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Description
CHAPTER 1
   "Jayven? Jayven! Will you get down here? Someone's here to see you!"
   The voice seemed so far away. I wanted to ignore it, and was entirely planning on doing so and going back to sleep when I was poked quite solidly in the stomach.
   "Ow!" I cried. "Wha' wazzat?"
   "Get UP, man. You mum won't stop yelling till you do and I want to sleep." The voice sounded tired too, and I was confused, until I remembered James had come over for a late night gaming session and crashed on my floor.
   "Wha' timeizzit?" I mumbled sleepily, rolling over.
   "It's like four pm, oh great lazy one," James said sarcastically. "Get up, some chick's here to see you."
   I rolled over. James was at the window, staring down at where I knew the front door to be. He jumped back suddenly and promptly fell over the beanbag chair he had been sleeping on. I started laughing.
   "Hey man shut up, she almost saw me," he said sheepishly, rubbing his spine.
   "Kay, well I'm gonna go see what she wants. I'll be back in a minute." I leaned down and brushed my lips over his forehead and he smiled, closing his eyes.
I wandered down the stairs, ruffling my hair, dreading what was waiting for me at the bottom.
   A while ago some doofus I go to school with told a bunch of girls who apparently find me attractive [God only knows why] that I would date them if they just came to my house and asked. This was, of course, a lie, but it didn't stop them from coming in droves. I could only assume this was another one come to call.
   I opened the door. "Hello?" I said tentatively, since the girl seemed to be lost in thought, watching a bird. "Um. Hello?" I said a bit louder.
   "Oh! Hello! Sorry, I was watching the bird there and I didn't…" she trailed off, looking me up and down. I shifted uncomfortably.
   "Are… Are you wearing boxers?" she laughed.
   I looked down. "Well yes, I suppose I am… Um, you wanted speak with me?"
   "Oh right, yeah. I saw you, the other day, when I was walking home from school? I take the bus you know, but my bus pass ran out the other day and I never renewed it so I had to walk, but it's alright cos this city's so pretty, in an urban sort of way—" She stopped suddenly, going pink. "Sorry, I talk a lot when I'm nervous. Anyway, I saw you, in the window up there, and you were putting up a We The Kings poster? And I like love them you know? And no one around here seems to have heard of them, right? So I decided I'm come talk to you…" She seemed like the kind of girl to finish all her sentences with question marks.
   "Oh, are you new here?" I asked, trying to hide my surprise. This was a girl who actually wanted to, like, talk to me. How strange. In a nice way though.
   "Yeah, I moved here just a couple weeks ago, and I still don't really know anyone. My parents say I'll meet plenty of people soon enough, since I'm so outgoing. What school are you going to?"
   "Um, Lord Bing? It's by an elementary school, I think…"
   She squealed. "That's where I'm going too! This is so exciting! I'll finally have news when I call my Mum later!"
   "Call… you mum? You mean you don't live with your parents?"
   "Oh no, we couldn't all afford to move here. It's fine though, I want to go to art school, and there really isn't one in Meadow Lake, so I came here." She grinned quite happily.
   "Um, do you wanna go to Starbucks? I can buy you a coffee, maybe show you around the neighbourhood a bit? You'll have to let me get dressed first though," I added sheepishly. I can't believe I answered the door without pants on. I mentally smacked myself.
   She giggled. "Okay. Man, today is just a news filled day, isn't it? First I meet a new guy, and now he's taking me on a date!" She smiled.
   I stared back awkwardly, not sure how to tell her.
   "Oh, should I not call this a date? We did just meet, you don't really know me, you probably think I'm annoying…" She trailed off, looking apologetic.
   "No no, it's not that, not that at all, I think you're great, it's just… you're kind of not my type," I replied quickly
   "Oh, do you go more for the quiet type? I can be more quiet…"
   I shifted uncomfortably again. "No no, it's more that you're… you know… a girl." I finished awkwardly. Wow, did I really just say that?
   "Oh! Are you gay then? That's a dumb question, of course you're gay if you don't date girls… Do you have a boyfriend?"
   "Uh yeah… His name's James, he's uh, upstairs… Um, do you wanna come in? It's cold out here, you can wait on the couch while I get dressed.."
   "If I come in do I get to meet James?" She asked excitedly. I'd never met anyone who seemed so… happy that I was gay.
   "Uh, I guess. As long as he's not asleep…" I opened the door wider and she stepped inside.
   "Mum, this is… Uh. What's your name?"
   "Oh right, I forgot about names. I'm Billie, what's your name?"
   "Uh, Jayven. I'll be right back. Mum, take care of Billie while I get dressed."
