Xander and Skeevo led the quartet into the next room and down a small hallway. At the far end of the hallway on the right was a small bedroom which, for tonight, had been renovated for a very special function. Xander blocked the doorway.

"Before we go in here, fellas, you need to know right off the bat that you really were chosen for a very specific and important reason. And once you cross the threshold, there's no turning back."

Jordan looked worried. Jason said, "Is this one of those things where you build up your first initiation prank so we're primed for it by being scared out of our wits?"

"It's no prank", Xander explained. "But it is a trial. If you want to bail out now, neither Skeevo or I will think less of you."

Skeevo chimed in from behind them. "Your fellow initiates may mock you like crazy and make rude comments about you after you're gone, but hey, nobody said our system was perfect."

Jesse crossed his arms defiantly. "I'm in." The others in the groups nodded, though Jordan waited until the others were clearly showing their compliance before he nodded too.

Xander said, "Very good, boys. Skeevo?"

Skeevo took a box from a nearby hall table. "Gentlemen, I'll need your shoes and socks, please. Remove them and place them in this box before you enter the trial room."

Jason looked at him crossways. "What? Why, did you just shampoo the rug or something?"

Skeevo tapped the side of the box. "Let's go."

Jesse looked as if he was about to question this when there was a dull thud as Jonathan dropped his shoes into the box. He had tucked his socks neatly into the shoes. He then looked at his brethren as if to say, "Okay, you next."

Skeevo looked approvingly at Jonathan and said, "Roll up your pants, too. To about mid- calf." And Jonathan obediently began to fold back his pantlegs in wide cuffs.

Xander nudged the others along. "Come on, time's a'wastin!"

Skeevo muttered under his breath, "At this rate, we'll never get to the gratuitous gay sex and humiliating rubberplay." Thankfully, nobody heard him.

But in another few seconds the boys were all barefoot and led into the room. There were four rickety wooden chairs arranged in a circle in the close quarters of the small room. At the head of the circle were two more chair, considerably more modern-looking and comfortably cushioned. There was a small table nearby the head chairs with a locked drawer. The wooden chairs looked oddly familiar to the four boys, who stepped hesitantly into the room, wondering what would be done to them there. Jordan kept glancing up at the ceiling and walls as if he were waiting for something to jump out at him.

On the wall directly across from the door were two tall arched windows of yellowed beveled glass covered by a pattern of spiraled wrought-iron bars. Hence there was no air and very little light coming in through the window, which pretty much defeated the purpose of having windows in the first place. As a result, what should have opened up the sparse room and made it a bit more inviting made it seem closed-off and claustrophobic.

Jonathan moved away from the group and walked slowly around the wooden chairs which were obviously intended for the new pledges. Skeevo could see the light come on in Jonathan's eyes when he got a better look at the chairs. The sturdy arms and legs of the chairs had formidable medical restraints, and the large strap looped around the back of the chairs that Jonathan at first thought was a book pocket, was in fact an additional restraint belt designed to lock around the front of the chair and secure the occupant across the chest and biceps.

Jonathan smirked. "They're electric chairs", he said.

"Bingo", Xander replied. "But specially modified for our own unique purposes."

All heads but Xander's turned at the sound of a harsh click as Skeevo locked the door with a sizeable deadbolt and padlock.

Jordan let out a tiny whimper and Jason smiled nervously. Jesse was unimpressed. Plopping down dramatically in the fourth chair, he scoffed, "Oh, please! These things aren't even plugged in. The don't even have plugs. No metal skullcap, no wiring. It's all a big setup, guys. Get over it."

"So what's in the cupboard?", Jonathan asked.

Jason was caught off guard. "Huh? What cupboard?"

The other three boys followed Jonathan's pointing finger, and sure enough, there in the far corner of the room was a small wall cupboard latched shut. Skeevo grinned. "Geez, this kid doesn't miss a trick."

Xander jumped in. "One thing at a time, my lad. First we deal with these handsome chairs."

Jesse interlaced his fingers, and raised one mocking eyebrow. "So, you gonna strap me in now?"

"No", Skeevo said flatly. Then pointing at the other three pledges, "They are."

