"It could be anyone."

"I know who I want it to be." Terri watched a boy with downcast eyes walk by.

"You like Rick? You should ask him out."

Terri hesitated. "What if it's not even him?" Hazel pushed her over to where Rick stood at his locker.

                "Go for it!" She whispered loudly. Terri barely missed bumping into Rick.

                "I have to go to class, see you later Hazel." Rick watched her leave with a smile on his face.

-----------

"Paige!" She looked down the hall, Spin was coming towards her.

"Hey Spin."

"I talked to Marco." Paige took his hand.

"See, I told you things would be fine."

"I guess, but it still freaks me out." They headed for lunch and were joined by Hazel and Jimmy.

"Where's Terri?"

"She's trying to figure out who's leaving the roses."

"Where's Craig, man?"

"No clue I haven't seen him."

Paige's cell rang, she checked to see who it was, unknown.

"Hello?" The other end was silent, but she could just make out breathing. She turned away from the group. "Who is this?" The only answer was a click on the other side. As she turned back to the group hazel stopped talking to the guys.

                "Who was that?"

"Um...wrong number."

Jimmy raised his eyebrows, "Okay."

"So Paige, you in? The Dot tonight."

"Sure, Spin."

"Should we ask Marco?" Jimmy hoped Spinner wouldn't make a comment.

"No."

"Spin," Paige elbowed him. "I thought you talked to him."

"I did," he whispered back. "But he said that…he thinks he l-loves your brother."

"Really? Ohmygosh, that's so great."

"Paige? That's not great."

"Whatever Spin."

--------------

                Dylan waited for Marco outside of the library. "What was that about?"

"Craig has a problem. He's dating Ash and Manny at the same time."

"Eh…not cool."

"So, about tonight?"

"Yeah, I can come over right after school, I already talked to my mom about it."

Marco smiled. "Great."

"I have to find Paige though and tell her to find a ride, but I have to go to my locker first."

"Okay, I'll come with you." They got a few feet from his locker and Dylan stopped cold.

"Never mind lets just go find Paige."

"What?" Marco looked around Dylan to his locker.

"Just forget it. It's not a big deal."

"Dylan, we have to tell Mr. Raditch."

"No, It's fine." Marco grabbed Dylan's arm.

"Dylan, Come on. You wouldn't let me take it from Spinner, and I won't let you take it from Jay."

A few minutes later, they returned with Mr. Raditch behind them. "Okay, I'll get a custodian to clean this up. Any Idea who it was?"

"I think it might have been Jay, he calls me that."

"Jayson, should have known." Mr. Raditch left.

"Okay, I'm going to find Paige now."

"I'll see you after school, I have to do something." Dylan headed off to find his sister, and Marco to talk to someone.

He hurried down the hall and ran into the person he was trying to find.

"Marco."

"Were you with him?" Sean looked confused.

"Huh?"

"Jay. Were you with him when he tagged Dylan's locker?"

"What?! No. What did he write"

"What else? 'Homochuk.' That's no the problem though, if it were just tagging it wouldn't bother Dylan so much. I think it goes deeper, I think Jay…did something."

"Want me to find out for you?"

"You're helping me?" Marco was surprised.

"Yeah, you're my friends." Marco nodded.

"Thanks."

-----------------

Dylan found Paige next to Spinner in the cafeteria.

"Dyl?"

"He tagged my locker." Paige and Spinner were both lost.

"Wait, What? Who?"

"Jay. He put 'Homochuk' on my locker." Dylan tried to hold up, but it was hard.

"Oh, Dylan." Paige touched his arm.

Spinner was still lost. "He just tagged your locker, it'll come off."

Paige glanced at hr boyfriend. "No…Spin." She shook her head, he caught on and shut up. She turned back to her brother.

"Have you told Marco?" Dylan shook his head. "You have to."

"I think he knows that it's something, I'll tell him tonight."

Spin edged his way in. "Hey, the gang is going to the Dot after school, you two should come." For that he got a blank look from both of the Micalchuks.

"What?"

"You're inviting Marco and Me to hang out with you guys."

"Yeah. I'll talk to him."

"Okay." Dylan wasn't sure of Gavin's motives, but he ignored it and headed off to class.

After he left Paige had to find out what was up. "what was that about?"

"If they are hanging out with us, they can't be alone together."

"Spin." Paige shook her head and pulled her boyfriend off to class.

--------------

After school Dylan waited at Marco's locker.

"Hey, Dylan."

"Hey. So did Gavin talk to you?"

"About going to The Dot? Yeah." He pulled his stuff from his locker and shut the door. "So you ready?"

"Yeah." They walked to Dylan's car. As they got in Marco brought up dinner with his parents.

"About tonight, don't worry if my dad is a little silent tonight, he's not really used to it yet. I think he's trying to pretend that we're just friends."

Dylan reached over and took Marco's hand. "Don't worry about it. My dad is the same way." That's not completely wrong, he is, only worse.

They pulled up to The Dot, they got out and headed to the door. Paige and the others we already there they joined them sitting at the two empty chairs, side-by-side. The conversation started up again.