I raced up the stairs to the sound of Billie and my mother making acquaintanceship.
   "James James James!" I called, as I rushed up the stairs, quite happily to be honest.
   "Wha'?"
   "The girl you saw, she's new and stuff, and she just moved and I'm gonna take to Starbucks-you should definitely come-and she didn't even know who I am, she just saw me putting up a poster yesterday, -and she was like excited that I'm gay- and she's really talky and laughy and just there, and it's great and… she wants to meet you," I finished, out of breath from excitement.
   "Slow down, Jay. What-where are we going? What's happening? Explain again please, but slowly this time. Remember, enunciate."
   I giggled. "Okay, Billie—that's the girl you saw before—is new here, so she doesn't even know who I am, she just saw me putting up a poster of We The Kings and she likes them too, and so I asked her if she wanted to go to Starbucks with me—"
   "Um, excuse me," James motioned at himself. "I believe you are tied down at the moment."
   "—Just wait, I'm getting there, and she said yes, and then she said it was a date and I kind of just blurted out that I couldn't date her cos she's, you know, a her, not a him, and she was like, excited. Also she seems like a great person too. So. That's what happened." I finished.
   "Well it's good to know she knows you're all mine," he reached up and pulled me into his lap. "You should probably put some pants on though, if we're going to Starbucks," he said, smirking.
   "Yeah, maybe I should. They can't handle me in all my pantsless glory!" I crowed. I rolled off him onto the floor, laughing. "Hmm. Where are my black jeans?" I spun in a circle.
   "Ja-ames my pants don't belong on your head!" I pulled them off and mussed up his hair. I hobbled over to the dresser as I pulled them on. Grabbed a random black tee shirt from a drawer, thought for a second, then grabbed a shirt for James too.
   "Here you go, since I don't remember you bringing extra clothes last night," I threw the shirt onto his head, and he sat for a second then shook it off and pulled it on, messing up his already messy blonde and brown hair.
   "Hey I need pants too!" he cried, and tackled me to the floor.
   "Here, you can have some of my pants" I said, tossing him a pair of dark gray skinny jeans. "These'll probably fit you."
   "Uh, these are like, mine," he held the jeans close to his face, examining the tag as though it was some foreign object.
   "Oh, well then you can wear your own pants!" I replied, grinning. "Come on, before my mum starts showing Billie embarrassing photos." I grabbed my shoes from under the bed, stuffed my wallet into my jeans pocket, and slung my coat over my arm.
   James followed me down the stairs; he footsteps seemed wary, and he kept one finger in    my belt loop, as was his habit when he felt nervous or awkward.
   "Billie? This is James—" I gestured behind me to where he was standing "—he's shy though, so you have to promise not to bite him."
   Billie giggled, then solemnly held up her right hand and proclaimed  "I promise that I will not bite you. Do I get to see your face now?" she smiled encouragingly.
   James edged his way around me, his finger still in my belt loop and one of the fingers of his other hand on his lips. He glanced quickly at Billie, then moved his gaze away, to a picture on the wall of the living room.
   "H..hi," he stuttered, his voice cracking, then quickly fell silent.
   Billie seemed to understand that he really was extremely shy and quickly stood. "I like your hair James," she said to him smiling. "Shall we go then?"
   "Oh yes, is it okay if James comes?" I asked sheepishly.
   "Of course it's okay if you come James!" she was enthusiastic, but I could tell she was holding herself back from mauling him with a hug or something.
   James smiled somewhat sheepishly and shuffled his feet. I shrugged on my thick black coat, then turned to help James into his own.
   We left the house and trudged to the bus stop in the rain, James clinging to my arm the whole time.

   After we had ordered our coffees I pulled of my coat and settled myself into a stuffed chair at the back of the shop. I patted the spot beside me and James snuggled in beside me.
   We talked for over hours, until after it had gotten dark. We discussed everything; music, movies, moving. By the time we were on the bus back home it felt like we'd been friends for years.

   Later that night, I lay on my bed, James beside me.
   "I like her," he said warmly, wrapping his arms around me.
   "That's good," I replied, smiling. Shy as he was, James had managed to warm up to Billie pretty soon in the conversation, and even made a few contributions of his own.
   "Just one more week till we go back to school," he murmured into my ear, softly kissing my cheek.
   My stomach turned. There's no reason to be scared, I told myself. They can't hurt us. They won't hurt us. Soon enough, me and James would be the only "out" gay couple at school. He seemed happy about it, which was surprising to me. I would have thought he would be the one resisting putting himself in the spotlight, but this time it was me.

