The Magic Store: Lights, Camera, Rewrite

Meet Peyton Jones, a 21 year old who wants to live anywhere but here. Nobody understands why Peyton would rather watch movies than play football. Peyton doesn’t see any way out, until a Hollywood studio starts filming in town...

Dad killed my Mom, and nobody cares. They were both eighteen. The high school quarterback and the head cheerleader. In small town Texas, those two are supposed to be untouchable.

But Dad had too many beers and got behind the wheel. Mom was in the passenger seat. He walked away without a scratch, she stayed on life support for eight weeks. Long enough for an emergency C-section.

He named me Peyton and promised everyone he’d raise me right. Of course I never wanted to throw a football or even watch a game. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by movies. Those perfect people with their perfect lives. One problem, always solved by the third act.

For twenty-one years I’ve been waiting for the third act.

Dad still drinks. Mom’s still gone. Peyton Manning retired.

And I’m still in Texas.

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

I worked in a video rental store during high school, but Netflix killed that too. One day I showed up for work and there was a sign on the door. CLOSED PERMANENTLY – ALL FINES FORGIVEN – RETURN DVDS THROUGH SLOT.

I had to walk two miles in the sun to Mr. Barton’s house to find out I’d been laid off. My last paycheck was $91.40, but he knew the check would bounce. We tore it up and he handed me the keys. As many DVDs as I wanted, so long as I took them before Saturday. That’s when the Sheriff would come to seize the assets.

I cleaned out the store. Filled up my room and a big part of the basement.

Since then I’ve been working at the Mr. Scoops, our local ice cream parlour. It’s a job for a high school kid, but I don’t have anywhere else to go. Besides, it’s got air conditioning, and a little bell that rings when somebody walks in. I spend most of my time watching movies.

I’d like to go to Los Angelos and study filmmaking, but who’s got the money? Dad won’t pay and he makes too much working construction, so I can’t qualify for loans. I’m saving every penny I’ve got.

Eventually I’ll move to LA. I’ll serve ice cream to movie stars.

One day the bell rang and my buddy Josh walked in. Josh and I have a lot in common – we both love movies and girls and we want to get out of this town. But his Dad owns a trucking company, so Josh is going to college next year. He’s just taking a couple years off to ‘build character’ by working in the back office.

“Hey,” Josh grinned. “Big news. Chad Sterling is filming a movie in town. They just hired three trucks to haul in the gear. He’s gonna be here for weeks!”

My eyes bulged. You’ve for sure seen Chad Sterling’s movies – Summer of Love, The Taxi Cab Chronicles, Meet Meet at Tomorrow... he’s one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood. And he was coming to our half-bit town?

“When?” I blurted. I was imaging that he’d walk into Mr. Scoops and order a double chocolate waffle cone. He’d see the movie I was watching and strike up a conversation. Ah yes, a classic, he’d say. He’d see I was special and he’d help me get a job on the crew. That was my ticket out of here!

“They’ll be here next week,” Josh said. “Uh... I think your DVD player’s on fire.”

I whirled around and stared. Black smoke was pouring out of the box. I went for the plug, but in the end I had to dunk the whole thing in the sink, spraying it down with the hose we use to wash out the ice cream bins.

The DVD that was in there? Meet Me at Tomorrow, my favourite Chad Sterling movie. Nothing like a little irony to ruin your mood. The disc was ruined, but no worries – I had three more at home.

After that, Mr. Scoops banned me from watching movies at work. Not that I could – it’s hard to find a new DVD player these days.

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

It was like a parade when the trucks rolled into town. You can’t keep a secret here – everyone knew exactly who was coming and why they were here. A few of the local church ladies threw a fuss – Chad Sterling’s had some pretty racy sex scenes – but everyone else was excited.

I wandered around downtown while they were setting up. A couple of blocks were going to be closed down for weeks, but I figured I could sneak in and have a look beforehand. I wanted to see it for real before I saw it on screen.

They power washed three blocks of downtown and cleaned all the windows and replaced some of the signs with fake businesses. I guess those were going to be relevant to the plot, or maybe they just didn’t want MANNY’S XXX PORN in the background of their shots.

One store I didn’t recognize was “The Magic Store”. Where everything else looked new, this one looked ancient. The sign was made out of old cracked wood and seemed to have been there for a hundred years. It’s amazing what they can do for a movie.

