Open Minds

My name’s Jackson. I live for Monday night. That’s open mic night.

I’m a guitarist, and I’m pretty good. Maybe too good to be playing at an open mic. But hey, it’s my community, y’know? I’ve been going there for years, only skipping the occasional week to go visit family or take a quick trip to Mexico.

I started playing at the mic when I was eighteen. Back then I really sucked at guitar, but it’s a supportive room and I met a bunch of friends who also kinda sucked.

Over the past five years we’ve gotten a lot better at music and a lot tighter with each other. Tyler, Sean, Eric, Hunter, and Will – I’d hate to lose these guys now. I’m twenty-three, and making friends is hard when you’re an adult.

I’ve got everything I need to make it big – I’m talented, I’ve got a great voice, I practice hard. I’ve even got a few groupies. Just girls who are into my generically handsome good looks. Unlike my buddies, I actually put a little effort into my clothes and hair – whatever gets the ladies, right?

All I need is my big break. Then it’s off to LA to record my album. That’ll hit triple platinum, no problem, especially after I do a world tour. Yeah... it’s a big dream, but I know it’s gonna happen.

Everything funky started last Monday night. I was in the back corner of the room, hanging out with my friends like usual. The room was at a dull roar and we were all starting to get drunk. I wasn’t gonna be on stage for at least an hour.

“Hey, Jackson, who’s that guy?” Eric asked, nudging me and pointing to the nervous looking dude taking the stage. He wasn’t anything special – just an unremarkable guy with an acoustic guitar – but new faces were always noticeable.

“Hey, everyone, shut up!” the host shouted loudly into the microphone. “This is Scott, and it’s his first time performing in front of an audience. Let’s keep it respectful and listen up.”

I gave the guy a look. After five years here, I’ve got a pretty good sense of who’s gonna be great and who’s gonna suck. Scott was somewhere in his late twenties, too chunky for his own good, and trying to cover it up with an irritatingly green hoodie.

“Uh, hey everyone,” he stuttered into the microphone. “Like the guy said, I’m Scott, and uh... I’ve never played guitar anywhere but my apartment before, so... uh... I wrote this song myself and it’s sort of about changing your attitude.”

“Great,” I whispered sardonically at my buddy Tyler. “Get ready for your ears to bleed.”

He rolled his eyes and gave me a sideways grin.

“I’m gonna grab a smoke,” I hissed, stepping out quietly. I mean, I get it – we all started somewhere. But it’s seriously annoying to hear first timers play. If he comes back next week, then I’ll listen, but way too many guys treat this mic like it’s for their bucket list.

I heard the first few notes as I walked out – it was some four chord pop bullshit.

It was cold outside so I hugged my jacket tight and lit up my smoke, walking around the block to try and stay warm. It only took me a few seconds to forget about Scott – I was too focussed on my set. I was thinking I’d do a Jason Isaacs cover, and then one of my originals.

By the time I got back, my man Will was out front, lighting up his own cigarette. He’s a tough looking guy – he keeps his head shaved clean and he dresses like a high school drug dealer.

“You missed out,” he said excitedly. “That Scott guy is fucking amazing.”

Will’s eyes were kind of wild. I wondered how many beers deep he was. Everyone’s got a friend like Will – he’s one of those guys who’s too cool for anything. Hearing him get stoked over some random was practically unheard of.

“Yeah?” I asked, just a little bit curious. “What’s he play? It sounded like pop garbage.”

“I mean... it’s really upbeat stuff,” Will confessed with a sheepish smile. “I get it, not normally my vibe, right? I was just gonna play some Fallout Boy during my set, but he really changed the feel of the room. I might have to play something a little catchier if I wanna keep up.”

I rolled my eyes and went inside. Two beers later I played my set, but I wasn’t really feeling it for the rest of the night. Except for me, everyone else was reaching into their back pockets and pulling out teeny-bopper shit they learned to play in high school.

It was almost one in the morning by the time I got home. One day I’ll do music full time, but for now I’ve got to wake up at five in the morning and haul my barely-sober ass over to a construction site.

Some nights there are just five or six people in the audience by the time we close the bar down. That Monday was different – people were buzzed and excited all night, and nobody wanted to leave. Some of the guys were even up on their feet and dancing.

