John hid in his room. He didn't want to think of it as hiding, but that was basically what he was doing. He pulled the blanket around his slender body and curled up in a fetal position. His throat hurt as if he had been crying for hours, but his eyes were dry. He checked his comm – seven messages from Mila, both text and voice mail and even a hologram. He wanted nothing more than to talk to her, to get this feeling off his chest, but he didn't know what to say to her. She was waiting for him to tell her about the screening, and he had been looking forward to telling her, but now everything felt twisted and spoiled – and the worst part was that if Mila asked him what had happened he wouldn't even know what to say. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Text. He could handle text. He'd text Mila, give her the short version, and tell her they could talk the next day. By then he would have calmed down enough for her not to notice that something was wrong. He felt a small smile spread over his face. She'd been waiting for his test more eagerly than he had. Since she was a few weeks older than him she had gotten her results already, and they had said 'straight'. Which meant they had what Mila called 'a match' now. His smile widened as he imagined the way her green eyes would sparkle and the freckles on her nose would look like they were dancing. He wondered if her hair was still that pale shade of pink he had last seen on her – it had been the day before, but that didn't mean anything with Mila. He kept teasing her about how her hair changed color depending on her mood, as if it did it without her help.

He suddenly missed his best friend as badly as if they'd been separated for years. He wanted to talk to her, but he was afraid he'd start crying, so he decided to check her messages and send that text instead.

When he walked up to Mila the next morning she was literally bouncing. The moment he was close enough that she wouldn't have to yell she beamed:

"So, bi? Really?"

He grinned at her enthusiasm.

"Yup."

She held out her fist and he bumped it.

"That is so cool."

"Ya think?"

"Yeah! I was afraid you'd get 'gay'."

"Nope."

She looked at him with her trade mark sweet smile, and the freckles were dancing, but there was a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

"So we have a match."

"M-hm."

"So - can I?"

"What?"

"Kiss you, dummy."

He smiled back at her.

"Sure", he said softly.

She leaned in and brushed her lips against his. It felt nice, warm and soft, and she tasted sweet and minty. He wanted it to last, so he moved in a little closer. Mila made a startled little sound, but then he felt her smile. She broke the kiss but immediately wrapped her arms around him. Her body felt just as warm and soft as her kiss had, and he clung to her a little harder than he had planned to. She freed herself and frowned at him.

"Are you OK?"

The stupid feeling in his throat was back, so he just nodded. Which didn't convince her at all.

"Johnny? What's up with you? And why on this planet didn't you answer your comm all day? You knew I was waiting for those results. Because, duh, I'd been bugging you about the whole thing for like forever."

He just pulled her close again.

"Can we go to the beach after school?"

"Erm, sure, I guess? I'll text mom at recess. Someone will have time to take us."

Mila came from a big family. Her parents as well as her siblings considered John a family member, and her mom always joked that she'd lost count of her children anyway. John let go, looking a little embarrassed. Mila punched his shoulder.

"Come on. We're gonna be late again, and you'll officially be a Bad Influence."

"Yeah", John snorted, "because you're such a good girl."

"I am! Or I used to be before you corrupted me!"

The both started giggling but hurried to class. If they got detention again the whole going to the beach thing would be dead in the water – pun intended – before they'd even get a chance to ask.

John came home from the beach just in time. Mila's parents knew Elaine was strict about her rules, and being home when he was supposed to be was one she took particularly seriously. When he entered the kitchen, the room that his mother's people used to hang out and talk to each other away from the clients, a woman roughly Elaine's age looked up and smiled at him.

"Hey sweetie. Your mom's not in. She asked me to tell you she'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

John started to smile. An evening with Joanna was always fun. Unless -

"Are you working tonight?"

"Nope, all yours."

The boy's smile widened as he sat down at the table. Joanna put down his favorite mug in front of him.

"I know, I know, you're way too old for hot chocolate..."

"...but since you went to all that trouble how could I break your heart by rejecting it."

They both grinned at the old joke, and John gave her a grateful look over the rim of his mug. She sat back comfortably, nursing her own glass of dark liquid, surely something stronger than hot chocolate.

"So, IOS? What did the doc have to say?"

John rolled his eyes and grimaced.

"Can we talk about school instead?"

Joanna arched an eyebrow.

"That bad?"

"No, just..."

He shrugged.

"You don't wanna talk about it."

"Yeah..."

He bit his lip, unsure of her reaction, but she just smiled.

"OK, fine, school then. How did that science project go?"

John's eyes lit up.

"The experiment went really well and the report was so easy to write! Miller sighed when I submitted it and grumbled something about me ruining his weekend, but I think he was actually proud of me."

The kid's cheeks were a little flushed and the mixture of excitement and embarrassment was too cute. Joanna chuckled.

"You know I never understood much of that fancy tech stuff, but I do like your enthusiasm."

John blushed in earnest at that.

"Don't say the c-word."

"What? Cute?"

"Urgh. I am not cute. I wasn't even cute when I was little. Ever."

Another low chuckle and a deep sigh.

"Enthusiasm isn't a bad thing, John. You're good at something. That's worth a lot."

She rose.

"Speaking of tech. My entertainment unit is having hiccups again. Think you could take a look at it some time?"

"Sure, want me to do it right now?"

"No, that's not necessary. You should eat something first."

"I ate at Mila's place. It's no big deal. Show me."

While John was working methodically through the settings of Joanna's EU she studied him closely. He was still a kid, all soft and delicate, his face sweet and his eyes the colors of the sea he loved so much, a bit of hot chocolate in one corner of his mouth. But beneath the softness she could sense his wit, his ability to plan and focus, and the strong will he'd inherited from his mother. From what he'd told her that will – some would call it stubbornness – did get him in trouble in school sometimes, his inability to sit still, his aversion to authority leading to problems with the more uptight of his teachers. On the other hand, if someone had his respect, he could be a sweetheart. Like with Miller, the science guy. He kept finding projects and assignments to occupy John's restless mind, and the kid adored him. She thought he might even have a little crush on the man.

She cleared her throat.

"You do know you can talk to me about anything you want, right?"

John looked up.

"Huh?"

Joanna huffed out a laugh.

"IOS, or Mila, or whatever else is on your mind."

"Why would I want to talk about Mila?"

"Just saying. Anything, OK? We are still friends, right?"

"If we weren't, I'd charge you for this", he grinned, gesturing to the EU. "Good as new."

"You're done?"

"Yup. Blast away."

He made his way to the door.

"And thanks. You know – for the talking thing. If I ever need it."

Sometimes she thought the boy was a little too smart for his own good, a little too grown up for his age.