"Follow the light with your eyes..." His eyes drifted back and forth at the ball of light shining at them, making him squint. His head was pounding underneath the cold compress the doctor had given him, and his eye stung like hell. He had trouble remembering how he ended up this way, and Hannah had to remind him a few times. Just another night gone wrong.

Malcolm was notified about an unconscious Angus on Hannah's kitchen floor and he drove them both over to the nearest hospital. They made it in fifteen minutes flat; it would have been ten had they not had to pull over to let Angus find a place to throw up. Once they arrived he was admitted under 'accident' and taken upstairs to an exam room. After a few x-rays and some eye tests, he was diagnosed with a concussion.

"This wasn't no accident," Angus mumbled. Malcolm opened his mouth to speak, then changed his mind. He watched with sad eyes as his brother went through so much pain. Had Malcolm been there, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad. Half of it would have been dealt to him, and neither one would be at a hospital at two in the morning. Their parents were gonna kill them.

"Not too much pressure, son. Don't want to press on any bone splinters," the doctor mentioned as Angus paled like he was going to throw up again. He alleviated his compress.

"Don't have to tell me twice."

"You doin' alright, Angus?" Malcolm called over by the curtain. With a small smile and a glance in his direction, Angus gave his brother a thumbs up, Malcolm laughing at how he covered his eye completely under the ice pack. Hannah was standing off to the side, wanting to laugh along at their silliness, but she couldn't even budge a smile. Her mind was elsewhere, a few hours before. When Angus was giggling like a maniac and swaying around before he passed out, he had said some things as well. Things he might not have wanted to say just yet.

Did he just accidentally confess to her his feelings? And if he did, had he meant it? Hannah was afraid of asking him, and afraid of replying to his concussed statement. She also wondered if he had heard what she said. Finally she gets enough courage to tell him the truth and...it didn't go as she planned. She really didn't want to have to repeat her fate.

Hannah yawned, suddenly aware of how early it was. Her attire consisting of a bathrobe and slippers would be at least embarrassing, had she not been too sleepy to care. A conversation was playing in the background but she couldn't hear it. Her eyes started to close for just a second-

"You gettin' tired, Hannah?" They opened wide, startled from the sudden question. Angus gave a half smile, waiting for an answer. If she didn't, he wouldn't mind, he liked simply looking at her. Malcolm watched her out of the corner of his eye, making sure she didn't fall away from the wall she was leaning on. There didn't need to be two concussions.

The girl blinked rapidly. "Yeah, yeah I am." Malcolm rubbed her shoulder.

"Should get you home soon." She nodded, closing her eyes again. Angus opened his mouth to say something when the doctor's arrival drew his attention away, returning from another x-ray.

"Mr. Young? If I could see you for a moment, please."

"Which one?" Angus smiled slyly. The doctor glanced at him.

"The injured one, if you please." The boy in mind stood from the bed and followed the doctor outside the curtained room to talk. He walked by Hannah who still kept her eyes closed.

"Be right back," he whispered ruffling her hair. A small nod was her reply. Walking by his older brother he earned a pat on the back.

"Good luck, man." Once Angus was out of the room Malcolm turned back to Hannah who had begun to slide down the side of the wall. "Whoopsie daisy, come on," he said stepping over and helping her stand. Her waist was embraced in his arms and he pulled her over to sit on the bed Angus had been using. The girl wasn't gonna hold still without any support so with a hop on the bed he sat next to her, her head resting against his shoulder. He looked down at the top of her head and smiled, wrapping his arm around her.

"I told him, Mal," she murmured into his shoulder. The boy raised an eyebrow at her words. "I don't think he heard me."

"Maybe it's 'cause you're mumblin'," he snorted much to his own amusement. Hannah reached over and pinched his arm, cutting his snickering short.  The boy shifted in his spot and cleared his throat of his mistake. "Kiddin'. He-ya' know, he probably heard you, maybe he just...forgot is all. Ya' know how he is with the head injury an' all..."

"I told him before he passed out. When he was acting like there was somethin' more than just punch in his drink..." Malcolm chuckled.

"Boy, that takes me back." He rubbed the back of his neck and returned his gaze at his friend. "Not my best day, huh?" No answer. "I'm sure he heard you Hannah, an' if he didn't...would you consider askin' him? When you got a chance?"

