Nothing. Nothing. Nick went through all the channels again, sighing. There was never anything on late at night. That sucked because after a concert, he liked to kick back and watch TV to relax. Yet the past two nights, nothing had been on any of the channels, and as he tried to find an enjoyable show, he was bored.

He flipped the channel and saw a girl sitting on top of a guy. They looked to be rocking back and forth and were making noises like they were dying. Curious, Nick kept it on, wondering what kind of game the man and the woman were playing. He watched the show for a few minutes, until he heard someone knock on his door. "Come in," he called.

AJ walked in the room, holding one of Nick's jerseys. "Hey, man, I actually remembered to bring your jersey back," he greeted, walking over to Nick's suitcase.

"Thanks," Nick replied, still staring at the screen.

Seeing that Nick's eyes were set on the TV, AJ looked over at the TV and smiled in recognition. "Hey! Debbie Does Dallas! Mind if I sit and watch?" he asked.

Nick shook his head and AJ sat down on the bed, eagerly watching the screen. "Good choice," AJ commented approvingly. They sat in silence for a few moments. Nick suddenly noticed that the man and the woman were naked.

"AJ?"

"Ssh. This part is good."

Uncomfortably, Nick was quiet. AJ grinned at the TV, nodding his head eagerly. "Oh yeah, work it, Debbie. Ohhh yes," he said softly, his eyes glued to the TV.

"AJ? AJ? AJ?"

AJ knew that Nick would keep talking and talking, and AJ had fallen asleep last time Debbie Does Dallas was on. He wanted to see the end, so he decided to grace Nick with an answer.

"Yeah?"

"What are they doing?"

AJ snorted. Once again, Nick had proved just how blond, innocent, and stupid he really was. "They're fuckin," AJ answered.

"Oh." Nick sat there for a moment, and realized that he didn't know what "fuckin" meant. But he could see that AJ was really enjoying what they were watching, so he kept his mouth shut and just watched the TV.

The next morning, the Boys gathered in the hotel's dining room for breakfast. "I...don't...know...what...it....was...." Kevin was saying, eating his bacon. "But...there...was...nothing...on...the...television...last...night."

"I know. It was awful," Howie agreed.

"I found something," Nick piped in.

"Oh really? What channel?" Howie asked.

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "HBO. I don't know what it was called. There was a man and a woman and they were fucking," he answered, chomping on a piece of toast.

Kevin's and Howie's eyes widened, AJ laughed, and Brian, who had been taking a drink of his milk, literally spit it out and stared at Nick in shock and horror. "NICKOLAS!" he shrieked, reaching across the table and grabbing Nick's ear. Nick cried out in pain, but Brian stood up and started to drag Nick out of the dining room. "That is sinful and you must be punished!" he screamed.

The other three watched Brian drag Nick out of the room, then Kevin and Howie turned to AJ, knowing he had something to do with this. "I don't know jack shit," AJ announced.

"Watch...your...mouth..." Kevin scolded, returning to his breakfast.

Howie, too, returned to his breakfast. "I hope Nick's okay," he said. Kevin and AJ nodded in agreement, for they knew Brian's intolerance of sin.

"Pray! NOW!" Brian screeched at Nick, forcing the younger blond on his knees. They were in Brian's hotel room, and Nick was crouched next to the array of crosses and Jesus statues on the night table. Almost ready to cry, Nick tried to pray, but his tears got in the way. He didn't know what he had done wrong.

"Pray for forgiveness, Nick, for you have sinned terribly!" Brian yelled.

Even though he was crying, Nick managed to blurt out the prayer Brian had given him a few weeks ago. But Brian wasn't satisified, and insisted that Nick keep doing it.

By lunch, Kevin, AJ, and Howie were worried. Brian and Nick were still in Brian's room, Brian orchestrating Nick's plight for forgiveness. "I...think...this...is...enough..." Kevin finally announced, going over to Brian's room.

Eventually, Kevin was able to rescue Nick from Brian, and brought the young boy back to his bedroom.

"Thanks *sniffle* Kev," Nick thanked, sniffling and trying not to cry in front of Kevin.

"If...you...need...anything...just...let...me...know...the...others...and...I...are...going...to...have...a...meeting...in...my...room..." Kevin was saying.

A few minutes later, the other Boys were in Kevin's room, each anxious for the meeting to be over. Brian wanted to visit the local church and see about a confession for Nick, Howie wanted to go work out, and AJ wanted to go to the video store and rent the sequels to Debbie Does Dallas. However, Kevin was not nicknamed the Turtle for nothing, and it was indeed taking him forever to start the meeting. Finally, it got under way.

"Now...obviously...from...Nick's...statement...at...breakfast...today...he...is...becoming...aware...of...sex...and...everything...involved...with...it," Kevin began.

"KEVIN! The Lord can hear you!" Brian yelled angrily.

"Brian...I...am...your...cousin...and...as...the...oldest...here...I...take...charge...just...be...quiet...you..see?"

Brian pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, angrily muttering some sort of prayer under his breath.

"Now...as...the...oldest...I...think...it...is...my...duty...to...teach...him...about...sex..."

Upon hearing this, AJ began to laugh hysterically, wheezing along the way. "You? Teach him how to hit the booty?" he demanded.

"AJ!" Brian yelled.

AJ, used to Brian's constant reprimands, just ignored him and focused on Kevin. "Let me tell him about sex," he told Kevin.

"No...he...would...become...crazed...like...you...no...I...will...talk...to...Nick," Kevin decided firmly.

Later that day, Kevin entered Nick's bedroom with an armload of educational books. "Nick...where...are...you...?" he called out.

"Right here!" Nick answered from the balcony, where he sat reading a book (AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yeah, seems like a stretch, doesn't it?).

"Nick...come...in...here...I...need...to...talk...to...you..."

Nick obeyed Kevin's orders and walked into the room, sitting on the bed. "What about?" he asked.

"About...your...display...earlier...today...at...breakfast...now...Nick...first...of...all...some...people...view...sex...as...a...bad...thing..."

"Sex? What's that?"

Kevin sighed patiently. This was going to take a while. "Sex...is...another...word..for...fucking...it's...the...more...polite...term...for...it," he explained.

"Oh. Okay!" Nick said, his face brightening.

"Now...Nick...being...that...you...are...only...fifteen...and...because...I...am...the...oldest...in...the...group...it...is...my...job...to...talk...to...you...about...sex."

Nick, obviously not old enough (AUTHOR'S NOTE: or smart enough, whichever you prefer) to fully understand why this was such a big deal, just nodded his head and smiled. "Okay, Kevin!"

Kevin gave him a smile and cleared his throat. "Let's...begin..."

TO BE CONTINUED...


�2000 Eyes of Stone