linh threaded her fingers together, then pulled them apart. together, apart. together, apart.

no, came tam's voice from inside the room.

linh exhaled.

okay, keefe said, as though he were surprised. maybe he was, a little. okay. um. so, how do you want to do this?

one sec, tam's voice said quietly. then, louder, he yelled. stop eavesdropping, linh!

linh blushed pink & stayed silent.

i'm serious. stop it! tam's voice said.

linh groaned loudly & made a point of stomping away, before quietly darting back.

the door opened, & tam stepped out. when he saw linh, he rolled his eyes. please leave. go see biana or something.

linh flushed, quickly looking away. um yeah sure i'll do that! she squeaked, her voice an octave higher than usual. tam closed the door as linh stumbled away, head full of thoughts of a certain teal-eyed brunette.

inside the room, keefe was sitting on the bed, avoiding eye contact with tam. that was impressive, he said.

twintuition, i guess, tam said vaguely, looking at keefe.

keefe glanced up at tam.

tam had pale blue, silver-flecked eyes. keefe had icey eyes. when their eyes met, the world tilted off its axis, just a little.

keefe clenched his fist into tam's blanket to steady himself. whoa, he said. whoa. usually it's just foster whose emotions i can feel from far away.

heat crept up tam's cheeks. you felt my emotions?

i think so, keefe said hesitantly, honestly, horribly vulnerably. unless they were my own.

tam crouched down, closing his eyes & pressing his palms into his white rug until shadows soaked it, shocking the creamy color into a deep grey. his voice came out low as he asked, what now?

i hate myself, keefe said suddenly.

tam's palms were so cold. he could feel the shadows turning on him, sinking icycles into his skin until they burned.

i'm always laughing but it's too obvious & i kept waiting for foster to see it. but i don't think she'll see anything unless i spell it out for her, & it's just, fuck that. i keep hurting people. i'm a fucking idiot & i just. i hate myself so much. but i thought i could ignore those feelings but the way you looked at me just now. i. like you saw who i really am. &. i don't know.

a single rebellious tear trickled out of keefe's eye. he reached to wipe it away, but one of tam's shadows beat him to it.

sophie foster is an idiot, said tam.

you think? keefe angry-laughed.

tam looked away. she is. she chose fitz vacker over you, keefe. do you even realize how stupid that is? i mean, there's nothing wrong with fitz. fitz is just a guy. but you're. i don't know. you deserve more, keefe. you're better than that.

sophie is a good friend, keefe said softly.

tam laughed a little. yeah? well, she'd be a shit girlfriend.

keefe shrugged, looking away. then he looked back at tam. he sighed. i hate you, tam song.

you do?

keefe nodded. he looked miserable & beautiful. i had everything planned out, you know. pine over foster even though she's too oblivious to ever notice, flunk out of foxfire, move out when my dad can't stand me anymore, keep smiling until it kills me. & then you came. or, i came to you, i guess. & it's funny. foster's not as pretty anymore.

tam's knees pressed against his chest, & he hugged his arms around them. a million thoughts & shadows were swirling around him.

you don't. have to answer, keefe said softly.

tam sighed. i never thought sophie was pretty, he said.

i know, keefe said. you don't like blondes.

tam shrugged, looking away. i. could. probably. if i took enough time to get to know them.

yeah? there was a smirk in keefe's words.

for a long time, it was quiet. & then tam said, yeah.