Xander gestured to the seated pledge and spoke to the others. "Gentlemen, if you'd be so kind." With some verbal guidance from Xander and Skeevo, the three boys strapped Jesse in tight. His wrists were secured to the chair's arms, his ankle to the front legs. The final touch was a very broad strap which clamped down on his chest and biceps, holding him tightly in place. He wasn't going anywhere. Jesse attempted to remain aloof and uncaring about the process, but by the time the chest strap was fitted around him, he began to feel concerned.

Xander tapped the third chair in the circle. "Jason, if you could have a seat?" Jason sat in the wooden chair, gulping audibly. Jordan and Jonathan strapped him, a bit more quickly this time.

Xander nodded to chair number two. "Jordan." Jordan sat down gingerly, as if he were afraid something on the seat would sting him. Jonathan set to work on Jordan's straps, locking him in place.

"Not too tight", Jordan said pleadingly.

"Don't worry", Jonathan assured him. Then, without being told, Jonathan took a seat in the first chair. "So who's gonna--?"

Xander began to step forward but Skeevo intervened. "I'll do it." Skeevo strapped Jonathan into his chair good and secure. Afterward, he looked at Jonathan and asked, "Okay?"

Jonathan grinned. "All tucked in, dad." Skeevo tousled his hair.

Jesse was getting tired of this game. "So now what? You let mice run over us, or pet tarantulas? Now that we can't get away?"

Jordan blanched, looking on the verge of coronary thrombosis. "T-tarantulas?"

Skeevo walked to the windows and lit a row of tall white taper candles in ornate metal holders.

"Hardly", Xander said. "Now that you can't move, we prevent you from escaping from something far more frightening than bugs and vermin." Skeevo turned the light dimmer knob down to the barest minimum, providing enough light for all to be seen, but only just.

"And what's that?", Jesse challenged.

The two leaders took their seats. "Yourselves", Skeevo said.

Jason looked nervous as well. "Wait, wait, what is this, really? What is our trial? Why are we doing this?"

Xander said, "We're doing this because we can't afford the resources to lead you on a phone tag chase, have you drink a knock out drug and then cart you off to a hidden subterranean chamber so you can wake up in coffins."

Jonathan smiled. "I love that movie."

"We spend our funding on other resources and materials", said Skeevo. "You'll find out what later on."

"On whatever's in that cupboard, I'll bet", Jonathan guessed. But Skeevo only grinned, saying nothing.

But Xander did. "Jonathan, you're in chair number one. We'll start with you."

"What do you want to know?" Jonathan seemed unphased by the process and dramatic trappings.

Xander leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs. "You can start with how long you've been in the closet."

The other three turned their heads to look with dismay at their comrade. Jordan gasped. Jonathan dropped his head down. Staring at his lap, he took a very deep breath. Then, with steely eyes, he raised his head and spoke very evenly. "What tipped you off?"

Xander unlocked the drawer to the small table beside him and drew out a handful of papers. "Exhaustive and cleverly-worded fraternity application questionnaire, my friend." He shook the papers, ruffling them with flourish before all the restrained boys. Eyes bulged and mouths gaped. Now they knew what they were being restrained for. To prevent escape from the truth. And from voicing it.

"Wait a goddamn minute here", Jesse said. "You think we're all a bunch'a fags, is that it? And you're gonna make us--what, confess to it??" The boys shared silent looks of unspoken terror. What had they gotten themselves into?

Jordan began to shake his head violently. "No, no, no. I don't want to do this anymore. This isn't what I applied for. I just wanted to belong to something, to be accepted in a group. Don't make me do this--!" He struggled uselessly at his bonds, knowing full well he wasn't going anywhere.

Xander held out a hand to urge Jordan to stop thrashing. "Just hang on, buddy. We're not done talking to Jonathan yet." Jordan slumped against the stiff chairback, swallowing back tears.

Skeevo looked at Jonathan. "Don't you have something to share with your fraternity brothers?"

Jonathan was inscrutable. "Didn't I already?"

"Say the words, Jon. You have to actually say the words. Loud enough for us to hear you", Xander clarified.

Jonathan took another deep breath. He began to speak, looking down at the floor, but then he lifted his eyes to meet those of Xander and Skeevo. Then he turned his head just enough to see the other boys, which wasn't difficult, given the position of the chairs. "Yes", he said finally. "I'm a homosexual."

