If Only You Were Gay

AHOY PEEPS!

Been a minute since I had written anything for the Highschool section, but if you liked the "Holy Shit" saga in the Incest archive, you might enjoy this one too.

A teenaged country boy, who had never even BEEN outside of his own comfort zone is suddenly forced to confront knew things when his family moves across the country to the West Coast...in the big bad city.

How will the lead character of Hunter...face up to all these new things he had never before encountered...including homosexuality?

Especially when he meets the mysterious and openly gay Alex?

Please enjoy! Ryan

IF ONLY YOU WERE GAY CHAPTER ONE

KLEIN KAROO -- SOUTH AFRICA

"I really hope you ain't coming to pick me up tonight in that wretched fucked up machine of yours! It's like only the EVENT of the year around here and I'm sorry... but I'd rather BEG my mom for her car than turn up in that beat up old truck, okay?" Tammy said to her boyfriend as they FINALLY were allowed to leave school at the end of this blisteringly hot Friday afternoon.

Hunter Vallance rolled his eyes but nodded anyways. There was no reasoning with Tammy when she made up her mind about anything these days. God, she never used to fucking be like this! He loved her dearly but...MAN!

Hunter smiled as he once again realised that they had literally known each other like...forever by now. Growing up in the same county had it advantages, way more than it did growing up in the city.

Unlike city folk, those living in the county side tended to stick together much more, they had more an alarming sense of decency, of sheer companionship...of friendship and kindness to boot.

The downside was though, that in the country, especially in the little towns, people literally knew everything about EVERYONE around these here parts. That was the bastard that broke the camel's back...you literally couldn't fart without the people around you knowing what flavour it was.

Hunter felt his arm being pulled by his long-time girlfriend as she dragged him closer and gave him a small kiss on the side of his mouth.

"You okay? You've been kinda...off all day? What's up? You know you can totally talk to me?" she asked, and Hunter couldn't help but to notice the sheer glimmer in her eyes as she finished her sentence.

If this was two...three years ago, he would have totally believed every word that she had just said...but ever since Tammy's father had gotten that big old promotion up at the state county fair, the family had been living it up in totally luxury, unlike majority of the people living around here.

And of course, along with all the new money, also had appeared to bring on a totally new Tammy, unfortunately. Suddenly going to the local MacDonalds wasn't good enough for some reason. No, it had to be a steakhouse or even worse...fine dining. Which he SO didn't have the money for.

Suddenly she barfed at the thought of attending the county dance parties that both of them had so loved growing up.

Suddenly he felt as if he didn't live up to her expectations anymore...when it came to having a boyfriend. There were literally so many farmer's sons around these parts, who was their age who could give Tammy everything that she wanted...everything that she craved right now.

He knew in his heart of hearts, that if he wasn't careful, and pulled up his socks and he didn't actually make an EFFORT with her, that he was going to lose her. It wasn't even a question at this point.

He shook his head and took Tammy's hand in her own and squeezed it tightly.

"I'm fine, okay? Nothing to worry about. I'll come and pick you up later, I promise, yeah? Uhm...since this is going to be a fancy schmancy thing and all...what the hell do you think I should wear though?" he asked, as he fist bumped his best friend Tyler Bellingham when he walked past the two of them, on his way to his own car, no doubt.

It was right in the middle of the South African summer, and as any red-blooded South African would tell you, in a literal heartbeat, the ultra-violet rays were really intense this time of year. Tyler smiled at the two of them whilst wiping several droplets of sweat from the side of his face.

"Finally weekend, thank fuck for that! Barnyard dance tonight, you guys coming?" he asked as he passed them, and Tammy grimaced at the sound of the word.

"What? No! Don't you even think about going to that mess! You're coming to the debutante ball with me!" she hissed at poor Hunter, the latter just looking miserably over at his best friend and pulling both of his shoulders upwards, in a complete and utter "I have no say in this matter" way.

Tyler miserably shook his head and smirked over at Hunter.

"I really love the sudden way your voice goes like REALLY high when you get angry these days..." he giggled before Tammy waved him away like he was nothing but a mere irritating fly on her radar.

Hunter tried to make the best of it...there was nothing he would like more than to go to the Barnyard dance...it was something that the country folk around here did like once or twice a month, depending on finances.

There would always be a live band, usually just some people from the county itself who was half-decent playing songs on a guitar, and who could actually hold a fucking note, but it was always hella fun and hella entertaining.

"I can totally READ your mind right now, Hunter. You are NOT letting me down tonight!" Tammy hissed at him as he walked her to her car.

Hunter sighed, running his fingers through his shaggy brown hair as he did so.

"When did I ever let you down before? I literally do everything you ask, never mind what shit my buddies think of me these days!" he mumbled and opened the door for Tammy to get in.

Tammy slammed the door shut before she gave him one of her now, notoriously death stares she had going on to anyone to deemed to have wronged her.

"Look...I just wanted to say that I have been putting up with a fucking lot from you too, you know! Do you think it's easy for me to tell my friends over at the debutante society that my boyfriend's dad is JUST a farmer?" came her scathing words towards him.

Hunter nearly choked on his own saliva, the insane levels of heat, not really helping right now.

"Tammy for God's sake! Your own dad was a farmer too before he got that fucking promotion! When the actual hell did you get like...like this? You know what...seriously, there are times where I don't even recognise my own girlfriend!" he replied to her.