I couldn’t resist. I tried the door and found it was open.

An old guy was sitting at the front desk. He grinned when I walked in.

“Ah, hello!” he said. “Welcome to my store.”

“This is for the movie, right?” I asked. “Can you give me a hint what it’s about? Nobody’s talking.”

“Movie?” he asked with confusion on his face. “No, this is my store. We sell magic. If you found me, it’s because you need some.”

I’d read about this. Method acting. They never break character.

“Okay,” I shrugged. “Mind if I look around?”

“Please!” he grinned. “I promise you’ll find what you need.”

I wandered down the aisles, wondering what kind of movie it was. Fantasy, it seemed. All of the items were supposed to be magical, with little handwritten tags saying what they did. There was a globe that claimed to transport you wherever you wanted. An old vinyl record that said it could reveal true emotion. I didn’t touch anything – I didn’t want some director screaming CUT because I moved a prop.

At least, I didn’t touch anything until I saw the DVD player. It started vibrating as I got closer to it, ratting on the shelf like it’s motor was malfunctioning. It wasn’t even plugged in...

I looked at the tag. “This DVD player will rewrite the films you watch,” the paper said. That didn’t make any sense. Like it showed you directors cuts or whatever? I wondered how that worked... maybe it plugged into the internet or something?

The box was still shaking. I can’t tell you why, but I reached out and touched it and –

– I was standing in Mr. Scoops, behind the counter. Chad Sterling was there, and I was scooping ice cream into a paper bowl for him. Weird, I figured he’d go for the waffle cone, but I guess he liked his Mint Chocolate Chip in a bowl.

“This is a cool town,” he was saying, radiating that charm that all actors seem to have. “Tell me your story. Why aren’t you away at college?”

“Uh... don’t you have to get back to the set?” I heard myself asking.

“Not for an hour,” he shrugged. “We’re on lunch. Most of the guys eat the catered stuff, but... well, I like to learn a little about a place. It helps inform my performance. if you don’t want to talk...”

I ripped my hand away from the DVD player. I was back standing in the magic store, shaking from the encounter. What the hell just happened?

I reached out and touched it again. Nothing. I jogged up to the counter.

“Hey,” I panted. “Can I actually... like... buy something here?”

The old man looked at me like I was an idiot.

“Yes,” he said slowly. “It’s a store.”

“There’s a DVD player down there,” I pointed. “How much is it?”

He pulled the DVD player out from behind the counter.

“It costs twenty dollars,” he said. “If you count these things in dollars.”

Crazy. Actors travel so much, he probably thought I might have Euros. I slapped a twenty dollar bill on the counter and booked it out of there.

“Enjoy your purchase!” he called as I left the store.

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

Dad was halfway through a twelve-pack when I got home, so I slipped in through the side door and crept down to the basement. There’s an old TV down there, one of those boxy ones from way back in the day. If I keep the volume down he doesn’t bother stomping down the stairs and screaming about it.

Two minutes later I had the DVD player plugged in. I picked one of my favourite movies from the stacks – Crimson Takedown. It’s about a pair of tough guy cops who track down a terrorist plot to destroy Manhattan. Not high brow cinema, but Bruce Steele and Danny Vegas are both excellent actors.

I’ve seen this movie a thousand times. Steele and Vegas are both big action stars, the kind of over-muscled tough guys that make girls flock to the theatre. I was just getting to the good part – Steele’s character finds the first bomb in a storage locker in Queens, and Vegas shows up at the last minute to help him disarm it.

“Which wire do I cut?” Steele was saying. “One wrong move and we’re dead.”

“Cut the red one,” Vegas said on screen, squinting at the device.

“We’ve got two minutes,” Steele grunted, staring at the timer. “Run. I’ll wait as long as I can. Maybe you can get to safety.”

Funny, I didn’t remember that line.

“I’m not leaving you Casey,” Vegas said. That was Steele’s name in the movie. “I love you. If we go, we go together.”

Huh? That definitely wasn’t how the movie went.

“I love you too,” Steele said in his gravelly voice.

He cut the red wire and the bomb stopped it’s countdown. Both men breathed a sigh of relief before Steele turned to Vegas and kissed him deeply.

“You should have run,” Steele said, clotting at the other man’s ass.

“I’ll never let you go,” Vegas replied before kissing Steele again.

I hit pause and stared at the scene. What the actual hell...

