The few words of truth he had spoken all night didn't make him feel any better, despite what one might think. They just made him feel worse when he watched her face crumple as she started to cry.

She pulled her hands from his and cupped her face; her shoulders moving up and down against her silent sobs. He didn't think about what he was doing he just moved. And then he was at her side and she was in his arms. He held her tightly to him as she cried and he did what he could to help her through it; his fingers stroking her hair as he made comforting sounds into her ear.

After a few minutes she hiccupped and then pulled away, her eyes red and puffy, but still so beautiful despite this and the evident pain reflected in them. A pain he had caused.

He didn't want to hurt her? And here he had thought he was speaking the truth? He had already hurt her, he could see that. She was in love with him, it was written all over her face.

He smoothed the hair away from her eyes, and it took all of his will power to not kiss her. He just wanted to fix things. He wanted to tell her the truth about who he was, and that it was killing him that he had lied to her.

She squeezed her eyes closed and then looked at him.

"I'm sorry. I am so…drunk or something… I mean wow, I don't usually cry like a baby when…I just don't really cry much. And I don't know why you saying what you said would make me cry...but you probably think I'm a psycho, nut anyways. I mean look at me…"

He was looking at her, and she was beyond amazing in his opinion.

"You're fine. And I don't think anything like that, I promise."

He smiled and stepped away from her knowing if he didn't he would do something he couldn't explain away with the smooth techniques he had learned in training. No, if he kissed her the jig would be up, because he wouldn't be able to stop until the need for air forced him to.

He moved away and made himself pour two mugs of coffee, his hands shaking more then the first time he had held a gun. And then willing his hands still, he carried them to the table placing one in front of her and the other at his spot at the table.

"Cream and sugar?"

She shook her head so he sat down, his fingers moving to his mug to fiddle with it.

She was staring at her own mug, and spoke without looking up.

"You said you didn't want to hurt me. What did you mean by that?"

She finally looked up at his silence.

"I don't know, I guess it felt like I would be leading you on or something. I didn't want to do that. I mean if you started liking me or something… not that you do…But… you do, right?"

She looked at him, a panic filling her eyes.

"Um, I don't…I don't…no…I mean of course I don't. I mean we're friends and that's all. You're not my type…you're too nice. I mean I like guys who have piercings in weird spots…the more weird the better…or guys with really big muscles… That's hot too…I'm definitely not into you!"

He knew what she was trying to do and had to fight the sad smile that threatened.

"Well, then it's a good thing I'm gay, 'cause I feel totally emasculated right about now."

He let loose the smile after a beat and she laughed as if relieved.

"Right you are gay. And you know what? I'm going to find you a guy really soon."

She picked up her coffee at this and took a sip. And then sitting it back down she smiled at him, but he could see that it didn't quite reach her eyes; it couldn't quite mask the feelings she was trying so hard to hide.

(A few days later)

He felt her eyes on him and looked up to find her studying him.

"What?"

"What? I'll tell you what. I found him." She smiled proudly and closed her book.

He looked at her, his eyebrows raised, a quizzical expression on his face.

"Who did you find…Waldo? I'm lost here, Sara."

She shoved him none to gently and he grinned.

"Really, come on what are we talking about here?"

"I'm talking about the guy…you know the one I promised to find for you?"

He shuddered inwardly at the thought. He had been hoping she would forget about her promise. He looked at her now trying not to give away his true feelings about being set up with a guy, but it wasn't easy.

"Um, who is this…ah… Guy. I mean do I know him?"

Sara shook her dark head. "Nope, at least I don't think so, anyways.

"So how do you know him? I mean is he a friend of yours?"

"Um, no not exactly…My friend Missy's sister is friends with David's sister and…But I know who he is…and he's pretty hot! How do you feel about the gangsta, rapper wannabe look?"

Michael just looked at her.

(That weekend)

"Tell me again why I agreed to do this?"

Sara looked at him, finding her smile hard to suppress. He had been acting nervous since arriving at her house to get ready for 'The Big Date'. She moved to him now, her fingers unbuttoning one of the buttons of his shirt.

"There, much better. I mean we wouldn't want David to think you're all stuffy now, would we?"

He stepped away and re-buttoned his shirt.

"We also wouldn't want him to think I'm…ah…"

"You're brother?" She joked.

"Ha-ha, very funny, Sara."

She laughed. "I can't help it. Does he know that look went out with chest hair and gold chains?"

Michael just gave her a look. "So, tell me about this guy."

"I've already told you everything about David…He's not out yet either…So it's perfect."

She was fixing her make-up in the mirror, but looked up when she saw him staring at her.

"I meant Kent."

She turned back around and added a little more eye liner.

Kent was her date for tonight, a guy from a rival school. Sara had met him a while ago at a party and at the end of the night the two of them had hooked up. Sara remembered him being pretty hot, but then again she had been fairly stoned that night. Of course it didn't really matter. What mattered was that she was there to help Michael through this.