"So, who was it?" Paige half-squealed.

Jimmy leaned over and filled them in on it. "Terri found out who was leaving the roses on her locker." Hazel waited a minute to tell.

"Rick!"

"That's so great." Hazel started talking about the game Friday.

Paige leaned across the table to talk to Marco. "Have you noticed anything weirtd about Ellie lately?"

"El? No. Her dad is gone, peace mission. She'll be fine when he gets back."

"She said that?" Marco nodded. He glanced at the clock, then whispered something to Dylan, who nodded.

"We have to go guys, see you at school."

Paige and Hazel watched them go. "Aww, they are so cute."

Marco thought that now as a good a time as ever to find out what was going on. "There's more to the thing with Jay than you're telling me, isn't there?" Dylan glanced over at the dark haired boy and let out a deep breath.

"Yeah. We…uh…we used to be…friends when we were younger. When I got into hockey, he started to tease me a lot. And then," Marco cut in, "You came out."

"Yeah. He couldn't believe that he'd been friends with me for years and not known. He was the first one to go, I didn't really lose a lot of friends over it, but he really freaked out over it. He came up with 'Homochuk' and called me thing. People at school heard him and they followed; eventually they got over it. The teachers addressed it and they realized what they were doing. Jay never gave up." He finished as he pulled up at Marco's house.

"He's a jerk, Dyl."

Yeah, same thing with Gavin, huh? Only he got over it."

"He's not. Paige said he only invited us because if we were with them we wouldn't be alone." Dylan's hand was on the door handle. "Wait." Marco reached over and took Dylan's hand. "Don't be upset if my dad is mean, he hasn't been very talkative lately." Dylan kissed him.

"Don't worry about it." When they walked in the first person they saw was Mrs. Del Rossi.

"Hi honey, Dylan."

"Hey, Ma."

"Hi Mrs. Del Rossi."

"So, boys, how was school." She moved around a few dishes on the table.

"It was good. Where's dad?"

"The den. It's ready, sit down and I'll go get him."

The meal was uneventful. Marco's parents kept small talk going throughout it. His dad asked about school and Hockey. After they were through Marco told his mom they were going to his room.

"I'm sorry, that was painful."

Dylan smiled. "Don't worry about it, it was fine." He leaned in and kissed the smaller boy.

Marco closed his eyes and savored the kiss, he'd waited all week for a chance to be in his room with Dylan again. He put his hands on Dylan's hips and puller the taller boy to him. Dylan smiled and kissed him again, slow and light at first, but gradually more intense. He brushed Marco's hair out of his face, they locked eyes and smiled. Marco leaned his head against his boyfriend's shoulder and smiled against his neck. Dylan rubbed his back, his hands moving slowly.

"I love you Marco." Marco looked up.

"I love you too." He took Dylan's hand and led him to the bed. They sat down and Marco's lips were on his once again. Dylan's tongue caressed his own. Marco's hands moved to his boyfriend's hips once more, Dylan wrapped his arms around Marco and pulled him forward as he lay back. Marco followed willingly not breaking the kiss, he half lay over Dylan.

Marco knew that their connection was strong, nothing could break it. They'd gone through a lot of teasing about their relationship, it didn't bother them. They were in love. Dylan slid his hands under Marco's shirt and up his back. Marco did the same, pushing up Dylan's shirt and running his hands across his boyfriends stomach.

Downstairs, Marco's parents were getting uneasy. Mr. Del Rossi fidgeted with the newspaper listening intently for sounds coming from his sons room upstairs. His wife sat in the armchair next to him, watching the silent television. He check the time on his watch, ten, it had been three hours since they went to Marco's room.

"It's been too long. "I'm going to tell them that Dylan has to go home." He stood, dropped the paper into the chair and headed for the stairs.

"Frank, wait…you might not want to."

"Why?" He turned around.

"Well, they aren't just talking up there."

"He raised his eyebrows. "All the more reason to stop it." He continued up the stairs, his wife behind him. He knocked at the door, Marco and Dylan didn't hear, he opened it and the two boys pulled apart quickly. Their faces were flushed and their breathing heavy. Mr. Del Rossi had hoped he could blame Dylan for moving too fast, but the second he opened the door his plan was ruined. Marco lay over Dylan his hands under Dylan's shirt, he wanted to, Dylan wasn't pushing anything.

"Dylan should go home now." He left.

"I'm sorry hon, but Dylan should really get going it's late." Mrs. Del Rossi was nicer about it, she shut the door.

Marco and Dylan stood up. "I can't believe that I forgot to lock the door." Marco put his hands against the dresser and leaned forward.

"It was bound to happen sometime." Dylan came up behind Marco and put his arms around his stomach. Marco leaned back against him.

"I know, but they'll call yours and 'speak their concerns'." He clasped his hands over Dylan's.

"And I'll get the 'be careful' speech again. They can't break ups up Marco. No one can." He let go of Marco.

"I'll walk you to your car." They headed downstairs, they didn't see Marco's parents. Dylan got in his car, Marco leaned through the window and they kissed each other goodbye.