"I really don't want to bring that up again..."

"If you don't, he won't get a chance to...to...you know." Hannah sighed and moved her face to nuzzle against Malcolm's shoulder. He sighed in response and moved her hair behind her ear. Angus would not be happy upon hearing the news, he knew that for sure. But time was running out to tell him. And he was her best friend, potentially more by now, he had to know. Malcolm looked down at Hannah again. She really is a snuggle bug.

"Malcolm..."

The boy turned his head to his brother standing by the curtain. A look of inexplicable emotion crossed his features; slight frown, lips parted in question. The doctor behind him had stopped short of the curtain and continued to write down notes on his clipboard. Malcolm smiled at him, shaking Hannah awake. "Hey, Ang's here." Hannah lifted her head and blinked at him. She was released from Malcolm's hold and she made her departure out of the room.

"Hey, where're you goin'?" Angus asked before she could leave.

"I uh, need a drink of water, ya' know. Keep myself awake or somethin'." Angus nodded and let her pass, but not without reaching for her withdrawing hand, but a second too late as only his fingers brushed against hers. She seemed too tired to notice. He hesitantly looked at his brother sitting on the bed and took the spot next to him, but not as close as the recent resident.

"What'd the doctor say?" Angus shrugged.

"Gave me another pack, but a warm one. Supposed to use it after the cold one or somethin'."

"Gonna be okay then?"

"Should be. But it depends..." Malcolm frowned.

"On?"

"What'd I just walk in on?"

Water pooled on her lips as her sleeve wiped it away. Some had been cupped in her hands and brought to her face, bringing her to a more aware state. The shame in being in a bathrobe in public had dawned on her, but she wasn't fully affected as she remembered anything was better than a hospital gown that didn't close in the back. If Angus had to wear one, he'd never come to a hospital again.

The doctor was on his way down a hallway searching for one of his nurses when Hannah saw him. As best she could she tried to keep up, as she was searching for information about her injured friend. At last they reached a crowded square and the doctor was delayed in going any further than her sight. "Excuse me, I'm here with Angus-uh, Mr. Young?"

"Oh yes, the concussed young man. How can I help?" Hannah rubbed her wrist as she decided how to ask her question.

"Um, I was wonderin'...'cause, he was at my house when he passed out." The doctor nodded and she continued. "Before he did, he started actin' weird, and saying things-"

"Yes, a concussion can make a person act a little crazy," the doctor agreed. "Though they usually don't remember a word they said." Hannah opened her mouth, but stopped to let him continue. "I'm sure he said some things to you he didn't mean, am I right?"

"Uh, well..." The girl knew it was just an accident. He couldn't have those kinds of feelings for her, they were simply friends and nothing more. Still, she couldn't help the bowling ball in her heart from rolling down the wrong lane. Her words came out choked, and her eyes fell from sadness passed off as sleepiness. Perhaps a mixture. "Y-yeah, I'm sure that's what it was. Thank you."

"Hey, he's a nice dresser, he wear suits to bed?" Hannah smiled through her fog.

"We just got back from a school dance, he was on his way home when it happened."

"I see. Too bad his shirt got painted with different colors, looked expensive. He looks like the kinda guy my daughter would love." Hannah chuckled along with him as he went on his way, and she returning to her friends.

Jus' a man helpin' out a tired friend," Malcolm explained. Angus scoffed.

"A man? I don't see one around here..." He laughed as his brother messed up his hair in a playful dispute. His curls fell in his face again, and he pushed them aside returning his ice pack to his eye. The clock on the wall gave him an idea of what their punishment might be when they got home. A solid gold talking to, then a grounding enough to bury the dead. But that didn't matter to Angus, he was nervous about Hannah. Her mother was more rigid than a ruler, but even under tremendous pressure, she could break.

Malcolm wrapped his arm around his brother. "We need to get that girl home. She's fallin' asleep standin' up." He thought for a minute. "Sorry I hit you over the head with a shoe." Angus shrugged.

"Sorry I kicked you and made you break the lamp." He earned a laugh and a kiss on his head.

"It's okay, little brother."

"I feel bad. Like this is all my fault."

"It ain't your fault, it's Johnny's."

"Well, Johnny ain't about to get his ass kicked from her mum now, is he?" Hannah returned a bit more awake, but Angus still stood to hold her up. Malcolm led the way down the stairs to the main lobby, before Angus stopped. "Hey, Mal! Who's payin' for this visit? Mum and Dad'll kill us!"