Jordan shook his head. "God, no. Not the "h" word!"

Jesse began to tug at his bonds as well. "This is bullshit, man. Let me up--let me out!

Skeevo remained passive. "Everybody gets a turn. Jordan, you're up." Jordan kept shaking his head, crying, tears now flowing down his cheeks.

In a voice that was almost a squeak, Jordan said, "I didn't sign up for this. Why are you doing this to us? All I wanted was to belong to a group, some group, any group. Not to feel alone all the time. To just be accepted for who I am. I never--I never--"

"You do belong to a group already, Jordy", Xander said.

"That's not my name! Don't CALL me that! It's Jordan! I'm Jordan!!"

Xander looked at Skeevo. Should we let him up? Have we gone too far? Skeevo held up his palm, indicating Xander should stay put. The kid was on the verge of a breakthrough. Let him go.

Softly, Skeevo said, "It's not the sense of belonging you're missing, Jordan. It's denying the group you already belong to that's causing all the--"

Jordan cut him off. "My brother used to call me that! All the time, it was Jordy-this, Jordy-that! Said it was a better name for a faggot like me! He called me those names-- faggot, queer, homo, even before I knew what they meant. So when I turned 12, in the seventh grade, when I was there in first hour Biology, and Kip Fletcher walked in..."

Jordan's voice became so soft, so tender, it was clear that he was looking into the past at that moment. He was reliving what he had felt then, what he had always held in check. The room was deathly quiet while he gathered his thoughts and began to form words.

"He was so perfect. He was funny, he was smart, he could draw, play guitar--he was so talented. Everybody liked him, he talked to everybody, too. No one was beneath him or in the wrong clique." Jordan swallowed, sniffed, and another tear rolled down his face. He spoke again very, very quietly. "And Christ Jesus, he was so cute. So incredibly adorable. Every day he would walk into class and talk to everybody; joking, smiling, and God, it broke my heart just to look at him because I knew I could never even touch him. And that's when I knew. That's when I understood what they meant. All those words, those names my older brother had been calling me all those years growing up."

Jordan closed his eyes tight, and tears flowed freely down his cheeks to drop down upon the strap that bound his chest, and to spatter upon his pantlegs. "And I knew that he was right." Jordan sobbed audibly. "Hu-uhh, hukk--shit, he had been right about me all along, and I never even knew it."

Jordan shook his head slightly, now clenching his eyes shut, forcing out more tears. And when he opened his eyes again, they burned red with more than sorrow. They burned with the fire of determination and sustained rage. And Jordan's voice had a grating edge that no one present would have thought him capable of when he said, "And that year I swore to God in heaven that no one would ever know what my brother suspected. And that I would never, never, ever tell anyone what I'd realized. Because I would rather die miserable, alone, and unloved than ever give my brother the satisfaction of having any proof that he was right."

Jordan leaned his head back against his chair and stared at the ceiling, the tears still coming. No one else spoke. No one dared. Xander and Skeevo had no clever remarks. Jonathan's eyes conveyed all the tender support his voice could not. Jason stared in shocked disbelief. Jesse looked horrified. And Jordan wept, whispering to no one, "He was right. My fucking abusive brother was right all the time. I'm a pansy, a queer, a fairy." He sniffed hard, and choked on his tears. "Jesus help me..."

"He is helping you", Skeevo said, feeling neither irony nor sacrilege at his words. "He brought you to us."

Xander spoke up as well. "That's right. And you know something? You're brother was dead wrong about you. Because you're not a pansy, or a queer, or a fairy, Jordan. You're gay. And there's a big difference. And what you just did took serious guts. You may be one of the bravest people I've ever known."

Jordan's voice was now a hoarse whisper. "I still don't think I can say it. I can't..."

Skeevo opened his mouth to speak but to his surprise, Jonathan beat him to it. "It's okay, Jordan. We're here. You're not alone. You can say it. It's gonna be alright. Take all the time you need." And he flashed a warm and caring smile. "It's not like we're going anywhere."

Jordan looked at Jonathan. Tearful, reddened eyes met those bright and giving. After a moment more, Jordan said as evenly as he could, "I'm gay."

Jonathan smiled again. "I'm proud of you."

"We all are", Xander added. Then, turning to the next chair, he said, "Aren't we, Jason?"

