The next morning I awoke to someone knocking on our door.  That did not please Justin, who is not the best person to be around after he wakes up.  "Jamie, get the door and then murder whoever is out there," he grumbled while pulling the covers over his head.  I got up and opened the door, waking up completely when I saw who was out there. "Good morning!" Josh exclaimed while handing me a cup of coffee.  "Ready for an exciting day of travel?" I chuckled.  "Yeah, driving is my favorite thing to do.  Are Chris and Joe up?" "Oh yeah, they can't wait to get up there.  I'd bet they even stop somewhere to pick up weed or girls- maybe even both!" "Really?" I asked.  "I bet Justin would be pissed if they didn't pick anything up for him." "I'll be even more pissed if you don't close the door and let me sleep," Justin called out from his bed. Josh started laughing.  "Not a morning person, is he?" "What makes you think that?" I joked. "I understand.  Usually I wouldn't be caught dead awake before noon, but now I'm looking forward to this trip more and more," he said. I almost choked on my coffee, and decided that I needed to talk to him in someplace a bit more private than around Justin, whether he's asleep or not.  I went over to my nightstand and grabbed my key and went outside, closing the door behind me.  "Me too," I finally answered. "Hey, do you think Justin would mind if he and I switched places today?  I think I'd like to spend the ride getting to know you  better," Josh asked. The question startled me.  "I don't know.  It's his car, but I think he wouldn't mind me driving.  Plus, if he went with Joe and Chris, he wouldn't miss any action, right?" "Great.  Anyway, I should go back and let you get ready.  We'll meet you guys in the lobby in about 45 minutes, alright?" "Sure, Josh.  See you then!" I said.  He walked back to his room while I stood there staring at his ass.  I don't know how long I was there before I heard a voice singing behind me, "Jamie's got a crush!" "Fuck off, Timberlake.  I do not!" "Come on, quit denying it.  It's obvious you want him just as much as he wants you.  Why don't you tell him?" I sighed, "You don't understand it, Curly.  If I tell Josh I'm gay, he'll think that I'm playing around with him and not believe me." "And if you don't tell him, you'll be miserable for the rest of your life, wondering why you didn't take a chance when the best was offered to you.  And I'll be stuck comforting you instead of having a decent life."  Leave it to Justin to joke around when he's serious. "Fine, I'll tell him.  But he's riding with me up to the festival, and you'll be with Joe and Chris.  Is that okay with you?" "But it's my car!" Reluctantly, Justin gave me the keys to his car.  Josh and I enjoyed a peaceful ride up to Wallkill, mostly spent talking about our lives.  He came out to his family similarly to how I did, but he was lucky enough to have his parents keep him in their life.  He had dated a few men, but had only slept with one named Richard.  I chickened out from telling him my feelings because I was still afraid of his reaction.  Sure, he obviously likes me, but telling him the same thing frightens me.  Joe decided to stop for lunch at 11, which surprised me since we had just eaten breakfast before leaving the motel. "Don't be surprised," Josh said while getting out of the car, "Joey's the type of person that can't turn down food." We walked into a diner that was busy with the normal early Thursday lunch crowd.  We sat down in a booth...Chris, Joe, and Justin crammed on one side, leaving Josh and me to sit together.  Out of the corner of my eye I could see a group of girls staring at us.  I waved at them and they walked over to our table. "Hi," one of them spoke up.  "What are you fine young men doing in a place like this?" "We're heading to Woodstock!" Chris said, eyeing one of them like he had just seen a goddess.  "And you ladies?" "Same thing," another spoke up.  "How would you like some stuff to prepare for the weekend?  You name it, I've got it." "Jai!" the third, and up until now quiet, one shouted.  "Why do you always think that strangers will just buy everything off you?" "Because they always do, Neesha.  I bet the curly haired kid would love some, wouldn't you sweetie?"  Justin sat there shocked that he was being offered from a gorgeous woman. The first one rolled her eyes.  "Please excuse me for the, shall I say, attitudes of my friends.  They are total opposites and can't go without fighting for more than an hour." "Sounds like Joey and JC," Chris said, not taking his eyes off the first girl.  "Let me introduce ourselves.  I'm Chris, and this is Joe, Justin, Jamie, and Josh." "As you have probably figured out, the peddler is Jai and the other one is Neesha.  I'm Gabriella, it's nice meeting you.  So, we'll probably be seeing you sometime this weekend?" "Why don't you come with us?" Justin asked once again.  "Because I sure would like whatever Jai has to offer." Jai started giggling.  "See Neesha?  I told you!" The girls went back to their table and we ate lunch, talking about how much Chris wanted the girls, especially Gabriella, to ride with us.  "I bet she would love it in my van." "Please, old man, what would she want with you?" Joey asked. "Did you see the way she was eyeing him?  Almost as much as Jai was with me," Justin said.  "Maybe both of them would come if we kicked your fat ass out." "You wouldn't!" "Hey, Jamie booted me out of my car for Josh, so why can't we do the same thing with you?  It's pretty much the same rea-" "Watch it, Justin.  It was Josh's idea, so you don't have to go blaming me for it," I interrupted. Chris gave me a look.  "Anyway, if we do kick you out, you can go with the other one...Neesha, right?" he continued. "Whatever," Joey said, "just as long as I get some action soon." That's about how our conversation ended.  We paid for the food and walked over to the girls' table.  Since I was determined not to have Josh see me as gay, I asked them, "Hey, you ready to go?  We even set car arrangements and all." Jai grinned.  "Just as long as I can be with the curly one," she said. Neesha giggled.  "And with Gabbo drooling over the short one, where does that leave me?" "With me," Joey said.  "Unless you want to ride with JC and his boy." "Joey!" Josh screamed.  He then turned to me and said, "Ignore every single thing he says.  I think the pot he smoked this morning was worse than usual." "You don't know worse until you get into Jai's stash," Gabriella said.  "But that sounds fine with me.  You girls ready?" "Sure," both of them said. Gettting back in Justin's car, Josh turned to me and said, "I'm really sorry for the way Joe acted in there.  He seems to get it in his head that every guy I want to hang around with I have a thing for." "No problem," I replied.  I wasn't taking it as good as I said, though.  Could this mean he doesn't really like me?  That's all I thought about the rest of the drive to Woodstock. Next Chapter Previous Chapter Chapter Index Story Index

Chapter Three