It pissed me off. I was the only one who played anything with depth. Everyone else was just imitating Scott’s bullshit – pop music with generic lyrics about hooking up or going out. I paced my apartment and fumed, scarfing down a microwave burrito and wondering what made everyone like him so much.

I was gonna be the famous one.

--------------------

Tyler woke up before dawn. The skinny rocker usually hit the snooze button at eight o’clock, but on Tuesday morning he threw off the blankets at 6:45 and hopped out of bed. He scrunched the carpet between his toes and hummed a tune absently.

He felt energized after the open mic. Scott’s set was catchy. A real ear worm. Tyler glanced out the window at the early morning sky and grinned. It was gonna be a great day – he could feel it.

He kept humming as he scrubbed his teeth, making sure he gave them an extra good cleaning. Tyler didn’t feel good this often, particularly not after a night out drinking, and he couldn’t stop grinning. He spat into the sink and gave himself a good look.

“Huh,” he mumbled, running his hand through his scruffy beard. It seemed wrong – he’d worn a beard since he managed to grow one, but this morning... it was like he was seeing what he could become.

Tyler grabbed his beard trimmer and buzzed a thick line through his facial hair. Yeah, that was better. He made sure the trimmer was on its tightest setting and buzzed his face again. A few minutes later he was clean shaven for the first time in years.

He didn’t stop there. He couldn’t, not the way he felt. Tyler ran the beard trimmer over his torso, dropping big black clumps of hair into the sink. Soon his torso was bare, his body looking so much more defined and youthful without all that gross hair. A few more swipes and his bush was much shorter too – not gone completely, but definitely manscaped.

Tyler finished off by trimming his pits, then he scooped up a mound of hair from the sink and dropped it into the garbage can.

“Yeah...” he said, letting out a satisfied sigh. “That’s better.”

After a relaxing shower, Tyler dried his body and started fussing with his hair. He’d have to do something about that too. For the moment, he satisfied himself with using his fingers to comb it off to the side. He couldn’t believe he didn’t own a comb or a brush or anything.

He opened up his medicine cabinet. He reached past the Aspirin and grabbed a bottle. His last girlfriend had left her moisturizer. Her sunscreen. Her hairspray.

He wanted to look _good_.

--------------------

Will didn’t wake up until later on Tuesday, but Scott’s music was echoing through his head too. He stared up at the ceiling with unexpected happiness. After a few blissful moments of appreciation, he landed his feet on the floor and padded over to his guitar. He picked at the strings idly, replaying Scott’s song from the night before.

There was something hypnotic about the music. The way the notes ran through his mind made him feel funny. Carefree. He had the sense that he was agreeing with the music, though he didn’t understand what he was agreeing to do.

Finally he put down the guitar and started getting ready for work. Will worked as a chef at a catering company. He loved working in a kitchen – nobody made him dress fancy or be nice to customers. As he stared in the bathroom mirror, he rubbed his hand over his scalp and felt the prickle of a five o’clock shadow.

Maybe he’d look better with a little hair. It wouldn’t hurt to try it.

Maybe it was time to try something new...

--------------------

Hunter worked at an accounting office downtown. It was his kind of job – the kind of could do in a baseball cap and a company-supplied polo shirt. Some of his coworkers wore suits and ties everyday, hoping to get promoted to the client services area, but he was content to crunch numbers in a windowless office and strum his guitar after work.

It was Wednesday afternoon when he stopped by the mall to pick up a few skin care products and a little bit of hair wax. Scott’s music had been worming its way into his brain, prodding him into caring about his looks. For the first time in years he was out and about without a hat.

He was standing in a cosmetics store, picking out moisturizer and sunscreen from the tiny section dedicated towards men.

He zoned out to the music as the girl behind the counter rung up his purchases.

“This one is really great,” she said, holding up the tanning lotion. “I’m sure your girlfriend is going to love it.”

“Oh no,” he chuckled. “It’s for me.”

“We don’t really have tanning lotion for men...” the clerk said with confusion. “This is marked for women.”

“Yeah, but who cares?” Hunter laughed. “I mean, skin is skin, right? And mine’s gonna look awesome.”

“Yeah, I guess,” she said suspiciously, ringing him through anyway.

Hunter was on his way out of the mall when another store caught his eye. One of those trendy stores that was marketed at teens and young men. The mannequin in the window was wearing a pair of jeans that really showed off its plastic ass.

