“Remind me why you’re coming home with me?” Sonnet asked as we walked up her driveway together.

                “Because your brother and I are going to have wild sex together,” I said.

                “I don’t even think I want to know what’s between you and William,” she said, shaking her head.

                She unlocked the front door and pushed it open. We went inside together and she watched me as I slipped my shoes off.

                “Just don’t be too obnoxiously loud. Quite frankly, I don’t care what you two are doing down there. But his room is directly below mine,” she said before turning and heading upstairs.

                I grinned and shook my head, making my way down to Will’s room. I knocked on the door, wondered why I even bothered, and threw the door open.

                “You could wait for me to let you in,” Will said, scowling at me.

                “I could, but I won’t,” I said.

                “Hey, he’s the one that helped us with the scripts,” Phoenix said.

                “Thanks for that Sherlock,” I said.

                “Did you ever think that maybe you don’t have friends because you’re a sarcastic little shit?” Will offered helpfully.

                “I think it’s because my personality is just so dazzlingly amazing that it frightens people away,” I said, going over to his bed and sitting on it.

                “What’s he doing here?” Phoenix asked Will curiously.

                “Good question,” Will grumbled, even though we both knew why I was here.

                “I’m here to brighten up your days,” I said.

                “That’s very kind of you, but I have to head out,” Phoenix said, standing up. “I have a paper to write. Catch you later Will.”

                “Yea, see you later Phoenix,” Will said.

                Phoenix left the room, shutting the door as he went. I shot Will a curious look, wondering why Phoenix had been here.

                “Working on a script?” I guessed.

                “You know, I do have friends,” he said in annoyance. “We were just hanging out.”

                “Yea, well, now we’re hanging out,” I said.

                Will rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking awkward. “Yea. I guess we are hanging out now.”

                “Do you have a lot of friends from college?” I asked.

                “Yea,” he said. But that guarded look was back in his eyes.

                “Really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

                “Yes, really,” he said, glaring at me.

                I shrugged and fell back on his bed, folding my hands behind my head and looking up at his blank ceiling. Will wasn’t being honest with me.

                “Not having friends sucks,” I said. “And I don’t mean not having a lot of friends. I mean having no friends at all. I’m glad I even have Benji, Sonnet, and Gideon.”

                “What a touching story,” he grumbled, sitting next on his bed, keeping a little distance between us.

                I sat up and reached over, putting my arm around him and pulling him closer to me. I grinned at the light blush that rose in his cheeks.

                “We’re bonding, Will. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

                He shrugged. “I guess.”

                “Well, you know, it would be a lot easier to bond if we didn’t lie to each other. You can tell your parents that you have tons of friends, that you’re happy, that college is wonderful, blah, blah, blah. But I don’t buy it,” I said.

                He pushed me away from himself, glaring at me. “Shut up.”

                I nodded in approval. “Anger. Good, we’re getting somewhere.”

                “We’re getting nowhere. Stop questioning me,” he said.

                “Well what do you think bonding is, William?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

                “Don’t call me William. You’re not my mom,” he said, dropping his gaze. “Just call me Will.”

                “Okay, but that doesn’t answer my question. What do you think bonding is, Will?”

                “I don’t know. But it’s not an interrogation,” he said.

                “Well how the hell am I supposed to learn anything about you?” I asked.

                He shot me a mischievous grin. “You’ll just have to find another way.”

                “Let’s play a game,” I said.

                “Okay Jigsaw.”

                “Hush. I’ll answer anything you ask me honestly, if you’ll answer anything I ask you honestly,” I said.

                He considered it before nodding slowly. “Fine. But we stop when I say so.”

                “Deal,” I said.

                “Alright, ask away,” he said.

                “Were you happy at college?” I asked.

                “Yea. I loved college,” he said. “Do your parents know you’re friendless and bullied?”

                “Indeed they do,” I said, nodding cheerfully. “Do you have nightmares?”

                He wasn’t meeting my eyes anymore. “Yes. Have your parents always known?”

                “No,” I said. “They haven’t always known. Do you ever plan on brushing your hair again?” Hey, it was an important question.

                He snickered. “Maybe. Have you ever cut yourself?”

                “Will, you’re getting pretty personal,” I said.

                “But you promised to answer,” he said.

                “Still getting too personal,” I said, trying to keep my tone light despite the dark feelings rising in me. I had done things in the past that I wasn’t proud of.

                Will reached out, gripping my arm. “You promised to answer honestly,” he said, flipping my arm over and inspecting my wrist. He snorted. “Besides, you’re just being a drama queen right now, Ethan. You never self harmed.” He released my arm.

