"Zackary David Martin! Get your butt in here right now!" When there was no answer from the bedroom, the voice grew louder and more high-pitched. "You have some serious explaining to do."

Zack groaned and rolled over. Sweet Jesus. He pressed his face firmly into his pillow.

"I'll be out in a minute," he grumbled in the general direction of the door.

Memories from last night's conversation with Cody hit Zack like a ton of bricks, causing him to groan a second time; albeit for slightly different reasons. He lifted his head from the pillow long enough to glance over at his brother's bed. Empty.

Cody was probably still mad at him, then. Zack didn't blame him. God, what had possessed him to say something so stupid?

"I thought I said now!" his mother's angry voice wafted from the living room.

"Coming, Mummy." Zack slipped out of bed and padded quietly out the door.

Zack's arms prickled uncomfortably at the look Carey was giving him. "Care to explain where you were last night at eleven thirty, pm?"

Zack attempted to shrug the question away. "I'm sorry, okay? My date with Linda went a little over."

Carey stared at her son. "Then why didn't you call? And what kind of date takes four hours to finish?"

Zack stuck out his chin. "Maybe none of your dates last that long, but—"

"Oh, that is it, do you hear? I don't care if it is Saturday; you are grounded until further notice."

Zack interrupted, a thought ocurring to him. "Where's Cody?"

Carey paused, taken aback by Zack's non sequitur. She thought about the question. "At the library. Like he is every Saturday morning."

"Oh, yeah."

Carey peered at him curiously; severely. "Did you hear what I said, Zackary? You are not leaving this room until Thursday. I won't accept any negotiating."

"Okay, mother, I hear you." Zack bowed his head in shame. Only to look up again seconds later. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

Carey shrugged. "I suppose it depends." She pursed her lips at him, crossing her arms. "Why, did you need him for something?"

Zack scowled. "Why do you always assume I need him for something? Can't I just want to have a heart-to-heart with my own brother?" He put a hand across his chest.

Carey gave him a look that said everything.

"Whatever." Zack padded over to the kitchen and opened the cereal cupboard.

Dang it! No more cocoa puffs.

He glanced at the couch and was taken aback to see Carey smirking at him. Zack raised an eyebrow. She hummed innocently. "Is there a breeze in here, or is it just me?"

He stared at her. "Huh?"

"Pajamas not in style any more?"

Zack looked down at himself. He was standing in his boxers. Great.

"Can't a man walk around half naked when he wants to?" he grumbled irritably. Carey grinned in his direction as he padded back into the bedroom for a change of clothes.

Today just wasn't his day.

A stack of books by his side and a steaming mug of green tea in his lap, and Cody still wasn't feeling up to snuff. Today just wasn't his day.

Cody sipped at his tea and stared down at the book in his lap. In the library he'd flirted with the non-fiction isle briefly, but had eventually decided he wasn't in the mood for reality. Of course, the fiction section had been filled with crappy 'young adult' novels, which were really teeny-bopper romance novels in disguise, but after some searching he'd stumbled upon a few classics he hoped might take his mind off everything.

He was sitting in his usual spot on the stone steps outside the library doors, reading quietly to himself while basking in the afternoon sun. His neck and back were getting nice and toasty, and the book was a good one, but each time he allowed his mind to drift he ended up scowling again and ruining his good mood.

No matter how Cody tried to distract himself, his mind kept returning to his brother, and what Zack had said to him the night before…

At least I'm not gay, Cody. At least I'm not gay. At least I'm not—

He shut his eyes, suddenly feeling very tired. He ran his fingers loosely through his warm blonde hair and tried to refocus on his book. Phileas Fogg bet that he could sail around the world in eighty days…in eighty days.

Cody knew there was no use dwelling in the past, of course. Zack had been angry with Cody when he'd said it. Cody had been angry with Zack. Harsh words had been said on both sides, in the heat of the moment. Words that... neither of them had meant.

Except Zack had meant it. Cody had been able to tell by the look in his brother's eyes as he'd said it, and afterward, when Zack had seemed so… stricken.

Zack thought Cody was gay. But Cody wasn't gay.

Cody looked down, realizing he'd spilled tea on himself. He also realized, as he was sopping up the mess with one of the baby-wipes he carried around with him at all times, that he'd been reading the same sentence again and again for the past ten minutes. He put aside his book and tea, irritated.

Get a grip. There's no reason to fall apart over this.

Just because he liked to knit, and cook, and clean didn't mean Cody was gay. So what if he did dress rather well for a boy his age? And listened to classical music. And had really bad luck around girls, except for when he was sharing his deepest emotions.

Fact was, none those things made Cody gay. They just made him… a geek. A sad, skinny little geek who would never measure up to his smooth-talking older brother.

Cody frowned, looking at his arms. Not that there was anything… wrong with being gay. It was just that Cody wasn't.

He didn't find guys attractive in the slightest. Guys were revolting. They enjoyed potty humor. And liked to... smell their own armpits. And had stupid fights over who was manlier than whom.

Girls were sweet, and soft, and kind, and actually listened to Cody when he was upset. For God's sake, Cody liked girls!

You certainly like to dress like one, too, don't you? Zack's voice taunted him.

Cody growled at himself. Why was he having all these doubts about himself all of a sudden? He'd never doubted his sexuality before. Not even once!

Maybe that's the problem... You've never really given it much thought at all. Have you?

"Argh—shut up!" Cody yelled, slapping at his ears. A couple of pigeons that had been perching on the lion statue by Cody's head were startled from their roosts, and flapped away hooting. He scowled at their backs.

Cody wasn't gay, and he would prove it to his brother if he had to.

Somehow.