Page 13 of The Locker Room

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stupid,” he muttered, his voice clogged, and Xander looked around

frantically.

“What?” he asked, distracted. Damn, Chris and his happy family. If

he"d ever had to hide anything about himself at all, he"d know better than

to fall apart on a street corner where anyone might see.

“I said you weren"t stupid!” Chris all but yelled, and Xander would

have smacked his hand against his forehead, but his whole face still hurt.

“Well, we"re being stupid right now!” he hissed, and Chris, being

open, easy, trusting Chris snapped back, “Well someone needs to stand

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Amy Lane

up for you!” And Xander saw some more students coming up the walk,

far enough away not to see them, but coming their way.

Dammit! Heknewthey couldn"t see him, but that didn"t stop him

from turning around and grabbing Chris"s hand, hauling him up around

the hedge and dragging him to the little hollow between house and hedge

and the gate to some poor slob"s backyard. They were probably

trespassing, but Xander didn"t give a shit. They were hidden from view,

behind a bus stop bench and behind a hedge. They were safe.

They stood there for a moment, panting, glaring at each other,

while Chris wiped his pretty face with his sleeve and tried to pull himself

together.

“You don"t deserve this,” he said after a moment. He was looking

at the ground, and perversely, Xander missed that moment when they

were glaring at each other.

“It"s not about deserving it,” Xander told him fatalistically. “It"s

about getting it. My mom"s a drug whore, Christian. I don"t know what

else to tell you. My apartment"s a pit. I have to sleep under the stairs by

the dryer if I want some goddamned peace. My best meals are at school

and—” His voice caught, because he couldn"t be defiant and defensive

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