In the middle of Des Plaines Illinois three boys find themselves in a tangled knot of angsty lust and amateur love.
Evan Webster has an average American life. When he isn't at swim practice or the movie theater, he's trying to make time to study bi...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Nadine's bedroom was littered with nail polish bottles and Seventeen magazines. Her most prized possessions were her lava lamp and her record collection. She was proud of herself for owning all of the Blondie vinyls, which were organized by color. And her salmon-toned walls were covered with posters, flyers, and pictures taken by Evan. She liked clutter because that's how she felt most of the time – cluttered and chaotic.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to school?" Evan asked his sister. Nadine shook her head, silent.
She was lying reversed, staring up at the ceiling with her head at the foot of her bed. Her baggy pajamas shirt was stained with toothpaste and her Santa pants hadn't been washed since winter break had started. It was the first day back to school after the holidays, and Nadine had refused to leave her room. The sight was so dismal that Evan decidedly stretched out beside her.
The two siblings stayed there without a word. Nadine had one hand on her belly, letting her drifty mind occupy with vessels of worry. Evan was looking at the silly little glow-in-the-dark stars on her ceiling, wondering how they had remained sticky for so many years. There was an unspoken sense of solidarity in the room, as if it was made to fill the empty spaces of their house.
"I miss mom," Nadine voiced.
Evan swallowed. "I miss her chocolate chip cookies."
Then silence occupied the room again. The soundless peace was a welcomed guest, feeding the two of them with a sense of nostalgia. Evan was contemplating telling Nadine about Danny, trying to find the right words to explain everything. He assumed she had suspected his attraction to boys ever since they were kids. After all, they were twins. Maybe it was time he told her? They could lean on each other for support.
Evan began to formulate words on his tongue.
Until a snowball hit Nadine's frosted window and ruined the moment. The sun hadn't even come up yet, so the sky was a meek oyster-like color. It reminded Evan that he was still slag with sleep.
Nadine covered he face with a pillow. "He doesn't give up," she groaned.
Evan stood and peeked outside to see Bones climbing the wishbone-shaped tree in their front yard. He was scaling the snow-covered branch closest to the roof.