He loved Tammy to death...she had always been there for him...he literally couldn't remember a time where she had not been in his life, in one shape or form, along with Tyler of course. But this...it might have been Tammy's body sitting before him, but it was like talking to a total stranger these days.

Tammy sighed, before she took a deep breath.

"Hunter...look...I have moved up in the world. You really wanted me to stay...poor and struggling all my life? You were SO happy for us when my dad got that promotion and now it's like you're sulking all the time. AND...just to allow this to hit a home run with you...it's not like I haven't got...you know..."

Hunter frowned...his bright blue eyes now etched together in all sorts of confusion.

"What...haven't got...what?" he demanded.

Tammy took out the keys of her car and turned on the engine...allowing the BMW to purr like the kitten that it was.

"Other options...better options...with BOYS!" she hissed towards him before she blew a kiss in his direction, before taking off from the school parking lot.

"Six-thirty tonight! Don't you DARE be late!" she shouted after him, as she drove off.

Hunter allowed his eyes to flicker over the rest of the parking lot for the first time since they had left the school building...damn.

He had so hoped that his father was able to come and get him...it was so unbelievably WARM today, that the last thing he was in the mood for, was walking home right now. Guess he didn't really have a choice.

There was work needed to be done, before he could start thinking about going ANYWHERE tonight.

**

"Is that the last of the horses?" Tyler asked before he used all his sixteen-year-old might to close the door of the stables as both himself and Hunter took a well-deserved break from all the work that was needed to keep a farm up and running.

Hunter nodded, before grabbing two bottles of water from the cooler bag that he had brought along, and tossed one over to his best friend, before opening his own, downing the cool liquid as fast as he could.

"Dude...thank fuck you came to help me. I dunno where the hell my dad is. Usually, he is back from the co-operation by now..." he breathed as he sat down on one of the several lose bales of hay, which was scattered around the barn, before he was joined by Tyler in quick succession.

"How was that debutante crap the other night anyway? You never said?" Tyler asked as he wiped his mouth after taking a huge sip of water, his blond hair falling across his forehead as he did so.

Hunter snorted.

"Fucking bunch of the most ridiculous shit I have ever seen in my life. Bunch of overdressed girls who wants to outshine the rest...just this high society rubbish that is totally not my scene. But dude...don't go and say any of this to Tammy, okay? I'm kinda crazy about her...I don't wanna lose her."

Tyler looked down.

"I think you already have, buddy."

Hunter looked over at Tyler so fast that he was surprised that he didn't end up with severe whiplash.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing at every passing second.

Tyler took another sip of water, before throwing the empty bottle to his side.

"What I mean is...Hunter, there are rumours going around. And my brother, his girlfriend is also way into that debutante shit...and he told me something when he came home last night..."

Tyler stood up and ran his fingers through his sweaty hair.

"Look, I don't know if any of this is true, you said it yourself, those bunch of bitches are always trying to make the others look hella bad..."

Hunter stood up...he knew his best friend. They have known each other for thirteen of their sixteen years on this earth. And he knew that when Tyler acted in a sus way such as this...there was something that he was hiding from him.

"Dude...talk to me...come on man, it can't be that bad!" he whispered...but his hands were visibly shaking.

He had not seen Tyler like this...not since the night that they had accidently broken a window over at Tyler's house.

Which meant Tyler was nervous...perhaps even scared.

Tyler swallowed and looked Hunter directly in the eye.

"Dude...she's CHEATING on you!" he finally snapped, his eyes wild and red and he shook his head the moment after he finished his sentence.

"FUCK! My brother told me not to say anything, but you're my best friend in the whole wide world, man..." he whispered, his eyes now closed with sheer and instant regret.

Hunter pursed his lips and looked at the bottle of water still lodged in his hands.

"Your brother told you this?" he asked, his voice calm and collected.

Tyler sat back down on the bales of hay.

"His girlfriend did. She overheard Tammy say to the others that she was going to...I mean...I think that is what she said, I dunno, I totally wasn't there..."

"TYLER! WHAT DID TAMMY SAY?" Hunter thundered out in complete and utter exhaustion.

Whatever this was...he needed to hear it.

God...he needed to hear EXACTLY what Tammy had said, even if it ended up breaking his heart.

"Don't fucking make me say it..." Tyler pleaded.

"Jesus Tyler are you my best friend or what?" came the scathing reply.

Tyler threw his hands up in the air.

"Okay, you asked for it. And if anyone asks, I didn't totally tell you. She said that she wasn't planning on staying with her boyfriend any longer, and that she already had another dude lined up, one with more...I mean..."

Hunter was frozen.

"More...?" he croaked out.

Tyler winced.

"...with more money and class..." he finally admitted.

**

"I have something that I need to talk to you two about tonight. Are we all done with dinner?" Hunter's father Victor asked as his mother Christine started to gather the dirty plates and glasses together, before she froze in her tracks.

"Did something happen at the bank today? Did you manage to get the loan? I wanted to ask you the moment that you came back this afternoon, but you just seemed so tired..." Christine whispered, before she sat down, and took her husband's hand in her own.

"Dad? You okay?" Hunter's sister Lacey asked as her eyes were now as wide as a UFO...flickering between her brother and their father in quick succession.

Victor Vallance sighed, before he took the final sip of his coffee and looked his family in the eye, one by one.

