“Nick, what are you doing?” Molly asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

                “Trying to figure out Phil,” I mumbled.

                “Through your yearbooks?”

                “Yes, Molly. Through my yearbooks.”

                Molly came and sat next to me, peeking over my shoulder curiously. “Is that Phil?” she asked, pointing. I nodded.

                “What grade is that?” she asked.

                “Fifth grade,” I mumbled. “Look at how adorable he was.” I smiled a little. He looked like…well, the way he looked when I stood up to him. Confused. Childlike. Adorable. Only in this picture, it made sense. He was probably only about 10 or 11 years old in this picture.

                Molly snatched the yearbook out of my hands and shut it, rolling her eyes. “Nick, creeping on pictures of little Phil won’t reveal his entire life to you. It just makes you look like a pedophile. Now let’s go to bed.”

                She pulled me to my feet and dragged me over to my bed. We crawled in together and I wrapped my arms around her.

                “Aw! Nicky! You’re in bed with a girl!”

                “Mom,” I groaned. “Get out of my room. And shut the door.”

                Mom smiled and winked at me. “And here I was, convinced I would have adopted grandchildren,” she said.

                “Mom, I’m still gay! Molly’s just my friend!” I said impatiently. “Goodbye and goodnight.”

                Mom giggled. “Of course you’re still gay. You wouldn’t be my little Nicky if you weren’t! Goodnight baby! I love you!” She blew me a kiss before giggling again and shutting my bedroom door.

                “Oh my lanta. I’m not related to her. I can’t be,” I moaned.

                “Oh Nick. I love your crazy mom,” Molly said and laughed. “Remember the time before you came out as gay?” She slapped a hand over her mouth to stop more laughter.

                I pouted at her. “That was a horrible time, and my mother is a horribly crazy woman,” I grumbled.

                “David, don’t make fun of Nicky for dressing that way! I think he’s gay, and I don’t want you to hurt his feelings!” she said in a fairly accurate imitation of my mom’s voice.

                I face palmed myself. “I. Am. Adopted.”

                Molly laughed and kissed my cheek. “You wish. Goodnight Nick!” I sighed hopelessly and let myself fall asleep with Molly.

                                                                                                ***

                “She’s so wasted, acting crazy, making a scene like it’s her birthday! Drinking champagne, going insane, falling on me like it’s her birthday!”

                “I think the only reason I sleepover your house so much is so that your music wakes me up for school,” Molly said as she turned my alarm off. “Because sometimes I actually like your musical tastes.”

                “I have wonderful music taste,” I said, jumping out of bed and stretching. “Now, I’m going to shower. You know where my clothes are. Help yourself.”

                I made my way to the bathroom and showered before brushing my teeth and fixing my hair. I went into my bedroom and threw on some clothes before meeting Molly in the kitchen for breakfast.

                Cujo came over and sniffed my curiously. I raised an eyebrow at him and stroked his fur, slipping him a handful of Cheerios since my crazy mother wasn’t anywhere in sight.

                “Come on before we miss the bus and have to show up in David’s cop car,” Molly said, grabbing my hand and pulling me outside.

                “Maybe then Phil will believe I’m tough,” I said thoughtfully.

                “News flash Nick: Your dad’s probably arrested Phil before,” Molly said, smacking me upside the head. “I don’t think you’d impress him much.”

                I sighed miserably as the bus pulled up. “You’re probably right,” I said as we got on the bus and sat down together.

                We went into the school when we got there and I looked around anxiously before relaxing. I didn’t Phil anywhe-

                A hand clamped down on my shoulder and I jumped and yelped in surprise. My heart slammed against my ribcage as I spun around and narrowed my eyes.

                “Phil! What the hell? You scared the shit out of me!” I snapped.

                I frowned, noticing his head. His forehead had cuts on it, and his right cheek had a long cut on it. I looked at the hand on my shoulder and frowned deeper. The backs of both of his hands were cut up. The cuts weren’t deep, but there were a lot of them.

                “What happened to you?” I asked curiously.

