3|A Different Word

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Phil -9 Dan -5

"You told me school would be fun. No one talks to me accept for Louise, and I still don't see you because you're in the older grades." Dan grumped to Phil. He had been in school for a week now, and couldn't stand being there already.

"Who is Louise!?" Phil says in a jealous tone.

"She's my new friend." Dan says smiling. He obviously didn't realize Phil sounded jealous. "She has long blonde hair, and blue eyes just like you!"

Phil tries to smile, but it turns into an awkward frown. "You don't like...like...like her do you?" Phil stutters. He doesn't know why it matters, but it does.

"Of course I like her she's my friend." Dan says.

Phil smiles. "No, like have a crush on her." Phil explains.

"Uh...what's a crush?"

"It's when you think someone is really cute and nice and so you want to kiss them and stuff. Like you fancy them."

Dan scrunches up his nose in disgust. "I don't want to kiss anyone. That's gross."

Phil smiles. "Then you don't have a crush on anyone." Phil felt kind of relived.

"Do you fancy someone, Phil?" Dan says.

Phil smiles, and looks down. "No. But there is this one boy in my class who is very cute." He replies.

Dan's eyes open wide. "Phil you have the gay!?" He says startled.

Phil bursts into laughter. "The what?" He says.

"The gay. It's when boys kiss other boys, and girls kiss other girls. I think they are called hobos or something. I heard about it from the television." Dan says feeling very smart.

Phil laughs again, and leans back on his bed. All traces of happiness leave his features. "The gay..." He says in a thoughtful tone. "So that's what you call it?" He pauses to stare off into space. "The boys at my school seem to have a different word for what it is." Phil says sadly.

"What do you mean?" the younger boy asks.

Phil shakes his head again, and fakes a smile. "You'll find out when you're older, Dan."

"But I want to know now." Dan whines.

Phil simply shakes his head again before suggesting Dan forget he said anything, and offers to play video games with him instead. Dan gives in easily and hops toward the counsel.

***

"Phil how did you get this bruise?"

"I fell."

"On your thigh?"

"Yes."

"So sad I missed it."

"Oh, shut up."

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