"I...I didn't manage to get the loan. I'm afraid that we won't be able to live and work on the farm anymore. There simply ain't enough money to keep it going for the long term and with the constant drought around here..." he managed to say with heavy words, before he allowed his head to sink to his hands...covering up his entire facial features behind his huge hands.

It was so quiet around the Vallance dinner table, that you could literally hear a needle fall to the floor.

Christine swallowed and stood up, before hugging her husband to her person.

"You...you did the best that you could, Victor. You and Hunter both. You did all you could to keep us afloat. We knew this was coming...we knew it might be a possibility. And now that it's here...I guess we have to try and find to a way to keep on surviving..." she softly replied, tears streaming down her face as she did so.

Lacey put down her phone, that she was busy using to scroll through TikTok, before she looked at her parents.

"What now? Are we going to sell the farm? Are we going to have to move?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

"And even if we have to move...where the hell are we even going to go? I mean, me and Lacey both grew up here! What about our friends...everyone we know around here?" Hunter chipped in with his two teenaged cents.

Victor finally lifted his head from the palms of his hands, before he took a huge breath.

"As you all know...there had been multiple offers for buying the land and the farm for decades now. But there never...until know...had been a valid enough reason to sell. Before this extreme drought, we were doing okay. We weren't RICH by any means, but we made ends meet. Right now...I don't even have the money to pay the worker's salaries next month."

Victor took his wife's hand and softly kissed it.

"Your mother and I always had this dream...to someday retire somewhere at the beach...buying a house close to the sea...hearing the ocean breeze every morning...going for long romantic walks...you remember, Honey?" he whispered to his wife.

Christine wiped away her tears before she looked over at her children.

"I just...never thought it would happen this early...we aren't even fifty years old yet. But if you think it is for the best, then I trust your judgement," she replied, kissing Victor's temple.

"So...basically me and Hunter don't even get a say in the matter? You wanna go ahead and chuck us in the old age home along with you?" Lacey bitched and stood up, grabbing her phone as she did so.

"Lace, come on..." Hunter started to say, but his older sister was absolutely relentless.

"Mom...Dad...FOR GOD's SAKE...I have a life here! I have friends here! I have a social life..."

"...and what am I? A fucking Rabbi?" Hunter shot back.

"HUNTER! LANGUAGE!" came the blast from his mother.

"Whatever..." came the reply.

Lacey proceeded to stomp her feet down on the floor like a naughty child throwing a tantrum as she continued.

"THIS IS SO UNFAIR! So just because Dad made a total mess of the farm, now we ALL have to suffer? I ain't moving for SHIT! Do you all hear me! You can go on and move to the West Coast without me, I'm staying right here!" she spat out in quick, rapid succession.

Hunter nearly spat out his water.

"Who around here is going to be stupid enough to take you in?" he demanded, but it was then, that Victor Vallance had enough.

Both Lacey and Hunter visibly jumped as their father smacked the full weight of his fist on the kitchen table and stood up, before he flashed his eyes dangerously over to his daughter.

"The day...the DAY that you are responsible for paying bills and making sure that THREE people other than yourself is getting a warm plate of food every night, the DAY that you start making money and start contributing around here...the DAY that you STOP spending money like it's growing on my BACK...that day, you can insult my all that you want. But for now...I suggest you start packing your bags. BOTH of you!" he blasted over towards both Hunter and Lacey, before Christine quickly pulled her husband back, before he snapped and did something that he would most definitely regret later on.

"Calm down...all of you! This isn't going to be easy on anyone! We have to stick together now, more than ever!" she repeated, cool and calmly, before she steered a still agitated Victor over towards their room, leaving Hunter and Lacey on their own.

"Oh, and by the way...the dishes aren't going to wash themselves!" Christine hollered after them as a parting gift.

Lacey slummed down to her knees and buried her face in her hands, very much like her father had done several minutes ago.

"This is the end, isn't it? This is the fucking END! This is how my life is ending!" she shouted before she stood up and sighed looking at all the dirty dishes.

"How are you not freaking out more?" she hissed at Hunter, who just shook his head as he proceeded to carry the dishes to the dishwasher.

"Lace...what the fuck is freaking out going to do? If I join you bitching every two seconds, do you think it's going to make ANY sort of difference? We are fucking moving, and I HATE IT but what the hell else do you want Mom and Dad to do?" he asked as he gently placed the dishes inside of the machine, before switching it on.

"I can't believe you...you didn't even TRY and fight!" Lacey spat at her brother, before tears surrounded her eyes, and she turned around, running to her room as fast as her lanky body could carry her, slamming the door shut behind her so hard that Hunter cringed at the sound.

He walked over to the kitchen table and sat down...it was as if he was now...only now that they weren't going to be here in a couple of months time...that he was really seeing everything around him for the first ever time.

Jesus...they were moving.

Oh God...Tammy! She was going to HATE him for this!

Not even to mention Tyler!

They had never been apart for more than a few days ever since they met...himself and Tyler.

Fuck.

A tear started to form inside his right eye, before it rolled down to his cheek, as the enormity...the immense meaning of this all finally started to sink in.

He was going to be moving to a city...totally out of his comfort zone...all that he had ever known before now, was this...the county scene.

He angrily wiped his tears away as more and more followed. He grabbed his phone and took a deep breath, before he typed a message to Tyler.

"We have to talk, bro," was all that it said, before he gently placed his phone down.

**

"Tyler! Dude, did you hear what I just said?"

Hunter took a sip of his Coke before he crunched up the can and tossed it into the rubbish bin.

