Eli, tall and broad-shouldered with a mischievous grin, paces nervously, adjusting his neon-green swim brief. Miles, wiry and quick-witted, sits on a folding chair, lacing his sneakers and cracking jokes to hide his nerves. Jace, the youngest of the trio, inspects his reflection, trying to strike a confident pose.
"You sure you want to go out there in that color, Eli? People might need sunglasses,"
"At least I won’t blend in with the crowd," Eli fires back, winking at Jace.
Jace takes a deep breath and steps onto the runway, beaming as he struts confidently, showing off his navy-blue briefs. Eli follows, striking exaggerated poses that draw laughter and applause. Miles pulls off a silly dance move at the end of the catwalk, earning a cheer from the crowd.
"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Jace mutters as they regroup backstage, grinning.
Miles tosses a rolled-up towel at Eli, smirking. Eli retaliates by flicking water from his hair at Miles, while Jace giggles, egging them on.
"Bet you can't pin me, Eli," Miles challenges, puffing out his chest.
"Oh, you’re on," Eli laughs.
Eli lunges at Miles, who dodges and grabs Eli's arm, twisting playfully. Jace jumps in, trying to separate them but gets caught and pulled into the friendly chaos. Their swim briefs stretch and slide as they wrestle, limbs tangled, faces flushed with exertion and laughter.
"Wait, timeout! You're crushing me!" Jace squeals, but neither Eli nor Miles lets up.
Eli grins up at the ceiling, sweat beading on his forehead. Miles props himself up on one elbow, still chuckling, while Jace wipes tears of laughter from his eyes.
"Best fashion show ever," Eli declares, reaching over to fist-bump his friends.
"Only if we make wrestling in swim briefs a tradition," Miles replies.
Jace swings his gym bag over his shoulder, glancing at his friends fondly. Miles recounts the best moments, mimicking their runway moves, while Eli promises to sign them up for next year’s show.
"As long as we’re all in it together," Jace says, and the others nod in agreement, their laughter fading into the summer evening.
