Kendal returned from her romantic break with Griffin to find two messages on her phone. The first one was from her mother cryptically asking her to call back as soon as she got the message because it was important, but at no point even hinting at what the call was about. The other message was from Ryan, his message was much less cryptic.

"We need to talk about Spike. He gave AJ a Valentine's and a kiss today. Could he be gay? Call me when you can."

Kendal lowered the phone from her ear, not sure if this was Ryan's idea of a joke. He'd never been all that keen on his son's growing passion for dance…

But then there was her mother's message.

Kendal dialled Erica's number.

"Mom?" she said as the phone was answered, unable to stop the nervous catch in her throat.

"Sweet-heart." said Erica. "Thanks for calling back. I need to talk to you. Something happened with Spike…"

Kendal listened as Erica gave an account of all that had happened overnight. But even as she listened Erica's voice was drowned out by the nervous thumping of her heart. All she could really hear in every word was, 'Your son is gay'.

…

Maggie peered around the doorframe and Bianca, glad of the distraction, put down her tedious book.

"You have a visitor." she said.

"Is it mom or Kendal?" Bianca asked.

"It's your sister." said Kendal, stepping into the room as Maggie pushed the door open for her.

"Hey big sis." said Bianca patting the side of the bed to encourage her to come closer.

"You knew I'd come?" asked Kendal taking the proffered perch.

Bianca gave her sister a sympathetic smile and squeezed her hand.

"I had a hunch."

"…but he's not." said Kendal finishing a sentence she had started in her head.

"And if he is, would you love him any less?"

"No of course not! No!"

"Look, from what I've heard this all might just be some misunderstanding. He's young. He hasn't had many friends his own age. He was home schooled on a yacht on the other side the world… He's still got a lot of growing up to do."

"But…" began Kendal and Bianca already knew what she was going to say.

"Hey, don't get stuck on the dancing and the show tunes… a lot of straight guy can dance. That's not going to tell you anything. This is about how he feels about people, okay?"

"He is young." said Kendal. "Maybe he just got carried away. You know how much he idolises AJ. I think he's his first real friend. Well first boy frie…"

"Friend who's a boy?" suggested Bianca when her sister stopped mid-flow.

Kendal nodded gratefully.

"…First friend who's a boy."

Kendal looked at her sister and gave her a nervous smile.

"How old were you when you knew?"

"When I knew I liked girls? I was about ten, I guess. But I wasn't certain, you know, not until I met Sarah. I mean I thought I'd like to kiss a girl but I wasn't certain until I got to try it for real."

"And you were nineteen, then?"

"Yeah; a nineteen year old recovering from anorexia. Now look at me!"

Kendal's smile grew warmer.

"Yeah, look at you! You're beautiful."

Bianca looked down bashfully.

"Thank you."

Kendal thought back to her snot-nosed little sister. God, she'd hated how stuck up and stupid little Bianca used to be… and now she knew all that time her sister was keeping the truth about herself locked inside, locking it up until she made herself sick...

"What do I do about Spike?" Kendal asked. She didn't want him bottling things up like that. Bianca's anorexia had almost killed her

Bianca sighed.

"I don't think you have to do anything right now. Let him find himself, answer any questions he has, be supportive of his choices and love him for who he is; whoever that turns out to be. Beyond that I think you're already doing perfectly."

Kendal looked at her sister's supportive smile and then felt embarrassed.

"I'm sorry." she said eventually.

Now Bianca looked confused.

"Why are you sorry?"

Kendal waved her hands vaguely as if to dismiss what had happened.

"…Coming in here with a big gay panic, as if you're the expert."

Bianca grabbed her sister firmly by the shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"Hey, it's fine. Even gays have a big gay panic at the beginning. The trick is how you deal with what comes next."

Kendal sighed and smiled at her sister.

"God, what would I do without you?"

"Panic more; laugh less." Bianca replied, and Kendal did indeed laugh at the bad joke. "I love you." Bianca added pulling her sister into a hug. "Try not to worry. You'll do great whatever happens next!"

"And if he is gay?"

"If he is gay…?" echoed Bianca, waiting for her sister work through it on her own.

"If he is gay, he'll still be my perfect little boy…" said Kendal, almost relieved to have answered her own question.

"Yes he will." said Bianca.

Kendal looked at her sister and gave her another fierce hug.

"I love you. You know that right?"

"I love you too."

…