I opened my front door and shut it. I slipped my shoes off and made my way upstairs to go to my bedroom.

                “Evan?” my mom asked in confusion as I appeared at the top of the stairs.

                “Were you expecting Satan?” I asked.

                “No. I just thought you were in your room. Have you been gone all night?”

                “Jeez! What kind of mother are you?!” I cried, face-palming myself. “I was with my friends all night!”

                “You have friends?” she asked in honest surprise.

                “Yes mother. I have friends,” I grumbled.

                “Well, that’s good. I thought you annoyed everyone too badly for them to hang out with you,” she said, offering me a bright smile.

                “I’m going to my bedroom,” I said miserably.

                I made my way down the hallway and into my bedroom. I set my stuff down and fell back against my bed, staring up at my ceiling. Feeling exhausted, I closed my eyes.

                                                                                                ***

                “I’m going to kill whoever invented Mondays.”

                Rory sighed in annoyance. “Evan, you’ve been saying that all day! Now shut up!” he snapped, slamming his locker and glaring at me.

                I pouted and crossed my arms as I began to follow him towards the cafeteria. “You’re so mean to me.”

                “Because you’re annoying,” he said flatly as we made it to our table.

                Rory sat down and I sat next to him. I pulled an Arnold Palmer out of my lunch bag and opened it, beginning to drink it thirstily.  

                “No it’s not!”

                “Yes, it is!”

                Murphy and Sebastian’s voices drifted over to us and then they appeared at the table, sitting down together. Murphy glared at Sebastian, and Sebastian calmly watched him.

                “No it’s not!” Murphy repeated.

                “Yes, it is.”

                “What are you guys fighting about?” I asked eagerly.

                Maybe Murphy had really pissed Sebastian off and they’d stop being friends! That would teach that man stealing asshole to mess with my man.

                “Sebastian’s trying to tell me that The Long Walk is the most terrifying King book,” Murphy said, rolling his eyes. “It’s not.”

                “Yes, it is. The psychological aspect of that book is terrifying,” Sebastian said with a shrug.

                “Isn’t that a book about a bunch of guys walking? Boring,” I said, rolling my eyes.

                Murphy face-palmed himself and shook his head at me. “Evan, you don’t read, do you?”

                I shook my head. “Nope!” I said. “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

                “You’re an idiot,” Murphy said.

                “Well look at that Murph. We agree on something!” Sebastian said.

                I pouted at them, trying not to look into Sebastian’s eyes. I didn’t want to make an idiot out of myself today. Hell, I was determined not to.  

                “Evan can I ask you something?”

                “You just did, Sebastian.”

                He rolled his eyes. “Okay. Well, can I ask you something else?”

                “I suppose.”

                “How come you never look me in the eyes?”

                I froze. Dammit, he had noticed I never made eye contact with him! Okay Evan, be smooth. It wouldn’t be hard to lie my way out of this one.

                I opened my mouth to reply and looked up. My eyes locked with Sebastian’s and my mind wiped clear as I found myself getting lost in his eyes.

                Hm. I think I was supposed to be saying something to him right now. Was I about to confess my love for him? Yea, I think that was it.

                “Because I lo-”

                RINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.

                The sound of the bell ringing snapped me out of my trance and I slapped a hand over my mouth, my eyes going wide. Holy mother of flying turtles. I almost told Sebastian Amsel that I loved him!

                I jumped up to run away and go die in a hole, but Sebastian grabbed my arm. He turned me so that I was facing him and flashed me a breathtaking smile.

                “You were saying?” he asked.

                “I was saying I…” My eyes met his again and I felt my control slipping away. No! Evan, spit out a lie before you spit out the truth! “I lose my intestines!”

                “You lose your intestines?” Sebastian asked, raising an eyebrow and slowly releasing my arm.

                “Yea. Like the zombies on The Walking Dead. They just fall right out. Plop on the ground,” I babbled nervously, trying to rip my gaze away from his.

                “We’re going to be late to class,” Rory said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me out of the lunch room.

                “I don’t get it,” I said, furrowing my brow in confusion as I continued to be dragged through the hallway by Rory. “My dashing good looks have no effect on Sebastian. And my charismatic charm doesn’t seem to be seducing him.”

                “Seriously Evan, stop talking yourself up. You’re as attractive as a dog’s ass and as charismatic as a chair,” Rory said, pulling me into our study hall. “I’m sick of pulling you away from embarrassing situations. Can’t you just hold a normal conversation for once?”

                I pouted. “You are so mean. Anyways, I have to go ask my dad something. So, I’ll smell you later. No but seriously, take a shower or wear cologne or something. You really smell.”

                I grabbed my passbook and filled out a pass as Rory glared at me and sniffed his shirt. I chuckled to myself as I brought my passbook up to the teacher.

                She signed it and I turned and gave a short wave to Rory before leaving the classroom. I began to make my way down the hallway, sticking in an earphone and turning my iPod.

                “We used to be a jungle, sticky and wild. It used to be we owned the night,” I sang quietly to myself.

                I walked down another hallway to my dad’s classroom. I opened the door and let myself in without bothering to knock. I froze as I stepped inside.

                Sebastian was sitting at a desk, a Stephen King book in his hands. He didn’t look up like some of the other kids had when I had opened the door. I took a mental breath before walking forward towards my dad’s desk.