"Perfect score!" he hissed happily before he placed his hand on Tyler's shoulder.

"Come on, buddy...talk to me..." he said before he waved to Tammy on the other side of the rugby pitch.

Hunter had decided to wait until school was out before telling his best friend about them having to move to the West Coast soon, and if what his dad was saying was true, it was going to mean that their new place would be literally HOURS away from the Klein Karoo.

It wasn't as if he would be able to just pop in for a coffee and a chat with Tyler anymore.

Tyler swallowed slowly before he seemed to gather his thoughts and looked at Hunter as he was something straight out of Men in Black right now.

"I heard you..." he whispered, before looking back down at his own can of untouched Coke.

Hunter sighed before he turned towards his best friend.

"Then fucking SAY something!" he hissed.

This was so hard...so uncomfortable for him too, not just for Tyler. He didn't know what the hell to make of all of this!

Leaving his entire life, the way that he had always known it, behind to move to a place which he had never even BEEN before. A place where there would be different kids...different rules and regulations...different ways of living and doing things.

Would he even MAKE new friends there?

Tyler finally looked up and smiled wry fully at his best friend.

"Man...man, I aways kinda knew this day would be coming but I kinda figured it would be when he would head off to college or some shit...and even then, we would be able to hang out and just chill like we always have when we would come home for weekends or even holidays. But dude...you're literally moving to the other side of the fucking country..." he sadly replied, and Hunter was touched as fuck as he realised that for the first time in years...

...YEARS...

...he was seeing his best friend on the verge of tears.

Big boys don't cry...that had been solidly punched into them from the very beginning...showing emotion was a total sign of weakness when you were supposed to be this big old country boy. Crying was for girls...certainly not for two sixteen-year-old boys such as themselves.

Hunter tried his best to contain his own emotions...fucking hell, he has known Tyler even since they were both three years old. They had always been together, growing up. Got into trouble together...held numerous sleepovers...played PlayStation games until he early hours of the morning.

Tyler was his best friend.

"Dude...if we fucking cry here, people are going to slaughter us..." he managed to say, but his voice was shaking.

Tyler giggled, before he looked away and tried to compose himself, before he looked back at Hunter.

"When...how long do we still have?" he asked.

Hunter shrugged his shoulder in reply.

"Beats me. All my dad said that we can no longer afford to keep the farm going and he's going to sell up. The parents have kinda always wanted to live close to the ocean and I guess Lace and I are just going to have to just grin and bear it."

Tyler nodded, slowly, as if in thought.

"Aren't you scared though? Nervous at all? Dude, all you have ever known, is the country. The people on the West Coast...they are...DIFFERENT than us, man!" he said softly.

Hunter sighed and balled his fists.

"Yeah bro, Lacey gave her two cents to the rents last night too, and I'm not fucking thrilled about it as well, but what the hell are you going to do? My dad wouldn't have made a decision like that if he didn't absolutely need to, and you know that. You see what the fucking drought have done to all the farms and the land around here!"

Tyler nodded again, before he finally took a sip of his Coke, scrunching his face as it must have been warm as hell by now.

"I just...I don't know how the fuck I'm even going to say goodbye to you, man..." he whispered sadly.

Hunter swallowed...before sticking out his fist towards Tyler, with the latter bumping his own against it effective immediately.

"Same here, buddy..." he softly replied.

**

The Vallance family was solemnly adored throughout the county, and when people had gotten word that they were moving, they immediately planned a massive going away party for the four of them, so that they could properly say goodbye.

Victor accepted a well-above market value offer for the farm and within weeks, the land was indeed sold.

There was really, no turning back now.

Tammy was scowling as she approached Hunter and Lacey with her brand-new boyfriend glued shut on her arm, as she made great efforts to make sure that everyone attending knew that she didn't keep up with losers, by any sort of means.

"Didn't you guys see on my socials? Juan took me out to the city for crayfish and caviar last night..." was just some of the stories that she managed to spin around the block party as the barbeques were finally getting started, the smell of cooked meat absolutely everywhere.

Traditional "braaibroodtjies" were also toasting along on the open fire, as well as loads of extra's such as Christine's mouth-watering potato salad, three bean salad, curry noddle salad was on offer...the rest of the county folk really coming through for the Vallance family.

Like previously stated...country life was just DIFFERENT than the rest of the world.

"So...tomorrow...you guys will be gone? Like really...really gone?" Tyler asked as the night neared its end, with the fires still burning high into the sky, people still coming from far and wide to say goodbye and to wish their regards for a good life for the family.

Hunter sighed and turned around...he didn't know what to expect as the dreaded day came closer and closer over the last few weeks, but now that it was here...now that they were supposed to leave the Karoo for good in just a few hours...all of a sudden, there was nerves inside of his sixteen year old body that he never really knew he had.

"Dude! Hey...come with me. Let's get away from all of this for a bit, okay?" Tyler said, just loud enough for Hunter to hear, before he nodded and quickly ran after his best friend as they jogged to the barn, where both boys knew they would have some peace and quiet.

Hunter suddenly came to an abrupt standstill right in the middle of said barn...his eyes as wide as they had even been. Suddenly everything around him was dim...suddenly the full force of what they were about to do as a family was sinking in and sinking in FAST.

It was like his entire world was suddenly spinning around him with a force that he didn't even recognise...

...they were MOVING.

He was probably never going to see any of his people ever again in his life!