No way were those characters gay. And Bruce Steele kissing Danny Vegas? That’d be the end of their careers. These weren’t rom-com actors. Men paid to see these movies. Hell, my Dad had actually watched this one.

I pulled out my phone and googled.

> Crimson Takedown gay kiss

Google returned a flood of results. I clicked the first one and read an impossible article.

“Bruce Steele and Danny Vegas are at it again!” the article read. “Hollywood’s two gayest action heroes have shown us that love is love and action is action. In this exciting thriller, Steele and Vegas play a pair of lovers tasked with saving Manhattan from a nuclear explosion...”

I closed the page and tried another link.

“Steele and Vegas are Hollywood’s Hottest Couple,” the headline said. “Whether on-screen or off,” the article continued, “Bruce Steele and Danny Vegas are making a scene. The two out action stars are starring in their newest action/romance by...”

What the hell. I’ve watched a dozen movies with those two actors, but they’d never shown a hint of gay behaviour. Now every review was acting like their pairing was public knowledge. My mind flashed back to the magic store... the DVD player was supposed to rewrite movies...

It was one of those Mandela Effect things. They’d always been gay, I’d just missed it. At least that’s what I hoped... but I had to know.

I looked over my stacks of DVDs. I picked something with different actors. A buddy comedy movie with Aaron Larsen and Cory Taylor. A couple of wisecracking comedians who mostly joked about fucking women. I slipped it into the DVD player.

The movie played exactly like I expected. The two men were hired at a water park as lifeguards and hijinks ensued. I fast-forwarded until I got to the iconic scene, the one where Larsen and Taylor peep over the walls of the women’s change room and see a beautiful blonde woman undoing here swimsuit.

Except now they were peeping over the wall of the mens change room, watching a muscular man with platinum hair slide off his speedo. The cameraman even lingered on the man’s ass, showing a clear tan line where the speedo had been.

“I’d like to take him for a ride,” Larsen joked, giving Taylor a high-five before they both fell backwards into the pool.

I picked up my phone and dialled Josh’s number.

“‘sup,” Josh said. “I can’t really talk, I’m at work.”

“Just one second,” I promised. “Bruce Steele and Danny Vegas... are they gay?”

“Uh, yeah bro,” Josh laughed. “Everyone knows that. They came out when we were in high school and everyone stopped beating up on the gay kids, remember?”

I didn’t, but...

“Yeah, sure,” I said. “What about Aaron Larsen and Cory Taylor?”

“Dude, did you just crawl out from under a rock?” Josh laughed. “They’re not just gay... they’re married to each other! Why do you think they do so many movies together?”

“I... uh...”

“You okay bro?” Josh asked. “Oh shit... there’s my Dad. I gotta go.”

He hung up the phone and I was left standing there, watching Cory Taylor make out with the swim coach from a high school swim team. But I swear that coach used to be a woman... I remembered it so clearly.

It had to be the DVD player. It was turning actors gay.

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

When you’re not sure what’s going on, the thing to do is stop and think.

Normally when I need to think through a problem I go looking for the right movie. Problems picking up girls? That’s “Summer at the Lake”. When Dad drank too much, I always went for “Grayson’s Choice”. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” got me through high school.

What was I supposed to watch now? Science fiction? Fantasy? Gay porn?

At least with porn I wouldn’t be turning anyone gay.

I scrolled through Wikipedia on my phone. Danny Vegas had two kids, and it looked like whatever magic was happening didn’t wipe out children. Now he’d had the kids with his wife before coming out and getting a divorce. They were being raised by Vegas and Steele, a couple of happy kids in a loving home.

No matter what happened, I wasn’t killing people. I wasn’t making their lives worse. I was just making them gay. In my part of Texas that’s a pretty fine line.

But these guys lived in Hollywood. Maybe it wasn’t a big deal there. Maybe I could watch all my favourite movies and who cared if the actors turned out gay? They’d be okay.

You know who’d know? Chad Sterling. No way I’d get a chance though – he might have been a few blocks away, but the two of us lived in different worlds.

But maybe... maybe if I watched one of his movies. At least I’d see the towns reaction.

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

I picked out “Meet Me at Tomorrow” – that’s my favourite movie from him. Chad Sterling plays a man who’s wife is injured in an accident. The doctor’s can’t save her, but they manage to cryogenically freeze her, hoping that they can revive her in the future. Sterling’s character can’t live without her, so he pays to get frozen himself, hoping to wake up in a future where they can be together.