"Well, yeah! That was pretty impressive, I mean, it was intense and all, but whoa, I was really pretty blown away by--" Then Jason caught on. "Ohh, fuck a duck, it's my turn, isn't it?"

Skeevo raised his eyebrows. "Yup."

"Y-y-you want me to say--?", Jason stammered.

"'Fraid so", Xander confirmed.

"I never went through anything as bad as Jordan, though. I never felt like I had to hold in, I mean, not like that..."

"S'okay", Skeevo assured him. "Just say it in your own words."

Jason flashed a very nervous smile. "It's just, you know, I'm not even sure about it or anything. I've had thoughts and wondered--that's normal, right? I mean, everybody wonders at some point, don't they? We wonder, we experiment--" Jason paused, then said more softly, "--or we dream about experimenting. I mean, we think! Imagine, even, is a better way of putting it! We iMAGine experimenting with someone--or something, rather--and what I'm saying is we all, we all, we all at one time or another--"

Jason fidgeted beneath his bonds, his toes curling and uncurling, his fingers clawing at empty air. He licked his lips, then swallowed twice. "--and we end up, well, we could find ourselves, if the circumstances are right--"

Everyone stared at him, wondering where the hell this was going. They hoped by some accident he might blather himself into a complete sentence.

"--aaannnnnnd we might find ourselves, um--", and he finished very rapidly under his breath, "--jacking off to a magazine article on Justin Timberlake." Everyone simply continued to stare at him. Jason let out a deep sigh and his shoulders sagged. "Okay, you win. I'm gay, too."

At that, all eyes in the room turned to Jesse in the last chair. Jesse had a haunted look in his eyes, but his mouth was a thin line of anger. He glanced briefly at the other three boys, then shot daggers at Xander and Skeevo. "No fucking way, man."

Xander and Skeevo just looked at him. Jonathan spoke. "It's your turn, Jess."

Jesse looked at him. "My ass, it's my turn! I don't belong here! They made a mistake!" Then looking back at Xander and Skeev, "You made a mistake! I'm not ga--I'm not like them!" He jerked his head toward the other three boys.

Xander crossed his arms. "We tend to think otherwise."

Jesse was seriously tugging at his bonds. He was making absolutely no progress against the straps, but was doing a fairly good job of rubbing his wrists and ankles raw. "You think wrong! There's nothing about me, I'm telling you, absolutely nothing, that would make you think I'm---that I'm that way!" Jesse's shoulders lurched forward, trying to loosen the chest strap, his knees bucked, as he hoped to come free of the ankle bonds. But the most active were his hands and arms, as he clenched and unclenched his fists, braced his elbows against the wooden armrests and tried to push off. "When I get out of this I am kicking your ass! Fuckers!"

Skeevo put his chin in his palm. "Jesse..."

"You can't know! I don't care what you think you've figured out, I'm telling you, you just can't know something like this about a person--and you're wrong about me, dammitt!"

Skeev looked at Xander, who was already flipping through the small stack of applications. He pulled out Jesse's and showed it to the room. Xander pointed to the form. "Your handwriting?"

"You know it is, you--"

Xander stood up, and started reading selected bits. "Given a choice, you'd buy your clothes at a.) Abercrombie & Fitch b.) Old Navy c.) International Male or d.) The GAP. And you chose c.), International Male."

Jesse continued to struggle in every sense. "I never even heard of that place! I thought you wanted guys who were all fancy and stuff, and that sounded good! Let me up!"

"Your list of favorite movies includes, "Cabaret", "Another Country", and "Philadelphia", among others."

Jesse's face was going red. "That doesn't mean anything! I listed "The Skulls", too!"

Jonathan sighed. "Love that movie." Jesse practically roared, his thrashing increased.

Jason even grinned a little. "There's that whole scene when Paul Walker is shadow boxing, no shirt on--"

"My favorite movie was Disney's "Mulan" ", Jordan admitted.

"For that whole Reflections song, right? Yeah, I get that", Jason said.

"Shut UP!!", Jesse shouted.

"Of magazines you subscribe to", Xander read on, "you mention GQ and Men's Health."

"I like to work out, goddammitt! It doesn't mean--!"