The music in his head flared up, drowning out his other thoughts.

“Yeah,” he said at nobody. “That’s what I want.”

Hunter found a pair of the jeans to try on, then he noticed a red flannel shirt on his way to the dressing room. He tried the whole outfit on, staring in the mirror. It was a big difference from the baggy polyester dress shirt and cheap khakis he normally wore to work. He couldn’t believe how good he looked – especially after he popped a couple buttons to show off his hairy chest.

He wore the outfit out of the store and bought a few extra plaid shirts while he was at it. He’d even picked up a pair of causal boots to complete the urban lumberjack look.

He ditched old clothes into the nearest trash can.

--------------------

The guys at Tyler’s work were teasing hm about his new look as he left the warehouse. His cleanshaven face and his newly trimmed hair were raising a lot of questions, especially after he got it bleached.

“What’s up Ty, you trying to turn heads with that jawline?” one of the warehouse guys laughed. “I know Mrs. Turner’s in charge of the company now, but I don’t think she’s into gay guys.”

“Hey, fuck off,” Tyler grinned. “So what, I look good. Nothing wrong with paying attention to my appearance.”

“What, looking like a roughneck’s too good for you?” another one of the guys teased.

“Yeah, whatever,” the first guy said, rolling his eyes at Tyler’s proud response.

The two men walked away from him, so Tyler turned and headed away. When he got to his car he stopped and stared at his reflection in the windshield.

He looked good – he couldn’t deny that, the music in his head wouldn’t let him. But the poorly fitted dress shirt and dusty black slacks he was wearing didn’t really match his new grooming. If he really wanted to take his looks to the next level, he’d have to buy some clothes that actually fit...

--------------------

Sean took his weekend on Tuesday and Wednesday. When he finally walked into work on Thursday morning his co-workers at the board game store were shocked.

After three years of growing out his hair, Sean has chopped it off overnight. His black mane was gone, and so was the bandanna he tied it back with. A red baseball cap was perched backwards on his head, transforming his vibe from greasy rocker to laid back bro.

“Uh... hey buddy,” Sabrina said, giving him a once over. “I don’t get it... you’re going to a costume party or something?”

“Huh?” Sean asked blankly. The music was loud in his head, pushing out the doubt and making everything okay. “Like the shirt? Nah, I just got it tailored – makes my biceps look sick, right?”

Sabrina glanced down at his clothes. Sure enough, the branded work shirt he wore was tightly fitted to make his chest and biceps stand out, tapering down to show off his tight waist. Below the belt, he’d swapped his baggy jeans for a pair of skintight khakis that strained against his ass.

“I meant the hair,” she said. “But yeah, you’re right, you’re weird all over.”

“Whatever,” Sean shrugged.

Though his coworkers kept teasing him through the day, it didn’t bother him. He just ignored them and listened to the music in his head. He looked fuckin’ great – and besides, all these losers wanted to fuck him anyway.

Sometime after lunch he got a text from Jackson: “hey man, tyler bailed on band practice today. u still good to get together? i wanna jam on some new stuff...”

Sean started to confirm, but the music jumped in volume and knocked his thoughts to the side. He deleted his message and wrote something new. “sorry bro,” he texted. "I gotta hit the gym!”

“WTF”, Jackson texted back. And then a second later: “u don’t work out!”

“Yeah, well... I do now bro!!!” Sean texted.

--------------------

Eric walked into his new gym. He’d just signed the membership contract and he couldn’t wait to start lifting. Some of the guys in the locker room had given him weird looks – maybe his shorts were a little short and his tanktop was a little neon, but that was just his style. Besides, between the clothes and his new Tiktok inspired haircut, he wanted guys to stare.

He glanced around the free weights and saw Sean across the room from him, busting his ass under the squat bar. His bro looked good – tight rugby shorts and a loose muscle tee, all topped off with a backwards ballcap. Eric was tempted to go over and say hello, but he didn’t want to risk breaking Sean’s flow.

Every time he hit the bottom of his squat, Sean was giving out a loud moan. Eric couldn’t wait to try it himself.

But right now the music was guiding him across the gym, pounding in his mind and leading him towards a set of benches near the dumbbell racks. Eric adjusted the bench and grabbed a couple of thirty pound weights – he almost couldn’t finish his first set of shoulder presses, but the melody pushed him through.