                Phil glared at me. “Mind your own fucking business!” he snapped, shoving me back a little.

                “Jeez, I was just asking,” I grumbled in annoyance.

                “Exploding glass,” he said, calm again. “I got cut by exploding glass. There was an accident and I tried to shield my face, but I was a little too late.” He shrugged, unconcerned.

                “A car accident?” I asked, a little eager. If it had been a car accident, my dad would probably be able to tell me something about it.

                “No,” Phil said, shaking his head.

                I frowned. “That what kind of accident?”

                Phil smirked at me and crossed his arms. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he said smugly.

                I rolled my eyes, aware that Molly was watching us nervously. She was probably worried I would push Phil too far and get hit.

                “Actually, I really don’t care,” I said, making myself sound uninterested. “I was just curious. It’s whatever. What did you want, anyways?”

                Phil frowned, that confusion back on his face. “Uh…oh yea! What I wanted. Come to the library during lunch.” He glanced at Molly and glared at me again. “Alone. Or else.”

                He turned and strut off, over to where Angel was leaning against the wall. The two greeted each other before heading off towards their lockers.

                I stared after Phil and shook my head, confused. “What the hell just happened?” I asked, turning to Molly.

                Molly frowned to herself and slowly shook her head. “I have…no freaking idea,” she said, also sounding confused. “That boy is like a little kid with anger problems.”

                “Maybe he’s going to rape me,” I said, slightly excited and slightly afraid at that thought.

                “Don’t give yourself a boner Nick. It’s not even first period yet,” Molly said, smacking me in the arm and giving me a stern look.

                “Molly, we gay boys have a saying. When life gives you lemons, tuck them,” I said with a wink, pretending to adjust myself.

                “And we girls have a saying. Ew,” Molly said, making a face and shaking her head in disgust. “Leave the wood for the forest critters.”

                I hooked my arm through hers as the warning bell rang. I dragged Molly to first period, practically skipping down the halls.

                When lunch rolled around, I forced myself to go to the library. Hey, maybe Phil had forgotten! He seemed like a forgetful kind of guy!

                But my hopes were crushed as soon as I looked over and saw him sitting at a table in the back. I miserably made my way over to him and forced a glare as I reached him.

                “Okay, what the hell do you need?” I demanded.

                Phil gave me that confused look again before motioning at the papers in front of him. “I need school help. You seem smart. Sit down and help me,” he said, half asking, half demanding.

                I sat down next to Phil as he pulled out papers. I instantly relaxed, realizing he was pulling out History homework. History I could do. I was good at it.

                “What do you need help with?” I asked.

                “Court cases. I always forget them,” he said and frowned.

                I shifted the paper so that we could both read it. “Well that’s easy. Freedom of the press for these two,” I said, pointing at two of the cases. Phil hurried to write that down.

                So I spent my lunch period helping Phillip Brooks with his History homework. I couldn’t even pretend to be tough when I was doing it, either. He just looked so fascinated by what I was telling him. He was absolutely adorable.

                The bell exploded and we both jumped in surprise. Phil gathered his papers and I helped him put them away. He put his stuff in his bag before standing up.

                He offered his hand to me and I hesitantly took it. He pulled me to my feet and cocked his head to the side curiously, not releasing my hand.

                “Thanks Nick,” he said. I realized it was time for the tough act to come back.

                “I’m not doing this every day,” I said impatiently. “I want to eat lunch with Molly.”

                Phil got that confused look again. “Sorry. I won’t ask for help every day.” He glared at me and yanked me close to him, getting right in my face and searching my eyes carefully. “But when I ask for your help, you’ll give it to me,” he growled, his lips nearly touching mine.

                I nodded weakly and he released my hand, stepping away from me and smirking. He slung his bag over his shoulder and winked at me before walking out of the library, his swagger confident.

                I weakly gripped the edge of the table, my hand warm from holding Phil’s. “If I were a girl, I would never wash my hands again,” I mumbled. I pushed myself away from the table and left the library, walking towards class and smiling to myself at the thought of helping Phil again.