"Funny how the football teams he said he roots for have the hottest quarterbacks, too", Skeevo interjected.

"Hey, that's right!", Xander agreed. "And dude, your answer to 'How much cologne to wear to impress your date' was so right-on--"

"You CAN'T know!", Jesse yelled. "You can't know this! I-I've been too careful--!" And at that, Jesse stopped struggling. Quietly, he said, "I've been so careful, you can't have figured it out."

Xander tossed the pages down onto the table and sat back down. Jesse looked away from everyone, staring off into a dim corner of the room. Without inflection one way or the other, he said, "You're right. I'm gay."

Skeevo got up. "And now for the hard part, gentlemen."

Jordan looked pained. "The hard part? You mean it gets harder than this?? I don't think I can handle--"

Xander got up too, pulling the last item from the drawer in the small table. "It doesn't take long, Jordan. But it's far from easy."

"And it's a requirement if you want to be in the frat", Skeevo stressed.

Xander held up the object he'd taken out. It was a handheld mirror with a large glass. "You have to come out to yourself."

Jason and Jordan looked a little puzzled. Something passed over Jonathan's face that indicated that he understood. Jesse looked upset again. "No, no wait", Jesse pleaded. "I already came out to all of you guys, I shouldn't have to be made to--"

Xander walked toward Jonathan with the mirror. "Yeah, you do. If you wanna live with yourself, anyway." Xander held the mirror up to Jonathan, who saw his reflection in it. He stared at himself until Xander prompted him. "Go on."

Jonathan looked up at Xander, who said, "Don't look at me, buddy, I already know. Tell yourself. Say it, admit it, and accept it."

Jonathan looked back at himself reflected in the mirror. He took a deep breath, and with the most confidence he could muster, he told himself, "I'm gay."

"Good job", Xander congratulated him, moving over one chair to Jordan. "Jordan, go ahead."

Jordan seemed almost eager. His face still a bit moist from the tears he could not wipe away, he looked at himself in the mirror and fairly shouted, "I'm gay! I'm gay!" He gasped a bit after, looking as if he'd thrown away a tremendous weight he'd been carrying for a long time.

Xander rested a hand on his shoulder. "Excellent, Jordan. Well done." He moved on to Jason, who squirmed a bit in his seat.

Jason couldn't look at himself in the mirror at first, but eventually took in his own reflection. "I--I--I'm g-gay." He swallowed, then tried again, almost staring himself down. "I'm gay." He too look relieved, then looked up at Xander and glanced over at Skeevo. "Hey, I'm gay. I really am, I'm gay!"

Xander smiled. "We know, man. Good work."

Last, it was Jesse's turn. He was shaking his head. "Don't make me. I'm serious."

"You should be." Xander poised the mirror before him. "And so are we." Jesse closed his eyes tight, unable to look at himself in the mirror.

Jonathan urged him on. "Come on, Jesse, you can do this." The other boys joined in, their words more of support than ridicule. "You can, man, you can do it!", they said, and "Jesse, we're right here", "We're with you, Jess", "Dude, it feels so good, just say it."

Slowly, Jesse opened his eyes. He stared into the mirror and looked at himself as if he were gazing at a stranger. Which on some level, he was. Then with a voice devoid of his usual sarcastic edge, he greeted himself. "Hi." And he paused for a while. Then, "I'm gay."

The other boys whooped and hollered and whistled to his success. Jesse looked as if he had just been through a wilderness survival weekend. Xander beamed at him. "I'm proud of you, Jesse. Good job."

Jesse looked up at him, new light in his eyes. "Thanks."

Xander set down the mirror and said, "Gentlemen, you have just survived your first trial as pledges to the fraternity of Rho Upsilon Beta Rho."

"Now we have something to show you", Skeevo said. At that, he turned to Xander and the duo kissed. Their arms wrapped gently around each other and they shared a long, passionate, tender embrace. The four boys sat strapped in their chairs, staring with wide eyes. After about a minute the kiss ended, and Xander and Skeevo stepped slightly apart, though their arms remained draped around each other's shoulders.

"Questions?", Skeevo asked.

Jesse stammered. "Y-yo-you mean that you-you guys a-are--?"

"Yepper", Xander said. "We're gay. Always have been."

Jason's mouth was still agape. "So...you're not going to out us to the whole campus or anything?"