Not Tammy...not any one of the boys on the soccer team...most of them he grew up with...most of them he had known for years...the house where he took his first steps in...the farm land...as beautiful and as majestic as far as the eye could see...where he had ridden horses until it was dark outside...never wanting to get off.

He was never going to see Tyler again either. Or so it seemed right now.

Tyler...his best friend.

"Dude...hey Hunter! Snap out of it!"

Tyler was right at his side the very moment that Hunter's legs seemed to collapse from underneath him. He had been way too calm...way to collected about all of this, and whereas Lacey had gotten most of her anger and issues with the move out ever since it became public knowledge...he hadn't.

For the sake of his parents and what he thought he needed to do to COPE...he had kept it all bottled in only for it to come out now of all times...literally mere hours before they were to leave the Karoo for good...all now exploded out of his system much like lava straight from Krakatoa.

"Hunter...come on...don't you dare fucking faint here on me now, okay? Hey...you're strong! You're a fighter! You ain't a God damn pussy like those city folk, are you? So why the hell are you scared of them? Hey...look at me!" Tyler pleaded, and Hunter shook with shock the very moment that he felt Tyler's fingers surrounding his face, forcing the boy to actually LOOK at him, good and proper.

"I...I can't leave...I just can't..."

Tyler closed his eyes...he had never seen nor heard Hunter like this, ever before.

"Dude...listen to me. Okay? Are you actually listening?"

Hunter forced himself to take huge...big breaths. Mountains and globs of fresh air filled his young teenaged lungs as he forced himself to calm down and listen to the voice and the tones of his best friend in the whole wide world.

Eventually, the blurring stopped...the shaking started to slow down...eventually the taste and smells returned to his being...he looked at Tyler as if he was now only seeing him...for the first time tonight.

Tyler licked his lips.

"This isn't goodbye, okay? This ain't going to be the end of us, you hear? We are always going to be friends...we are gonna be best buds for life, bro! This is only...shall we say...see you later, right?"

Hunter nodded, not because he agreed, he knew the score, but because he didn't wanna make this more difficult for either of them...before he sighed and started to breath normally.

"I just...I dunno what happened...I thought I was strong...I thought I was better than this...fucking hell man, Tyler...if my dad knew I just had a fucking panic attack over all of this, he will ROAST me!" he whispered.

Tyler rolled his eyes.

"You are not a fucking robot...you are a God damn human being! You are the best fucking dude I know! You are the most b...I mean..."

Tyler suddenly stopped talking. It was like he didn't know what the hell to even say, anymore.

Hunter frowned, just a tad.

Tyler's eyes were all over the place...his hands were bawled into fists as he swallowed and swallowed...over and over...as if he himself was now out of much-needed breath.

Their eyes met.

Hunter saw a rawness...a certain vulnerability inside the eyes of his best friend that he never knew was there. On the soccer pitch, Tyler was fearless. He wasn't afraid of anyone or anything. That's how Hunter has always known him to be.

But right now...that facade was all shot to literal shit.

Tyler licked his lips...before he closed his eyes.

"Fuck this..." he whispered...

...before he leaned forward...

...and solemnly placed his lips onto those belonging to Hunter.

For a few seconds or so, Hunter didn't move...he didn't even think...and somehow it felt like he was forgetting to even breathe.

It was a kiss...and a damn good kiss at that.

But then he realised just where he was...and just who he was doing this with.

He PUSHED Tyler from his person as quick as he could, scurrying away with all the speed that his legs was able to give him towards the opposite side of the barn. He stared at his best friend with his eyes wide and white and total bloodshed...

...never in his life had he even THOUGHT about what kissing another dude would be like.

NEVER.

Tyler stood aside completely statuesque...before he sighed and placed both of his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Please...don't hate me. I wanted to do that for ever...and now you're leaving so I just thought...clearly, I was wrong..." he whispered, before he wiped away a stray tear from his eyes, and ran out of the barn as fast as he could.

Hunter closed his eyes and opened them up REALLY fast...as if doing so would make all that happened in the last few minutes, simply go away.

Of course it didn't. Of course, it wouldn't.

What the actual living fuck?

His best friend in the entire world has just KISSED him! Another boy has JUST kissed him!

He reached out, and slowly touched his lips, where Tyler's was just a few minutes ago.

Jesus.

His heart was beating so fast right now. It literally wouldn't stop.

Tomorrow, they were moving away from all of this...for good.

Perhaps it was just as well.

He honestly didn't know how the hell he would ever be able to look Tyler in the eye ever again, after tonight.

**

"Home sweet home!" Christine jubilantly cried out as they finally round the corner of the street and pulled into the driveway of their brand-new home.

Lacey took one look at the new place, before she rolled her eyes and slumped against her seat in the car.

"OH...MY...GOD! It's twice as small as our old house! What the hell, Dad? What shit slum house did you buy for us? Are we really living here now? This is a JOKE right?" she shouted for all the world to hear.

Hunter gave his older sister a massive shove straight into her ribs for her trouble, causing Lacey to double over in pain, before Victor cleared his throat.

"Both of you, listen to me and you listen good. Let's get something straight right here and now...I had to buy a smaller house than the one that you are used to, because we still have to LIVE and BUY stuff! Neither your mom nor I have a job right now, so we have to live of our money that was paid out from the farm sale for now until we CAN find something around here. Meanwhile both of you have to go to school too, if you have forgotten! So sorry if I made an executive decision and got us something economic for the immediate future!" he thundered out before he angrily clicked his tongue and parked the car in the driveway.