I won’t ruin the ending, but the scene where they stand on the Empire State Building and watch the cars fly by always brings a tear to my eye. Don’t tell anyone.

Deep breath. I slipped the DVD into my DVD player and pressed play.

It was basically the same movie, except Sterling didn’t have a wife. Instead his husband, played by Benji Sutton, gets into an accident and has to be frozen. The look on Sterling’s face when his husband goes into the freezer felt absolutely authentic.

And that final kiss in the future... the way he holds his husband...

Without a doubt. Chad Sterling was gay. A quick google confirmed it. Pride parades and queer film festivals and commercials advocating for a ban on conversion therapy. The guy wasn’t just out, he liked to wave the flag.

“Hey...” I texted Josh. “Is Chad Sterling gay?”

“LOL,” he texted back. “Dude, you’re fuckin’ obsessed with this shit. Yeah, he’s gay. Stop being weird.”

“I’ve got a secret to tell you...” I texted.

Shit. I knew how that sounded.

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

Josh met me at Cup of Joe, our local coffee shop. I tried to invite him over to my house, but he wanted somewhere public. Fucker probably thought I was going to hit on him or something. It’s not like *I’m* gay, I’ve just got this magic DVD player...

Yeah, I knew how that sounded too.

“What’s up dude,” he said, staring at me from across the table. We both had black coffee. Joe doesn’t serve anything else. “I just want you to know, whatever it is, you’re safe telling me.”

That was cooler than I expected him to be, even if he was dead wrong.

“It’s not what you think,” I said. “I’m not gay.”

“That’s cool dude. We don’t have to use labels.”

“No,” I groaned. “Okay, this is weird and complicated, but... there was this little magic shop on Main Street. I never saw it before, and when I went back last night it was gone. But I bought a magic thing there and...”

“Peyton, bro,” Josh said, wrapping his hands tighter around his mug. “You don’t have to make up some crazy story. Just say it.”

“I’m saying it,” I insisted. “I bought a DVD player from a magical store. And dude... when I watch a movie it turns all the male actors gay.”

Josh’s eyebrows crinkled together. A second ago he thought I was gay. Now he thought I was going insane. I imagined a padded wagon and a straight jacket.

“That’s nuts,” he said. “Sometimes actors are just... gay. You don’t have a magic DVD player.”

“I swear it,” I said, holding up the cub scout salute. “Look, yesterday Chad Sterling was straight. A total ladies man. Some of his movies got banned cause they had such hot sex scenes in ‘em. And now...”

Josh rolled his eyes.

“Dude, Chad Sterling’s gay,” he said bluntly. “Everyone knows. Always has been, always will be. My Dad won’t even watch his movies. My grandpa’s pissed that he’s filming in town, but grandma keeps sending sugar cookies to the set, so grandpa keeps his mouth shut.”

“Yeah,” I said tensely. “I know he’s always been gay. But yesterday he wasn’t. Not til I watched one of his movies. All of a sudden, people only remember the gay stuff.”

“And you’re somehow special?” Josh said sarcastically.

“Yeah,” I shrugged. “I think maybe cause I’m the one who watched it? I dunno dude, whatever’s going on, I’m the only one who remembers the old Chad Sterling!”

“Okay,” Josh sighed. “It’s at your house?”

“Yeah,” I nodded.

“Let’s go.”

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

“So... what do you want to watch?” I asked. We were sitting in my basement, surrounded by every movie you’ve ever seen. I was on the couch, watching Josh dig through piles of DVDs.

“You swear you’re straight?” he asked. “You’re not gonna try to kiss me or whatever?”

“Dude, I swear,” I promised. “I’ve never had a gay thought in my life. Hell, I never even saw much gay shit, not til these movies started turning queer on me.”

“Okay,” he nodded. “And you know I’m totally straight too, right? Like... I’m all about the pussy, yeah?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Relax Josh, I’m not gonna hit on you.”

“All good,” he grinned. “Here’s the thing Peyton... these guys were always gay. Maybe you’re just slow or whatever we’re s’posed to say now. But you and me... I know we’re straight.”

He pushed a DVD into the player and pressed play. My stomach dropped. It wasn’t from the video store. This one was burned from a computer – an old home movie of Josh and me playing baseball.