"He's cool, you'll like him…I mean he's nothing like Jeff. Oh, and since he doesn't go to Fox Hill you guys won't have to worry about him 'outing' you or anything."

She turned and dismissing the look of worry on his face, she grabbed his hand.

"I'm ready. And the guys should be here," she glanced around him to the clock, "any time now. I figured we would take my dad's limo."

XXXXX

The theater was almost empty, the movie having had a long run and probably on its last weekend. They had chosen to sit in the back to Michael's equal parts relief and dismay. Relief, because it gave him a view of all six of the other movie goers; dismay, because everyone knew what happened in the back of movie theaters.

He was sitting next to David with Sara on the other side of him. Kent, her date was on her right side, leaving the rest of the back row empty. But Michael couldn't really find anything good about this situation. Here he was out on a date with a guy, while the girl he couldn't stop thinking about was with someone else; someone who despite his friendliness, Michael couldn't let himself like. And the simple reason was that he was jealous of Kent.

The whole ride to the movie theater, which hadn't been long, had been spent with Kent talking about a party he and Sara had both attended a few months back. It seemed they had hit it off and then Sara had never called him. But Michael could tell that Kent was hot for Sara by the way he kept staring at her legs in her ripped up fishnets.

As for David? The guy had hit on him the whole time, his eyes moving over his body like he was starving and Michael was the main course. And David had a habit of licking his full bottom lip when he spoke to him that was really making Michael nervous.

Now as they sat in the dark theater, the movie about two thirds of the way in, Michael told himself to just relax. So far the guy hadn't tried anything, and Kent hadn't either as far as he could tell. He took a deep breath and tried to watch what was left of the movie.

He was finally starting to relax a little when David's hand snaked over the arm rest and onto his thigh. Michael's hand shot out automatically and David pulled back causing the soft drink nestled in the arm rest cup holder to topple over into his lap.

"Aww, Hellz no! I just got these pants…they was some serious scrilla!"

He hopped up and made his way up the isle and out of the theater. Sara turned to Michael and he shrugged his shoulders innocently as if to say, "Don't look at me, I don't know what just happened."

Sara raised her eyebrows and then Kent was whispering something to her. She whispered something back and then her eyes moved to Michael.

Michael couldn't hear what the two of them were saying, but he figured it had something to do with him and David.

A few minutes later David sat down beside him.

"Yo, this shits gonna stain…you owe me, aw-ight?"

Michael was about to say send me the bill when David's hand wrapped around the back of his neck and pulled his mouth down on his.

Michael's first reaction was to pull away…and he did a little. But then he remembered that Sara was sitting right next to him. He knew she was watching them. She had been watching him with David all night. Watching and waiting for him to do just one more thing to prove he wasn't gay. So he moved back in and he let it happen.

He felt his stomach roil as David's lips parted and the tip of his tongue darted out to touch his lips. And then Michael let his mind go elsewhere, his lips parting almost eagerly as he thought about Sara, her lips soft against his, her tongue hot in his mouth. Michael was almost into it when David pulled away a little, sucking his bottom lip gently before pulling back. Michael felt David's fast breath against his chin and then it was over.

"Yo, you gots some serious skillz, yo!"

"Um, thanks, um you, ah, have skillz too, yo."

Michael turned to Sara, she was staring at them both, eyes wide, mouth agape. She blinked a few times and then clamped her mouth shut, forcing a weak smile. And then she turned back to the screen.

XXXXX

Michael had never been so glad to see a movie end in his life. But when the credits came up he forced himself to remain seated. Only when Sara was towering over him did he push his tall frame up to stand next her. David climbed to his feet behind him standing a little too close, but Michael knew they would soon be out of there, and besides the guy's tongue was just in his mouth, how much worse could it possibly get?

XXXXX

They were out in the lobby waiting for David and Kent to come out of the restroom, when she turned to him.

"So, you like David then?"

She had been a little quiet up until this moment.

"Um, he's, yeah. He's um, hot, I guess. But I have to say his language kinda throws me. I mean I think I understood what he was saying earlier when he was talking about his friend's car, but I'm not really sure what glomm means."

Sara laughed and looked down at her feet. When she looked up her eyes were more serious. "Well I'm glad you like him…Really I am, Michael."

"What about you and Kent? You like the guy?"

She looked away. "Yeah, he's okay. He doesn't do drugs anymore, so that's a plus, huh?"

Michael nodded. "That's a big plus."

They looked up as their dates joined them.

"Yo, we ready to bounce?"

Michael just looked at him and then, "Oh, yeah, bounceleave, right?"

"That's right. Yo you a fast learner, I like that." And there he was with the lip thing, again; his tongue snaking out to wet it suggestively.

Michael forced a smile, all the while thinking it was a pretty sad thing when the most action a guy had in the last six months was with an eighteen year old gangsta wannabe named David.