Connor held Jellybean close to him as Adam walked through the front door. He gently scratched her ear one more time before he stood up, letting her jump off him and wander away. He had practiced his speech one too many times to her since he'd gotten home from school. She didn't need to hear him actually deliver it to his father.

"Connor?" Adam called.

"I'm right here, Dad," Connor said, following him into the kitchen. "How was work?"

"Same as usual. I'm going to drown in paper one of these days," Adam said.

"Weren't you saying your company was going all digital?"

"I did and they did and yet …" Adam sighed, preheating the oven. "I picked up one of those deli pizzas on my way home."

"Those are good." Connor leant against the kitchen counter. "Can I talk to you about something?"

Adam quickly turned, pressing his hand against Connor's forehead. "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

Connor pushed his father's hand away. "I don't have a fever. I –"

"How's the rash?"

"Rashy and not moving. I –"

"Did the cat scratch you?"

"No. I –"

"Did you throw up? Do you feel nauseous at all?"

"I don't –"

"Any blood? Any bleeding?"

"Dad!" Connor cried. "No, I'm the same as I have been. That's not what I wanted to tell you."

That didn't seem to calm Adam at all and Connor knew the conversation probably wasn't going to be the calm, easy affair that he'd been hoping for.

"So, what is it?"

"Um, I need you to call Dr. Meyer –"

"I thought you said you were feeling fine!"

Connor ignored Adam and plowed forward, saying, "And change next Friday's appointment to Saturday."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"Aren't you going to ask me why?" Connor couldn't help but sound exasperated.

"All right," Adam said but he clearly looked like he was humouring Connor. "Why do you want to change your appointment?"

"Friday is my best friend's birthday and that's when he wants to celebrate. I want to go."

Adam's face softened. "Jude, right? The boy from school?"

Connor nodded. "Please, Dad? I never get to do things with friends. I never ask. You were the one who said I should try and be normal. I can't be normal if I have to spend my afternoon throwing up."

"Well …" Adam mused, but Connor could tell what way that he was swaying.

"I always get sicker. I'm not going to get better."

It was definitely overkill but Connor knew it needed to be said and heard more. It was so easy for he and Adam to get caught in the bubble of their routine. Connor knew enough to know that it wasn't how they should be doing things.

"I'll call her tomorrow morning," Adam agreed. "But you might have to get up early on Saturday."

"That's okay," Connor said.

He was going to spend Jude's birthday with him. That, at the very least, was worth an early Saturday morning.

(-.-)

Jude woke to the smell of breakfast. Real breakfast. Bacon and maple syrup. He pushed the blankets off his body, trading his pyjama bottoms for black jeans. Then, he stumbled out the bedroom door where Callie had a feast spread out along the kitchen counter. She turned to smile at him and, for once, she looked like the sister he had once known. The sister who was just his beloved older sister.

"Happy birthday, Jude!" she exclaimed, hugging him once he got close enough to her. "Fifteen. Wow!"

Fifteen, Jude thought. He hardly believed it either.

"I got you a birthday breakfast," Callie said. "Pancakes and bacon and eggs and toast. And there's another present too."

"You didn't have to do all this."

"I did." Callie gave him a pat along his hair. "It's also an apology."

"What for?"

"Tomorrow, I have to leave for a couple of weeks, but I'll be back in time for Christmas. I made Nic promise."

"Why do you have to go?" Jude asked.

"So, nothing happens to you." Callie kissed him. "We won't fight about it today."

"When you get back?" Jude suggested.

Callie laughed but agreed. "When I get back and not a second before. Come on, we should eat before it gets cold."

Jude hurriedly made himself a plate. Real, warm food. Well, diner food, not quite homemade but it was still amazing. He and Callie sat down on the couch and Jude covered his pancakes with maple syrup. He almost didn't want to use his fork. He'd rather dig in with both hands but he knew that it would cause Callie to shriek at him like she was a watchful mother. He fit about half of a pancake into his mouth, chewing quickly.

"Don't choke."

"But I love pancakes," Jude said, not even caring that his mouth was full.

Callie rolled her eyes at him. "I bet they'd be better if you slowed down and tasted them."

"You don't know that for sure," Jude argued.

"Sure, I don't," she said sarcastically.

But, Callie managed to let him get through the rest of breakfast without interrupting him or telling him he was eating like an animal, which had been a habit of hers in years past. When they were finished, Callie took the plates and left him sitting on the couch.