                I stared at him, resisting the urge to go all Tangled on him and beat him in the head with a frying pan. “Right. Of course I didn’t,” I said, hearing the anger creeping into my voice and trying to contain it.

                “Well you were acting like it was such a big deal. You could’ve just said no,” he said.

                “I could’ve, but I promised to answer honestly,” I hissed at him.

                “Yea?” He grabbed my other arm, flipping it over and looking at my wrist. “Because I don’t see anything.”

                I yanked my arm away, trying desperately to contain my anger. “Wrists are so cliché.”

                “So is playing the depressed little emo boy,” he said.

                “I don’t play anything!” I exploded, jumping up. I pulled my pant leg up, flashing the various scars on my ankle and leg at him. “Happy, Will? Are you fucking happy?”

                I dropped my pant leg, realizing that this was a bad idea. I started to storm out of the room, desperate to get away and get my emotions under control.

                Will grabbed my back of my shirt, pulling me back and wrapping his arms around me. I struggled against him but he held onto me tightly.

                “I’m sorry,” he said miserably. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been an ass. I don’t know why I was such a dick just now. I’m sorry Ethan. I’m so sorry.”

                “I’ll forgive you if you have wild sex with me and scream out my name so Sonnet can hear,” I said.

                He blinked in surprise. “I will never get over how sarcastic you are.”

                “Oh, that’s not sarcasm,” I said, winking at him.

                “I’m really sorry I was such a dick, though,” he said honestly.

                “Yea, yea, yea. I forgive you,” I said, gripping his shirt and pulling him down so that we were kissing. I released him and grinned. “You’re too cute to stay mad at.”

                He blushed. “I’m a 20 year old man. I’m not cute.”

                “You’re right, you’re not cute. You look like a hobo,” I said, reaching up and twirling a lock of his hair around my finger. “Will you please just comb your hair?”

                “Nah,” he said, pulling my hand away from his hair. “It’s a metaphor for how messy my life is.”

                “Poetic,” I said.

                “Tis a skill of mine. I like to portray the struggles of the world via my luscious locks,” he said, raking a hand through his hair and grinning at me.

                “A statement well made,” I agreed.

                He sighed. “So do you want to just…watch a movie?”

                “You and movies,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Let’s watch Warm Bodies.”

                “Alright,” he said, going over to an impressive collection of DVDs stacked up in the corner of his room. He pulled out Warm Bodies and put it in the DVD player, dragging me over to his bed as it started up.

                He killed the lights and we laid down together. He put his arms around me as I rested my head on his shoulder as the movie started up.

                I found myself nodding off about halfway through the movie. Why did I always seem to fall asleep when I was with Will?

                I looked up to complaint o him, but realized that he was already out cold. I sighed and shifted, pulling a blanket over us and curling up against Will. His arms were still wrapped around me securely, providing me with warmth.

                “You are getting me into a terrible habit of taking naps William,” I said, glaring at his sleeping form.

                I closed my eyes, my head resting on his shoulder still. I slung an arm around him, our bodies curved together comfortably.

                                                                                                ***

                “Should we wake them up?”

                Grace’s voice swam around my groggy mind. I kept my eyes shut despite now being partially awake, and wondered if Will was up.

                “No. Why would we?” Sonnet asked.

                “Because Will didn’t sleep last night. I came down here to make sure the windows were all closed because it was raining, and I heard him screaming in his sleep. I was going to go in his room, but I heard him shuffling around after a little, which usually means he’s awake,” Grace said, concern in her voice.

                “Well, I don’t take pity on him. Yo, fatty! Wake up!” Sonnet called loudly.

                “Sonnet!” Grace snapped.

                “What? It’s dinner time,” Sonnet said, and I could imagine her shrugging at her mother.

                Will stirred against me and moaned a little. “Ethan?” his sleepy voice asked.

                “Right here,” I said, forcing my eyes open. “And wide awake. Thank you for that, Sonnet.”

                “I aim to please,” she said with a bow.

                “Sorry boys,” Grace said apologetically. “But dinner is ready.”

                ‘Yea, we’ll be there in a second,” Will said, rubbing at his eyes.

                “Alright, dear. Come on Sonnet,” Grace said, pulling her out of the room.

                Will looked down at me, looking exhausted. “Sorry about my bitch of a sister waking us up,” he said, a ghost of his usual scowl appearing on his face. But he just seemed too tired to pull off the whole thing.

                “It’s fine,” I said, sitting up. He pulled his arms away from me and swung his legs over the side of the bed, running a hand through his messy hair.

                We stood up and left his room together. He grabbed me before I reached the stairs, turning me to face him.

                “Hey Ethan…do you want to sleepover?” he asked nervously.

