"You said you see them everyday,"

Pelham didn't mean to bring it up, but he couldn't help it. The rest of the day after the little incident with Lucio went all right. The "tyrants" - as Roshon had called them - known by the whole school, had apparently sneaked into their camping site without authorisation, be it from the school's administrators or the forest rangers. Pelham hadn't seen them mess with the other students for a long while. Either that, or the fact that he had always kept out of their way made him completely heedless of the things that they did around school.

That was him, anyway. He had never much fancied getting involved in any drama, nor had he ever interacted with students that he wasn't familiar with, unless it was something relevant; homework, for instance. "Blend in, but don't get blended yourself; be like those posters around the hallway, where nobody gives a hoot about you," his father had once told him before the start of his secondary level. It had been relatively worthwhile, even now.

Mainly because he had always preferred being far from the rest of the students when it came to school, and spent most of his time with the people he trusted so far; those being April and Roshon. Now, he was beginning to pay heed to the whole reality of school - not to mention curious. He had undeniably missed some chaotic events caused by them every lunch hour.

It seemed that Lucio Alves was one of the many victims. Odd, Pelham thought to himself, how he had missed all of them. Where had he been, exactly? He had attended that school for nearly six years, yet he was completely oblivious to his milieu. Even if it was just right above him; in the case of the river activity earlier on.

"Lucio," Pelham pressed on when Lucio kept himself occupied by digging his hand into his bag. Pelham was well aware that he was trying to deflect himself from that question; he had been rummaging through his bag for longer than a normal person who was searching for a toothbrush would.

"It's nothing out of the ordinary, really," Lucio - who had seemed to resolve that he was never going to escape from Pelham's persistent question - eventually said, finally retrieving his toothbrush and a small towel. "Besides, you look like you already have a good idea what 'seeing them everyday' means, don't you?"

Pelham pressed his lips together. "They're after you everyday," he stated.

"Not everyday," said Lucio. "It's none of your business either."

"Why is that?"

*

Lucio couldn't seem to answer that simple question. But of course it was none of Pelham's business. Nor was it Roshon's, if he were as enquiring as Pelham. Thankfully for Lucio, Roshon didn't appear to be as prying as Pelham was. After all, they were just roommates - at least, that was what Lucio thought. They might as well ignore each other once they came back to school, despite Lucio's increasing hope that they will still talk. He wasn't exactly certain as to why he liked having those two as company. He had a few people - girls, mostly - who wanted to spend their time with him. But he reckoned he was more of the lone-ranger kind of boy.

He wouldn't ask neither Pelham nor Roshon, though. That might as well make him sound desperate for a friend - or a best friend, in his personal case. It had become comparitively difficult for him to avert his gaze from Pelham.

Lucio pushed that thought away.

"Because it doesn't matter," he finally answered, causing Pelham to cock an eyebrow. "They never physically harm me. Not always."

"Is that so?" Pelham said. "What about mentally?"

"Look, why do you even bother asking?" Lucio gathered his clothes together, making to stand up as he addressed Pelham.

"Why do you think I ask?"

Because nobody ever has, Lucio thought to himself - more of a realisation than a resolute affirmation - wishing afterwards that he could say that aloud. But he had made some sort of a pledge to not express too many feelings to people he barely even knew. Experience did that to him.

Lucio was saved when the door was opened to reveal Roshon, who walked straight in and plopped down on the bed, where Lucio had laid down his folded clothes.

"Good news, lads," Roshon said. "Those gits are out."

"And the bad news?" Pelham raised an eyebrow.

"They'll be back in school," Roshon answered a matter-of-factly. "Less teachers there, right? No lessons for most of the day. Might as well return to find them in the middle of the Hunger Games."

Lucio couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

"Now, let's not talk about that," Roshon got up on his elbow. "Lu, you're not the only one who can't swim, all right? Imagine how worse it would've gotten if I had fallen down as well. Pel might as well let me drown."

Lucio laughed. Pelham, seeing Lucio like this, smiled. Suddenly he felt like he was back at having a best friend, the only difference being that there were two this time. In spite of that, from past occurrence, he didn't suppose they will last had they known about his sexual orientation. Not that they looked like they had anything against people like him. He was just being wary.

Bryce Tanner, the one who had hissed the word "fag" right in front of him and Pelham, had nearly exposed him. Though, Lucio couldn't tell whether Bryce meant it, for he always called his other bully victims that word. Nobody else in the school knew, of course, except for one of his close girl friends - Vanessa. Lucio had been doing a fairly exceptional job at hiding his sexuality. He didn't know if the school accepted people like him.

If only there is someone like me out there, he thought to himself. Someone as hidden, someone as scared ...

*

Lucio had suggested that they all play Twister later that night after dinner. This time, the three of them stayed inside, despite the fact that Roshon kept saying they were serving lasagne at the cafeteria. Not that Pelham and Lucio were forcing him to remain inside. As a matter of fact, Roshon stated that he was merely curious on how they had managed to have the whole dinner to themselves the previous night ("They didn't take our attendances, did they?" Roshon had wondered aloud). Though, Pelham knew it was only because Roshon didn't want to go alone.

