On Monday, Mark found a note in his locker. It read, This made me think of you. It's kind of cheesy, but I hope you like it. Mark smiled to himself and opened the note. Inside was a poem:

Hug O' War

I will not play at tug o' war.
I'd rather play at hug o' war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.
-Shel Silverstein

Smiling from cheek to cheek and blushing, he looked up from the poem and there was Roger. "Hey you." Roger said softly, smiling contently.

"Hey. This is nice."

"So you like the poem?"

"I love the poem." They began walking to gym together.

"Good." They fell into silence, both wanting to get closer but not knowing if it was okay. They hadn't discussed what they would do in public yet. It left an awkwardness in the air, which Roger finally broke saying, "Oh my god. I just realized I have to call Anna. You make three!"

"Three?"

"Boys she's had a crush on that turned out to be gay."

"Oh. Wait. Anna had a crush on me?"

"Yeah. That's actually why I started talking to you. It was like, 'Hey, there's that guy Anna was always talking about last year.'"

"I'm so oblivious…but I'm really glad she did."

"Me too. Anna always did have good taste." Mark blushed as they entered the locker room. "After all, she did have a crush on me for a year."

Mark hit him playfully. "You are so full of yourself." As Mark said this, Roger noticed his attention was turned elsewhere. He looked at Mark, his face encased in shock. After a moment, Mark looked back at Roger, coming out of his daze. "What?"

"Did you… just check out that guy?"

Mark made a face halfway between being genuinely sorry and incredibly amused. "Umm…no…" He lied, jokingly.

"Mark! Am I gonna have to put a leash on you!"

"Well, I definitely wouldn't object…"

"Oh." Roger said, his voice unnaturally high-pitched as it cracked slightly. "Wow. Mental images. Really good mental images."

At lunch, they got into Roger's car and Roger was immediately on top of Mark, eager lips and skillful tongue working Mark into a state of extreme bliss. They broke apart, keeping their foreheads pressed together while gasping for much-needed air. "God, I have been waiting to do that all day."

Mark laughed. "Its only forth period." He smiled at Roger before admitting, "But…me, too." As he leaned into Roger's shoulder, he felt strong arms fall around him, enveloping him. Sighing contentedly, he left Roger's arms and leaned back into his seat, opening his lunch. Mark groaned, pulling out his sandwich of peanut butter and jelly on matzah. "Mm, more matzah. My favorite." He said, sarcastically.

Roger grinned. "I brought you a sandwich."

"You did?"

"Mm-hm." He pulled it out and handed it to Mark, who hugged the sandwich to his chest like it was his savior.

"Bread! Aw, Rog, thank you so much." He kissed Roger on the cheek.

Roger smiled, obviously pleased with himself. He placed his hand to his cheek, marveling at the way the feel of Mark's lips still lingered there. "Any time. So, what music should I put on?"

"Who needs music? I've got bread!"

"I'm worried you like that bread more than you like me."

"Just for these eight days. Then I'll go back to liking you the most, I promise." He paused, grinning at Roger. "I mean…only because you gave me this bread. Clearly."

"Heh, that's okay. I wouldn't enjoy being bread-deprived, either. Oh, I know what to put on!" As they ate their lunch, Roger put in a CD and skipped to track three.

She said, "I've gotta be honest.
You're wasting your time
If you're fishing 'round here."
I said, "You must be mistaken.
I'm not fooling
This feeling is real."

"What is this?"

"'As Lovers Go' by Dashboard Confessional."

"I like it."

"I thought you would."

As the chorus came on, Roger began to sing along. "I'll be true, I'll be useful/ I'll be cavalier/ I'll be yours, my dear/ And I'll belong to you/ If you just let me through." He held Mark's hand and looked deeply into the brilliant blue eyes before him, crooning the tune like it was written just for them; just for that moment in time. "This is easy as lovers go/ So don't complicate it/ By hesitating and/ This is wonderful as loving goes/ This is tailor-made/ What's the sense in waiting?"

Mark broke their trance, interrupting Roger's singing, with a serious request. "Rog, we need to talk."

Roger frowned. "That didn't sound good."

"No, no. It's nothing like that. It's just, we haven't really talked about how we're going to act together in public, and, well, we should probably get that straightened out."

"Oh. Yeah, well, I don't care, you know? I think we should act how we want to. I don't care what people think. Let them think what they want."

"I would agree…but…my parents."

"Would it be so bad if they knew?"

"Yes. They don't like gays in general; they're certainly not going to like one for a son. You should hear some of the things they say."

"I'm sorry, Mark. Wait, but how would they find out?"

"Nanette… Cindy…"

"You think they would tell?"

"Well, Nanette already knows. So I guess not. But Cindy would leap at the opportunity."

"Are you sure? I mean, I know she's a bitch and a slut, but going so far as to tell your parents something that could possibly ruin your life? Is she really that horrible of a person?"

"Honestly? I think she is."

"So we'll act like we used to in public. We'll only be together in private."

"Are you sure? You don't seem too happy about that."

"Well, I'm not. But, Mark," Roger started, taking Mark's hand in his, "if it means you'll be happy and we can be together, then I'm okay. I'll deal. Besides," he added, placing a quick kiss to Mark's lips, "We'll always have lunchtime."

Mark smiled. "You're very romantic, you know that?"

"Oh, that's just cause it's the beginning of the relationship. Wait a couple months and I'll be like 'Get your own damn bread, Mark!'"

"Good to know. So tell me, how many months will this be, exactly? I need perspective on when's a good time to break up with you."

"Oh, shush, you. You're coming to my gig on Friday, yes?"

"Sure. But wait, I think I'm gonna be sick on Friday. Oh, and I definitely have to wash my hair…" Roger pouted, and Mark simply smiled back. "Hold it. Right there. Don't move." Roger cocked his head to the side in curiosity, but kept the pout on as Mark quickly took his camera out of his bag and snapped his picture. With his head tilted and his lower lip all pushed out like that, Roger looked like an over-curious puppy. The cutest over-curious puppy in the universe as far as Mark was concerned. "That's going to be a beautiful photo. And of course I'm coming, silly. What am I gonna do? Leave you for the groupies to maul? No way, mister. You're mine!"

"Good. And you're going to tech after school today?"

"Mm-hm. But you totally owe me for that one."

Roger kissed his neck, causing Mark to emit a soft moan. "I think I can manage that."