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It seemed like only moments later that Arden's mom shook him awake.

"We're gonna play Rebel Command 'til four in the morning!" Her voice was mocking and high-pitched. She completely ignored Arden's attempts at falling back asleep. "It's a good thing I came downstairs, too; otherwise, you'd still be playing."

She grabbed his blankets and pulled them off, making Arden jerk awake to try and hide his morning wood.

Fortunately, Mrs. Halinen was already out of his room and across the hall. "Miiiikey! Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Seeing that his mother was not going to relent, Arden got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

He did everything on autopilot, much like had done when he had to wake up for practice at 4 am during the school year.

'At least I don't have to groom my fur.' He brushed his thick fur with his claws and yawned.

This, of course, brought along thoughts of Mark.

'It's only for two days.' Arden smiled at the thought of sleeping over with the wolf. He took one last look in the mirror and headed out of the bathroom.

"Took you long enough!" Mikey was standing in the doorway, swaying groggily from side to side; mornings were not his thing. Just the fact that he was upright and talking surprised Arden.

"The throne room is all yours, Your Majesty!" Arden made an exaggerated leg and gestured to the toilet.

"Yeah." Mikey grumbled something under his breath and walked into the bathroom.

Arden chuckled at his brother's comical anger, knowing that mornings were yet another reason why Mikey never got into swimming.

He went back to his room, grabbed his bags and brought them downstairs.

Mrs. Halinen was already there, making breakfast.

"Turkey sausage and eggs," she announced when she saw Arden. "No time for anything fancy; your father wants to leave in a half-hour to beat the weekend traffic."

"Okay." Arden piled some food onto his plate and sat down at the kitchen table.

He was just finishing his food when Mikey walked in. He looked a bit more presentable, but no less grouchy.

"Sausage and eggs." Mrs. Halinen motioned to the skillet.

"Cereal." Mikey opened the cupboard and and pulled out a bright red box of Sugar Bites. He poured himself a bowl and rummaged around in the refrigerator for milk.

"Honey, you can't just eat cereal all the time." She knew full-well that she was not going to win this argument, but she tried anyway. "Especially those Sugar Bites! They're nothing but sugar and calories."

"Just what every growing boy needs!" Mikey took a bite, chewing demonstratively; his sense of humor was slowly starting to awaken.

"Ah, good! Everyone's here!" Mr. Halinen walked in from the garage. He was dressed in his captain's uniform, a gag gift the family got him for Christmas that he took all too seriously. "Here's the drill. We leave as soon as possible, get on I-86, arrive at the lake, rent wakeboards, gas up the boat and have a ton of fun!"

"Sounds wonderful, dear!" Mrs. Halinen pecked him on the cheek.

"Mikey..." Mr. Halinen turned towards the otter, but the look Mikey gave him made him rethink whatever he was going to say. "... you just keep on eating. Arden, help me get all the bags into the car."

"Okay, Dad." Arden got up and put his plate into the dishwasher.

He followed his dad into the garage, where the Tuareg stood, trunk open, waiting to be loaded.

As they were stuffing the last of the bags into the trunk, Mikey and Mrs. Halinen joined them.

After numerous final checks and making sure everyone had gone to the bathroom before leaving, Mr. Halinen started the car and they were off.

The drive was quiet for the most part - the silence being broken only by Mikey complaining that he was bored. Mr. Halinen agreed with him and suggested they all sing show-tunes together to relieve the boredom. Upon hearing that, Mikey promptly put on his headphones and fell asleep.

Arden couldn't for the life of him understand how people slept in cars. He needed a flat surface, a nice pillow and a blanket to even consider sleeping; instead, he switched on his iPod and spent his time staring out the window.

He was beginning to miss Mark already, but the more logical part of his brain realized that this was probably a good reprieve. It would give him some time to figure out what he was really feeling. Was it love? Or was he just a teenage boy who didn't know any better?