He thumped the weights down next to the bench and rested, watching the blood pump up his delts. Soon it wouldn’t just be a pump... the music was making him love the gym now. He was gonna get so big and sexy.

After a timed minute of rest, Sean hefted the weights again and started his second set. He couldn’t wait to finish the exercise – lat raises were next, and he already knew he’d love them.

--------------------

It was Friday night and Will was downloading Grindr. He’d heard about the app – usually as the punchline of some stupid gay joke. Now he was staring at a grid of photos and rubbing his cock through the rough fabric of his cargo shorts.

His profile was short. Just a couple bathroom selfies and the word “#gaymer”.

The music was pounding in his head, forcing his old thoughts away and making room for new ideas. These guys were all so sexy. He wanted to fuck them. The melody wove lustful patterns through his mind.

His eyes went wide with surprise and he stopped scrolling. Yes! Hunter had joined the app too! His profile pic showed the sexy otter in a tightly fit flannel with the top three buttons popped. Will licked his lips and tapped on the photo.

His cock only got harder as he swiped through Hunter’s profile. Hunter with his flannel unbuttoned rubbing his nipple. Hunter in a pair of black boxer briefs. Hunter with a perfectly framed selfie, showing the top of his bush without actually showing his dick.

Will found the chat icon and sent a message.

“hey hunter... dtf?”

A second later Hunter responded.

“Omw!!!”

It took about fifteen minutes for Hunter to get to Will’s apartment. A record.

Will opened the door and stared at his buddy. They hadn’t seen each other since Monday – Hunter had definitely upgraded his style. His baseball cap and baggy hoodie were gone. Now Hunter was dressed in a classic look – a white fitted v-neck and a pair of jeans that hugged his ass and squeezed his cock forward.

“Hey,” Will said dreamily, staring at his friend’s toned body.

“Hey yourself,” Hunter smirked.

Hunter let his eyes roam over Will’s relaxed style. Cargo shorts and a Nintendo hoodie, with a backwards Mario cap completing the look. In the past few days, Will had let his nerdy side out, and it was working for him.

“I want you to cum inside me,” Hunter said with urgent need, stepping inside the apartment. He kicked the door shut with his foot and kissed Will deeply, melting into the other mans arms.

Will moaned and kissed back forcefully. He slammed Hunter back against the door, hoping his neighbours heard it shake. Hunter just gasped and reached up to massage Will’s chest through his hoodie.

“I want you to ride my cock,” Will gasped, loving the feeling of his pecs being handled by another man. He’d been with women before – plenty of them – but this felt totally different. For the first time in his life Will felt another man handle him roughly. Nothing else would do.

Will’s hoodie got dropped in the hallway. Hunter’s shirt got peeled off before they reached the bedroom. The two men took a second and kicked off their pants before falling onto the bed.

“You’re hot, for a nerd,” Hunter teased, running his fingers along the waistband of Will’s Superman briefs.

“And you’re cocky for a bottom,” Will smirked, pawing at Hunter’s ass through his boxer briefs. “Gimme that hole.”

Soon the two men were naked. Will pulled a tube of lube from his nightstand and started fingering Hunter’s hole, getting him good and ready for his first fuck.

“You’re so tight...” Will said over and over. “My cock’s not gonna fit...”

“Fuck me...” Hunter begged under him. “Just demolish me...”

Will lubed up his cock and pushed gently inside.

“Relax,” he murmured, going slow. Hunter was wiggling him hips, trying to slide down Will’s pole faster. “Don’t force it,” Will said softly. “Just relax...”

The music in their minds started to blend together, creating a complex melody as Will’s cock eased into Hunter’s ass. After a few minutes of careful penetration, Hunter’s muscles started to loosen and Will suddenly felt himself slide inside.

“Ooooooh.....” Will moaned. Hunter gasped as Will’s cock hit him hard – he couldn’t believe how good he felt. A week ago, Hunter thought of himself as a ladies man. The moment Will hit his button, Hunter knew he was addicted.

“I’m gonna fuck you gently,” Will whispered in Hunter’s ear.

Hunter’s eyes were unfocussed and his thoughts were scattered, but he still managed to nod consent.

