It was Friday afternoon, and Jake was going through Nick's closet. Nick soon entered from the fire escape, seeing what Jake was doing.
"Raiding my closet for Troy's beach house party?" he asked.
"You do have a better wardrobe than I do at Becky's house," Jake responded. "I'm trying to make a good impression."
"To Troy? It's obvious he likes you."
"He's just a friend. And I'm trying to reduce the risk of causing trouble with Trina. She's already thinks we're dating, which is kinda true; let's keep the Trina drama to a minimum."
"I really don't care if Trina get mad. I never dated her, and I won't. You mean more to me than her."
"Thanks, Nick," Jake wrapper his arms around Nick, who returned the hug. "Now let me get dressed for this party."
Soon, Erica and Nick accompanied Jake to Troy's family beach house. Erica was wearing a yellow bathing suit, Nick was wearing a blue tank top with black shorts, and Jake was wearing a red pair of shorts. Troy, wearing white shorts, approached Jake and his friends as they entered the house.
"Jakey, you made it!" he said.
"Yeah," Jake replied.
"I got your present as promised. Here."
Troy pulled out a small black box and passed it to Jake; the box had a bitten apple on the lid. Jake opened the box and gasped in shock and excitement.
"You got me an iPhone?!" he asked enthusiastically.
"Yeah, you like it?" Troy responded.
"Like it?! I love it! Thank you!"
Jake gave Troy a big hug, wrapping his arms around Troy's soft yet rugged exterior. Nick took the iPhone and examined it.
"QB, who's gonna pay for the bill each month?" he asked. "Jake can't pay it."
"I'm paying the phone bill," Troy answered. "I had the phone in my name. And with my allowance being high, I can afford paying two phone bills."
"Thanks, Troy," Jake replied.
Nick looked at Troy with fire in his eyes. His lips were curled back in a snarl. Erica took notice of this and became concerned.
"Nick, let's hit the beach for a bit," she said. "Like now!"
Erica grabbed Nick by his arm and dragged him outside to the beach; Jake took his new phone from Nick and slipped it in his pocket.
"What was that about, Goldilocks?" Nick asked.
"I had to get you outta there before you blew a fuse," Erica explained. "I can tell you're mad that Troy is being... extra nice to Jake."
"Nice? Looks more like flirting to me. And I'm not mad... I'm furious! I know he know that Jake's mine. He's doing this to spite me."
"Before we assume he's flirting with Jake, we need to know all the facts... and we can't do that with an angry Nick."
"I'll try to calm down... for now, at least."
Suddenly, Trina, Sophie, and Andre walked in, staying together as they head to the beach.
"And there they go," Nick said salty.
"Well, at least we know we can trust one of them," Erica replied.
Jake walker out the house, meeting up with his friends. Nick grinned and held Jake's hand.
"Having fun?" he asked.
"After everything that happened lately, I needed this release," Jake responded.
"Just go and make it official already," Erica said.
Jake blushed, covering his face in embarrassment. Nick made a sly chuckle at him and wrapped his arm around Jake's neck.
"Not yet," he replied. "But soon."
"And if we were to make it official, we wouldn't do it at a party," Jake added.
"Fair enough," Erica smiled.
Nick gave Jake a kiss on his forehead, Jake smiling hard afterwards. From the edge of the beach, Trina saw the forehead kiss and blew off steam.
"Uh-oh, what happened?" Sophie asked.
"Nick just gave Jake a kiss on the forehead!" Trina complained.
"Don't tell me you're still going on with Jake and Nick's relationship. Whether they're in a relationship or not, it's none of your business."
"What do Jake have that I don't?"
"Kindness, compassion, the ability to connect with others... Should I go on?"
"Ugh!"
Trina walked past the trio, glancing down Jake with a malevolent smile. She entered the house and grabbed a towel before sitting with Troy. The trio saw this and became concerned.
"What is she planning?" Erica asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine, Goldilocks," Nick responded.
"Troy, as your ex-girlfriend, I need to warn you about your little friend, Jake," Trina said with fake sympathy. "It was because of him that I got in trouble. He even have the audacity to accuse me of stealing Spike the Shark's head. I think you should-"
"Lemme stop you right there, Trina," Nick interrupted. "I know what you're trying to do, and it's not gonna work. I'm not turning against Jake. But I give you points for effort."
"Troy, Jake can't be trusted!"
"I beg to differ. Jake is a good guy. Instead of hating him, maybe try to be his friend."
"Over my dead body! For what he done to me, I refuse to be associated with him!"
"Be that way then."
Troy stood up and went outside, Trina huffing in anger.
Later, the partygoers were taking turns singing karaoke. Jake decided to sing, standing on a platform and selecting his song.
Jake: Got a cute face but I'm looking pretty fragile / My attitiude is twice my size, I'll meet you in the battle / I'll come around and knock you down, look out, prepare for damage / Black to the pink, watch it out, we're pretty savage / [rap] Whatever we want, we go get it / Whatever you do, babe, it's useless / And our hands are full of them fat checks / If you don't believe me, go fact check / Expectation's higher, it's like fish in water / I'm a little toxic, you've fallen , I'm foxy / [sing] I think about it twice / Bu it's so hard for me to be fake and act so nice / Please don't get me wrong / When you see me smiling it's just me playing along / This is who I'm cut out to be / And you don't wanna test me / I'm seeing you right through it / You should've picked something easy / Oh wait till I do when I hit you with that ddu-du-ddu-du-du...
"I didn't know Jake could sing," Erica commented. "He got an amazing voice."
