and he really did follow.

We turned the hall, and Josh was in fact at his locker, with Nico and Ryan like they said they would be.

"Oh god." He cleared his throat as we got to them.

"Oh, hey guys." Ryan smiled. "Hi Ol." He hugged her.

"Hey." She smiled.

"Little brother." Nico smiled. "Little brothers accessory."

I waved.

"Hey." Cody pursed his lips.

Josh just looked at Ryan and Nico.

"Please." Nico nodded.

He pursed his lips and looked at Ol.

She nodded.

He sighed and turned toward Cody and I. "Say what you need to say." He nodded.

"Really?" Cody sighed in relief.

"Yeah, I can at least hear you out." He shrugged.

Cody took a deep breath. "I miss you." He nodded. "And, I am so sorry. I just." He looked at Nico. "I was just so scared that my family wouldn't be OK with it." He shook his head.

"I could've helped you through that Cody." Josh nodded.

"I didn't want my parents to kick me out." He looked down.

"I would've never let that happen." Nico shook his head.

"And even if it did, you would've had somewhere to go." I nodded. "Our house is always open."

"Well luckily it didn't happen." He sighed. "Because this one." He looked at Nico. "Pushed, and pushed and pushed me to tell him what was wrong, and I kind of-"

"Exploded." Nico nodded.

"Yes." Cody pointed at him. "And, they were all so upset that I felt like I couldn't tell them. Which, Nico told Ryan. And Ryan told him you were the guy. My mom literally cried. But my dad, he sat me down, and he had me tell him all about you, and who all knew. And now they want to meet you. But to do that, I just, I need you to give me one more chance. And I promise that if I get it, I will really try. I'll try to-"

"Cody." Josh grabbed his hand. "All I needed to hear was the word try." He nodded.

Cody let out a small smile. "Really?"

"I was never in a rush." He shook his head. "I know how much it can take out of you to be happy with yourself or comfortable when you come out. One step at a time." He smiled.

And then Tyler DiMarco walked by. "Well damn little Palmer, I didn't know you joined the faggot parade." He laughed.

In which I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and threw him straight against these lockers into Ryan.

He grabbed him by an arm and his neck. "I'm going to need you to repeat that for me, because in case you didn't realize this, the hand he's holding is my little brothers DiMarco." He nodded.

"Ryan." Josh shook his head.

"Let me go." Tyler nodded.

"I said, I'm going to need you, to repeat that." Ryan nodded.

Tyler just stood there.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Ryan let him go.

But Nico, Nico did not.

Because as soon as Tyler was off the lockers, Nico swung, Tyler was on the floor, and Nico was bent over in his face. "If you ever call my little brother a faggot again, I will make you wish you couldn't speak. And for the record, the proper term, is gay." Nico tapped the side of Tyler's face. "We clear?"

Tyler nodded and stood up.

"Now apologize." I crossed my arms.

He just looked at Cody and Josh. "Sorry." And walked away.

Cody took a deep breath and looked at Nico. "I'm sorry."

"What the hell are you apologizing for?" Nico shook his head.

"I don't want to embarrass you." Cody looked down.

"Come here." Nico nodded.

Cody let go of Josh's hand and walked over to him.

Nico, he wrapped Cody in a hug. "You do not embarrass me." He shook his head. "You, are my little brother. I don't care who you date as long as your happy, and they treat you right. Whoever you love, will never change how much I love you. OK?"

Cody nodded.

"You catch that?" Nico looked at Josh.

Josh smiled and nodded. "And now, I am going to walk him to class, so we can talk about the meeting of parents." Josh held his hand out.

"And I'm right behind you." I nodded.

Cody grabbed Josh's hand, and Olivia and I walked right behind them.

"You did good little brother." She threw her arm around my waist.

"Yeah, who do you think I learned it from." I threw my arm over her shoulders. "Are you still going to meet me during your lunch for my study hall to help me with my history paper."

"Yes, I am." She smiled.

And 5 periods later, she did.

Granted Mason also met us in the library during his study hall, but still, he managed to actually help a little bit to.

Only because it's about the prohibition and he likes booze.

But about halfway through, Milly actually came walking up to our table.

"What's wrong?" Mason popped up from his slouch.

"Nothing, psycho." She shook her head. "Oak can I talk to you?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure, what's up Mil?" I nodded.

She sat down next to me and turned her chair toward me. "The school news, you know I'm on the school news, right?"

"I do. Why?"

