PAUL

"Travis stop, I'm serious," I said, scolding him. He sighed, pulling away from me, and allowing me to sit up on the bed to continue reading my textbook.

"If this is about the other night, I'm sorry..."

"It's not, I really just need to read, okay?" I said, closing my book partially so I could look down at him. I found him frowning slightly as he buried his head on the pillow under his head. I could feel my face grow warm at the memory of last night.

Why did he have to bring it up? He couldn't just stay quiet, could he? I asked myself as I remembered the laughter from the other end of the door last night. It had sounded like Chris, but it'd had a cruel hint to it so maybe it had been Alex.

"Stop sulking." I sighed, making to run my fingers through his soft blond hair. Travis could be a child sometimes. I had a test coming up soon and I was trying to study, Travis made my attempt unfruitful though. He thought I was ignoring him—which I'm not.

"What time do Chris and Alex get back?" I heard him ask, making me turn my gaze to him. He was staring out into the room at nothing in particular as he adjusted his head on my lap. He's been coming here more often, straight from his practices instead of heading back to his school dorm.

"Alex will be back in an hour, Chris in three," I said, watching him nod in my lap.

"Three hours is enough."

"What?"

"You know..." He shrugged reaching out to tug at the waist of my jeans. I felt my face warm up in realization.

"No, I don't know," I blurted out, pushing him out of my lap with all my might before getting off the bed. I could hear him complaining, but my head was pounding, and my face was warm with embarrassment so I couldn't really make out what he was saying.

"Ouch," he complained. I turned to watch him sit upright on my bed, rubbing the side of his arm I had dug my fingernails into before pushing him away. "What was that for?"

"I'm sorry," I muttered, realizing how quick to act I'd been. Travis acted like a horny dog all the time, why was it bothering me now?

I watched as Travis shook his head, before looking up at me. "It's okay," He said, looking away. "But what's bothering you really? You've been acting strange, and I'm starting to think it's not because of yesterday.

I opened my mouth then closed it when I realized that I really didn't have anything to say. I wasn't sure why I was acting the way I was doing—maybe I did, maybe Chris' words from before hit some sort of nerve... I Don't know. At first, I'd tried to brush it aside like it'd meant nothing, but Chris was sort of right. Travis just acted most of the time, and I just sat down and took it. It felt a little embarrassing. Not the fact that I was hesitant to say no to Travis from time to time, but the fact that I was less sexually involved than he was.

"I'm sorry..." I trailed shaking my head. "I don't know what came over me."

Walking back to the bed, I sat at the edge of it, just a little bit away from Travis.

"If I make you uncomfortable sometimes just tell me. I'm sorry for being high maintenance. I just love you, and I'm terrible at showing it properly... I don't know," I heard Travis say. I sighed, turning to face him. He was still sitting down but was now covering his face with his hands as his blonde hair flopped about his hands.

"It's not that, It's not that at all," I said, taking his hands away. I watched as hi blue eyes looked into my brown ones, and I smiled a little, squeezing his hands in mine. "I was just a bit overwhelmed, okay?"

"Okay," he said with a nod. My smile widened, as I leaned forward to give him a kiss. The kiss turned to a series of pecks, and we took it a step up.

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"I was just making a suggestion..."

"Then don't make ridiculous ones," Alex said back to Chris as they continued to bicker by the counter. I was standing behind the door, wondering if it was okay for me to walk into the kitchen.

I wonder what they're talking about. I couldn't hear much, but I could watch from their body language that Alex looked very uncomfortable. Chris looked perplexed like he was trying to think of what to do in the situation.

"Alex, I understand where you're coming from and why it's making you uncomfortable, but that's the only thing I can think of. My sister's coming to town, and it wouldn't hurt if she stayed here for a bit," he said, moving to stand beside Alex who as rinsing an apple by the sink.

"I know you don't like her, and she doesn't know boundaries, but please..." Chris said, bending a bit so that he could look at Alex. I couldn't see their faces, but Alex's shoulders slacked as if he gave up on the argument.

"Thank you," Chris sighed, moving to place his hand on Alex's shoulder before turning him towards him. She won't be here for more than a week, and while she's here I'll make sure we're not in this place for most of the time, how does that sound?

Alex didn't say anything, he just nodded before Chris pulled him into a hug, his hand with the wet apple between them.

The scene looked odd to me, I wasn't used to seeing Alex like that. I leaned off the door, wondering if it was okay for me to walk in at that moment. I didn't have much time to think because a hand appeared from behind me to take the door handle before pushing the door open.

I frowned a bit, before looking behind me to find Travis yawning. "What's happening?" he asked, taking his hand away from hid eyes to look into the kitchen. Chris and Alex were still hugging and didn't seem to be bothered by us walking in. When they didn't answer Travis shrugged before walking into the kitchen and heading for the fridge.

"You act as if you live here," Chris said, raising his head from Alex's head, still hugging him.

"I sort of do now, to be honest. Well, for as long as Paul's here I'll be visiting." Travis shrugged, taking a can of soda from the fridge before shutting it.

"Great, now my sister's going to be here too, just great," Chris said, sarcasm thick in his tone as he rested his head on Alex's coarse brown hair again.

"Your sister?"

"She's coming here to meet up with a friend. She'll be here for a week when she gets here," Chris said, pulling away from Alex. Alex sighed, rubbing his eyes before leaving the scene and walking pass me by the door, leaving the room.

"So Alex's pissed?" Travis guessed, making Chris nod.

"Err, is she that bad?" Travis asked as I walked into the kitchen eventually.

"She's worse than me, and she doesn't like Alex much so..." Chris said, making Travis let out a whistle.

"Gotcha," Travis said with a nod, before opening the can of soda he had in his hands. I went about my business in the kitchen, but I couldn't help thinking of Chris' sister. If Alex didn't like her then I should be terrified.