Description
CHAPTER 1
   "Jayven? Jayven! Will you get down here? Someone's here to see you!"
   The voice seemed so far away. I wanted to ignore it, and was entirely planning on doing so and going back to sleep when I was poked quite solidly in the stomach.
   "Ow!" I cried. "Wha' wazzat?"
   "Get UP, man. You mum won't stop yelling till you do and I want to sleep." The voice sounded tired too, and I was confused, until I remembered James had come over for a late night gaming session and crashed on my floor.
   "Wha' timeizzit?" I mumbled sleepily, rolling over.
   "It's like four pm, oh great lazy one," James said sarcastically. "Get up, some chick's here to see you."
   I rolled over. James was at the window, staring down at where I knew the front door to be. He jumped back suddenly and promptly fell over the beanbag chair he had been sleeping on. I started laughing.
   "Hey man shut up, she almost saw me," he said sheepishly, rubbing his spine.
   "Kay, well I'm gonna go see what she wants. I'll be back in a minute." I leaned down and brushed my lips over his forehead and he smiled, closing his eyes.
I wandered down the stairs, ruffling my hair, dreading what was waiting for me at the bottom.
   A while ago some doofus I go to school with told a bunch of girls who apparently find me attractive [God only knows why] that I would date them if they just came to my house and asked. This was, of course, a lie, but it didn't stop them from coming in droves. I could only assume this was another one come to call.
   I opened the door. "Hello?" I said tentatively, since the girl seemed to be lost in thought, watching a bird. "Um. Hello?" I said a bit louder.
   "Oh! Hello! Sorry, I was watching the bird there and I didn't…" she trailed off, looking me up and down. I shifted uncomfortably.
   "Are… Are you wearing boxers?" she laughed.
   I looked down. "Well yes, I suppose I am… Um, you wanted speak with me?"
   "Oh right, yeah. I saw you, the other day, when I was walking home from school? I take the bus you know, but my bus pass ran out the other day and I never renewed it so I had to walk, but it's alright cos this city's so pretty, in an urban sort of way—" She stopped suddenly, going pink. "Sorry, I talk a lot when I'm nervous. Anyway, I saw you, in the window up there, and you were putting up a We The Kings poster? And I like love them you know? And no one around here seems to have heard of them, right? So I decided I'm come talk to you…" She seemed like the kind of girl to finish all her sentences with question marks.
   "Oh, are you new here?" I asked, trying to hide my surprise. This was a girl who actually wanted to, like, talk to me. How strange. In a nice way though.
   "Yeah, I moved here just a couple weeks ago, and I still don't really know anyone. My parents say I'll meet plenty of people soon enough, since I'm so outgoing. What school are you going to?"
   "Um, Lord Bing? It's by an elementary school, I think…"
   She squealed. "That's where I'm going too! This is so exciting! I'll finally have news when I call my Mum later!"
   "Call… you mum? You mean you don't live with your parents?"
   "Oh no, we couldn't all afford to move here. It's fine though, I want to go to art school, and there really isn't one in Meadow Lake, so I came here." She grinned quite happily.
   "Um, do you wanna go to Starbucks? I can buy you a coffee, maybe show you around the neighbourhood a bit? You'll have to let me get dressed first though," I added sheepishly. I can't believe I answered the door without pants on. I mentally smacked myself.
   She giggled. "Okay. Man, today is just a news filled day, isn't it? First I meet a new guy, and now he's taking me on a date!" She smiled.
   I stared back awkwardly, not sure how to tell her.
   "Oh, should I not call this a date? We did just meet, you don't really know me, you probably think I'm annoying…" She trailed off, looking apologetic.
   "No no, it's not that, not that at all, I think you're great, it's just… you're kind of not my type," I replied quickly
   "Oh, do you go more for the quiet type? I can be more quiet…"
   I shifted uncomfortably again. "No no, it's more that you're… you know… a girl." I finished awkwardly. Wow, did I really just say that?
   "Oh! Are you gay then? That's a dumb question, of course you're gay if you don't date girls… Do you have a boyfriend?"
   "Uh yeah… His name's James, he's uh, upstairs… Um, do you wanna come in? It's cold out here, you can wait on the couch while I get dressed.."
   "If I come in do I get to meet James?" She asked excitedly. I'd never met anyone who seemed so… happy that I was gay.
   "Uh, I guess. As long as he's not asleep…" I opened the door wider and she stepped inside.
   "Mum, this is… Uh. What's your name?"
   "Oh right, I forgot about names. I'm Billie, what's your name?"
   "Uh, Jayven. I'll be right back. Mum, take care of Billie while I get dressed."