“Oh god...” he moaned as Will’s cock thrust into him. “Fuck me bro...”

Hunter didn’t leave until after breakfast.

--------------------

I got a group chat from Eric on Saturday afternoon.

“Hey hotties!” he texted. “I like... NEED to go dancing tonight. Who’s up to shake that ass??”

Someone had hacked his phone. It was the only answer. Eric served beers at a dive bar and played sadboy songs on acoustic guitar. No way Eric would ever text that.

“Oh my god YES!!!” Tyler texted back immediately.

“For sure bro, let’s gets some ass :)” Sean replied a minute later.

No way... had someone hacked them all?

“What’s up with u guys??” I texted the thread.

“Hunter and I are totally down,” Will texted. “Big announcement, we’re kinda a couple now!!”

“But like... open,” Hunter texted a second later. “We’re not monogamous or anything...”

“Are you pranking me?” I texted.

“Babe, relax,” Tyler texted me privately. “They’re just stoked. We all are. Life’s pretty great right now.”

“So... pre-drink at my place?” Eric texted the group chat. “Be there for eight, hit the club at ten?”

--------------------

I went to Eric’s – not cause I wanted to go out dancing, but because I needed to find out what kind of prank they were playing.

“Hey Jackson!” he gushed when he answered the door. He stepped forward to give me a hug dressed only in a pair of short shorts.

“Eric?! what the fuck are you wearing?!” I said, stepping back automatically.

“Oh relax,” he laughed. “This isn’t all I’m wearing! I’m gonna put on my harness before we go, but this is just like... for pre-gaming. Come on in!”

He turned, giving his ass a flirty little shake as he walked away.

I blinked in confusion. Whatever prank they were playing, it went beyond stupid text messages. Eric’s vibe had always been ‘dark and brooding’ – now he was a swishy club kid? I swallowed hard and thought about pod people.

That’s when I should have left. Gone downstairs, gotten in my car, driven until I ran out of gas.

Instead I followed Eric inside and my stomach clenched even more. My friends were all there – but it took me a minute to recognize them.

There was a skinny guy sitting in Eric’s overstuffed armchair. He was clean shaven – and he was wearing this white mesh t-shirt, so I knew the guy was hairless down to his waist. Maybe more, but a pair of tight white slacks covered his legs. I stared, trying to recognize him.

“Tyler?” I gasped. Why the fuck was his hair blond?

“Oh, hey Jackson!” the new Tyler cheered, jumping up and wrapping me in a big hug. “It’s so good to see you babe! It’s been like... forever!”

“What the fuck Ty,” I said. My jaw was hanging open. Tyler had always been a scruffy guy with the fashion taste of a homeless guy. Now he was dressed for a pride parade?

“You like it?” he grinned, popping a hip and pushing his ass towards me.

“I...”

“Hey Jackson!” Hunter said from behind. I spun around, looking for an ally, but instead I found a metrosexual lumberjack. Hunter wasn’t as dramatically different as Tyler – his baseball cap was gone and he was wearing clothes that were at least a size too small, but a flannel and jeans wasn’t too far out there. “You’re not dressed yet?”

“Leave him alone,” Will said, walking over and wrapping his arm around Hunter’s waist. “Looks like someone got left out!”

My formerly hardcore buddy had been replaced with another of the pod people. He was almost-naked, just like Eric, except Will’s terrycloth shorts were the orange-red colour you saw in old comic books. He was wearing a backwards cap with the Batman logo on it. It was a theme – when he turned around, the word “WHAM” was printed over his butt.

“Don’t worry about me...” I said nervously, starting to back towards the door. I was at my limit for weird. Whatever happened to my friends, I didn’t want it happening to me too. “You guys have fun tonight. I think I’m gonna head home and... uh, I gotta go.”

I turned and headed out the door, only to slam into a fucked up version of Sean.

“Hey bro,” he laughed, speaking an octave lower than normal. “You taking off? The parties just getting started!”

His long hair was cropped short and covered with a backwards red ball cap. A letterman jacket was hanging open over his bare chest. His eyes were dull and hungry, a far cry from the chill drummer I knew.

“Yeah, I gotta... I gotta go...” I stammered.

“Hey, look... bro, I get it,” he said with an exaggerated shrug. “Everything’s fucked up right now. It’s gonna be okay soon. Open mic on Monday?”

