It was late evening right after supper, and David and Sarah sat in their room, David reading a book on biology and Sarah knitting doilies. As Sarah was nearing her doily half-way point, David frowned into the book as if it were a babbling maniac.

"Huh." David spoke up. "I've never heard of that before."

Sarah, bored by her brother's collection of interests, avoided responding by changing the subject. "Hey, David?"

"Uh huh?"

"You and Jack sure have been hanging out a lot..."

David froze, slamming his book shut and tossing it aside. His heart skipped a beat and picked up again at four times the speed. Yet somehow, it felt warmer than before. He swallowed hard. "I guess so."

"Does he... ever talk about me?"

"Oh." He laughed at himself for being too paranoid, internally of course. "Yeah, um, hey Sarah, I've actually been meaning to talk to you."

She eyed her brother suspiciously, putting down her knitting. "Oh? What is it?"

"Well, I, uh. I actually, I know a lot of guys."

"Yes, you do."

"A lot of good-looking, uh, catches." He wrung his hands together. "You know, Jack, he's, uh. You know. I, uh, I know others, some real handsome dudes."

"David, do you have a problem with me and Jack being together?"

"Uh?" David scoffed at his sister, shifting his eyes to the ceiling and all around, as if there were other people in the room who agreed with him. "No! Why would I-"

"Why are you changing your facial expression so much?"

"It's just really ridiculous, is all. I could never be-" He chuckled awkwardly "-jealous, Sarah!"

"David, I never said you were jealous!"

"Exactly! Honestly, I don't know why you're accusing me!" He picked up his book and began reading again. In response, Sarah returned to her knitting, grimacing down at the needle and thread.

"Jack and I have a date tomorrow."

David gripped his book tightly, remaining silent as he pretended to continue reading the chapter on human anatomy, already having learnt the information.

It was absolutely no secret to David that he had been madly in love with Jack since the first moment he laid eyes on him. It sounded ridiculous, but David had been aware of his romantic attraction to other boys for quite a long time, being an avid reader. He even knew the secret term for what he was feeling. He couldn't quite understand the reason for it, but he loved Jack's ambition, his courage, his strangely attractive greasy hair. He wanted to run his fingers through it and not wash his hands afterwards.

But Jack had been dating Sarah, and that hurt the most. David was pretty positive that Jack liked girls, but he couldn't give up hope just yet. He desperately wanted his sister to be happy, though he would have preferred her to not be happy and with Jack at the same time.

"Where are you guys going, then?"

Sarah squinted at her brother's sudden return to a conversation that ended nearly ten minutes ago. "Oh, we're going to... I think he said Medda Larkson's?"

David smiled to himself. "Classic Jack," he thought, accidentally out loud.

"Come again?"

"No, it's just we, uh. We go there a lot."

Rolling her eyes, she got up and sat next to her brother on his bed. She stared him down with her eyebrows raised.

"What do you want?"

"Would you like to come with us, David?"

"Now what would make you think-"

Sarah raised her eyebrows the slightest bit higher. They were practically at her hairline and it looked painful.

"Okay fine, if you insist!" He stood up and made his way to the dresser, on top of which he put his book. He sighed heavily. "God."

David knocked on the second floor window of the refuge for boys, standing on top of a conveniently parked horse-drawn car. He had gotten pretty crafty ever since he met Jack, having picked up all kinds of sneaky street things. He even lifted a loaf of bread from a market once, but was too scared to steal again after having read Les Miserables. He knocked a second time, shuddering at the fate of the tragic Jean Valjean and those poor little girls he couldn't remember the names of.

"Hey, ugly."

"Ten-Pin, for the last time, my name is David." He gestured as if the 'day' and 'vid' were floating in the air in front of him. "Can I please see him?"

"What, ol' Handicap Lou? Sure, I'll get 'im. For a price, that is."

David felt in his pockets. "I've only got 5 cents right now, and I need it to eat. And I'm certainly not stealing, I gave up my life of crime."

"Fine, this one goes on credit."

"Do you wear those dresses all the time?"

