Page 114 of If the World Was Ending

“I have to be at the studio soon. Can we arrange to see it tomorrow, maybe?”

Cindy frowned. “It’s not public yet Colby, and I think it will be gone the second it’s listed. It’s historically registered. A perfectly preserved mid-century modern. In your price range. We can walk to it from here. It’s just around the bend on Brier Drive.”

Colby blinked. “Where?”

“Brier Drive.”

Colby wasn’t stupid enough to pass on a house with the same name as his best friend. Fate could be pretty obvious, he was learning, and maybe he should start paying attention.

Hunter couldn’t stop staring at the headlines. Because he couldn’t stop googling himself. It was like driving by a train wreck and circling around and around to keep doing it. Brendan munched happily on a bag of peanut butter pretzels and watched the hockey game. “Fucking Habs are going all the way this year.”

“I wish. That gargoyle of a league commissioner would never let it happen,” Hunter muttered. “He hates Canadian-based teams. Not enough money in the market.”

Brendan scoffed. “You Canadians have such imposter syndrome.”

“Nah, dude. Not when it comes to hockey,” Hunter returned and then swore under his breath. TMZ reported that Hunter was seen leaving a suite at the Beverly Wilshire the morning after the Oscars, and that it was not his suite. Later that day, his people contacted Magenta Studios, saying the actor would not be reporting to set as scheduled.

The comments were a dumpster fire of insults and accusations and… oh good racism.

Bex9980: I bet it was Tidal’s suite and he was doing the walk of shame from his gay lover. rotflmao

Nutrag8rl: He probably realized he’s the most overhyped pos actor on the planet and decided to save us all and quit.

HomieHomer6969: I thought Asians loved working. This one’s lazy?

PPlanetLuver4Ever: They’re trying to out him? I’d hide too. Love is love who cares? He’s hot and can act. F off.

Texa$Kent: If he’s a homo good he’s MIA. Nobody’ll believe a superhero is a c0cksucker. Give the role to a real man and reshoot.

“Oh my God, make it stop,” Hunter groaned and finally turned off his phone.

Brendan moved his eyes from the TV. “What’s happening?”

“Everyone is shitting all over me for delaying this film,” Hunter replied and sank deeper into the pillows on his bed. “And then there’s all the people that think Colby and I are a thing because we hugged at the Oscars.”

“Yeah dude because that was like a romantic climax of a hug,” Brendan said, chuckling as he reached for his can of Coke Zero on the coffee table in front of him. “You both popped some major heart eyes and gripped each other like one of you’d just gotten back from war. It was lovely. It was sweet. It wasn’t straight.”

“It…” Hunter had never told Brendan his sexuality. But Brendan was with him when he met Leandra. “It was that bad?”

“That good,” Brendan corrected.

“No one in this industry thinks that’s good,” Hunter reminded Brendan.

“Yeah. We gotta change that. The future filmmakers and shit.” Brendan paused to chomp on another pretzel. He studied Hunter with his pale blue eyes. “It’ll be okay, dude. You’re not going to come out, and no one cares unless you admit it.”

“My agent cares. The studio.”

“They won’t in the long run. It’ll all blow over, and it’ll be fine.” Brendan glanced at the screen again, checking the score. “And when you get famous enough, you’ll hire me, and I’ll shoot your star into the next galaxy with my incredible directing prowess, and then you can be whatever the hell you want. Date who you want. Make heart eyes at all the boys you want. Because I’m not gonna let the old cis het white assholes run their show like this anymore.”

“You’ve got my vote for president of Hollywood,” Hunter snarked. “Stop campaigning.”

He checked his text to make sure he hadn’t missed one from his dad. His mom was home from the hospital, and his dad was staying with her. His previous message said she was in good spirits and didn’t seem to be in pain. They’d walked Manuel around the block earlier. He closed his eyes. “And I don’t want to make heart eyes at all the boys. Just him. One day. In public without a media shitstorm.”

“Aww…” Brendan cooed. “I love love.”

“Sometimes it fucking sucks.”

And as if to prove the point to himself, he reached for his phone again to text Colby.