I swear I the first few notes of some forgotten melody, like a radio playing in the room next door. Where had I heard it before? At the open mic.

“Uh... yeah,” I stuttered. Sean was totally right... I’d see them all at the open mic. And everything was okay.

For some reason that felt better. Maybe we’d just go to the mic and everything would be normal and okay.

“Okay bro,” Sean grinned happily. “I’ll see you Monday.”

--------------------

I went on Monday. I couldn’t stay away. I had to find out what was going on with my friends.

They were all there when I arrived. Thank god, they weren’t dressed up to party like they’d been on Saturday. Tyler had ditched the mesh outfit and was wearing a pair of tight black jeans and a bold pink t-shirt. Sean was still dressed like a total bro – cargo pants and a racerback tank, but at least I couldn’t see his nipples.

The place got crowded. I started to realize that whatever had happened, it wasn’t just my friends. Most of the regulars were dressing and acting differently too.

Almost everyone had brought extra friends... I had the sinking feeling that whatever happened last week, it was gonna happen again. The pod people were recruiting.

But why hadn’t I changed? Whatever had happened... I must have been immune?

So it was up to me. I was the hero. I had to figure out how to reverse it.

--------------------

The hours slipped past and things almost started feeling like normal. Yeah, my buddies weren’t usually this bubbly and excited, but I could handle that. Will and Hunter were mostly keeping their hands to themselves – though I did see them sneaking the occasional kiss when they thought I wasn’t looking. Whatever happened to them... it was levelling out.

I didn’t connect the dots until Scott went up. I’m sure you’ve known this the whole time, but I’m not genre savvy like you.

“Hey guys,” he said nervously, taking a seat in front of the microphone again. “You were all super cool and encouraging last week, so I was thinking maybe I’d play another one of my songs for you.”

The room lost their fucking minds. Not me, and not any of the new people, but all the regulars started cheering and clapping and jumping up to dance.

What the actual fuck.

“I’m gonna grab a smoke,” I hissed softly at Tyler.

“Oh come on,” he groaned. “I swear, this guy’s really good.”

“It’s just not my style,” I shrugged. “I’m gonna go smoke.”

“Wait!” Tyler said, grabbing my forearm and trying to drag me back down. “I’ll go out with you after, let’s just listen to his first song.”

I shook him off and stood up. I recognized the first few notes – that teeny bopper bullshit just isn’t my style, even if it had been stuck in my head.

Tyler had a crazed look in his eyes.

“Goin’ somewhere bro?” Sean asked from behind me. He put his hands on my shoulders and pressed down. “Why don’t you stay right here and listen?”

Scott was playing the first verse. I heard it echo over the speakers, working its way deep into my mind. It was a total ear worm... damn, I hated songs that got stuck in your head.

“Yeah, my set’s next,” I protested. “I gotta go figure out my set.”

“Just relax,” Hunter said, adding his weight to my shoulders. My legs buckled and I found myself thumping down in my chair. The cheerful music from the speakers didn’t help. It was making me feel faint. “You’ll like it. I promise.”

My head was swimming. Scott was getting into the chorus and I couldn’t help but tap my toe to the catchy melody.

“That’s right,” Sean grinned. “You gotta open your mind bro. Let the music take you over...”

Something started to blur. I couldn’t... I didn’t... it was so good. Happy. Upbeat. This was like... such a good song. Time flew by. It was over already? I could have sat there forever.

“Alright, next up we’ve got Jackson,” the host said, reading off his list. “Jackson, get up here and play us some tunes.”

“Huh?” I said. Everything was spinning.

“It’s your turn babe,” Eric giggled. “Here’s your guitar.”

I stumbled up towards the stage, through the thick crowd. There were so many people here. So many guys. I felt happy.

“That was really great Scott,” I heard myself say. My voice sounded weird. Oh my god... I sounded like I was flirting. “I’m gonna play...”

I plugged in my guitar and started playing a song. My fingers found the strings automatically... some sadboy bullshit. None of it sounded right. I opened my mouth to sing the first line, but my voice cracked.

“Sorry...” I croaked into the microphone. I froze on stage for the first time in years. I looked out past the lights and saw a hundred people staring back, waiting for me to sing. It’s a good thing I’m pretty...