"I'm surprised he can rap," Nick added. "Those bars went hard."
"Ha! Don't make me laugh!" Trina blurted. "I can sing better than that."
"Is that so, Pom-Poms?"
Jake finished his song, the partygoers cheering for him.
"Just watch," Trina stepped onstage, purposely bumping into Jake. She selected a song, swiping the microphone from Jake.
Trina: Take a seat / Right over there, sat on the stairs / Stay or leave / The cabinets are bare and I'm unaware / Of just how we got into this mess, got so aggressive / I know we had all good intentions
Jake was quickly given another microphone and picked up where Trina left off.
Jake: So pull me closer, why don't you pull me close? / Why don't you come on over? I just can't let you go
Trina got mad at Jake, trying to steal the spotlight; Jake tried the same thing in the process.
Trina: Oh baby / Why don't you just meet me in the middle? / I'm losing my mind just a little / So why don't you just meet me in the middle? / In the middle
Jake: Oh baby / Why don't you just meet me in the middle? / I'm losing my mind just a little / So why don't you just meet me in the middle? / In the middle...
"Is Trina trying to outdo Jake?" Troy asked as he approached Nick and Erica.
"Yep," Nick answered. "She thinks she's a better singer than Boy Scout."
"So they're having a mental sing-off?" Erica asked.
Jake and Trina were battling each other, and they're voices collided at the end of the song, Jake hitting the final note
Both: Oh baby / Why don't you just meet me in the middle? / I'm losing my mind just a little / So why don't you just meet me in the middle?
Jake: In the middle!
The partygoers erupted with applause, Jake smiling hard. Trina glared at Jake before walking off. Jake reunited with his friends, still smiling.
"You got an amazing voice, Jake," Erica said.
"Nice job, Jakey," Troy added.
"You did great, Boy Scout," Nick smiled.
"Thanks, guys," Jake replied. "I was so nervous up there. That was my first time singing for a crowd."
"Well, the crowd loved you," Troy responded.
"Boy Scout, let's head out to the water," Nick said. "And I'm not asking."
"Okay, Nick," Jake held Nick's hand and walked with him out to the shoreline. "Is something wrong, Nick? If it is, tell me."
"I'm a little... uncomfortable with QB flirting with you."
"Nick, I told you before that I'm not interested in Troy. He's like a brother to me. I like you and only you."
"Tch," Nick replied. "Just promise me that you won't catch feelings for him."
"I promise," Jake responded. "Now let's focus on having fun. It's a beach party; we should be enjoying ourselves, and you shouldn't be acting salty and jealous."
"Okay let's go."
The two held each other's hand and walked back to the beach house. Trina saw the two boys and silently growled.
"Want something to drink?" Nick asked.
"Get me a bottle of water," Jake responded.
"I'm on it."
Nick walked inside, Trina approaching Jake afterwards.
"You and Nick seem to be very close," she said. "...Considering the fact that you're living with him."
"Are you really that jealous?" Jake asked. "I thought it was obvious that Nick don't like you like that."
"He do like me!"
"If that's so, then why he don't hang out with you?"
"He wants to talk to me in private."
"That makes no sense. Why would he want to date you in secret? With how people can be hateful to gay people, a boy would be secretive about what they do with another boy, not the popular cheerleader."
"What you trying to say?" Trina huffed.
"I'm just saying," Jake responded. "Nick would rather hang out with me. He has no choice since we're sleeping- I mean, living together."
"You know, I'm getting-"
"I'm just gonna head inside."
Jake walked past Trina, who pushed him into the house forcefully. He bumped into Andre accidentally, causing him to drop his glass; some of the glass cut Andre's foot, due to him wearing slides.
"Arnette, what the hell?!" Andre got angry.
"I'm so sorry!" Jake replied. "Trina pushed me and-"
Before he could finished his sentence, Jake was punched in the nose by Andre, being sent to the floor. Nick and Erica approached Jake to comfort him.
"What happened?" Erica asked.
"Arnette made me drop my glass, and now I got cuts on my feet!" Andre answered.
"Trina pushed me into Andre," Jake tried to hold back a tear.
"You think you're gonna be okay?" Nick asked.
"Yeah... I'll be fine..."
Troy arrived and saw Jake on the floor in pain.
"Nick, I'm ready to go home," Jake said.
"Wait! At least let me help you with your nose," Troy offered. "And there's something else I wanna give you, but I wanna give it to you in private."
"Hmph!" Nick huffed.
"Sure," Jake got up and followed Troy upstairs.
Troy led Jake to his bedroom, where he went to his drawer and pulled out a first aid kit. Jake sat on the bed, gently touching his nose.
"Tell me what happenee downstairs," Troy said.
"Trina was being unreasonable, so I decided to go inside, but she pushed me into Andre, and he dropped his glass and got his foot cut by the broken glass. I tried to apologize, but he punched me before I could finish," Jake explained.
"Trina and Andre are bad news."
"Where did Sophie go? I haven't seen her in a while."
"She left early. She said something came up."
"Well, at least she wasn't involved."
Troy tended to Jake's nose, making Jake's pain slightly go away. They stood up and gave each other a hug, Troy giving Jake a soft kiss on the forehead. Nick walked in and saw the two hugging
"Yo!" he yelled. "You ready, Boy Scout?"
"Yeah," Jake answered.
"I'll see you later, Jakey," Troy broke the hug.
Jake nodded and walked out with Nick. Troy sat on his bed, pulling out a locket from his drawer. Inside was two pictures: one of a young woman and another of two baby boys.
"If only he knew..." Troy said to himself.