The next morning, the same thing happened. For an hour this time. Gordie got up. He was hungry. Chris was too but he stayed in bed. The last time they did this was a few nights after Suzette played that nasty trick. And got her revenge.

Suzette.

"Gordo, where is my pizza?" Chris whined.

"You aint eating in my bed!" Gordie singsongingly responded.

He came out of Gordie's room, naked and he hunched over with his mouth open. Gordie gave him a bite of his slice.

"MmmfankyouGodie" he said in mid bite.

"Come with me, baby" Chris said, pulling Gordie to the couch, both naked but laying with each other.

"So whats that on your hip?"

It was a tattoo, and it had a date, it was Gordie's birthdate and above it in simple lettering said "Honey"

"Its you, Gordie, I wanted something to remember you always." Chris said, sheepishly, taking another bite of his pizza.

Gordie bent down and kissed the tattoo, tickling Chris a little.

As they sat on the couch, Gordie thought of someone, suddenly

"Suzette, whatever happened to her" Gordie said.

The color in Chris' face was scarlet. He was still mad.

"I remember, someone, one of the science club guys, I ran into him at the college in Bangor, Terry Jefferson, he told me she was on the fast track to NYU, New York U, when it was discovered she cheated on her SAT's. Her scholarship went down the tubes, she was screwing everyone apparently. Her folks disowned her and threw her out on the street."

Gordie felt a little bad, but not much, she did it to herself after all.

"So about Billy" Gordie asked

"Billy Tessio" Chris said, making an icky face.

"EHW" Gordie squirmed. Vern's brother was a creep, he even made Eyeball look normal.

"He aint allowed at home anymore, Ma Tessio threw him out. Apparently he's got a bunch of kids everywhere, like Eyeball."

"Lily told me another story," Gordie said, twirling his finger on Chris's chest hair. It felt sweet and so sexy for Chris. "He was fucking around with boys. Tina saw him in Portland giving it to one with something ugly."

It reminded Gordie of a question he wanted an answer to.

Gordie asked. "How did your mom find out you are queer, Chris?"

Chris got silent. But Gordie had every right to know.

Chris went to Gordie's room and pulled out his red journal. In the journal, pages were ripped. Pages that said "I love Chris" on them. Then he went to the lockbox and brought it out.

"She found the journal under my bed, so being the nosy mom she is, she broke the lock open easily, look at the lock on the box." The lock of the lockbox had scratches where it was attempted to be opened. Eyeball went in when she did. He tried to ruin it.

"He grabbed my hair and beat me in a way my dad never did. He packed up my shit and threw it out and disowned me." Chris said, holding his knees to his chest on the couch. Gordie only knew he did that when he was afraid. "My mom was afraid of Eyeball, and let him hurt me. I can never forgive."

Gordie then told him the missing piece to the story. "My mom knows about us. Your mom told her."

"Goddamnit all" Chris said angrily.

"Did my mom give you hush money?" Gordie asked.

"No not at all, in fact, she told me it was to make sure I was ok, she did care. She just wanted me to leave you alone." Chris said solemnly.

"Why?" Gordie stood up. He knew the answer.

"It wasn't cuz I loved you, It was cuz I…" Chris stopped. By this time, he was bawling his eyes out. Gordie spoke. "Why."

"I couldn't stop hurting you." Chris sobbed.

Gordie sat down. Things were different. They lived together. In college.

That's what was different. The social life they both had. Teddy, Vern, Lily, everyone. They factored into hurting Gordie and Chris. The girls who played games, the guys who would beat them. They used them, and why? To ruin a wonderful love. Even their friends unintentionally got in the way. Peaches telling, Teddy fighting, Vern not talking, Lily being the town gossip, Telephone, Tell a friend, Tell Lily.

Gordie looked at him, and said "you look at me real good Christopher Jonathan Chambers, and look here. You are my man. MINE. If we have a problem, we TALK it out, not keep secrets." Gordie looked wise at that moment. "I dreamt of you since the day we broke up, I loved you since the day we made love on my green comforter, I am damned if I'm gonna let anyone come between us again. No yells, no hits, nothing, if we get like that I will be done with you, I promise."

Chris wiped his tears. No more crying because of others. "Don't be afraid, no more." He stood up. "I will never let anyone hurt you anymore, not even me." Chris took Gordie's hand to his lips.