He was fairly sure it was the former, but was reminded of the time he read Romeo and Juliette in English class. Their teacher, Mr. Barry, told them that the cause of all of Romeo and Juliette's problems stemmed from their overactive hormones.

"Even if they were in love, wouldn't it have been smarter to wait than to fake your own death and then commit suicide?"

Back then, Arden heartily agreed with that statement; but now, he wasn't sure. He began thinking of just how far he would go to preserve his relationship with Mark.

'As far as I have to,' he said to himself.

'Oh really?' His inner voice challenged him again. 'Just like you were willing to go as far as you had to, to become captain of the swim team?'

Arden thought about that. He decided that there really was no way of knowing how much he would be willing to do until the time came to prove it.

He spent the rest of the ride looking forward to the conversation he would have with Mark... and the sleepover.

They made good time and arrived at the lake just after eight o'clock.

Mr. Halinen left them to unpack the stuff and bring it to the boat while he went over to the beach shop to rent wakeboards.

Arden was the first one on the boat. It was a large, twin motor craft, sleek and quick (or so his father said). He placed the key into the cabin-door lock, but found to his amazement that it was already unlocked. Thinking that his dad had probably decided to take a detour on the way to the Wave Shop, he opened the door and went inside.

"How about those wakeboards, Dad?" He turned on the lights and nearly dropped the the bag he was carrying.

Instead of his dad, Sam sat perched on the top bunk, playing his GameCub. "Yes, how about them?" He jumped down from where he was sitting.

"Sam?" Arden was still processing what he was seeing.

"Do I look that much like your dad?" Sam walked over to Arden.

"Oh, I think you two look somewhat alike." Arden rubbed a his paw over his chin, pretending to study the otter.

"I missed your sense of humor!" Sam pulled his friend into a warm embrace.

"So, how'd you get here?" Arden gladly returned the hug. He missed his best friend too, but he was interested in having a couple of questions answered first.

"Your dad invited me. Asked my dad to drive me over." Sam pulled back and beamed at Arden "Said you were in a funk and he wanted to surprise you."

"Well, I'm sure glad he did!" Arden parted the embrace, put his bag away and plopped down on one of the beds. He felt guilty about not spending any time with Sam, and this weekend would be a perfect opportunity to fix that.

"So..." Sam sat down next to him. "What have you been up to all this time?"

Arden told him about getting ready for the fitness test and about how he met Mark. He decided to leave out the "sticky" details for now, promising Sam that they'd talk more about it when they got some privacy. He resolved that by the end of the trip, he would tell his friend about his sexuality and his relationship with the wolf.

"Hey, Sam!" Mikey bounded in, followed by his parents.

"Hello, dear!" Mrs. Halinen walked over to Sam and the two embraced.

"We got the boards, Ar!" Mikey was practically vibrating with excitement. "They're so sweet! Marrek Novas! I think they're brand new, too!"

"Good stuff!" Arden ran out to the deck to see the boards for himself; Mikey's excitement was becoming contagious.

The boys spent all day riding the wake of Mr. Halinen's new boat.

Arden was clearly the one with the most experience, but Mikey's excitement served to balance out his lack of skill.

Once it got dark, and a patrol-otter told the boys they weren't allowed to ride anymore, they put away their gear and took the boat back to port. After securing the boat and making sure all the doors and hatches were bolted down and locked, everyone piled into the Tuareg and headed to Little Joe's.

The place was crammed full of tourists and other boaters out for a late dinner.

They were waiting in line for a free table when Arden pulled Sam aside. "Remember how I said I'd finish my story later?" He ignored the otter's questioning look. "Well now's a pretty good 'later.' Let's go outside."

Mrs. Halinen watched them go. "Where are you going, hon?"

"I need to talk to Sam in private." Arden smiled disarmingly. "We'll be quick. Just have Mikey text me when our table is ready."

They left the restaurant and headed out to the parking lot.

"Okay." Sam leaned back against one of the cars. "I'm all ears."

Arden told him the rest of the story. About the incident in the pool and the teary but joyous confession some three days later.

