Ezra was simply too in love to hide it anymore. He needed to tell people. Lately, all he wanted to talk about was Adrian, but the only people he could speak to about this topic were Adrian himself, and Spencer. Adrian found Ezra's happiness cute, but Spencer was slowly getting more and more annoyed with it, and Ezra realized that if this relationship was to continue, which it most definitely was, he needed to tell the rest of his team.

But first, he needed to tell Adrian that he was ready for this, and he always did after school, he found Adrian in the bandroom.

Benson, that was the name of the band teacher, he had learned at the beginning of this week, looked up at him when he entered and then gestured to Adrian's usual practice room. Ezra glanced to the one that they had se- made love in that one time and watched the black haired boy play piano for a moment.

Adrian opened the door as he got to it. "Hey, Ez," he greeted and Ezra smiled at him softly, looking him up and down. Today in language arts, Adrian had arrived to class late, and with their relationship still being a secret Ezra couldn't exactly just turn around randomly and smile. That would be making it obvious. Adrian had left the room as soon as the bell rang too, and had been absent for lunch, so this was the first time that he had seen him all day.

The clip in Adrian's hair matched his gold shirt, and he was wearing tight black pants that had Ezra's mind running wild. "Where have you been all day, stranger?" he asked, sliding his arms around the smaller waist and gently nudging him back into the practice room and closing the door.

It was Thursday so three days since he had been officially introduced to the band teacher, but he still felt weird with the man over hearing all of their conversations, even the ones that weren't private.

Adrian looked a bit sad and Ezra cupped his face. "Well my mother refused to give me a ride so I had to walk to school, so I was late," that explained first hour, "even though I was supposed to get here early to talk to Ms. Baker so I had to rush out of first hour today," and that explained where he had gone directly afterwards.

"And lunch?" he wasn't trying to pry, he was merely curious. He wanted to know anything and everything there was to know about Adrian.

"It's thursday, Ezra. I'm in here every thursday for lunch". Ezra groaned. He had already knew this and was annoyed with himself for forgetting.

"I'm sorry, babe," he said sincerely, pressing his forehead against Adrian's. "Look at me, forgetting all this stuff already. I'm a horrible boyfriend". He pouted and Adrian giggled, leaning forwards and sexilly brighting his lower lip.

"You are not," he refuted and Ezra grinned. I love you, he wanted to say, but he was going to wait until the team knew about their relationship. That reminded him...

"Hey, babe, guess what I'm going to do tonight?" Ezra asked and Adrian's eyebrows raised a bit and he looked confused.

"Play soccer?"

"Well besides that".

"Masturbate?" Adrian giggled as he said the word and Ezra scoffed but couldn't hide his smile.

"No, besides that". Adrian bit his lower lip and looked at him expectantly. "I'm going to tell everyone about us". He paused, "if that's okay with you," he added quickly. Adrian looked shocked at his words.

"It is... okay with me," the Sophomore said, his eyes running up and down Ezra's face, studying him carefully. "Ez, you really don't have to do that". Adrian had taken to calling him Ez more often and Ezra was beginning to love it, though it had always annoyed him when Spencer had done it.

"I want to, Adri. I..." love you came to his mind again but he wasn't going to do it, "I'm so happy with you, and I'm serious about our relationship. I want them to know about us". He spoke with passion and Adrian's eyes lit up at the sound. Without warning, he pushed himself up onto his toes and kissed Ezra fiercely, taking his breath away.

Before anything more than that could happen, there was a knock at the door. For a horrible second, Ezra thought they had been caught by the band teacher and he was going to tell Ezra that he wasn't allowed in his room anymore. Instead, he was very surprised when he noticed it was Spencer, not Benson who pushed the door open. "Stop making out," Spencer demanded, though they had already. To prove this they both took a step away from each other, putting distance between them."Hi cupcake," Spencer addressed Adrian with this, and then his eyes went to Ezra. "I thought I'd find you here. You're going to be late for practice". Ezra knew he was right and groaned, turning to his boyfriend.

"I need to go," he said, "but I'll come over tonight afterwards, yeah?" Adrian's cheeks flushed and he nodded at him. "Alright Spence". As soon as his best friend began walking away, Ezra quickly cupped Adrian's face once more and kissed him quickly. "You look very cute today, bumblebee," he got out before Spencer interrupted them once more.

"Jesus, you guys. You literally spend eighty five percent of your time having sex. Can you really not keep your hands off each other?" Spencer came back to the room, grasping Ezra's wrist and pulling him away.

Surprisingly, Benson laughed at this statement.

When they were alone, outside of the bandroom, Spencer asked, "after what?"

"Huh?" Ezra asked in confusion, shaking his wrist out of Spencer's tight grasp and falling into pace with him.

"You said you'd go over to cupcake's house afterwards". Spencer, for some annoying reason, insisted on referring to Adrian as cupcake, and it was beginning to become very bothersome to Ezra."After what?"

"Oh," Ezra said, grinning when Spencer looked over at him, awaiting an answer. "I'm going to tell the boys after practice tonight".

"Really?" Spence asked, and he didn't sound very enthusiastic so Ezra's smile dropped a bit. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that, I just meant, well, why now?"

