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...
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Danny could hear the church bells tolling in the distance. They rang three times as he ran out of Lincoln High School, skipping every other brick step.
"Evan," Danny called out, almost tripping. "Evan, can you stop walking so fast?"
A crowd of students surged out of the school and onto the pavement, splashing their shoes into mid-April puddles. Danny let the water soak his Converse as he crossed the street to catch up with his former boyfriend, disrupting traffic in the process. An angry-looking lady honked at him before he jumped back and scurried onto the sidewalk.
He followed the tall boy as he rounded a corner, repeating, "Evan."
No response – not even a vulgar gesture.
Danny quickened his pace. "Evan," he said, determined.
Nothing.
After two fire hydrants and one row of parking meters, still nothing. The dark-haired boy blew air out of his nose and shouted, "CONEJITO!"
Evan instantly whirled and blasted, "What?"
Danny halted his padding feet, taking a breath. He shuffled Evan toward a USPS mailbox, trying to get out of earshot of any passersby.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
"No," Evan stated. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say."
Even the infamous postal service shade of blue couldn't compare to Evan's eyes. The sky-like color was so debilitating that Danny had to blink a few times just to stop himself from floating away with the clouds.
"Evan," Danny spoke. "I'm trying, okay?"
"Asking me for a pencil before the test? That was you trying?" Danny still needed him, even for small things.
Danny's shoulders loosened. "I want to make things right. I want you back. Don't you want us back?" His voice was low, in case a curious high schooler was listening.
Evan sighed. "You don't want me back, Danny," he said. "You're just afraid you won't find anyone else. And that's not my problem anymore."
Danny searched Evan's face. "That's not an answer," he replied, soft.
Evan opened his mouth to say something, but the harsh sound of wood scraping against concrete made him stop.
"Ev," said a voice from behind Danny. It was Jackson, kicking up his skateboard. "How was it?"
"It was okay," Evan shrugged, addressing the red-haired boy.
"I remember my ACT test," Jackson cringed. "It was brutal."
Evan gave him a subtle nod. He had too many thoughts swirling in his head to form a full sentence.
Danny looked between the two boys in front of him – convinced he had post-ACT delirium. Had Jackson been waiting for Evan? Was Evan's hair gelled? Had the universe slipped into another dimension?
"What the fuck are you two?" Danny spewed. "The Heat Miser and Jack Frost? Didn't anyone tell you Christmas is over?"
Danny's words didn't seem worthy of Jackson's ears, so he redirected his attention to Evan and asked, "You ready to go?"
"Yeah," Evan stepped toward the redhead.
They turned their backs to Danny, side-by-side – too close for Danny's comfort.
Was Jackson walking Evan home? Did Jackson know where Evan lived? Had he seen his bedroom? Been in his bed?
"Since when did you two become friends?" Danny blurted.
Friends. Because he couldn't even fathom saying the other word.
Evan looked over his own shoulder. "Since we found out we have a lot in common," he said.