"Don't worry Ang, I covered it."

"But-"

"I paid it off, it's good." Angus stopped walking and tightened his hold on Hannah so she wouldn't fall.

"Where'd you get the money?" He raised his eyebrow as Malcolm scratched his shoulder.

"You see Ang, I sort of got a job a while ago, you know, to pay for my guitar?" Angus nodded. "I kept it 'cause it pays well for the time being, an'-I'll tell you later Ang, we gotta go." His brother followed him with Hannah trudging at his side. The night air was chilly, giving Angus an excuse to wrap his arms around Hannah still tighter. Their car was parked by the emergency entrance just in case his condition had worsened.

"Why'd you pay it off, Mal? It was my bill, I should have been the one-"

"Nah, it's fine. I know you're still savin' up for that guitar in the window..." The boys shared a smile.

"Thanks, Mal." Malcolm opened the back door up for the pair while he filled up the driver's seat. Hannah was placed on the backseat and she instinctively lay on her side, taking up the row. Angus closed the door and sat next to his brother. "Mind if I sit up here with ya'?"

"She out?"

"Not yet, but best to let her rest. Prolly should stay up front anyway, 'm kind of dizzy." The car pulled out of the lot and started the drive to Hannah's house. About a block away from their destination, Angus turned around to check on his adored. She had curled up with her hands brought to her face like a kitten. If she wasn't asleep then, she sure was now. He smiled to himself. She really is too cute for her own good...

"Man, Dad's not gonna like the gas this low," Malcolm muttered observing his driving status. "Not really time now though. He won't appreciate the flower petals all over his car either. Angus? Are you listenin'?" With a look through the rearview mirror, he saw the same sight as his brother and gave the same reaction. "Ain't that sweet." His smile disappeared when he saw Angus holding his head. "Hey, you okay?"

"Stop here, Mal."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Jus' stop the car, Mal." The blood was rushing to Angus' head and his vision was decreasing. A wave of nausea hit him like a ten-ton truck, and whatever Malcolm was complaining about his father not liking, would be nothing compared to this. Malcolm looked out the window, not seeing any opportune area.

"There's not really any place to park, Ang, can you wait like a second, or-"

"Stop the fuckin' car, Mal!" Malcolm, in a blind panic swerved the car off the road into a field he was certain they didn't belong on. Even with Angus marking up his territory. The boy ripped the car door open and stumbled out into the grass. His knees met the blades and his hand grasped on to what he could to hold himself together. Second by second passed and grew worse as he finally couldn't hold it in any longer.

Everything came up. His chicken wings, his cornflakes, his nerves from dancing with Hannah, and whatever the hell he ate yesterday. His body wretched as he emptied himself on the grass, turning the green some other color. He was glad it was night and hard to see or he would have thrown up a second time. Malcolm stepped out of the car to keep an eye on him and any oncoming field owners that didn't like the gardening he was doing. Hannah hadn't woken up, and Angus was glad again that she didn't see him this way. After five minutes of heaving, he was finished.

Malcolm jogged up to him, stood him up and handed him a tissue. "Here, wipe your mouth." Angus did as he was told, and coughed up a bit, much to Malcolm's distaste. "Whoo, take a mint too." Angus took it slowly and slid it in his mouth. A hand patted his back and rubbed his arm. "Hey, you okay?" Angus' frame was shaking, but he nodded his head all the same.

"How's Hannah?"

"She's still asleep, come on. Let's get outta here."

The car pulled up to Hannah's house by the curb, the driveway still unoccupied by any other cars. Malcolm unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out. "Her mum's still not here."

"Wonder if Hannah knew that was gonna be the case." Angus opened the back door and took another look at the sleeping girl in the backseat. Her hair had covered her face and her hands were still balled up by her mouth. Moving her locks aside he brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. "Hannah, wake up." Looking up he saw Malcolm had turned the other direction and he seized his chance, giving Hannah a quick peck on her lips. Two eyes fluttered open, though slowly. "Hannah love, wake up."

A yawn emitted from her small mouth and she sat up. "What time is it? Where are we?"