I caught sight of my buddies staring eagerly. They were all so fucking hot, weren’t they? And sexy. They were hot and sexy and happy and gay...

Just like me.

“Hey Jackson, are you okay?” the host asked, staring at me with concerned eyes.

“He’s good,” Scott said, climbing back onto the stage. “Here.”

He took the guitar from my hands and I stood up from the stool. He moved it all to the back of the stage and sat down. I was alone with the mic stand, waiting for him to play.

And he did. He played a bubblegum pop song, something light and airy and sweet. His last song was still bouncing around my head, and this one just trapped me even more. I couldn’t resist...

“I don’t have to be sad,” I sang. “I don’t have to be mad,

“I can look at the world, and it’s not that bad.

“I can look at my boys, I can look at my bros,

“I let loose a big grin, cause that’s how it goes.”

With each line that came out of nowhere, I felt the truth of my lyrics. It didn’t need to be sad and depressing in order to be deep. It was enough, just finding happiness and sharing it with the world.

The crowd was screaming as Scott picked up the beat. I pulled the mic free of the stand and moved the stand out of the way. It was just me and the words now, spotlighted and centre stage.

“I’m gonna be a popstar,” I sang. “I wanna fall so deeply in love.

“I wanna get real hard, I wanna thrust so deep from above.

“Some people say – bein’ gay makes you a sin.

“Everyone knows – they’re wrong, you’ll still fit in.

“Cause baby — I’ve got you for good.”

My body was moving to Scott’s rhythm and the audience loved me for it. Yeah, the lyrics were some first-class drivel, but I could feel the truth behind them. For the first time in my life, I could feel the audience hanging on every word.

They were up on their feet, moving and cheering and screaming along. I felt so good, I felt so happy... I just wanted to feel that way forever.

The room had stopped spinning when I stepped off the stage. My feet were firmly planted, and I knew I was on the right path. Scott’s music echoed through my head, rewriting my old habits and bringing new ones to the surface.

“Great set bro,” I heard a hot meathead say as I floated through the crowd.

“Thanks,” I grinned, bumping his outstretched fist.

Back at my table, my buddies started pounding me on the back and feeling up my tight ass. I loved the way their hands moved over my body, loving me and appreciating me. I squeezed Will on the shoulder and got lost for a second staring in Hunter’s eyes. Eric was giving me an approving nod from across the table, and Sean was losing his shit screaming my name. Finally Tyler leaned over and kissed me, square on the lips.

“You’re so sexy up there,” Tyler giggled. “Like... so fucking sexy.”

I leaned in and returned the kiss, hesitantly at first, but then again with more strength. It felt so good, fooling around with my friends. I let loose a big grin.

“You get it now,” Tyler smirked, raising an eyebrow as I stopped to catch my breath.

“Yeah,” I nodded. I kissed him again. And again.

Eventually someone tapped me on the shoulder. I broke off the kiss and turned to look.

“Hey,” Scott said, standing sheepishly behind me and looking at Tyler. “Mind if I borrow Jackson for a sec? I promise, I’ll get him right back.”

Tyler gave a thumbs up. Anything for Scott. I knew that now.

Scott walked me out from the bar and stood there while I fumbled for a smoke. I noticed he had his guitar with him, slung over his back like a sword. Weird guy. But wow... what a great musician!

“That was hot,” Scott said sheepishly. “The way you moved on stage. You’ve got it Jackson – the voice, the moves, the looks... you’re a natural frontman for my new band.”

“Your band?” I echoed, listening as well as I could. The music was still working its way through my mind and it was hard to focus on anything except being happy.

“Yeah, I’m putting together a boyband,” Scott nodded. “You wanna join up? We’ll get a few more guys, tour the country, get my music everywhere, y’know? From New York to LA, from Tampa to Buffalo, I want guys to hear the music.”

“And you want me to be part of it?” I asked happily. This was it. My big break!

“What do you say?” Scott asked. “I’ll write the tunes, you’ll be the pretty face?”

“Yeah,” I grinned. “I’m into that.”

“Good,” Scott smirked.

He spun his guitar around his body and strummed a few chords. The music was quiet, barely loud enough to hear – but I felt it blast my nerves raw. A surge of energy flowed through my body, washing my thoughts clean and quieting me down.

I grinned an empty headed grin.