Whilst Lacey continued to sulk her ass off, Hunter looked at their new house with increased curiosity. Sure, it wasn't as huge as the one in the Karoo, but it wasn't exactly a SLUM either, like Lacey had deemed to call it.

It was a modest double story home, completely fit for a family of four to live in. He dared to look over towards Lacey...she was still on her phone listen to music as he did so, his sister refusing to even acknowledge that her brother exists.

"Hunter, what do you think, son?" Victor asked as they all got out and finally had a chance to stretch their legs after the long ass drive from the airport.

They had all gotten up at the crack of dawn this morning to catch their flight, before landing at Cape Town International Airport, and making the drive all the way to the West Coast from there. Besides stopping at a Spur Restaurant for lunch, they were all hungry as fuck to be honest.

Hunter smiled lovingly at his father and placed his arm around his shoulder.

"I think it's pretty damn terrific, Dad!" he smiled, eliciting an appetitive pat around his waist from Victor.

"I think it's the pits..." Lacey murmured before Christine crossed her arms and silenced her with ONE look of her sharp, motherly eyes.

It would take literal days for everything to get unpacked but what was now needed, was to make sure that all of them had a bed to sleep in that night.

Christine took the initiative to register them on the local Uber Eats app and ordered a couple of pizzas for dinner, and Victor and Hunter made sure that the TV was alive and kicking so that it felt more like home, for what it was worth.

The doorbell rang a little later after they had eaten, and Hunter sighed as Victor signalled at him to open the door, as Lacey shoved a middle finger in her brother's direction when he dared to even look at her. He stood up and made sure he looked somewhat respectable, before he opened the door.

"Oh...hey...sorry if I'm bothering you guys...my mom just kinda sent me over here with this..." came the incessant reply from a very handsome boy that Hunter very much hoped was his own age. Lord knows he was nervous as hell in making new friends around here already.

The boy looked up at Hunter and shoved what was in his hands, towards him, and Hunter had to act fast to stop the freshly made peppermint crisp pie to fall to the floor.

"Thanks, I guess. You live around these here parts too?" he then asked.

WHAT...THE...FUCK...of course he had to live here, you idiot...he berated himself, and closed his eyes in total embarrassment the very moment that he finished his sentence.

The boy stared at Hunter for a few seconds in sheer disbelief, before he smiled and snickered at the latter.

"I know, I know...sorry dude, it was out before I could stop myself...I'm really tired...we literally JUST moved in today," Hunter tried to explain but the boy held up his hand, stating that it wasn't necessary.

"Hey man, we have all been there. Me and my parents moved in here just like...three years ago, so I know the feels. I'm Jackson Kennedy...and I live literally just across the road from you guys. See...that house with the huge chimney..."

"Dude, I fucking know what `across the street' means, I ain't THAT tired!" Hunter giggled and Jackson shook his head, reaching out his hand towards Hunter.

"Good to meet you, man. My dad told me that we were finally getting some new neighbours around here. Your house had been standing around here empty for fucking months now. Just so you know...the backroom window is always giving trouble and me and my girlfriend Sasha used to sneak in here to have sex before now, so you fucking OWE me BIG TIME!" Jackson hissed, before he giggled once more.

Hunter's face turned beet red at once.

"Please tell me you're joking..." he started to say, but Jackson just shook his head.

"Nope, afraid not, brother! Right there...inside...at the back of the yard. I guess you're gonna use it for doing the laundry? But yeah...you totally took away our freedom to fuck whenever we want right now!"

Poor Hunter, not quite knowing what to say to this modern ass city boy, had Jackson in stitches.

"Fucking hell, man, I'M KIDDING! The sex part is true, but you don't owe me anything. Me and Sasha will eventually find some place else. Your accent...where the hell are you guys even from?" he then asked.

Hunter rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his brown hair.

"The Karoo. We have lived there all our lives, before now. The drought was way too bad...it destroyed the land and shit...we had no choice but to sell up and move to someplace where my parents could just relax."

"You have brothers or sisters?"

"A sister. Her name is Lacey. Be warned...she ain't very happy that we moved here."

Jackson smiled and looked over his shoulder towards his own house.

"Okay...well, maybe I'll see you around. I don't wanna miss the big game later and I still have to shower...you're not into soccer by any chance, are you?"

Hunter positively beamed.

"Are you kidding, dude? I played soccer for my school's team back home! I'm a striker by nature."

Jackson's smile got even bigger.

"Manchester United supporter?"

Hunter smirked.

"Glory Glory Man United all the way, brother!" he emphatically answered.

Jackson held out a fist towards Hunter and the two boys confirmed their newfound friendship with a solid bump of their knuckles.

"I take it you're going to the same school as I am right? Freedom High?" he asked.

Hunter nodded.

"I remember my mom saying along the lines that sounded like what you're talking about. Sorry...I'm just...coming all this way to the West Coast...I'm literally out of the Karoo for the first time in my life, man. Riding up here, I literally saw places and restaurants and shit that I have only seen on the TV before. I was so nervous in being the new kid at school and everything...at least I know can relax for tomorrow, right?"

Jackson nodded and patted Hunter on the shoulder.

"Sure, you can! Tell you what...ask your parents if you can ride with me to school tomorrow. Don't worry, my mom takes me before he has to work, I don't drive myself, so your parents can totally relax and shit. Oh...I forgot about your sister. She's gonna wanna ride with us too, I guess?"