                “Sharing a bed with you? Duh,” I said.

                “I just…I sleep better when you’re here. I don’t dream,” he said, his gaze falling to his feet.

                I put my fingers under his chin, tilting it up. “You mean you don’t have nightmares,” I corrected.

                “Yea,” he mumbled. “That.”

                “Well, I don’t want to share a bed with you, but you’re forcing my hand,” I said, grinning at him.

                “Come on you pervert. Let’s go eat,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me up the stairs.

                Sonnet shot us a knowing look as we entered the dining room together. We sat down together and Grace and Leo came out, setting food down.

                “Ethan is going to stay the night,” Will said.

                “I’m…confused. Whose friend is he?” Leo asked, looking between Will and Sonnet.

                “Mine,” they said at the same time.

                “Children, children. Settle down. There’s no need to fight over the perfection that is me,” I said.

                “He was my friend first,” Sonnet said to her father. “Well, actually, he was Benji’s friend first.”

                “My knight in shining armor,” I said with a nod.

                “How did you and Benji become friends?” Grace asked me.

                “I was getting beat up in the parking lot and Benji saved me,” I said.

                Sonnet snickered. “I would’ve killed to see you hit Nate in the head with a rock.”

                “Sonnet!” her mother said in horror.

                “What? Nate’s a jerk,” she said with a shrug.

                “His brother isn’t a bad guy,” Will said, scooping food onto his plate.

                We all copied him and began to eat. I noticed that Will barely finished the small plate of food he had made for himself.

                “Sonnet, you go to school with Jude Tibbits, right?” Leo asked.

                “Sadly,” Sonnet grumbled. “Why?”

                “I ran into his parents today. I was out to lunch with a few coworkers, and they were both there. Mr. Tibbits is a pretty friendly guy, but Mrs. Tibbits is a very serious woman,” he said. “Adults love Jude, and Mr. Tibbits was bragging about how Jude just got some scholarship. Didn’t Gideon Marchesane date him?”

                “Gideon dated him until he realized that Jude’s a complete dick,” Sonnet said.

                “Sonnet! Language!” her mother cried.

                “No. Sonnet’s right. Jude Tibbits is a no good bastard,” Will snarled. I looked at him in surprise, realizing that he was trembling.

                “Will?” Grace said curiously. “William, why are you getting so upset?”

                “Because there’s no need to bring him up!” Will snapped.

                “I was just wondering,” Leo said in surprise.

                “Well let me tell you, if I ever get the chance, I’m going to strangle him. I’m going to kick his sorry ass. I’m going break his damn nose!” Will cried furiously, standing up. He grabbed my arm, dragging me with him out of the kitchen, his parents too shocked to say anything.

                “Why are you getting so angry?” I asked as he pulled me into his bedroom and shut the door.

                “Because he hurt you!” Will exploded. “He hurt you, and not just once! And he could’ve fucking killed you Ethan!”

                “I’m tired. Let’s go to bed,” I said.

                “If I see him, you better hold me back or else I’m going to jail for murder,” he grumbled, sulking over to his dresser and pulling out two pairs of basketball shorts. He tossed a pair to me. “Sleep in those.”

                I stripped down to my boxers and pulled the shorts on. I watched Will as he stripped out of his clothes, coughing to disguise my laughter.

                “Nice boxers,” I said, admiring the bacon on them.

                “Shut up. It’s laundry day,” he said with a scowl, pulling his shorts on.

                “Why do you even have boxers with various pictures of bacon on them?” I asked, lying on his bed.

                “Because it they were a Christmas present from Sonnet last year,” he said, shutting the lights off and crawling into bed next to me. “Leave me alone! It’s freaking laundry day!”

                I snickered. “Sure, Will. Sure.”

                He pulled me close to himself, running a hand through my hair gently. “Hey, I’m really sorry about earlier.”

                “I cried a river, I built a bridge, and I got over it,” I assured him.

                “I’m trying,” he said quietly.

                “I know you are. You’re a closed off person. I don’t need to ask Sonnet to know that,” I said.

                And it was true. That guarded look in his eyes was so potent most of the time that I had a feeling Will put it up without even thinking about it. He had been disguising his emotions for a while. Sometimes it seemed like he had completely lost the ability to express his emotions.

                He brushed his thumb against my bottom lip before kissing me softly. He pulled away and went back to running his hand through my hair.

                I snuggled against his topless self, loving this. Will had some nice abs going on him, and yum did I enjoy that.

                “Goodnight Ethan,” he said.

                “Goodnight,” I said, quickly slipping off to sleep with Will’s hand running through my hair. A small smile came to my face as I fell into a peaceful sleep.