Pelham had hardly ever played Twister. The last time he played it was when he was twelve years old, playing with his cousins who were then fourteen and above - fairly old to him. He was the first one to lose back then, mainly because he was the shortest and the most petite - having had short limbs was a huge snag when it came to Twister. Now that he was exceptionally taller - standing at six-feet-one, it was easier for him to reach all four colours in all of the twenty-four circles.

"Left foot to the red circle!" said Roshon, who was in charge with the spinning board after giving up at his fifth attempt; he wasn't flexible enough.

Pelham stretched out his left leg and touched an empty red circle with his heel. Lucio, being shorter, groaned at the effort. In the end, Pelham came face-to-face with Lucio, whose cheeks had gone a shade of scarlet. Lucio's side of body was rested on Pelham's arm that was steadying him.

"Well this is comfortable," Pelham said.

"Hurry up, Roshon!" Lucio cried out, his arms were trembling in a fairly overt way.

"Right hand to yellow!"

Both of them groaned, seeing as they were completely facing the other way. They had to twist their bodies halfway around to reach the empty yellow circles. Pelham ended up nearly pinning Lucio against he mat. Roshon laughed at this sight.

"You're killing he poor kid, Pel," Roshon laughed, clearly enjoying the view.

"I'll survive," Lucio croacked under the weight.

It was slightly odd for Pelham, however, to be in such position even if it was just for an entertaining game - not to mention how strained his muscles were starting to get. It wasn't that he fancied Lucio, despite the fact of how dashing the boy was - what with his exceptionally pink lips. Pelham felt that it was simply wrong to feel like that to someone else, seeing as he already had a girlfriend. But then again, hadn't he had mild crushes towards other boys before? Mild ones, he reminded himself. Not serious ones. He was certain that he'd had a small crush towards Gary during the previous year, but that one had faded.

The thing was that he had never checked anyone out - he wasn't that type. Though, here - right now - he couldn't help but feel-

Feel good.

He gritted his teeth at the thought, almost as if he was abashed with himself. He couldn't fancy Lucio like that. He couldn't fancy anyone for the matter. Pelham might be a boy who took interest in boys - and he very well knew that - but he simply couldn't. Shouldn't, he thought. Not that April would know if he did find interest in someone else, but that would meant that he was also cheating on himself.

Why is life so hard?

And his father had taught him on how to be a gentleman. A proper one at that. Don't break a girl's heart, he'd said once. A girl's heart is precious and she can be a keeper.

So after half of an hour of being entangled with Lucio on the Twister mat, after so many twistings and bawdy gay-related jokes, Pelham called it a night.

"You're no fun tonight," Roshon remarked as they arranged and cleaned the room.

"I'm damn exhausted,"

Truth was, he did not want to end up in such positions while playing with Lucio. There was something there ...

Forget it.

Lucio looked worn out by the time he and Pelham entered the bedroom. But he had a broad grin plastered across his face, almost as though he hadn't been pushed into the river earlier on. The matter with the bullies still intrigued Pelham, however. They were friends now, weren't they? Are we? He asked himself. Still, shouldn't he at least help the boy out?

Too soon, he told himself, watching Lucio climb onto the bed. I'm going to find out eventually.

"At least you won tonight," Lucio grinned up at Pelham, getting comfortable on his pillow.

"Yeah, well, I'm the master of Twister,"

"And I'm the wizard of Oz,"

Pelham rolled his eyes. He switched off the lights, and soon both of them settled besides each other on the bed, facing the ceiling. Them and the clock. The clock and them. Their serene breaths became even as they became the loudest noise in the room. The ceiling clock faced them back, its glowing second-hand moving swiftly across the face like a firefly. Neither of the two boys had gone to sleep yet, even though Pelham was aware of how jaded he was. Lucio's presence beside him seemed to be more tangible.

"Lucio," he whispered in the dark, knowing that Lucio was still awake, staring mesmerisingly up at the clock.

"Yeah?" his soft voice replied..

"Are you all right?"

It took a few seconds for Lucio to reply; "I'm spectacular."

"You're not being sarcastic, I hope?"

"I'm okay, Pelham," he said in a reassuring tone. "Why wouldn't I be? Is it because of those guys? If that's the case, let me just say that I've dealt with worse situations before."

There was a pause in Lucio's tone even though he was finished with his sentences, almost as though he had forgotten not to mention something else. Now it was just hanging in the air between them, palpable. Pelham didn't know what to say. He knew there was something in him, like a silent tug in his heart, but he couldn't quite catch on. There was something, he knew for certain, that made him feel like-

He didn't know whether it made sense-

But he felt like protecting Lucio. Was it pity? Was it sympathy?

It was neither. He was certain of it.

"Don't worry about me," Lucio's tone was softer, more reassuring than earlier, like a mother telling her children that the burden she was carrying was part of being an irresponsible, self-developing parent.

"Okay," was all Pelham could say.

He thought that maybe they could have a small, more relaxed chat before they went to sleep, but Pelham was too exhausted that he fell into a deep slumber afterwards.