Hunter snorted.

"Not if I can help it..." he mumbled, before Jackson waved and run back across the road to his own home.

It literally felt as if a WEIGHT had been lifted from Hunter's shoulders.

At least he already had one new friend around here, and that was more than he had hoped for at this stage.

He only hoped that the other kids at Freedom High were as awesome as Jackson appeared to be.

**

"WHY DOES HE HAVE A LIFT TO SCHOOL AND I HAVE TO WALK!? URGH!"

Lacey slammed her orange juice on the table with such a velocity that the corn flakes inside Hunter's cereal bowl nearly scattered onto his school uniform.

"Jesus, Lace! Calm the fuck down!" he hissed at his sister, but she was having none of it.

"When did you meet this guy anyway? How do you know he's not a fucking serial killer? We're not in the Karoo now where everyone just KNEW everyone, or have you forgotten that?" she yelled.

"Hey! Stop this now, both of you! I can hear you all the way from upstairs! What must the neighbours think of us? Hardly moved in and they're already at each other's throats?" Christine announced as she finally made her way from her bedroom, already dressed and ready to take on the new day in this whole adventure.

"Where's Dad? I haven't seen him this morning?" Hunter asked, more hoping to change the subject than anything else.

Christine took a bite of her buttered toast, swallowing before answering.

"He got a call this morning for a possible work placement that he had required about before we left the Karoo. Hopefully they will have something for him, fingers crossed," she said before turning to her daughter.

"And why are you looking like you've just had Christmas cancelled?" Christine demanded.

Lacey crossed her arms, fires dancing around in her eyes.

"Mister Hunter here has a lift to school, and I have to fucking walk, that's what the problem is!" she muttered.

Christine smiled and placed a freshly squeezed juice in front of Lacey.

"Lacey, I know about that, Hunter told me last night, and I phoned Jackson's mother to make sure everything was above board early this morning. And just who told you that you have to walk to school? I will be taking you. I gave your father money for an Uber. Problem solved!" she said happily.

"Leave it Mom...she's just jealous that I have already made a friend around here and she hasn't," Hunter replied dryly.

"I'm going to KILL YOU!" Lacey exclaimed.

"But Lace...if you kill me now, how the hell would you ever survive without me...?"

"MOM!"

Christine sighed, before she grabbed the juice meant for Lacey and downed it all in one go.

"How I wish this was vodka right now..." she muttered, silencing both of her children in one smooth swoop.

**

"Thanks for the ride, Mrs...uhm...I don't remember what your last name is..."

Both Jackson and his mother struggled to keep their giggles in check...poor Hunter was clearly as nervous as a stripper on a Sunday on having attend a brand-new school for the first time.

"Hunter, my boy, you crack me up...you can call me Aunt Yvonne, okay? All Jackson's friends do. You boys have a great first day and Hunter...don't worry. It's only going to be weird today perhaps, and then it will be like riding a bicycle. See you boys after school, okay? And tell your sister that she's more than welcome to ride with us!"

"Mom, you're totally embarrassing him and ME now!" Jackson hissed at his mother, who simply swatted his concerns away like her own son was nothing more than a literal moth to a flame.

To make matters worse, Yvonne just stuck out her tongue at her son, before she put a pair of sunglasses on and waved them off, before she drove out of the parking lot.

"Your mom is so fucking cool..." Hunter laughed.

Jackson made a gesture like he was about to barf.

"Never say that to be again whilst I'm sober, dude..." he replied, before he placed an arm around Hunter's shoulders.

"My friend...welcome to Freedom High! It totally SUCKS...but you're gonna love it!"

As it turns out both Jackson and Hunter had the same classes in the first part of the morning.

Jackson wanted to double over in sheer laughter at the start of every class, where each teacher basically forced poor Hunter to introduce himself to his fellow peers over and over, so much so that he shoved Jackson playfully when their final class before recess ended.

"You're going to be doing that ALL day, buddy!" Jackson smirked at him before signalling Hunter to follow him outside.

As they walked towards the fishpond in the middle of the playground, Hunter caught sight of Lacey for a couple of seconds, and it totally seemed as if she too, had been worried over absolutely nothing...already chatting the shit away with some girls and a few of the older guys.

He made a mental note to ask her later on if she was okay, but right now, he came to a standstill the moment when Jackson did.

"Hey Jay Boy, was wondering what took you so long," one of the boys gathered around the fishpond said as he downed a bottle of water, sticking out his fist for Jackson to bump his own against.

"Who's this?" another boy asked, pointing towards Hunter as he too greeted Jackson.

Jackson made a point of fist bumping everyone around him before he once more, placed his arm around Hunter.

"Sorry guys, I was showing Hunter here around his new school. He just moved here in the house across from mine. Hunter, this is my posse, my very best buds in the whole world, and all of them are also of my teammates on the soccer team. If you really wanna join us, you better get to fucking know them," he smirked, before he playfully shoved Hunter towards the water in the fishpond.

"Careful! Jesus, you don't wanna end up in there as a first impression! Great to meet you, and welcome...I'm Corey," the boy who called Jackson "Jay Boy" immediately said, offering a fist bump to Hunter, which he nervously returned.

"Sup, man! I'm Nugget!" said the boy next to Hunter in solid greeting.

Jackson rolled his eyes.

