What Happens In Herofest

Toby pushed himself away from the computer screen with a whoop of joy. He had it! Two VIP tickets to the best show in town! Herofest, the one thing everyone was talking about, and how jealous they would all be when he announced it at school the next morning. Everyone would be clambering to get his second ticket. Well, before that he had some things to get ready, dig out his old costume, become a super hero. Loads of people attending would be dressed like heroes, and it was so hard to get tickets, but these were genuine. Genuinely genuine. He was getting them off Oz, since he couldn't go and he practically begged him for them, but it was so worth it. Not even his best friend Chester knew he had these tickets yet.

Excited, he strolled to school with a new spring in my step. There weren't any good high schools in Galaxy Hills, so they went to the one in the nearest town, and the guys there weren't too fond of some of the Galaxy Hills lot, but he had made a fair few friends. Unfortunately his new friends didn't like his old friends. They were okay with his best friend, just about, but when it came to his friend Kyle, the kids in the other town seemed to hate him.

Anyway, they all got the bus over. At the school, Toby made a huge show of walking into his classroom, brandishing the tickets. "Guess who has two tickets to Herofest!"
Heads snapped round. He could feel the stares raising goosebumps, and he grinned. Duke and one of the Winterlot Fields kids Toby was friends with got up and came over. "No way! Dude, I'd do anything for that ticket."
The Winterlot boy pushed him away. "No way, man. You're my friend! I'd be happy to go with you."
Toby thought for a moment, punctuating it with a hum of thought as he rested a finger on his bottom lip. "Well, I'll have to think on it. Obviously since I have so many great friends, I have to do a lot of thinking before I choose who to bring."
"I...I'll do your homework for a week!"
"I'll think about it!" He heaved a great sigh and went to sit beside his best friend, who he had been best friends with for years. Chester grinned.
"You're taking me, of course. Like, woah, Herofest! I never would've thought I'd be going to Herofest! I need to dig out my old costume and all!"
Toby got ready to reply, but then he realised something. He didn't want to take Ches. A quick glance around the room and he found only one student hadn't been interested. Kyle's head was bent low over his desk as he wrote something. Probably a letter to Milkweed. He had dropped those attempts for a while but as of late had been trying ever harder to get in, as he certainly wasn't happy here...oh...

He understood at once what he had been planning to do with the ticket from the very beginning. He turned back to Ches with an apologetic look. "Look man, you know you're my best friend and all, but I was thinking...if it isn't too inconvenient..." Ches' face fell, "it's just...you know Kyle's been going through a really tough time, I mean look at him, he's miserable...I thought he needs something to cheer him up, so I thought I might take him."
Ches thought for a moment before nodding, but still looking crestfallen. "Don't worry, I understand..."
"But now I feel so bad..."
"Look, as much of a big deal as Herofest is, you're a really great guy, thinking about Kyle like that...and honestly, I'd have done the same thing."
"You would?"
"He probably needs it. A bit of a pick-me-up, I mean." He was clearly gutted about Toby's decision, but he was putting on a brave face. "It's getting televised, I can still watch it."

So at break time, he went to Kyle. "Hey Kyle!"
"Hi..."
"I was thinking...you know how I have that spare festival ticket?"
"Spare? I thought it was going to Chester."
There was an awkward silence. He obviously didn't want to say 'I'm giving you the ticket because people beat you up' or something to that effect. "Well, it isn't. You wanna come?"
Kyle looked uncertain. "To...Herofest...? You sure that will be my cup of tea?"
Toby answered that by pulling out a leaflet about the festival. "Just look at the bands headlining and tell me if you like anything there."
He took it and read over it fast, then gasped. "That's my favourite band..."
Toby grinned. "Better still, I got those VIP tickets there were only 10 of, so after the show we get to go backstage and talk to the artists, we get show shirts free, we get signed photos and photos of us with the artists-!"
Kyle slapped a hand over Toby's mouth. "Okay. I'm sold. You keep hold of the tickets, come round my place on the night."

And that was what happened. Toby wore an old costume of purple and green, something he had worn as a child. Back then, everyone had called him Fanboy, and suddenly that was who he was once more. "You sure you're okay with this?" He asked as Chester threw himself onto the sofa, flicking the TV to the right channel.
"It's fine. Have a great time. Ooh, bring me back a shirt!"
With a grin, Toby nodded. "Will do. Now, Kyle's chariot awaits!"
Chester laughed as his friend launched himself out of what they still affectionately called the Fanlair.

Naturally, Kyle complained about the return of Fanboy, but since it was all in the spirit of Herofest, he put up with it, especially since many people there were in superhero costumes. In fact, Kyle felt like a bit of an outsider amongst so many people playing dress-up. The place was packed, with rising walls and balconies that people had seats on. Those people couldn't move around and get drinks and socialise, or be interviewed by the man presenting the show on TV. Even so, both boys had a great time, dancing and singing along, and it had been a long time since Fanboy had seen such a genuine and joy-filled smile on Kyle's face. Both of them had had a fair bit to drink, even though they were certainly too young for it. Well, the festival wasn't well policed, but naturally Kyle drank far less than his costumed companion, and so was quite embarrassed when, during his favourite song, the man talking to everyone in costumes came over and thrust camera and microphone into Fanboy's face. "So who's this young hero here?"
Fanboy grinned. "I'm Fanboy, friend of the people!" He yelled, throwing his arms out and his drink over Kyle, who cried out. The man laughed.
"Here's hoping that young man and you are good friends."
Fanboy turned and gasped, throwing his arm around his friend and drawing him close. "Sorry Kyle! We're real good friends though. Not, like, best friends, but still pretty damn close. I've known him years!"
The man laughed again. "Nice to meet you, Kyle, friend of the friend of the people."
Kyle struggled weakly against Fanboy's embrace as the talk went on.
"So, Fanboy...you got your own Lois Lane watching at home?"
He shook his head. "Nah, I gots no-one..."
"Have you...got your eyes on anyone special?"
There was a slight hesitation. "I do, but he's more of a Louis than a Lois..."
"Oh, right, my apologies. You could take the time to tell him."
He shook his head. "He isn't watching at home. He's here, with me." And with that, he turned and planted a kiss on Kyle's cheek. Kyle just looked shocked.
"We-he-hell, Kyle doesn't look too pleased, you may want to check your privileges with him."
But then Kyle grabbed Fanboy's shoulders, turning him for a proper kiss.