“Dude, no!” I shouted. But we were already watching the two of us as kids, running around a ball diamond. Dammit Josh... why’d you have to pick that disc.

He was always pulling shit like this. Doing stuff he thought was clever but just ended up making a mess. Like at prom he snuck two bottles of vodka and juiced the punch. The whole class got drunk. Josh and I ended up on the roof of the school, making out til the cops got there.

My eyes went wide at the memory.

“Holy shit...” I said.

I looked over at Josh. My best friend. My boyfriend. He was staring at me with a shocked look too. I could see his cock, half-hard under a baggy pair of jeans. I licked my lips... I knew exactly what he wanted.

But this wasn’t right! I watched us play baseball on screen. We were just kids then, long before we’d started fooling around. But we’d never fooled around, had we? Josh and I were both straight, both totally into women...

So why could I remember sucking his cock? Why did I call him Daddy sometimes, just cause he’s two months older and I like to bug him...

“Dude...” Josh gasped. “I didn’t... I never... holy fuck babe, you weren’t fucking with me?”

I shook my head. I’d never been fucking with him.

But I wanted to. I needed my cock in his ass. I wanted to fuck him til he screamed.

“Josh...” I said, staring down at his jeans. He’d already pitched a tent.

“Hit rewind!” he begged. “I don’t wanna be a fag!”

I lunged for the remote but the rewind button didn’t work. It skipped back in the movie, but Josh and I were still just as horny. Just as gay.

“It’s not working...” I said. I looked at him and our eyes locked. I just knew. “We’re stuck like this... Daddy.”

“That’s not funny!” he said angrily. “I hate it when you do that. You’re such a little fuckin’ bitch!”

“Yeah,” I grinned, unable to resist the playful urge that was coursing through me. “But I’m your bitch, and you’re mine, ain’t that right... Daddy.”

He lunged at me, knocking me over and pinning me to the couch. My back was flat against the cushions and my lover was hovering overtop of me. He held me down with all his strength, then darted forward and planted his lips on mine.

I returned the kiss eagerly, pushing my tongue up against his. I could feel his cock, hard against mine. We were two young men fucking around. In love, in lust... did it matter? I wanted to fuck him and I knew he wanted me too.

My hands slipped under his shirt with practiced ease, pulling it up and over his shaggy hair. I love that he keeps is a little long... it’s so fuckin’ cute. I tossed his shirt onto the floor next to the couch and reached down for his belt. He interrupted me, tugging off my tee and grabbing for my nipples. Shit... Josh knows right where I’m sensitive.

“Mmmmm.... Daddy....” I moaned.

“Shut up,” he laughed, yanking down his pants. He was going commando, like he always did. “I’m a twink and you know it!”

We both were. A couple of twenty-two year old twinks, making out on the couch and throwing clothes left and right. We were both so hard it was painful. I needed to be inside him. I needed to blow my load.

I reached out and grabbed the lube. We keep a bottle beside the couch. Josh and I watch a lot of movies together. At least... we watch the first few minutes...

Someday I’m gonna find out how Chad Sterling’s movies end. That dude’s so fuckin’ hot... I couldn’t believe he was in town...

Maybe we’d go rubberneck at the set later. See if we could catch a glimpse. But right now...

My cock slipped right inside Josh. We’ve done this a hundred times, it’s basically muscle memory. Like throwing a pass or making a jump shot...

“Whoa...” I grinned, feeling my shaft slide down his hole. “Dude, I just... I think I’m into sports now...”

“Yeah,” Josh grunted. “All those hot guys on the team... and like... everyone in little league turned out gay...”

“You think my Dad knows we fuck in the locker room?” I laughed. I could hear him moving around upstairs. We were making a lot of noise and my old man was coming to yell down the stairs.

“Knock it off you two!” he shouted.

I didn’t stop. Josh’s ass is worth getting grounded. Besides, Dad’s too drunk to actually do anything.

On the screen I watched the camera swing around. Dad, back before he fell down the bottle... looking proud as shit at his kid running bases.

“Look at my boy,” he grinned at the camera.

Oh shit... there were footsteps coming down the stairs. But I couldn’t stop. Josh’s ass was so fuckin’ tight... I was so close...

“Fuck... fuck.... fuck.......!” Josh screamed. I knew he’d just blown his load all over my couch. Fair enough I guess – my load was spraying deep inside his ass.

I pulled out and got a blanket over us, just in time for Dad to come down the stairs.

