Todd rolled over and looked out the window as the moonlight poured through, making a small checkerboard pattern on the comforter that covered his chest. He traced the lines gently, sighing to himself. He rolled back over and slipped his arms around Monique's waist, pulling her to him slightly. She sighed lightly, and a smile settled on her face. Todd stroked her hair, keeping his hands light. He ran her curls through his fingers gently, kissing the top of her head before settling down and dreaming himself off to sleep.

Monique pushed Jeffrey back against the wall and smiled at him. He looked back at her, a hunger in his eyes. She beckoned him to her with her index finger, her finger waggling temptingly in front of him. He walked to her slowly, with an arrogant swagger. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head before making his way down to what he really wanted.

Todd held Monique's hand slyly, leaning in close as he appeared to be getting help with his homework. Not that they were fooling anyone. Everyone around them knew what was happening, knew what secret words were being whispered between the two, not that any of tem cared. They were envious, but they were also very happy for Todd – he was happier than they had seen him in quite some time.

"Are you coming over tonight? Or should I come over to your place," Todd questioned intensely as his eyes filled with passion, and it took all the strength to keep himself from kissing her right there in the middle of English class.

"Not now, Todd. Not in class. Look, come by after your last class and we'll talk. If I have time." Todd nodded, picking up his paper and walking back to his desk, having not changed a thing. He sat down, sliding down in to his seat and staring out the window, his paper lying clean on his desk. He ran what Monique had said through his mind. She hadn't said anything unusual, but it was the way she said it that bothered him. Like he was beginning to annoy her. Like she really didn't want to be with him anymore. And for some reason it scared him. She had gotten more and more distant lately, and the more Todd thought about it, the longer he realized it had been going on.

Todd recalled constantly the first few weeks of his relationship with Monique- neither of them could keep their hands or their eyes off of each other. They were with each other constantly, so much that suspicion had begun to rise. They talked about each other to all of their friends, and it had the makings of a typical high school love- passionate and hungry. But things had changed. Monique didn't spend as much time with Todd anymore, though she always had an excuse for being away. She always had papers to grade, books to order, a student to tutor, so Todd tried not to push anything, not wanting to get in the way of her job. But then the excuses started coming more and more often, as though it was all Monique could do to think of them. And then, when they were together, things had lost all of their fire. Monique didn't purr anymore, and didn't offer any response to Todd's romantic gestures. Things had simply lost their luster, and Todd didn't know what to do.

Todd knew that he loved Monique. And he was almost positive that she loved him too. This is why he didn't know what was going wrong. As far as he knew, she hadn't gotten bored, hadn't fallen out of love, things had just...gotten off track. And Todd didn't know how to bring them back on. But he knew that, for whatever reason, Monique didn't want to bring it up, and so he let it go. He kept asking her out, kept trying his hardest to make sure everything ran smoothly.

When the bell rang, he picked up his books and went back to his room, dropping off is English stuff and picking up his chemistry book. Just as he had shut his desk drawer, Knox walked in, looking upset, his face red and his eyes watery.
"Knox...are you okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah, Todd, I'm fine. Absolutely fucking-dandy."

"Is it Charlie?"

Knox glared at Todd, flames in his eyes. "What the hell are you talking about, Todd?"

"Knox...I know, okay. I've always known. A lot of people have. And we don't care. Really, we don't." Knox nodded again, sitting down on his bed and loosening his tie. His hair flopped over in to his face. "Look, Knox, whatever it is can be worked out. I can see how you feel about Charlie by the way you look at him. And I know he feels the same, because he looks at you the same way. Whatever it is, you'll be fine. I know you will." Todd walked out the door, shutting it behind him. He was ten minutes late for chemistry.

"Monique, you've got to tell him soon. He's going to find out eventually, and if you don't tell him and he DOES find out, God knows what will happen."

Monique nodded and laid her head on Jeffery's chest, pulling a small piece of her hair behind her ear.

"I know Jeffrey. I have to tell him. But...how? I mean, how do you tell the man you love you're sleeping with his brother?"

"I suppose kind of like this," Todd's voice echoed off the walls of Monique's small room. Both Monique and Jeffrey sat up, Monique pulling the sheet tighter around her body and Jeffrey wriggled in to a pair of his pants. Todd just stood in the door, a small bouquet of daisies in his hand, his head down.

"Todd..."

Todd held up his hand, silencing whatever explanation Monique had been ready to deliver. He just looked at Monique, his eyes wide and full of questions.

"Todd...I'm just so sorry."

Todd nodded, a small, bitter smile creeping across his face. "So am I," he whispered to himself. "So am I." And with that, Todd placed the daisies on the small table next to the door and turned on his heel, slamming it behind him. Monique jumped to her feet, throwing on a pair of jeans and a sweater.

"Monique, where are you going?"

"I have to go find him, Jeffrey. I have to at least try and explain."

"There is no way to explain this, Monique," Jeffery said, slipping his button on shirt over his body, leaving the front unbuttoned. Monique just looked at him, her eyes wide and full of pain.

"I know that, Jeffrey. But I have to try. For Todd...I have to try."