"Shut it, ugly!" He turned around to the room of shouting, rambunctious teenaged boys all wearing creepy white nightgowns. "Oh, Handicap Lou!"

Crutchy hobbled into the room, clearly struggling more than usual on his one leg and crutch. He approached the window, and though looking glum before, instantly lit up at the sight of David.

"Honestly, Dave, I even starts answerin' to this guy's lousy nicknames!" He giggled and turned to Ten-Pin. "Hey fatso, how's abouts ya make me a sandwhich!" Ten-Pin was not amused.

David smiled at his friend, "Glad to see you're doing well!"

"Yeah, but you ain't. Somethin's up with you, I can sees it."

"Naw, Crutchy, I'm fine, really. Carryin' the banner, you know."

"You and Jack really likes to use that sayin' in weird places." Crutchy continued nonchalantly. "Come inside and tell me what's on ya mind! No one really speaks any English in here, anyways. Right guys?!" There was no reply.

"Ok," replied David as he climbed through the window. "But it might take a while."

"I gots all day and night, Davey!"

"You're kiddin' me!" Crutchy slammed his hands on the ground as him and David sat in the corner of the room. "You're tellin' me ol' Jackie mistakes YOU and ya SISTER?"

"Well I don't know for certain. He'll just mention something he did with Sarah, like a romantic stroll through the streets the night before, but he didn't see Sarah the night before. That was me and him, and apparently it was romantic to him?"

"Well I guess you's doin' well, then?" Crutchy smiled suggestively.

"Doing well? Why would I be doing well?"

"Ah, right. O' course." Giggling to himself, he began to stand up, though he let David help him. "Well, Davey, ya know whats ya gotta do in a situation like this."

"What?"

"Ya gotta play into his confusion. Trust me!" Crutchy shook David's hand and began to go away. "I'll see ya around, Davey! Good luck tonight!"

Nostrils flared, David swallowed hard. "Thanks."

"She should be here pretty soon." Jack buzzed his lips and looked around. "It's kinda darkish so I think that means it's... 'bout nine."

David reached into his pocket, and, after pulling out a watch, raised his eyebrows unnecessarily high. "Jack, it's only seven."

"Good, 'cause that's when I asks her to meet. Meet me." He tapped his fingers against his thighs before speaking up again. "Hey Dav-"

"Hey Ja-" Laughing quietly with an innocent smile, he looked at Jack. "You go first."

"No, I's just wonderin' if ya could maybe take one for the team tonight. Like if ya wouldn't mind, uh...not...not comin' wit us. Carryin' the banner, ya know."

David's heart nearly stopped. Trying to look as though he didn't just get pushed off a bridge, only to have the bridge collapse on top of his limp frame, he smiled and looked off into the distance.

"No. That's not carrying the banner, not at all." David laughed effeminately, "Sarah did invite me, you know..."

"You're actin' weird."

David raised his eyebrows and gave Jack a sassy look. "Me? Acting weird?"

"Yeah, ya know who's I think you're actin' like?"

"Who am I acting like, Jack?"

"I think ya's actin' like Sarah!"

"Oh you think so?"

"Yeah, 'cept you're not Sarah, so's it's weird!"

"Well maybe-" David clenched his fists, "Maybe if you weren't so shallow!"

Jack stepped close to David, pointing his finger to his face, "Well maybe if ya weren't such a pansy!"

"Maybe if you weren't so damn self-centered!"

"Maybe if ya weren't such a fuckin' tease!"

"What's going on?" Sarah had run up to the boys from the opposite side of the street, having heard their argument. She wore a long green skirt, and if David weren't strangely turned on by the shouting match he would have been angry, as green is Jack's favorite color.

"Nothin's goin' on, let's split." Jack put his arm around Sarah and began to lead her towards Medda's theatre.

"Ha, yeah. 'Let's split.' David, you're not coming?"

"He's got some things to do with his books."

"Oh, okay. See you later, David!" As they walked away, Jack turned around and glared at David, who angrily squinted back.

David kicked a stone on the ground and put his hands in his pockets, pondering his situation. He sat down on the curb, scratched his head, and sighed.