“Oh, hey Dad,” I gasped, trying to hide how out of breath I was. He gave us a knowing look, then glanced at the TV. It was just a blue screen. The movie was over.

“Guys,” he chuckled. “Look, you’re both adults. You can do whatever you want... whoever you want... but maybe do it in your bedroom, huh?”

I blushed deeply. Dad looked different than I expected. Instead of a beer gut and a pair of sweatpants he was dressed nicely. Jeans and a t-shirt that showed off his trim body. Of course, I remembered... Dad’s a fiend for the gym. He taught me everything I know about lifting. Gay guys and abs, right?

“Gary and I are gonna drop by your Mom’s place,” he said, moving past the two of us and turning off the TV. “You want to come?”

Oh my god. How did I forget?

Mom was alive.

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

I whistled while I worked. I’ve got a shitty job, serving ice cream at Mr. Scoops, but it’s just for pocket money while I’m at college.

The bell rang and my jaw dropped. Chad Sterling was standing in my ice cream parlour!

“Hey,” he said, trying to look nonchalant under a ballcap and a pair of expensive sunglasses. “Can I grab a bowl of the mint chocolate chip?”

“Sure thing, Mr. Sterling,” I beamed. Josh was never gonna believe this!

“Whoops,” he grinned, pulling off his shades. “I guess my cover’s blown.”

“I’m a big fan,” I said, scooping him a bowl. “Extra large portion?” I asked.

“Better not,” he said sheepishly. “I have to watch the abs.”

“Everyone else does,” I laughed.

“This is a cool town,” he chuckled. “Tell me your story. Why aren’t you away at college?”

“Uh... don’t you have to get back to the set?” I asked. This guy was a big movie star. Weren’t there like... a thousand people waiting for him?

“Not for an hour,” he shrugged. “We’re on lunch. Most of the guys eat the catered stuff, but... well, I like to learn a little about a place. It helps inform my performance. if you don’t want to talk...”

“No!” I laughed. “I’d love to. I’m just... just a little starstruck, that’s all.”

“So what’s your story?” he asked. “Small town kid, working in the ice cream shop?”

“Just for now,” I said. “I’m going to college in the fall. I got scouted for the second string, so my football scholarship only covers part of it – but Mom and Dad scraped together enough for me to study screenwriting at UCLA.”

“Oh?” he said curiously. “Remember me when you make it big.”

I laughed.

“Seriously,” he said. “It’s cool your Mom and Dad are still together. Not a lot of families stay together these days.”

“Well,” I said with embarrassment. “They aren’t. I mean, they’re good, but Dad came out of the closet before I was born. High school quarterback, head cheerleader, you know the story. It’d be cool to have my parents get married, but I’m happy the way it turned out.”

“Your Dad’s gay?” he asked. “Me too, you know.”

“And me,” I nodded. “I was actually wondering... when I got to LA... am I gonna have any trouble cause of that? Obviously we’re pretty gay friendly here.”

“Yeah,” Chad Sterling laughed. “I noticed that. Like half this town is gay. We were worried about getting enough background extras for the big pride parade scene, but we’ve got more than we can handle.”

“Is it harder in LA?” I asked.

“Nah,” he grinned. “This town is straight compared to Hollywood. I swear, every big name actor is gay, and most of the small ones too.”

No surprise there, Josh and I watch a lot of movies.

“So you’re going to college?” he said. “Are you nervous?”

“Nope,” I said happily. “My boyfriend’s coming with me. Josh is gonna study business. Maybe we’ll stay in LA and give my career a chance. Maybe we’ll come home and he’ll run the family business.”

“That’s really cool,” Sterling said. “I’m kind of jealous you’ve got a boyfriend already. Things have changed a lot since I was a young man.”

“Yeah,” I shrugged. “It’s pretty popular now. I mean, I’m gay for real... but a lot of guys try it, just cause they see it in movies.”

“You know, I never saw gay people in movies,” Chad Sterling sighed. “But now we’re everywhere!”

“Yeah,” I said, taking his money and handing over a paper bowl of mint chocolate chip. “It was really cool to meet you Mr. Sterling. Maybe we’ll run into each other on a set someday.”

“I’d like that,” he nodded. “I should get back, but... best of luck out there kid. Life’s full of possibilities.”

“I don’t need luck,” I grinned. “Whatever happens, I’ve got a happy ending.”