"There are going to be rules about this," Callie said.

"About my present?" Jude asked, and then he thought he might know what it was.

"Exactly. Close your eyes."

Jude did because it was more fun to humour her. He faced forward on the couch, his palms up. Callie placed a small, cold object in one of his hands.

"Can I look?" Jude asked.

"Okay, look."

Jude opened his eyes. There it was, a small, slightly outdated but still perfectly usable cell phone in his hand.

"You answer my calls no matter where or when you are. If you're going somewhere where you might not be able to do that, you have to tell me before you go. You delete your texts, especially the texts between you and me, every night. If anyone ever talks to you – cop, CPS, adults – you get rid of it before they can find it. Officially, it doesn't belong to you. Also, you're going to have to earn it month to month by being good about the Centre."

"I understand," Jude said. "They're the rules. I know them."

Callie hugged him. "The number for the phone is on the back. My number is already programmed in, under 'Jay'. Just so they won't guess."

"Okay," Jude said. "Does this mean we can talk while you're gone?"

"A little. Yeah, you can let me know you're safe."

Jude stared up at her. "You can let me know you're safe."

"That too. I got you the blue case so it would match your hair."

Jude picked up the phone, turning it over, and held it up to his head. "Does it match?"

"It's close enough," Callie said, and she sounded satisfied with herself.

"Thank you, Callie," Jude said.

"It does enough. A few apps. You can text, call. No data, though."

"It's still really great. Thank you, Callie."

She ruffled his hair. "You're welcome."

Jude kept staring at her face. "You're going to leave me alone now, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I have to be ready to leave tomorrow. That's why we had breakfast so early."

Jude nodded. "Um, my friend and I were going to do something for my birthday after the Centre. Unless … unless you wanted me to come home."

He hadn't considered that Callie would want him around.

"Your friend," Callie repeated and Jude could tell from her voice that she still wasn't sold on the idea of Connor.

"Friend," Jude repeated.

"Okay, Jude, friend," Callie repeated. "No, it's okay. Spend time with your friend."

"You can stop saying it like that," Jude replied. "It's not what you think. You don't have to worry about that."

"I have to worry about you no matter what," Callie said. "Okay, I have to go down to the basement. I'll be back up before you have to go down to the Centre."

"Okay," Jude said.

"Lock the door behind me."

"I know."

Once Callie was gone and the door was locked, Jude went to get in the shower. He knew that it was a little stupid but he wanted to look extra nice to day. He was fifteen. He had his first cell phone. He thought that should all mean something. He carefully cleaned himself and then, when he got out of the shower, he was careful to put on actually clean clothes instead of semi-clean clothes. Clothes that fit properly. He was just pulling his shirt over his head when an unfamiliar dinging noise sent him flinching into the wall. It took a moment of heavy breathing for him to realize that it was his new cell phone.

He was going to have to turn the sound off before it gave him a heart attack. He did just the before opening the text, which had come from Callie's pseudonym.

Jay: Just making sure the phone worked

Jude: It does! Thanks again

Jay: You're welcome

Jude sat down on the bed with his phone, toying with the different features just to pass the time.

(-.-)

Connor was leaving his last class of the day, drama class. It was a class that he didn't share with Daria but that didn't stop her from finding him and falling into step with him, a bright smile on her face and her hair as bouncy as her step.

"Hi, Connor!"

"Hi, Daria." Was it bad that he was waiting for the transition to her not speaking to him again? He knew what to do with that better. He and Daria had never been close friends. Even back when Connor's classmates had spoken to him, she hadn't really been one of them. Her friend, Maddie, had been his friend but that had been a long time ago now.

"Have you thought any more about my party?"

"I've still got time, right?"

"Right," Daria said. "But if you need drinks …"

"I'll let you know on Monday, okay?"

Daria nodded. "I think you'd have fun if you came. Last time I checked, there was, like, a hundred people coming. You never know what will happen."

"I guess so. I –"

"Daria! Come on!" Taylor shouted from the doorway. "Mom's going to be pissed if we make her late."

"See you later, Connor!"

He managed a half-hearted wave to her and then he swerved down a side hall, walking quickly toward his locker. He knew that Jude was going to be waiting for him outside but he also knew that there was no way he was carrying around a heavy back pack if he and Jude were hanging out. He quickly opened his combination lock, not flinching as Ms. Adams approached.