"Well, with Mason being the captain of 3 teams, I've taken a special interest in the sports section. So they're giving me a chance to do my first sports podcast for the school and write my own article. And after doing a little research, I've learned that you're the first freshman to make the varsity hockey team since Will Grayson?"

"I am. Will worked with me to get on the varsity team."

"Well, I want to know how you'd feel about me interviewing you for the article, and to be on the podcast?" She scrunched her face.

"Oh. Oh I don't know Mil, I-"

She cleared her throat. "I saved you from drowning in your pool when we were 5." She pursed her lips.

Mason and Olivia choked back a laugh.

My jaw dropped. "Are you trying to guilt me in to doing this?" I laughed.

"I mean, I did save your life. You wouldn't be here if I didn't." She shrugged.

I sighed and smiled. "Let me talk to Will about it. And, I don't know, meet me after Hockey practice and we can go to Joes or the tasty and talk about it."

"Oh!" She jumped up, wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed. "Thank you!" She yelled and ran out of the library.

"I didn't say yes!" I yelled.

"You know you're going to do it." Olivia nodded.

"Yeah, I know." I nodded.

"She played the fuck out of you." Mason laughed.

"You know, I heard she has a date with Porter Friday night." I raised my eyebrows.

His face went flat, and I swear he shot out of that chair so fast and ran out of the library.

"Does she really?" Olivia laughed.

"Well, half the team talks about her love life, so yeah. She does." I shrugged.

"Well he's going to love that." She rolled her eyes. "She's almost 15, she's going to date."

"Ol, it's Mason. She doesn't need to date a senior anyway." I rolled my eyes. "See you at home?" I stood up from our table.

She blew me a kiss and I went to my next class.

Now, hockey practice today, was absolute torture.

Evidently over the weekend, someone posted pictures of about half the team at a party, bottles and blunts in hand, and we all had to do suicides, laps, the works.

I was drained by the time we all walked out of the locker room and to the parking lot.

Milly was actually waiting by the doors.

"OH!" Jake yelled. "Oh Milly Benton." He smiled.

"How you doing beautiful." Mikey winked at her.

"You here for me?" Kohen walked over and wrapped an arm around her.

"Ew." She ducked under his arm and walked over to me. "Hey." She gave him a small smile.

"Shit." I groaned. "I completely forgot to talk to him." I looked at Will. "Milly wants me to do an interview and be on the schools podcast being the first freshman on the varsity hockey team since you. Being captain, thoughts?"

"Actually it would be a good thing if you did Oak." He nodded. "You being a freshman makes you a pretty hot topic for our games right now, you talking about it, an article and being on the podcast would bring a lot of people in."

"So, that's a yes?" Milly smiled.

"That's a yes little one." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Thank you for asking him." He smiled. "I have to go meet Kallie, tomorrow morning you meet me and we'll talk about a few things, alright?"

I nodded. "Joes?" I looked at Milly.

She nodded and we started walking.

"So." I cleared my throat. "How've you been?" I pursed my lips. "We haven't talked much since you moved back."

"I've been OK." She nodded. "Just trying to get back into the flow of being here. You know? And, I'm just not one to step on someone's toes and Amber seems a little mean."

I raised my eyebrows. "Mean?"

"OH, oh god I didn't mean mean. Just, overprotective, if those are the right words. She is just a 'stay away from my boyfriend' type of girlfriend."

"Well, apparently not that much if we're doing this."

"Oaken it took me 3 weeks to ask you, and it's only because the staff have been pushing." She nodded.

"Are you trying to say Amber scares you." I let out a small laugh.

"Oh she's terrifying."

"She scares the shit out of me too. But, she's incredible." I nodded.

"She's a nice person, just, very territorial. I get it though."

Then my phone started going off.

I pulled it out of my pocket and Bebe was actually calling me.

"Just one second." I cleared my throat.

Hey babe.

Hey where are you at?

Walking to Joes to talk about doing something for the school paper and podcast with Milly, why, what's up?

Oak it's Monday You always come over after hockey on Mondays.

Shit, Bebe I'm sorry. I completely forgot. Will wants me to do this. Can I make it up to you?

As long as making it up to me means we can go to Hardy's Saturday so I can whoop your ass in bowling.

I let out a small laugh.

It's a date baby. I'll call you later. I love you.

Love you too.

I hung up the phone.

"You two are cute." Milly let out a small smile.

But then my phone went off again with a message.

Wait a second, Milly?

Oh shit.