The lease renewal sat there on the table, staring right back at Charlie, Hunter, and Tyler.

 "So wait, what was the question?" asked Tyler.

 "Do we want to resign the lease for another year," Charlie repeated.

 "Geez, it's been a year already?" Tyler said.

 "Flies by, huh?" Hunter said, looking at Charlie.

 Tyler looked at Charlie. "Are you still moving to Africa with Ben?"

 "I'm still... trying to work that out," Charlie said, avoiding Hunter's gaze. "There might still be stuff I need to figure out here."

 "But we can't split up," Tyler protested. "We're like... "

 "I know dude," Hunter said. "What do you want to do?"

 "Well, I wanna stay. I think I'm finally starting to figure this place out."

 "Don't be too sure," Hunter chuckled. "The game changes the second you think you've got it licked."

 "Are you going to stay?" Tyler asked.

 "Honestly... I don't know," Hunter said. "I mean, I've lived in Boystown since I moved to Chicago. There's a lot of baggage here."

 "Good times too, thought, right?"

 "Yeah... good times. A lot of bad. So maybe it's time for a change. Or maybe... " Hunter added, looking at Charlie. "... if there was a reason to stay."

Charlie was too busy staring at the lease renewal to really hear what they were saying. It was all happening at once. Eddy would tell him to listen to his gut, but his gut was listening to his head and they were fighting. As the days to his thirtieth birthday ticked closer, an unspoken vow loomed overhead: he promised himself he'd move out of Boystown before he was thirty. He'd lived the life here, did his fair share of partying, drinking, random hookups. He'd fell in love a couple of times, gotten his heart broken majorly. Ben might not be the answer... Africa might not be the answer... but was staying the answer? Was he going to be stuck in a perpetual rut if he stayed or would it follow him wherever he went? The sound of the door knocking interrupted his silent angst. Tyler went to answer it.

"Oh hey," Tyler said to the person on the other side of the door. "Did we have plans to hang today?"

"No" said the voice on the other end. "I'm here to see Charlie." A puzzled Tyler stepped aside and let the man into through the door. At the sight of those familiar blue eyes and broad shoulders, Charlie stood up abruptly.

"Hi, Charlie."

"Hi... Tom."

###