Skeevo frowned. "Fuck no. This frat is made for guys like you--like us. A place where you can be yourself, and be totally at ease with yourself, among like-minded friends. Among brothers."

Xander looked pointedly at Jordan. "To belong." Jordan was silent, but his expression conveyed enormous gratitude.

Skeevo said, "At this point, your lives have been changed forever. You can't deny that. You had the guts and the courage to come out to total strangers and put everything on the line and say the two scariest words in a young guy's life. Now comes the big invitation." He took a dramatic pause, then continued. "You get to decide if you want to continue on your journey as a Rho Upsilon Beta Rho man, or if you want to bug out."

Xander pointed back the way they had come. "If you want out, now's the time. There's the door. Say the word, and we unstrap you and send you on your way. Your secret--if you want it to stay a secret--is safe with us."

"But if you do go", Skeevo warned, "you go. You aren't coming back."

"So what's it gonna be, boys?", Xander asked.

"I'm in", Jonathan said.

"Me, too", Jason agreed. "Count me in."

Jordan smiled. "I've been looking for a place like this all my life. You bet your ass I'm in."

They looked at Jesse. He exhaled out his nose. "Well, I am getting pretty sick of hiding my latest copy of OUT every time somebody walks in the room. Yeah. I'm in."

Skeevo smiled. To Xander, he said, "Break out the boots!"

Jesse wrinkled his brow. "Boots?"

"There's more to being in this frat than just being gay", Skeevo said.

"A LOT more", Xander agreed, having returned from the cupboard Jonathan had been so curious about earlier, where he retrieved four pairs of rubber knee boots for the bound pledge boys. Xander nodded to Skeevo. "If you would do the honors, my good man."

"Indubitably", Skeevo said with mock flair, and then proceeded to visit each pledge's chair and unzip every boy's pants. He pulled their trousers down just enough to fully reveal their underwear without exposing their privates. But the boys did look pretty exposed, regardless.

"Hey! What the hell IS this--?!", Jesse spluttered.

"You-you guys aren't going to do--gay stuff to us, are you?", Jason asked.

Skeevo rolled his eyes as he yanked open Jason's fly. "Dude, you are gay. You just said." He patted Jason on the shoulder and moved on to Jordan, who squirmed nervously. "It's gonna be okay, buddy", Skeevo said, trying to calm him. It worked a little.

Jonathan seemed to be the only one still at ease. "Those boots for us?", he asked as Skeevo opened up his fly for him. Skeevo just grinned. Jonathan sent a silent message to Skeevo with his eyes which was a clear invitation that Skeevo needn't stop with simply opening Jonathan's fly. Skeevo stopped for a moment when he saw Jonathan's expression, realizing the meaning behind it. Then Skeev grinned back, and patted Jonathan on the thigh as he got up.

"One thing at a time, man", Skeevo said just softly enough for Jonathan alone to hear him.

"And now, our prospective pledges, our Four J's", Xander began, and paused. Turning to Skeevo, he said, "Hey, I like that. Jesse, Jason, Jordan, Jonathan--the Four J's. Let's go with it." Skeevo shrugged noncommittally. Okay, why not? "Anyway, Four J's", Xander went on, "now the next test, intended to check your response to certain...specific stimuli." Xander walked over to Jesse and slipped his bare feet into a pair of the unlined rubber boots. He looked directly into Jesse's eyes as he placed them on his feet, saying, "How do they feel?"

Jesse shuddered a bit, remarking, "Whoa. They're cold. They're all rubber. I mean, there's no lining in these things. Whoa."

"Two 'whoa's", Skeevo said. "That's a good sign."

"Annnnd here's an even better one", Xander said, pointing to Jesse's crotch. Jesse had sprouted a very visible erection within his now-exposed shorts. "The man likes the feel of rubber on his skin."

"Wait!", Jesse said defensively. "This doesn't mean anything! I just--I just--!"

"Calm down, Jess", Xander chided. "This is a good thing." He then move don to Jason, putting the second pair of boots on his feet. "And you, my lad?"

Jason inhaled slowly. "Ohhhh, I see what he means. Cold...but it's nice, it--" And Jason's crotch finished his sentence for him. He too was very erect at the contact with the rubber boots.