I raced up the stairs to the sound of Billie and my mother making acquaintanceship.
   "James James James!" I called, as I rushed up the stairs, quite happily to be honest.
   "Wha'?"
   "The girl you saw, she's new and stuff, and she just moved and I'm gonna take to Starbucks-you should definitely come-and she didn't even know who I am, she just saw me putting up a poster yesterday, -and she was like excited that I'm gay- and she's really talky and laughy and just there, and it's great and… she wants to meet you," I finished, out of breath from excitement.
   "Slow down, Jay. What-where are we going? What's happening? Explain again please, but slowly this time. Remember, enunciate."
   I giggled. "Okay, Billie—that's the girl you saw before—is new here, so she doesn't even know who I am, she just saw me putting up a poster of We The Kings and she likes them too, and so I asked her if she wanted to go to Starbucks with me—"
   "Um, excuse me," James motioned at himself. "I believe you are tied down at the moment."
   "—Just wait, I'm getting there, and she said yes, and then she said it was a date and I kind of just blurted out that I couldn't date her cos she's, you know, a her, not a him, and she was like, excited. Also she seems like a great person too. So. That's what happened." I finished.
   "Well it's good to know she knows you're all mine," he reached up and pulled me into his lap. "You should probably put some pants on though, if we're going to Starbucks," he said, smirking.
   "Yeah, maybe I should. They can't handle me in all my pantsless glory!" I crowed. I rolled off him onto the floor, laughing. "Hmm. Where are my black jeans?" I spun in a circle.
   "Ja-ames my pants don't belong on your head!" I pulled them off and mussed up his hair. I hobbled over to the dresser as I pulled them on. Grabbed a random black tee shirt from a drawer, thought for a second, then grabbed a shirt for James too.
   "Here you go, since I don't remember you bringing extra clothes last night," I threw the shirt onto his head, and he sat for a second then shook it off and pulled it on, messing up his already messy blonde and brown hair.
   "Hey I need pants too!" he cried, and tackled me to the floor.
   "Here, you can have some of my pants" I said, tossing him a pair of dark gray skinny jeans. "These'll probably fit you."
   "Uh, these are like, mine," he held the jeans close to his face, examining the tag as though it was some foreign object.
   "Oh, well then you can wear your own pants!" I replied, grinning. "Come on, before my mum starts showing Billie embarrassing photos." I grabbed my shoes from under the bed, stuffed my wallet into my jeans pocket, and slung my coat over my arm.
   James followed me down the stairs; he footsteps seemed wary, and he kept one finger in    my belt loop, as was his habit when he felt nervous or awkward.
   "Billie? This is James—" I gestured behind me to where he was standing "—he's shy though, so you have to promise not to bite him."
   Billie giggled, then solemnly held up her right hand and proclaimed  "I promise that I will not bite you. Do I get to see your face now?" she smiled encouragingly.
   James edged his way around me, his finger still in my belt loop and one of the fingers of his other hand on his lips. He glanced quickly at Billie, then moved his gaze away, to a picture on the wall of the living room.
   "H..hi," he stuttered, his voice cracking, then quickly fell silent.
   Billie seemed to understand that he really was extremely shy and quickly stood. "I like your hair James," she said to him smiling. "Shall we go then?"
   "Oh yes, is it okay if James comes?" I asked sheepishly.
   "Of course it's okay if you come James!" she was enthusiastic, but I could tell she was holding herself back from mauling him with a hug or something.
   James smiled somewhat sheepishly and shuffled his feet. I shrugged on my thick black coat, then turned to help James into his own.
   We left the house and trudged to the bus stop in the rain, James clinging to my arm the whole time.

   After we had ordered our coffees I pulled of my coat and settled myself into a stuffed chair at the back of the shop. I patted the spot beside me and James snuggled in beside me.
   We talked for over hours, until after it had gotten dark. We discussed everything; music, movies, moving. By the time we were on the bus back home it felt like we'd been friends for years.

   Later that night, I lay on my bed, James beside me.
   "I like her," he said warmly, wrapping his arms around me.
   "That's good," I replied, smiling. Shy as he was, James had managed to warm up to Billie pretty soon in the conversation, and even made a few contributions of his own.
   "Just one more week till we go back to school," he murmured into my ear, softly kissing my cheek.
   My stomach turned. There's no reason to be scared, I told myself. They can't hurt us. They won't hurt us. Soon enough, me and James would be the only "out" gay couple at school. He seemed happy about it, which was surprising to me. I would have thought he would be the one resisting putting himself in the spotlight, but this time it was me.