The man behind the camera laughed and cooed, thinking of how cute it is.

Back home, Chester spat out his soda with a laugh. "Man, I never thought they'd actually get together in my lifetime!"

The children from the school found it foul.

Lupe and Yo fell into fits of giggles.

And then the kiss ended and they stumbled apart.

Hours later, they were walking home with bags in hand that had their free shirts and signed material. Fanboy was drunk, hardly able to keep straight. He was leaning heavily on Kyle. They reached the stone steps outside the young Wizard's apartment and Kyle thought for a moment. "Listen, it isn't that I don't trust you, it's that you're very drunk and...I don't trust you...never mind, I'm taking you home." And with that, he dragged him on. He dragged him all the way up to the Fanlair and knocked non-stop until Chester answered and took his friend off his hands.

The next morning, Tobias sure had one whopper of a hangover. He groaned, squirming in his bed and gripping his head. Chester watched with a smirk. "Enjoy yourself at Herofest?"
He nodded. "I remember...yeah, it was great."
"Didn't realise you were so into Kyle. Now I really see why you wanted him to come."
"Huh? What?"
"You kissed him live on air. In front of millions, and you sort of said you fancied him."
He crossed his arms, frowning at Chester. "Can you call me in sick for school today?"
"...It's Saturday..."
"Oh...that's good then..." He flopped back over onto the bed. He stayed there most of the day, thinking of what Chester said. Later, Ches searched his goodie bag and had a hissy fit having found Fanboy did not have a shirt for him.

Monday, back at school.
The trio were seated together at lunch, Toby making sure his mouth was always full so he wouldn't have to talk to Kyle, who had only just sat down and given Chester the Herofest shirt Toby had bought him when Moss, one of the Winterlot children, peaked over Toby's shoulder. "Hey man, how was Herofest?"
Still having his mouth full, he only gave a hum and a thumbs up.
"Cool, cool. Man, you were caught hammered on camera."
"I wah?" He asked through a full mouth.
"Yeah, totally. Man, you said you fancied brace-face over here." He laughed, flicking a finger at Kyle, who had crossed his arms and was now just glaring.
"What? Me?" Toby laughed. "No, no!"
"You don't love him?"
"God no! Huh, as if!"
"I knew it, I knew you wouldn't go queer on us." He laughed and walked off. Kyle turned his glare to Toby.
"You mean that?"
"Yeah, yeah, no worries."
He looked at the floor. Ches kicked him hard in the ankle. Kyle got up, slinging his bag over his shoulders and went for the door. As he got further, he sped up.

For the next hour, he was locked in a cubicle in the toilets, crying silently. Toby noted that Kyle had not eaten his lunch, and spent the whole of last lesson worrying, wondering where his friend had gone.

After school, he and Ches were walking out the gates.
"This is your fault..." Ches muttered furiously.
"What?" Toby looked around, trying to find his third friend. "Where's Kyle?"
"You upset him."
"How?"
Ches' mouth dropped open. "How stupid are you? You told Kyle you freaking loved him, and now suddenly, because your homophobic friend comes along, you don't! You're not Fanboy, you're a filthy, rotten coward! Find Kyle and fix this or else don't bother coming home!" And with that, he ran off. Toby sighed and hung back for hours, waiting for a sign of Kyle, who had, unfortunately fallen asleep in the toilet cubicle. He walked out of school just as Toby was leaving. He kept his distance, but in the end had to get on the same bus. He sat on the front, and Toby was in the back, but when he saw him, he waved like crazy. "Hey, Kyle!" Kyle ignored him, though. Frowning, he went to sit beside him. "Kyle?" Kyle turned to the window. "Kyle, come on!...you didn't even eat your lunch...want some cookies?" The bus stopped at their stop and still Kyle was not speaking to him. "Listen, I know I upset you, but just listen to me, I need to explain." Kyle opened his front door and tried to slam it shut, but Toby forced his body in the way, and finally Kyle shouted at him.
"Get out of my doorway!"
"No! Let me in and let me apologise!"
Reluctantly, he did, and he went to sit on his sofa. Toby sat beside him, resting his head on his shoulder. Kyle shrugged him off and shifted up. "Kyle...listen, I didn't mean what I said to Moss...I thought it was what everyone wanted to hear...I mean, I was off my tits on gin and juice when we kissed and all I remembered was that I was drunk and then Ches said I kissed you and I thought you would be so pissed off, I couldn't remember how you reacted, so I said what I thought you wanted to hear...Kyle, I'm sorry for pissing you off, I'm sorry for leading you along, I'm sorry I upset you. I love you, I have since we were kids...I really, truly do, and if you love me back then I don't care who knows."
Kyle sat there, fiddling with his thumbs. He looked up. "Do you really mean it?"
"Yes, honest this time, I really do." He crawled over to Kyle and they shared one more kiss.