"Were you making friends with Daria?"

"Her big Christmas party. Her parties are how everyone gets drunk." Connor glanced up at her. "I didn't tell you that."

"I've got big ears," Ms. Adams said. "Are you in a hurry?"

"It's Jude's birthday. We're going to get cupcakes."

Connor emptied as many books from his bag into his locket as possible, leaving himself only To Kill A Mockingbird and a notebook in case they ended up playing Hangman again. He made sure his wallet was in his bag.

"I'll see you on Monday, Ms. Adams!"

"Bye!"

Connor joined the rush of people still leaving the building, careful not to let their bags hit him. He quickly spotted Jude – bright blue hair and awkward stance – loitering near the sidewalk, standing rock still and leaving people to swerve around him. To Connor's immense amusement, most people did exactly that. He hurried through the crowd of people, noticing how relieved Jude look when he saw Connor. Jude stuck his hands in his pockets and kicked at the ground until Connor was right next to him.

"Ready for cupcakes?"

Jude nodded.

"Happy birthday, by the way," Connor said, nudging Jude's shoulder with his own.

"Thanks," Jude said. "You know, it really feels like a birthday. I mean, last year I got my birthday breakfast like I usually do and then my sister skipped out which, she did this year too, I guess, but she didn't get me any other presents – not that I'm complaining. I guess doing more, with her and with you, makes it feel like a real birthday."

"Your sister?" Connor repeated. Jude had family. Real family.

"What?" Jude stopped and stared at him, frowning. "I … Um, no, I didn't say sister, I don't have a sister. My guardian. That's the only person I know. That's the only –"

Connor reached out, resting his hand on Jude's arm. "You don't have to lie to me. I'm not going to tell your secrets. Not even to Ms. Adams."

Jude shook off his hand, looking down the street at people that were approaching. "Please forget I said that."

"I don't think I could forget anything you tell me. You're easy to remember."

Jude bit down on his lip. "Okay but that's another thing we're not going to talk about."

"At some point, I should start making a list," Connor said, starting to walk again.

"You can't," Jude said. "What if someone found it?"

"Do you ever think you're paranoid?"

"Maybe but if you knew the whole story, you wouldn't question it."

"Maybe, someday, we'll be friends long enough," Connor mused, even though it hurt him to do so. What did long enough mean? He knew what it meant to him but what did it mean to Jude? It was probably really different things and Connor felt guilty when he thought about it for too long.

"Don't hold your breath," Jude warned.

"Yeah, yeah," Connor said. "So, what did you get for your birthday?"

"A phone," Jude said. "I mean, I basically had to sign my soul away and agree to go to the Centre like a good kid but I have a phone!"

"Guess you'll be stuck to it now, texting your million friends."

"Maybe Jellybean and I will text," Jude suggested.

"Well, that'd be rude of her. She never answers my messages."

"She definitely likes you better," Jude said, "so if she doesn't answer you, then I don't think she'll answer me."

"But she does like you."

"If you say so."

Connor looked up and was glad to see the cupcake shop just ahead. Just a few more steps. Jude was walking quickly, almost a little too quickly, but Connor felt too awkward to ask him to slow down, especially once he realized that Jude was just excited. He wanted Jude to be excited. He was still glad when they reached the door of the cupcake shop and Jude held it open.

"You go sit," Connor said. "Mocha one, right?"

"Yes, please."

Jude headed off to take a seat and Connor went to order. He leant over the counter to ask the woman working, "Do you have birthday candles?"

She nodded. "We can put one in the top and light it for you. Which cupcake?"

"The mocha one," Connor whispered.

He paid and then she fetched the cupcakes, lighting a single candle on Jude's. Connor happily carried it over to his best friend, trilling, "Happy birthday to you!"

Jude turned his head and laughed. "You don't have to sing."

"I'm not going to." Connor put Jude's large cupcake down in front of him. "But you do have to blow out the candle."

Jude leant forward, huffing on the candle, getting the single flame out in one blow.

"Did you make a wish?" Connor asked.

"Yeah but I can't tell you," Jude said. "Otherwise, it won't come true."

"I guess that's why none of mine ever came true. I always told."

"I don't know if telling your cat actually counts."

Connor licked frosting off his finger. "I didn't tell you it was Jelly."