                “Evan,” he said, looking up from the book he was reading. “What do you need?”

                “Nice to see you too daddy-dearest,” I said, rolling my eyes.

                “Do you have class?” he asked me curiously.

                I shook my head, waving my passbook in his face. “Study hall. Anyways, I was wondering if I can ride home with you afterschool? Rory has to pick his mom up from work, and I don’t feel like going with him.”

                Dad shrugged and nodded. “Sure. But hey, mind giving me a hand? They brought the science textbooks to my room on accident. Can you bring them down to the right room for me?”

                I sighed in annoyance and nodded. I picked up a box and pouted. “Dad, it’s too heavy for me to carry them both down at once!” I whined.

                Dad rolled his eyes at me and glanced at the students in front of him. “Sebastian!” he called.

                Sebastian looked up from his book and seemed to notice me for the first time. He closed his book and stood up, wandering up to dad’s desk.

                “Yes, Mr. Sudlow?” he asked politely.

                “Would you mind helping my son bring these two boxes down to the science room? Mr. Garret’s room,” he said, motioning at the other box.

                Sebastian smiled and nodded. “Sure, no problem sir,” he said, leaning down and easily lifting the box of textbooks into his arms.

                We left the classroom together and began to walk down the hall in silence. I was glad I had the box to distract me from looking into Sebastian’s eyes, since Rory wasn’t here to drag me away if I started to sound like an idiot again.

                “So…uh…I didn’t know you had my dad as a study hall teacher. Not that I should know that. Knowing that would be creepy. I’m not creepy. I don’t stalk that you. That would be strange. I’m completely normal. Yep, don’t stalk you,” I said casually.

                Okay, yea. I knew he had my dad. I just didn’t know he had my dad this period. If I had known that, I totally would’ve gone in their everyday just to stare at him while he read.

                Not that I was creepy or anything. Or desperate. Just liked my eye-candy.

                Sebastian chuckled and shrugged. “Yea, I have your dad as a study hall teacher. He’s a nice guy,” he said. “What are you listening to?”

                “Huh? What are you talking about?” I asked in confusion. How did he know I had music playing inside of my head? COULD HE READ MY THOUGHTS TOO? Oh no. That would be an absolute disaster. Then he would know I fantasized licking his-

                “I can see your earphones,” he said.

                Oh. Yea. I forgot I had those in. Guess I didn’t have music randomly playing in my head, then. Or dirty thoughts. None of those either. Mmm.

                “Why do you always randomly go ‘Mmm’?” Sebastian asked me.

                “Because my music tastes good,” I said, my mind on my fantasies of Sebastian. My eyes widened a little. “No! I meant it sounds good!” I cried miserably.

                Sebastian laughed and shook his head at me. “You’re so weird Evan. So, what are you listening to?”

                “Adam Lambert,” I said dreamily. Damn, Adam Lambert was one hell of a sexy man.

                “Isn’t he gay?”

                “Are you trying to insinuate something Sebastian? Huh? Huh? Because I’m not gay. I’m straight as they come. Straightest guy in the world. Not in the closet gay. I’ve never dreamt about doing things with guys. I fantasies about girls!” I said defensively. Whoa, that was close. He almost caught onto me.

                “I was just asking,” Sebastian said, laughing. “Calm down Evan.”

                We made it to Mr. Garret’s room and set the boxes down next to his desk. He thanked us and we left together to head back to my dad’s room.

                Damn, now I didn’t have the box to distract me from Sebastian’s eyes. I stared down at my Chucks.

                “You’re being unusually quiet. I get the impression that you’re never quiet Evan,” Sebastian said.

                The smell of his cologne seeped into my nostrils and I inhaled deeply, loving the smell. No! Bad Evan! Don’t look into his beautiful eyes! Don’t be fooled by the smell!

                “I’m not quiet,” I scoffed. “You’re just not loud.”

                “Touch me,” Sebastian said.

                “What did you say?” I asked, startled that he would request such a thing. But hey, I would be happy to obey that command.

                “I said touché ,” Sebastian said, staring at me curiously.

                “Oh. Right, right,” I said, shaking my head slightly. Duh, of course Sebastian wouldn’t tell me to touch him. He was straight, and I was a boy. Straight boys don’t ask other boys to touch them. Get your shit together Evan.

                Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. I watched, fascinated that even after running a hand through it, it still remained in a perfect position on his head.

                Did my hair look that good? Psh. What the hell was I asking that for? Of course my hair looked that good. I was Evan Sudlow. I was sexy and my hair always looked great.

                “What are you thinking about?” Sebastian asked.

                “Myself,” I said joyfully.

                “Well…it’s good to know you’re not conceited,” he said with a laugh.

                “Well of course I’m not conceited!” I said, rolling my eyes at him. Sheesh, I wasn’t conceited. I just happened to be aware of my unearthly good looks and charm.

                I turned and my eyes met Sebastian’s, seeing as he was already looking at me. My breath caught in my throat and I struggled desperately to hold onto my thoughts so that they wouldn’t go flowing out of my mouth.

                “Why do you act so strange around me?” Sebastian asked. “Do I make you uncomfortable or something?”

                “I…You…” I gulped. I felt the truth rising up my throat again. This was it. I was going to tell Sebastian I liked him. I opened my mouth to let the words spill out.