Sam listened attentively the whole time and smiled when Arden told him that he was gay.

"You know... I always suspected it." He winked. "I mean, you never... ever showed me your collection of porn mags. I was beginning to get offended, but now I finally understand why."

"So... we're cool, then?" Arden could feel palpable relief at the fact that his best friend had taken the news so well.

"Like a bucket of ice water." Sam embraced him.

Arden headed back to the restaurant in even higher spirits than before.

By the time the boys came in, the rest of the family was already seated in one of the booths.

Mikey had his cell phone out and was typing a text message. He stopped when he saw the boys walk in and waved to them. "I ordered your drinks." He gave each of them a coaster. "Iced tea for you and a Coke for Sam."

"Sweet, thanks." Arden opened the menu and began studying it. Like many lake-side restaurants, this one mostly served fish.

He decided to go with the trout while Mikey and Sam got fish-fingers.

The meal was simple but delicious. Arden ate slowly, watching everyone else. He was happy that for the second time that week things had turned out okay.

They stayed the night at a Holiday Inn down the road from the lake. This time, all three boys were asleep long before Mr. and Mrs. Halinen.

Early the next morning, the whole family was already out on the lake, intending to enjoy their last day to its fullest extent. Unfortunately, they couldn't stay too long because the boards needed to be returned to the shop before five.

After returning the boards and re-packing the car, they took one more look at Lake Cavenrich and headed home.

Mr. Halinen dropped Sam off first. Arden promised him that he'd keep in touch, fully intending to keep that promise this time around.

It also reminded him that he'd get to talk to Mark tonight.

As soon as they pulled into the driveway, Arden sprang out of the car and bolted to his room.

"I'll get my stuff out of the car later!" He bounded up the stairs.

Once he was in the privacy of his room, Arden flipped open his phone and dialed Mark.

The wolf picked up after just two rings and their conversation began.

Arden told him about the trip to the lake, about Sam coming along and about finally coming out to his best friend.

"Wow, you're brave." Mark didn't sound nearly as thrilled as Arden had thought he'd be. "I don't know if I'll ever come out to my friends. I think they'd tear me to pieces if I did."

"You come out when you're ready." The last thing he wanted was to push Mark - especially after seeing how insecure the wolf was about himself.

"Thanks." Mark sighed. "Besides, I came out to you... and that's all that really matters to me."

"And I'm glad you did." Arden lay down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling.

They talked some more about each others' friends and what school would be like now that they were together. Neither of the boys was sure about the latter. They danced around the subject for a while and decided to cross that bridge when they got to it. The conversation ended on a lighter note with Mark telling Arden that his mom agreed to the boys having a sleepover.

"How about Tuesday?" He clearly wanted to say Monday, but decided to give Arden some time to talk it over with his parents.

"Sounds great!" Arden got up from his bed. "I'll double-check with my parents and let you know tomorrow. Actually... hold on. I have to check my schedule, my grandmother's birthday is either this Tuesday or next."

He placed Mark on hold and went over to his computer. As it booted up, his MailAlert widget popped up, telling him he had one unread message. 'This will only take a second.' Arden opened his email account.

The address was unfamiliar: [email protected]; there was no subject.

Arden opened it up, and began reading.

Hi Arden,

You may not know me, but I know you. I don't know who you think you are, but you are NOT going to steal my boyfriend from me, you filthy queer!

But I digress... I've got some pictures that I think you'd LOVE to see.

Why don't you call me (883)456-3500... and don't worry, I go to sleep pretty late.

-Katelyn

Arden froze. His throat went dry and his heartbeat escalated. He no longer felt warmth or happiness; just cold, paralyzing panic. He sat there, not daring to move. It felt like any minute now, Katelyn would walk through his front door and tell his parents everything. She had pictures, too. 'How could I have been so stupid?!' He kicked himself mentally for being so thoughtless. 'We were making out in the middle of the school campus. Anyone with eyes could have seen us!'

