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after the disk. Jared shrugged.
    "Never said I was good," he yelled back. Alex fell into step beside Jared. Their shoulders brushed and Alex tensed but Jared didn't move away. The Frisbee sailed back at them, and Jared let Alex chase it. He wondered what Clark meant by his little comment about Alex. He hadn't sensed any hesitation in Alex over his sexual identity. Jared thought the boy had more confidence than Jared had at that age. Jared was thankful for the supportive parents who'd seen him through crisis after crisis as he tried to figure out who he was. He didn't think Alex was struggling that way, but maybe he was wrong. They had almost closed the distance to Clark; Jared snagged the Frisbee out of the air, and sent it flying. Clark took off after it, throwing a glance back at Jared that said he knew what was up; his full out run slowing to a trot and then a walk.
    Jared led Alex to a nearby bench. The same one Clark and Alex sat on the morning he accidently eavesdropped on them. Jared put a hand in his pocket, separating the smooth stone from his change and rubbing it. He didn't want to disappoint Alex. Somehow, he let the boy set him on a pedestal so high he had trouble keeping his balance.
    "Want to talk about it?" he asked. Alex leaned forward, staring at the ground. He gave a half shrug.
    "Not really, stupid dreams about Clark. And…" Alex shifted uncomfortably and Jared waited patiently beside him. Clark ran up with the Frisbee, dropping it at Jared's feet.
    "I'm gonna get some duck food, I'll be back," Clark announced to the air in general and disappeared. Jared shook his head; for an oblivious buffoon, Clark could pick up on a clue when he felt like it.
    "He's a good friend," Alex muttered, staring after Clark, watching him run towards the vendor's cart where a guy sold everything from peanuts to duck chow.
    "He is, so why don't you take this chance to tell me what else you've been dreaming about," Jared encouraged. Alex sank back onto the bench with a sigh.
    "Girls," he confessed. "I keep dreaming about Clark and girls. I'm afraid to go to sleep. Clark's bad enough, but girls? That part happens when I'm awake too. It's just, I don't get it. Maybe I'm not gay."
    Jared ran a hand through his hair. It was the stereotypical pitfall of boys, both gay and straight. See a guy, get turned on, and it's "Oh my God, I'm gay." See a girl, get turned on, and it's "Oh my God, I'm straight."
    "It's not that easy, you know," Jared said, settling back on the bench, "You can't really determine your sexuality by who you have sex with."
    Alex looked at him, mouth opening in protest.
    Jared held up a hand, forestalling what he was going to say. "Yeah, yeah, or who you think you want to do it with. Truth is, if a guy lets his little head take charge, he'll screw anything, especially when he's fifteen."
    Alex rubbed his palms along his thighs. "I don't get it, I thought guy on guy sex was being gay," he said.
    Jared thought for a minute. "Ok, take those idiots online, posting videos. Not that you've ever seen them, being so innocent and all. But there are guys screwing watermelons, to name a tame item. So what does that say about their sexual orientation?"
    "That they are some kinda losers," Clark dropped beside Jared on the bench, edging him closer to Alex. Clark sprawled beside them, digging into his bag of duck chow. "I told him he's still gay, but he's confused. Don't know why. The only person he really wants to fuck is…"
    Alex leaned past Jared and punched Clark hard in the leg.
    "How many times do I have to tell you to shut it?" Alex flopped back against the bench, and Clark shut it, tossing a handful of feed to the ducks.
    "Well, Clark's right, they probably are losers, but useful at the moment because they prove my point. Little head is so eager to do his thing that he messes with big head. Guys do stupid stuff, like drill holes in watermelons, or screw the stuffing in a turkey." He had more to say, but Clark stared at him