"Because I'm in love with him and I want to tell him but how can you tell someone that you love them when you've yet to tell your friends about them?" Ezra asked. "I'm not ashamed of our relationship. There's no reason that I shouldn't tell them". For some reason, Spencer looked extremely guilty for half a second before his face went blank. Ezra bumped his shoulder against his best friends. "Beside," he began, "Once I tell them, you won't have to listen to me talk about him as much".

"Now that's a plan I can get behind," Spencer said and they pushed open the door and stepped out into the cool-ish air of the Florida winter.

***

"We'll meet you there man?" James, one of the forwards asked and Ezra nodded at him. He had asked the entire team if they wanted to go get something to eat, a team bonding, he had called it. A few boys were busy and already had plans, but Ezra would make sure they were filled in later. Now the nerves really hit.

Ezra climbed into the passenger seat of Spencer's car, glancing back as all of the underclass men members of their team, who were still too young to drive, slid into the back seat and began talking loudly amongst themselves. It was annoying to Ezra, their childishness and immaturity, and Spencer reminded him one thing quietly in the front seat. "Two of them are the same age as the boy you fuck every night". Ezra glanced at the two sophomores, his eyes slipping over the freshman between them, and then he shrugged, facing the front and relaxing in his seat. "How you doing?"

"I'm okay," Ezra said, ore more accurately, tried to say since his voice cracked horribly and Spencer chuckled at him.

"Whatever happens man, It'll be okay".

Ezra really hoped so.

At the diner, they all sat at their regular table, which was actually five or six long tables pressed together, and they all ordered the same things they always did. As always, Ezra sat at the head of the table with Spencer to his right and Francis to his left.

Ezra wanted to wait until everyone was done eating before he told them, but by the time his nervousness was noticed, (by Francis, but the boy felt the need to point it out to everyone else, too) only half of the team was finished eating.

"Come on, man. Tell us what's going on with you," Francis prompted, kicking Ezra under the table and he immediately regretted sitting next to him.

"I bet it's a girl," Seb, a little freshman, said from all the way down on the other end of the table where they made the under classmen sit. The entire table was quiet for a moment as everyone considered this.

"It is, isn't it?!" Landon asked from two seats down, sitting on the opposite side of Spencer that Ezra was. "You've been super happy lately, everyone's noticed it".

"I'll be damned," Francis said, punching his arm and Ezra winced, scooting his chair closer to Spencer's and gripping onto his arm under the table. Spencer looked startled by this, and quickly glanced at Ezra, asking him with his eyes if he was okay, and Ezra responding back by his nails biting into the skin of his best friend's arm. Spencer winced in pain but didn't say anything. "Who is it, mate?"

Ezra's fingers tightened and Spencer's face went white. "Jesus man, just tell them," he snapped and Ezra's lips moved on their own accord.

"It's Adrian Vang," he spat out, and then inhaled sharply. All of their faces were frozen for a moment as they processed his words, and Ezra felt a weight lifted from finally saying it out loud. "I'm in love with Adrian Vang".

It was dead silent, and no one seemed to know how to react to this. The first person to speak up and say something would be the one to set the mood. Landon's mouth opened and Ezra leaned forward in his seat, "Well congra-"

"What the fuck?" Francis yelled, springing up from his seat and Ezra tilted his head back, closing his eyes. So close.

"What?" Spencer suddenly snapped, and when Ezra looked at his best friend he was glaring at the boy directly across from him."Do you have a problem?"

"Do I have a problem?" he hissed, and everyone at the table was looking at him, except for Ezra, who was looking at everyone else. "Fuck yeah, I have a problem. Ezra's fucking that fag-"

"Do not!" Ezra yelled suddenly, jumping to his feet and he had never been so happy that he was the tallest on the team before.

Francis laughed cruelly, unintimidated. "Are you fucking serious Ezra? This isn't a joke?" Francis was angrier than Ezra had ever seen him. "This isn't you, Ezra?"

How could he say that to him? How could it not be him when Ezra felt most like himself when he was around Adrian.

"I love him," Ezra said, but it was weak and he dropped down into his chair.

"You love him," Francis growled. "I can't believe this, Ezra. I will not tolerate fa-"

"Francis," Landon said quietly and Francis shook his head.

"No". He looked down at Ezra. "If you don't fix this, I'll be talking to coach. I'm to about to let a fag lead our team". He spat the word and Ezra winced.

"You son of a-" Spencer began, but Francis was already leaving, glaring at all of the other boys, threatening them if they didn't follow him. It was unsurprising to Ezra when most of them left. When there were only two people left sitting at the table, Landon and Ezra, Spencer dropped down into his chair. "Hey, Ez". Ezra's hands were over his face and he was too afraid to look up. "It's going to be okay".

He dropped his hands. "Yeah, thank's Spence". His eyes shifted to Landon, who smiled weakly at him.

"They just need time, Ezra. I'm sure they'll come around". He stood then and Spencer directed his glare onto him.

"Where the fuck are you going?" Spencer snapped and Landon looked down.

"I need to leave". And he did.

"It'll be fine man," Spencer assured as they left the diner and Ezra kep his head down. Because Spencer was Spencer, and he just couldn't let anything go, he just had to say it again as Ezra was climbing out of his car back in the school parking lot. "It's going to be okay, Ez". Ezra simply looked at his best friend before slamming the car door shut between them.

Ezra didn't feel okay.