"Please! Tell it like it is...BERNARD!" he taunted the boy, who lovingly shoved a middle finger towards Jackson.

"Fuck you, tranny! And you too, new boy...unless you call me Nugget, then we can totally be besties," he giggled and walked back to the spot where he sat before Jackson and Hunter had joined them.

Two more boys introduced themselves to Hunter, before Jackson looked around, obviously in search of someone or something.

"Wasn't Alex supposed to be here by now? Did he get stuck in Drama club or what?" he asked.

"Probably giving Mr Gordon a blowjob as we speak..." Nugget snickered.

Hunter frowned...to his ears, what they were saying, made absolutely no sense.

"Nugget, that one is so old, I forgot to laugh," Jackson said sarcastically.

"What? We all know he has the hots for Mr Gordon, he said so himself!" Nugget defended himself and Corey nodded energetically.

"Totes. And anyway, he's going to be proud as hell that we think he has the guts to actually DO that," he smirked.

Jackson sighed and shook his head over at Hunter.

"Forgive them, they haven't had their doggie treats this morning..."

"Watch it, fucker!"

"Whatever, Nugget. Look Hunter, it really shouldn't be an issue, but since you're from the country and all, and people there see things different than here in the city, there is something that you might wanna know about Alex...that's the other striker on our team and if you get in, you two are going to probably form a partnership to score goals...but you see, what you don't know about Alex is he's..."

"Do I hear my name? Jackson, I swear, if you're going to abuse it, abuse it to my face!"

Hunter turned around and saw another boy walking towards them.

He had long blond hair which he carried around in a ponytail...something that you would NEVER see happening in the Klein Karoo. There the boys were forced to get their hair cut the MINUTE it reached the collars of their school shirts.

His caramel-coloured eyes were sparkling as he walked up to them and just like the rest of the team, fist bumped each and every boy, until he turned around and laid eyes on Hunter himself.

"Fucking hell...did I die and go to heaven?" he whispered, before he openly appeared to be checking out Hunter...who didn't know where he was coming or going.

Jackson cleared his throat emphatically.

"Jesus, Alex, let's not scare the dude off on his fucking first day. We're used to you by now, but he's not!" he muttered, before he turned to Hunter.

"As I was saying, this is Alex Cartwright. Alex, this is Hunter Vallance. He just moved here from the Karoo."

Alex pumped his ripped chest upwards and proceeded to completely change his stance, looking at Hunter as menacingly as he could.

"The Karoo? I fucking love a country boy..." he said as threatening as he could, before the other boys around them burst into solid laughter.

"What the hell? Guys? Hunter, I might be as gay as a fucking Pride parade, but I can take any of these idiots, any day of the fucking week and they KNOW it. Just in case you thought I was just your usual gay boy, waiting for some ass," Alex proceeded to say, before Jackson reigned him in.

"Okay, Alex that's enough. You might wanna get to know each other because Hunter is going to replace Chris on the team, if I have anything to say about that, right, Hunter?" he asked.

Hunter was stunned...he literally couldn't speak.

Not even...two days ago...he was confronted by his best friend kissing him in their old barn...another BOY...putting his lips on his own and KISSING him...

...and now this?

What...these dudes...they just seemed to ACCEPT Alex without question?

If this happened back in the Karoo...I mean if there was even a SNIFF that any of the boys were not completely straight, they would have been abused and bullied towards an inch of their sanity! That's just...how it always was!

None of the kids around even seemed to be bothered with Alex's antics...if anything it seemed like Alex Cartwright was...could it be...POPULAR?

He took a good long look at the boy...sixteen years of age, just like all of them were.

A few stray hairs had already come out of Alex's ponytail and was straying around in the brisk bout of wind that was going around. His arms were strong...his biceps were muscular and tanned. His chest looked absolutely ripped for a kid his age. His legs were typical those of an aspiring soccer player...like tree trunks...strong and powerful.

Overall, his physique was probably better than that of Hunter himself.

Something which he couldn't understand, even if you paid him.

Gay boys weren't supposed to look like...well...this?

Were they?

Weren't gay dudes supposed to be all...girly and feminine and shit like that?

Alex was the total opposite of EVERYTHING he thought being gay was!

"Yo...anyone home?"

Hunter forced himself to return to the present...and he looked down...and saw that Alex had stretched out a hand towards him.

Not a fist...a hand. For a handshake.

Slowly, as if he was seeing it in a film of black noir, he raised his hand in total unison for a greeting...but a few seconds before his hand could touch that of Alex...

...the image and the FEELING of Tyler's lips on his own flooded his senses once more.

How it was wrong...so wrong...how he had been brought up by his father NEVER to give gay people the time of day...how hurt he was that Tyler was so obviously into dudes and that he had been LYING to his best friend for years and had only kissed Hunter because he was moving away...

...before his hand could touch Alex's, he angrily pulled it away and stared at Alex in sheer disgust.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted in sheer agony, before he grabbed his bag and ran out of the school playground as fast as his legs could carry him.

**

THANKS FOR READING!

Only the first chapter, and it has now set the scene for more. I purposely wrote the character of Alex as the opposite of what a "gay boy" usually is, as to confuse Hunter even more with his sexuality.

A plain and simple country boy, who had never been exposed to these sorts of things, now forced to face what he truly feels.

I hoped you enjoyed it, and I REALLY hope you want more.

Message me! I'm always up for a chat!

liciousryan@gmail.com