His cell phone beeped twice, reminding him that Mark was still on the line.

"Whew!" Mark breathed a sigh of relief when Arden answered the phone again. "I thought you hung up or forgot about me."

"I... I'll call you back." The fear in his voice was almost palpable. "Need... need to do something first."

"O...kay." Mark was clearly confused, but he didn't pry for answers.

"Thanks." Arden hung up before the wolf could respond.

He sat back in his computer chair, trying to figure out his next course of action. If he just ignored Katelyn, she was liable to show up when he was least expecting her and out him... to his parents, to his classmates... teachers.

No. He had to take care of this before it spread.

Paws still shaky from the shock, he dialed the number. Katelyn picked up after four rings.

"Who is this?" Her voice sounded pleasant and cheery.

"Arden. You said to call."

"Ah yes!" A nasty edge crept into her voice. "I'm so glad you got back to me. I thought I'd never hear from you."

"Just leave us alone." Arden did his best to keep his voice level. "Please."

"Well, you do have manners, I'll give you that."

Arden could feel just how much she was enjoying herself.

"But no; I think I won't."

"What do you want?" Arden knew full-well what the answer was going to be.

"I want what's mine," Katelyn hissed. "You took my boyfriend from me and I want him back."

"Why? He never loved you anyway!" He knew he was playing with fire, but he didn't care.

"Love? Hahahaha!" Her laugh reminded him of the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of OZ - high-pitched and nauseating. "Do you really think I care if he loved me? Oh, you poor simpleton, let me explain. Mark is the captain of the soccer team and one of the hottest guys in the school. Whoever he dates gets an instant boost in status. Not to mention the fact that if I take him to prom, I'll be prom queen, so who gives a damn about love?!"

Arden let some time drag by before replying. The fear and shock faded away; anger was all that remained. He was squeezing the phone so tight that it threatened to snap at any moment. She just wanted to use him. She didn't care for the wolf, not even when she thought he was straight. Mark was never anything more to her than an accessory - something you carried around to show how cool you were.

Thinking all this made him wish he could reach through the phone and strangle Katelyn.

"Anyway," Katelyn continued after a brief pause. "Once I show these pictures to your parents, they won't let you within a mile of Mark. And I'm sure that they'll tell his parents to stay away from their faggot son. Wouldn't want anyone else's children getting ruined, do we?" She spoke about him like he was a defective toy of some sort. "You know... on second thought, maybe I won't out you," Katelyn said after a slight pause. "You can actually make getting back together with Mark very easy for me. Here's what you're going to do... call him up... and dump him. Tell him whatever you have to. And once you dumped him... and I'll know if you're lying... I'll erase those pictures, and no harm done. And, whatever you do, don't tell Mark about our little chat. Got everything? Good. You have until five o'clock tomorrow. I'll trust you to do what's right. Tootles!" She hung up before Arden could reply.

He let the phone drop from his paw. So this was it - the moment that he thought would never come, the time to test just how far he would go to stay with Mark. If he didn't dump Mark, he could lose everything - his family, his house, any chance he had of going to a decent college... but if he did... he would lose the one person who made things so clear for him; the one person who helped him understand who he really was; the person he loved.

He spent a few minutes thinking things over and then picked up his phone. His paws didn't shake as he dialed the familiar number.

Mark picked up after just one ring. "Arden... Arden, is everything okay?"

"Mark..."

I'll trust you to do what's right.

"I..."

Who gives a damn about love?!

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Mark's voice was shaky, on the edge of tears.

"I have to do something... But first... tell me you trust me."

"Arden..."

"Tell me you trust me!" Arden repeated, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I trust you." Mark's voice fell to a whisper. "And I love you."

"I'll call you when it's over. I might be sleeping over your house sooner than expected. Wish me luck."

Before Mark had a chance to say another word, Arden snapped his phone shut.

He took a deep breath, held it and exhaled.

He knew what he had to do.

With this resolve in his mind, he headed downstairs.