The Summer Of... {Peterick}

2:

Patrick stood at the bus stop, proudly wearing a new color of hair on his head. It was a brown that, when it caught the light right, shined. Much better than the mousey brown he had before, and much less obvious than the bleached blond.

"Ooh! My cupcake is going to camp!" Patrick's mom exclaimed, smiling sweetly at him with tears in her eyes.

"Mom, we've talked about the nickname..." Patrick grumbled, grabbing the straps of his backpack and twisting them. He looked off to the side, but his mother was over in the blink of an eye to hug him tightly.

"You're going to have so much fun! Oh, hun, get a picture!" Patrick's mother told her husband, releasing Patrick from her hug to instead wrap one arm around his shoulders.

Patrick smiled for the photo, not wanting to upset his mother. She was just excitable. Honestly, it was a feature that Patrick loved about his mom, even if it was a bit embarrassing at times.

"I'm going to miss you so much! Promise you'll write?" His mother asked as a small frown crossed over her face.

Patrick smiled at her, reassuringly. "Every week."

She smiled again, patting Patrick's head. "I'm going to miss you while your gone, Patrick."

"I'll look out for him, Mrs. Stump." Dallon called out as he bounded over to the family, carrying a large bag on his back.

"Thank you, Dallon." Patrick's mother laughed as she pulled him into a hug. She pulled away and smiled between the two boys, "Well, we should get going. Don't forget to write! I love you."

"I won't!" Patrick laughed, hugging his mother one last time. "I love you too."

Mrs. Stump waved as she walked over to her husband. When the two were walking to their car, Dallon nudged Patrick.

"So, they don't know?"

Patrick's eyes grew wide. "Are you kidding me!? They'd freak! She still calls me CUPCAKE, Dallon."

Dallon snickered slightly before apologizing. "Alright..." He nodded as Patrick's parents got into their car and the him of the engine could be heard. "Can I ask some wingman style questions?"

Patrick raised an eyebrow at his tall friend, but nodded. "Shoot."

"What do you look for?" Dallon asked, "Like, things you find irresistible about another human?"

Patrick felt his cheeks heat up. They hadn't had this conversation since they first found themselves growing interested in the opposite, as well as, the same sex. Patrick had found himself in the position of really questioning that after his first girl crush had gotten into a relationship with a guy that he found REALLY good looking. Not in a no homo way, but a very homo way. It was never something he mentioned to Dallon, however.

"A dick?" Patrick whispered with a slight shrug, "I-I mean... Girls are okay but... I've kinda been looking at more..."

"Kinky!" A different voice popped in. Dallon and Patrick turned to see a grinning boy with loosely styled brown hair, a open, floral button up shirt and sunglasses covering his eyes.

"Ryan!" Patrick squealed, covering his mouth as if it could help retract what he had said.

Dallon nodded towards the newcomer. "I thought you were getting shipped overseas for the summer, Ross."

Ryan shrugged, walking over to hug the red faced boy who was still covering his mouth. "I talked them into the cheaper method of camp instead." He grinned. "Nice to see you too, Dallon." He hugged the taller boy, who rolled his eyes with a smile before hugging back. Ryan pulled away and looked between the two boys. "So! What are we doin'?"