Neither Dutchy or I are hungry when Blink and Mush leave for dinner, so we hang around Dutchy's room for a while. It's kind of awkward being alone together now, which is weird, considering last night. Maybe it's one of those things where the adrenaline-and-hormone "oh my God he just asked me out" high has worn off. Or maybe we're just tired from our late night and early morning and utterly exhausting day. We lay in silence for a while, side by side and pondering the underside of Mush's bunk, and I'm wondering what he's thinking about.

Is this okay with him? Is he happy? What if me kissing him just made him think he's gay?

What if, even if he had those mildly homosexual inklings, he was at one point all the way straight? Like, has he had sex before? Will I end up deflowering him on all accounts?

Dutchy interrupts my train of thought by spontaneously rolling onto his side and kissing me. He's more sure of himself now; he doesn't even hesitate before touching my lips. I can't help but smile. When I do, he smiles back for a moment before nipping lightly at my lower lip. For a supposedly straight guy, he sure knows how to kiss. Ready and willing, I open my mouth.

It's heavier than last night was. A few minutes pass before I find myself tugging his T-shirt over his head. His skin is soft, offset by hard muscle, though you wouldn't know it just by looking at him. I barely have time to appreciate it before my pulls impatiently at my shirt.

Now, I'm no complete stranger to intimacy, I've had my moments, but this skin-on-skin feeling is like nothing I've ever experienced before. Dutchy amplifies it by rolling gently on top of me. He's warm, and he smells and tastes good. I'm becoming more and more aware of his hips digging into mine as he's kissing my neck – I'm not sure exactly what it is that he's doing, but it feels incredible.

I'm ready to take control when suddenly he springs off of me. My pants are vibrating and making a really irritating noise.

"Fuck," I mumble, frustrated, as I pull my cell phone out of my pocket. "Hello?"

"Danny," a cheery voice erupts from the speaker. "Hi, sweetie."

I try to catch my breath, exerted from both Dutchy and the shock of the sudden phone call. "Hi, Mom."

"Why are you breathing funny?"

"Oh, um... exercising." Dutchy smirks and falls back onto his pillow. "Did you need something?"

"Just to talk to my baby."

I roll my eyes. "Uh... I can't really--"

"Is anything exciting happening at school?" She interrupts me; I really should know by now not to try and get out of a phone call from my mom.

"Well, um, I got into the spring play."

"That's wonderful. What is it?"

"Bye Bye Birdie."

"How nice." Stereotypical New York Jew resonates in her voice, and I can almost hear her checking out her nails. "Are there any girls in the play?"

"Well, yeah." Good God. Here we go again.

"Jewish girls?" I can actually feel her staring me down through the phone.

"Mom!" I smack my palm to my forehead. Dutchy lifts his eyes to me, looking bored and dissatisfied.

"Well, I just don't want you marrying some shmegdorf of a girl... you need someone from a nice, respectable family who shares your beliefs and values." Translation: someone exactly like her.

"I'm sixteen, Mom! Don't you think it's a little early to be thinking about marriage?" I sigh and run my hand over Dutchy's arm. I can see the look of shock on my mother's face right now. "Mom, I have to go, okay? Love you. Bye."

I hang up and set my phone on the desk. "I'm really sorry about that."

Dutchy smiles. "It's okay." He squeezes my shoulder. "You tell your mom you love her on the phone. That's sweet."

I shrug. "Well, you know." I lay back, turning my head towards him. "Kind of a mood-killer, huh?"

He nods. "A little, yeah."

"Sorry."

And it's back to the in-depth study of Mush's bunk. We do this for several minutes before I finally give in to the question that's burning on my tongue.

"Dutchy?"

"Yeah."

"Have you ever... um..." My mouth is suddenly very dry. I don't know why I'm so scared to ask him this. "Um. Are you... are you a virgin?"

He rolls onto his side, looking at me in confusion. "What?" He laughs. "Specs, why would you ask me that?"

"I was just wondering. It's kinda been bugging me."

"Well, do you mean with another guy, or with a girl?"

My eyes widen. I'm sure my face is about as white as the sheets we're laying on. "Um..."

Dutchy shakes his head. "I've never so much as even kissed another guy before you." I smile a little bit. And then I feel kind of dirty... but in a good way. "But as for girls... no, I'm not."

I blink. "Can I ask how many?"

He sighs. "Just one. One time."

"Did... did you like it?"

I have a feeling this game of Twenty Questions is getting on his nerves. "It was okay, I guess. I mean, I got off and everything, but I just didn't think it was all it's cracked up to be."

"Okay." I decide to drop it, though I'm dying to know who it was.

"What about you?" Dutchy asks after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Huh?"

"Have you been with anybody?"

I'm caught completely off-guard, though I should've seen this coming a mile away. "Uh... well, kinda."

"Kinda?" He arches an eyebrow. He's so sexy, even when he's making fun of me.

"Well, I haven't had sex with anybody but I've done... other... stuff."

"Stuff," he repeats.

"Yeah." I really hope he doesn't make me elaborate.

"Well, have you ever wanted to?"

I laugh. "Come on, Dutchy. Who hasn't? I bet nuns even get urges sometimes."

He smiles a little bit. "Do you want to... with me?"

I can feel myself blushing. This time it doesn't piss me off. I think the question is a little bit sweet. "Um, yes." I kiss his forehead. "Eventually. I want to give this a little time, though, you know?"

"Yeah," he says with a smile. "Me, too." And he kisses me.

I love when he kisses me.

Except when Blink and Mush butt in, which they have just demonstrated their ability to do so by walking in the door. Mush stops halfway into the room and giggles.

"Are we interrupting something?" He grins, and Blink peeks around him.

Dutchy sits up. "Um... hi, guys."

"Hi back," Blink snickers. "Having fun?"

"We were just... it's not..." He's so cute when he stutters.

"Uh huh," Mush grins. "I commonly lounge around half-naked in bed with my boyfriend, just for the hell of it."

"You do too, Mush, shut the hell up." Dutchy throws a pillow at him and I laugh.

"So there's a party tonight," Blink says when he is able to stop laughing at Mush. "It's supposed to be in Racetrack's room, but depending on how many people are there, it might move down to the courtyard." He leans against the bedpost. "You guys should come. And Specs, your roommates are wondering if you've moved out or something, considering you haven't been around for a good twenty-four hours or so."

I shrug. My roommates can suck it.

"You wanna go to the party, Specs?" Dutchy leans over and grabs his shirt from the floor, pulling it over his head.

"Um, yeah," I reply, following suit. "I suppose I should go get some clean clothes, though."

I walk into my room and Jack feigns a heart attack. David smacks him on the back of his head.

"So you didn't disappear of the face of the planet, huh?" Jack grins at me.

"Um, no?"

"You look like you've had some fun," Spot says from over by the closet.

"What do you mean?" I look at him, utterly confused. As far as I know, I look normal. Dutchy would've said something if I didn't.

David taps the side of his neck and then points to the mirror on the closet door. I walk over and look.

There is a huge hickey on my neck.

Holy. Shit. I slap my hand to my neck and turn back around, looking at my roommates in a panic. "How do I make it go away?"

Jack chuckles. He puts his arm around my shoulders and walks me to my bed. "Specs, my dear, naïve friend, we are not females. We cannot simply cover these things up." He grins and pushes me down onto the bed. "Now, normally I would simply tell you to wear it with pride. But, since you're new, and I like you, there are a few tricks I can teach you to make it go away faster. However, in order for me to relay those tips to you..." He trails off.

Spot finishes for him. "You're going to have to tell us who gave it to you."

"Um... I'll just go ask Race."