“Okay,” Scott said, taking my phone and sending a text. “I’ve got your number. Got back inside and enjoy the night. You’re a dumb fuckboy now Jackson – enjoy it. We’ll start rehearsals tomorrow.”

I nodded and smiled again. The new chords he played were vibrating inside of me. I was exactly what he needed for a frontman – pretty, talented, and empty. I vaguely remembered wanting people to think I was smart or deep or brilliant. None of that mattered now – I was the dumbest fuckboy around, but man, I knew how to sing.

We stayed til the end – everyone did – and we had a blast. It was the best night ever.

Tyler took me home and made it even better.

He had this little apartment about twenty minutes north of downtown. It wasn’t even a one-bedroom, just one big room with a kitchenette and a bathroom. That didn’t matter – all we needed was the bed.

“We’ve been talking about your hot ass all week,” Tyler grinned, unzipping my hoodie and lowering it down my arms. “And I’m the one who gets to fuck you.”

“You’re gonna fuck me?” I asked hopefully. Like... it totally made sense, and bro, my ass was hungry for it. I hadn’t even taken my first cock, but the music... bro, my ass was hungry for it.

“Hell yeah,” Tyler smirked, peeling off my t-shirt.

I glanced down at my hairy chest and my eyes got wide.

“I gotta get that waxed...” I mumbled.

“Yeah, the music’s gonna make a lot of changes,” Tyler chuckled. “But don’t worry about it right now.”

“You’re gonna fuck me,” I said happily.

He undid my belt and dropped my work pants down onto the floor. My boxers went next, and I was standing naked and hard. I kissed him again and then tore off his shirt and wrestled his jeans off. He was wearing a pair of pink briefs underneath... I couldn’t resist getting on my knees and licking his cock through the fabric.

“Mmmm...” he moaned. After a minute or two he slipped off the briefs and his cock hit me in the face. I gobbled it up eagerly.

“Get on the bed,” he finally said. “Flip over.”

He smeared something cold on my hole before he pressed his cock against it. I was tight – I could feel it. After a few minutes of gently finger fucking me, I heard Tyler open up a drawer in his nightstand.

“Sniff this,” he said, holding a bottle under my nostril. I took a deep breath. A few seconds later a wave of euphoria passed over me and I felt my muscles loosen. His cock slipped inside. Oh god... it was so amazing...

“Fuck me,” I moaned, feeling his cock slip in and out of me. “Fuck me! Fuck me!”

I don’t know how long he went, but I got to feel his cock pulsing inside me. He flooded my hole with hot cum, making my cock jump and shoot all over my chest.

He fell down next to me, breathing heavy.

“That was like... so awesome...” I purred.

--------------------

I woke up at sunrise. Scott’s music was still echoing through my mind, energizing me and reminding me how much I loved my new life. Fuck working construction and playing sad songs – I was gonna be in a boyband! So many guys were gonna fuck me!

We took a long shower. There was a text from Scott waiting for me after – the address of a dance studio. “Wear something you can dance in,” Scott texted. “Something sexy.”

I picked up my old clothes from the floor beside Scott’s bed. Beat up work pants and a baggy hoodie.

“I can’t believe I wore this shit,” I gasped. My voice was nasally and singsong. It’s a total put-on, but it was what the music wanted.

“I’ve got some stuff,” Tyler said reassuringly. “Here, grab these shorts,” he said, handing me a scrap of clothing. It only took a second to slide the white running shorts over my ass – my morning wood was obviously outlined, especially without underwear. I couldn’t wait for everyone to see.

“I look so hot,” I gushed, checking out my muscled body in the mirror. I knew I’d have to go to the gym later. Lifting was a fuckboy like me.

“Try this on,” Tyler said, handing me something purple. It was a racerback tank. Probably a little loose on his twinky frame, but it fit me like a second skin.

“I love it!” I grinned. God, I was so sexy. How come I never saw how sexy I was?

I kept my black high-tops. They looked so much sluttier on my bare legs. Tyler lent me a pair of knee high socks so they wouldn’t chafe.

“Okay babe, I gotta go,” I said – it was almost nine, and a good performer never misses his call time. “I’ll text you later!”

Tyler gathered me up in his arms and gave me a lingering kiss. His fingers dug into my ass, squeezing the muscle and making me weak in the knees.

“You’d better,” he grinned.