Xander moved on to Jordan, who remained relatively limp after having the boots put on his feet. Xander frowned. "Hmmm..."

Jordan began to splutter. "They feel really good, honest! I like the boots! Just like the other guys! I just--it's just that--I'm all nervous, and--and--don't kick me out over this."

"Hey, hey, take it easy, man", Xander said, resting a hand upon Jordan's shoulder. "It's cool. You belong now. Nobody's getting kicked out. Chill." Jordan settled down a bit. Xander moved in close to him and whispered, "How do the boots feel on you? Really?"

Jordan met Xander's eyes, realizing it was safe to tell the truth. "Weird. Strange. Kinda cool and smooth...and sorta...I dunno, sexy, I guess."

Xander stayed squatted down before Jordan, and meeting his eyes, spoke softly. "You'll do fine."

Xander then moved on to Jonathan with the final pair of rubber boots. Jonathan was already hard as the proverbial rock. Xander did a double-take. "Dude! Wait for the friggin' stimuli first, okay, man? Geez!"

Jonathan smiled broadly. "Sorry. Anticipation." Jonathan looked over to Skeevo, who seemed to have the look of a proud parent or older brother.

Xander placed the boots on Jonathan and as he got up, said, "You are so totally in, chief." He then took his place beside fellow frat master Skeevo and announced, "And this concludes this portion of our opening trials. We needed to see how you guys would physically react to contact with rubber. So far, I'd say you're doing just fine." Xander turned to Skeevo and said, "What say we turn 'em loose?"

The two fratboys did just that, unstrapping all the young pledges from their stripped electric chairs. Hugs were shared all around with the boys, even Jesse. Jason was so overwhelmed by the experience, he kept saying, "I'm gay, I'm gay", over and over as he hugged his fellow pledges. Jesse's eyes even moistened for a second, but he was quick to wipe away the tears before anyone saw. Jordan clutched Xander in a tight bear hug without even zipping his pants back up. He thanked Xander profusely for his acceptance, for finally being free from hiding. Xander was clearly caught off-guard, assuring Jordan it was okay while trying in vain to peel him off. Finally, he just gave up and held onto the young pledge, patting his back.

Jonathan walked over to Skeevo and extended a hand. "Thanks for the experience", Jonathan said evenly, shaking his master's hand.

"No prob", Skeevo responded. In a moment their handshake shifted to a hug. While in their embrace, Jonathan turned his head slightly and began to kiss Skeevo's neck. Skeev was quick to pull away. "Okay then!", Skeevo announced, "Let's make our way out of this little torture chamber and into our less-than-lavish but serviceable living room, shall we?"

In short order, the two fratboys and the Four J's, still in their rubber boots, lounged in the frat house's living room. Xander and Skeevo had beers, the pledges were only allowed sodas. At least this time. Xander leaned back, placing his hands behind his head. "Aahhh, but this whole liberating experience would've been so much more satisfying if you boys were officially suited up as pledges first."

Skeevo smirked. "You creaming your jeans while the boys here bared their souls might not have been as constructive as you'd think."

Jonathan tilted his head to the side, confused. "'Suited up'? What does he mean, 'suited up'?" Then, to Xander, "What does that mean?"

The rest of the quartet bore expressions ranging from curiosity to concern. "You aren't going to put us in some hokey uniforms, are you?", Jesse asked.

"Not exactly hokey, no", Skeevo said. "It's just that now that you boys are all out, it's time for you to take your first official step to begin your life as a member of Rho Upsilon Beta Rho."

"First step?", Jason said. "Wasn't what we just did--coming out to a bunch of strangers--"

"And yourselves", Skeevo interjected.

"Yeah, okay, and ourselves", Jason acquiesced, "Wasn't that the first step?"

Xander rested his arms across his chairback. "That was simply a vital step to living honestly as persons--as men." He stressed the word to emphasize that sexual orientation had nothing to do with being a real man. Skeevo nodded curtly in agreement. "What comes next is your first step in becoming a true member of this fraternity. Of becoming one of us."

The boys sat in silence, waiting for further explanation as Xander and Skeevo stared at them in silence. Finally, Jordan spoke up. "So...what do we do now?"

Skeevo pointed towards a doorway across the living room. "Changing room's through there."