"You didn't have to," Jude replied. "I think that's the point of friends. You don't have to say things for them to know them."

"I think that's a really good point to friends."

Jude nodded and he pulled the candle out of his cupcake, sucking the frosting off the bottom of the candle before he put it to the side.

"Thank you for my cupcake," Jude said.

"You're welcome."

Jude hefted the cupcake and bit down, smearing frosting along his nose. Connor laughed and slid a napkin toward him.

"Your nose is turning brown."

Jude looked half-embarrassed as he tried to wipe it away, only smearing it down his nose worse. Connor nudged his chair closer to Jude's and picked up another napkin, cleaning the spots on Jude's face that he had missed. Jude looked even more embarrassed about that and he leant away from Connor.

"Sorry."

"There's more frosting," Jude said. "I'm just going to make myself even messier."

"Life with cupcakes," Connor mused.

"Eat yours," Jude said.

"And then you're going to give me your phone number," Connor said.

"Yeah, of course. You're one of two people I'm going to talk to."

"Well, you can text me about Mockingbird when you're reading on your own."

Jude rolled his eyes slightly. "I prefer to do most of the reading with you."

"I know," Connor said. "But I think you like the book. I think you could read more on your own."

"I don't want to," Jude said stubbornly. "It's easier reading to you."

"Okay," Connor said. "It's up to you. I like you reading to me."

"I know," Jude echoed. "Eat your cupcake. What kind did you get?"

"Cookies and cream," Connor replied. "Here, want to try?"

Jude took a small bite of his and then he offered Connor a bite of the mocha one but Connor shook his head.

"It's your birthday cupcake. You shouldn't have to share it."

"It'll taste better if I do."

How could Connor argue with that? He sampled Jude's cupcake and, immediately, felt bad about his own cupcake choice. Jude was right; the mocha cupcake was probably the best cupcake that the store had. He was tempted to steal more – Jude would probably let him – but he went back to his cupcake. It was Jude's birthday after all.

"Are you sure you don't want to do anything else?" Connor asked. "We have all day."

Jude smirked at him. "We always have all day."

"Yeah," Connor said, not able to forget the fact that it was Friday and there was somewhere else that he was always supposed to be. He had made sure that he had all day and he thought that he should use it. "But it's a birthday. Do you want to go to the movies or anything?"

"The movies?"

"Yeah. There's got to be something on that we'd like. Why not?"

"It's not fair that you're going to do all this for my birthday."

"You can get me cupcakes for mine," Connor said, struggling to get a smile on his face. His birthday seemed so far away.

Jude just stared down at the tabletop. "What movie do you want to see?"

"No idea. We should just go and see the first one that's playing."

Jude nodded. "Okay."

"We can get popcorn for dinner." Jude looked at him and Connor could tell that Jude was about to protest what he'd said and so Connor quickly added, "Well, I'm going to. You can have some if you ask nicely."

"You make it too easy to mooch, you know that?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, I know, that's the point." Connor grinned. "So, want to see a movie?"

"Okay." Jude popped the last of his cupcake into the mouth. "I did really like the cupcake."

"You were right. Mocha's really good." Connor finished his cupcake. "Come on, birthday boy. We've got a movie to catch."

"And a bus," Jude said. "I'm a lazy birthday boy. Birthday breakfast comes early, you know."

"Well, now I do," Connor said, glad that Jude was the one who suggested the bus. "Hey, let me see your phone. I'll add my number in."

Jude handed over his phone. As they walked toward the bus stop, Connor quickly typed in his number and then he sent a text to himself.

"There, now you can bother me whenever you want."

"And you can ignore me whenever you want," Jude added.

"I've never wanted to ignore you," Connor said. "I'm glad you have a phone. There's been times I wanted to talk to you but couldn't."

Jude mumbled something that sounded like me too and then he cleared his throat to loudly say, "Well, I guess I won't have to show up at your house anymore if you skip Centre days."

"You can still show up to my house," Connor said. "I promise I won't mind. It was fun. Even though it took me, like, three days of scrubbing to get the dye of my hands."

"Gloves. I told you."

"Next time. If you ever decide to trust me again."

"Yeah, yeah," Jude said, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I probably trust you most."

"Not your guardian?" Connor asked carefully, wondering if Jude's temper would flare if he actually said the word sister.

