In the middle of Des Plaines Illinois three boys find themselves in a tangled knot of angsty lust and amateur love.
Evan Webster has an average American life. When he isn't at swim practice or the movie theater, he's trying to make time to study bi...
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The door of the northern stairwell swung open and Jackson emerged. He was wearing a hand-me-down hunting jacket, rubbing his hands together to keep warm.
"Fuck," the redhead said, dropping his backpack. "It's like walking into Ms. Hodge's soul."
Danny was standing on the school's fire escape, leaning against the metal railing. The pinching cold had pierced through his jeans and left his skin feeling numb. To keep warm, he had lit a cigarette – which Jackson grabbed out of his hand without invitation. He took a long drag, trying to breath heat back into his wintered lungs.
Once all the smoke had billowed away, Jackson leaned forward to give Danny a kiss. He swerved, making Jackson hand over the cigarette.
He let out a breath. "Is it Webby Boy?"
Danny drew another breath of smoke and nicotine. "We worked things out."
"Is that code for 'he apologized and I was a pussy enough to forgive him?'" Jackson wondered.
"Not exactly," Danny threw the cigarette dud over the rail.
"Damn," Jackson laughed, shaking his head. "How'd you fall so hard for Evan Webster?"
A flashback to spring blinked into Danny's mind – a smashed fender, the blue light of a vending machine, and one single dollar.
"He gave me a really good tip once," Danny explained.
Jackson looked surprised. "How much was the tip?"
"A dollar."
Jackson paused. "Evan got a Rocky-Balboa-Wannabe for a dollar?" Jackson questioned. "He got fucking scammed. I almost feel bad for him."
Danny wasn't offended that Jackson was implying he was cheap. "Is this you lashing out after a break up?"
"Is this you pretending to care?" Jackson countered.
"Jackson – "
"I'm just giving you shit," he slapped his arm. "I didn't expect us to run into the sunset together."
"I didn't tell him," Danny offered. "About you."
"You mean, about us?" Jackson questioned.
Danny hesitated. "Yeah."
"I didn't think you would," the redhead shrugged. "And you should keep it to yourself. I don't need Webster knowing any personal shit about me."
Danny nodded, but something felt odd about his words. Almost as if Jackson was disappointed that Evan wouldn't know they had fooled around.
"Lab partners?" Jackson held out his hands.
"And occasional smoke partners?"
"Fuck it," Jackson clasped their hands together and shook. "Sure."
Danny didn't release his hold immediately.
"Spanish tutor?" Jackson asked, matching his squeeze.
