The Musketeers

A Boy Betrayed

Peter and Carter went into a panicked frenzy as the bright light from the hallway cut into the darkness of the hotel room. The door closed quickly, but the glow of the TV illuminated the room well enough for them both to see Eric with his cell phone in hand. Eric's eyes acclimated to the darkness as the same glow revealed the naked bodies scrambling for their clothes.

"Dude, don't!" pleaded Carter as Eric held out the phone, snapping a picture of the compromised couple.

"What the fuck, guys?" said the wide-eyed Eric.

Neither of them knew their teammate Eric well, having been randomly assigned with Carter to share a room for the night at the invitational track meet. Carter knew they had taken a risk but didn't expect him to return to their room so fast.

"I thought you were going to eat," Carter stammered with panic in his eyes as he pulled on his sweatpants.

"I thought I'd come back and give you one more chance to come with," Eric said, his lip quivering as his eyes shot back and forth between the two.

"We haven't even," Peter started, but Carter stepped in.

"We were just," his voice faltered as his mind raced for a response. "We were just fooling around," Carter said, immediately hating how that sounded.

"This is messed up," Eric said shaking his head, "what is with you guys?"

"Don't get the wrong idea," Carter pleaded, "we were just watching TV."

Eric's expression hardened as he stared at the faces of his teammates.

"Yeah, whatever. You guys can't be doing this shit in my room."

Carter and Peter, their hearts pounding in their chests, quickly finished getting dressed. The tension in the room was palpable, the incident brought their secret relationship crashing down, leaving them exposed and vulnerable.

Eric's initial shock began to give way to a mix of confusion and disbelief. He shook his head, trying to process the situation. "I can't believe this," he muttered, his voice tinged with disgust and confusion. "I didn't know you guys were into this."

"I'm out," Eric continued turning back toward the door.

Carter's voice cracked with desperation as he called out, "Eric, please, don't go. We can explain. It's not what you think."

But Eric didn't respond. He turned the doorknob and stepped out into the hallway, leaving Carter and Peter alone in a room heavy with the weight of what just took place.

Carter's heart sank, a knot tightening in his chest. He looked at Peter, searching for a glimmer of reassurance or guidance, but Peter just stared back, his eyes mirroring Carter's turmoil. They stood in silence, the emptiness of the room overwhelming them.

Carter reached for his phone, desperately dialing Eric's number. He waited anxiously as the call rang, hoping against hope Eric would answer and give them a chance to explain. But there was no answer. Carter's grip tightened on the phone, his mind racing for a way to salvage this disaster.

Peter couldn't return to his own room, all he thought to do was wait with Carter for Eric to return. Minutes turned into hours, which turned into an agonizing night as Carter and Peter sat in the quiet hotel room, their minds consumed by regret and uncertainty. The grip of powerlessness was inescapable.

Morning arrived, casting a glimmer of light through the curtains. They talked all night waiting for Eric, trying repeatedly to call him without an answer. Neither had slept.

Peter got the first text, from an unknown number, "sweet dick pic dude."

Carter's world collapsed in on him as Peter showed the phone.