Jude shrugged and hopped on the bus. Once they were sitting, he glanced over at Connor again. "Well, she just knows everything. Not to say I don't trust her. But the fact that I have to tell you things means something else. Wouldn't you say?"

Connor nodded and he felt guilt building in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't tell Jude things. Well, he could – that had always been Ms. Adams' point – but he wouldn't. He was holding his tongue and he knew that he was doing it just because he wanted to. It didn't really have anything to do with Jude. Connor clenched his hand tightly shut, thinking about his fingers against his palm. He would just have to talk to Ms. Adams about it again next week. That was something that they could chase around in circles, rather than everything else that he knew that she would rather him be talking about and everything that he just wanted to keep quiet.

"What stop is the theatre?" Jude asked.

"Let me check," Connor said, pulling out his phone, glad to have something else to think about. "Four more."

Jude's head flopped against the back of bus seat dramatically. "Four stops? Too long."

Connor didn't think it was quite so bad but he was itching to reach for his hand sanitizer or get to the theatre bathroom so he could scrub up to his elbows, just in case. If he was delaying his appointment, he should be extra careful, even though he knew that there was only so much that he could do.

"Have you ever noticed that your hair matches the back of the bus seats?"

Jude sat up indignantly, his dark eyes flashing. "My hair is a lot lighter."

"Not since I redid it," Connor said. "It's pretty close now."

"You're just trying to make me mad," Jude said accusingly.

"Am not," Connor said. "Why would I do that to you on your birthday?"

"I don't know. I don't see why you'd make me mad at all."

"Come on, have I ever made you mad?"

Jude shrugged. "I don't think so."

"I can bribe you with extra buttery popcorn if you're mad," Connor offered.

Jude glanced at him, looking a little smug as he murmured, "Yeah, I think I am mad then."

Connor reached across Jude to hit the button for their stop. "Well, come on. Unhealthy birthday supper has to continue."

The movie theatre was quite crowded and Jude stuck close to him as they got in line for tickets and popcorn. They ended up getting tickets to a new spy movie, lots of coke, too much popcorn, and a package of M&M's, just because Connor could. He packed most of it into Jude's arms so that he could pass the theatre worker their tickets, and then they were off to sit in theatre three.

"Do you want to sit in front? Middle? Back? Wherever you want."

"Let's sit in the back," Jude said. "All the way."

Theatre steps were notoriously easy to get up and down from but Connor still had to watch his feet carefully and he knew that he was tired long before he should be. He was fifteen. He used to be an athlete. He should still be an athlete. And yet, his thighs were burning and he felt like giant sores were probably developing on his rash even though he knew that couldn't possibly be true. He settled into one of the closest seats and Jude handed him the popcorn before sitting down next to him.

"Do you like spy movies?" Jude asked.

"I like action movies," Connor said. "Spies never made a whole lot of difference to me."

Jude nodded casually and then he reached across Connor to dig his hand into the popcorn. "Thanks."

"It's what friends are for."

They fell quiet as the lights dimmed and trailers started rolling. Jude kept leaning closer and closer to him as he dug around for popcorn but Connor didn't mind. It was comforting to have someone sitting close to him, someone who didn't think he was weird or diseased riddled or contagious or totally breakable. Connor had been worried about telling Jude even the little bit that he had but Jude didn't seem to care. He was concerned but the way that Jude was concerned felt nice. It wasn't like how his father was concerned, overbearing and stuffy, and it wasn't like how Ms. Adams was concerned, slightly clinical with advice he didn't know how to use.

As the movie actually started, Connor sunk down in his seat and rested his head down against Jude's shoulder. He'd gotten comfortable with it and didn't think twice. He felt Jude tense for a moment and he wondered if he should lift his head back up, but then Jude relaxed into him too and they settled in to watch the movie.

If you have a song that reminds you of The Island Of Misfit Toys and would like it to be on the playlist, send it in and let me know! I'd love to hear your playlist suggestions. This week's songs are: Ashes Made Of Spades by The Rocket Summer and Castor And Pollux by Kathryn Calder (reader recommended).

So, on tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about The Island Of Misfit Toys, go to my tumblr URL and add backslash tagged backslash the dash island dash of dash misfit dash toys. Punctuation is spelled out due to Fanfiction's restrictions. If you're having any trouble accessing the tumblr content please send me a pm and I can format it for you in a different way.

~TLL~