"You're home, sweetheart," Angus answered. "The time is beyond me. Here, can you-stand up?" His arms pulled her out of the car and stood her up next to him, only to fall limp at his side. She held on to his waist and he dragged her to her front door. Malcolm came up and supported her other side.

"Need any help?"

"Pssh, I can do it." Hannah tripped and almost fell if Malcolm hadn't caught her.

"Yeah, I can see that." Angus frowned to himself. The boys opened her door and pulled her inside to her warm house. Malcolm closed the door behind them and let the girl go. "You take her up to her room, I'll keep lookout." Angus nodded and began his job. On his way up the stairs his head began to pound, each step thundering against his skull. If he threw up again, Hannah and her stairs would be the same color as the grass.

Finally he pushed her bedroom door open and dragged Hannah to her bed. He noticed his suit jacket was laying next to her pillow and he smiled. Slowly and softly he laid her on her bed and slipped the bathrobe off of her, reaching for a blanket to drape her with. Turning around he saw she already grabbed his suit jacket in her sleep and covered herself. He set the blanket down and knelt down to her level.

Her breaths were small yet deep. She had nuzzled herself in the fabric, having it covering her entire self despite how small it was. Angus tucked it up to her chin and put a hand to her hair. "Hey, you asleep?" She exhaled as an answer. "Good, I don't have any pressure," he laughed nervously. "Um, listen. I should probably tell you this now, it's been-it's something that's been on my mind all night." His heart picked up the pace again and his palms had sprung a leak. "Actually, I've been feelin' this way for a while. But...silly me didn't do anything about it." Quickly glancing at the door, he noticed Malcolm wasn't anywhere around. "Um, I wanted to say that, I think you're really great, and that-well, I think I-no, I know I-" He stopped. Well, it wasn't him, his tongue stopped. If he confessed that one forbidden word, his whole self might crumble apart. But he didn't let it stop him. "I...lo-"

"Angus!" Angus whipped his head to see Malcolm standing at her doorway looking nervous. "Her mum's here, she just pulled up."

"Shit! We gotta leave." Angus stood up and headed for her door. Malcolm grabbed him.

"We can't go out that way, she'll see us an' kill us! You know how much she hates us?"

"Malcolm, is there any woman over the age of thirty on this block that doesn't hate us?" The front door opened and closed and footsteps were walking around the kitchen quite loudly. "She'll kill us if she sees us in Hannah's room." Malcolm glanced over Hannah's bed to see a window big enough to climb out of. They could escape, and speed away to their own home.

"The window!" Both boys rushed over and pushed it open, a more than chilly breeze plunging its way in. Down below was solid concrete, dangerous enough for any impact. Angus wobbled over when he saw how high it was, and how dead he would be when he reached the bottom. If this head injury wouldn't kill him, a giant splat would. Malcolm was pushed in front of him.

"Okay, but you go first."

"Sure," Malcolm mumbled. With one foot over the sill, he grabbed the ledge and swung the other leg over. Inch by inch he moved down the side of the building, getting smaller from Angus' point of view. He riskily waited in the yard for Angus to come down too. If he had known he was gonna be jumping from high places he would have brought a paper bag to breathe in. The door to Hannah's room began to open, and he ran into the closet in a panic. Malcolm, who was watching the window from below, saw Angus disappear and he grew nervous. "The hell is he doin'?" he whispered.

Kicking a pair of jeans aside, he closed the closet door leaving a small crack that he could see and breathe out of. Hannah's mother entered the room of her sleeping daughter in a hurry, but slowed once she saw she was safe. She knelt down by her bed just as Angus had done. "I'm sorry I got home so late, it's just the office insisted on throwing me that goodbye party and..." She sighed. "At least you're home safe an' sound."

Angus watched from the closet and frowned as her mother removed the jacket from her body and hung it up on a hook on the door. A blanket replaced it and a kiss on the head completed it. "Hmmm. Maybe Malcolm and Angus aren't such bad kids after all." With that, the woman left the room. The closet door opened with a cautious swing, and Angus stepped out, grabbing his jacket from the hook. A surge of pride and happiness filled his heart at the compliment. He felt weightless, like he could do anything. Even climb out of a two story window.

Malcolm's breath was released when he saw his brother stick his leg out the window and begin to climb down. Once his entire body was dangling over the edge, Angus started to regret his euphoric decision. He regained control of his feet and scooted his way down. Malcolm stood ready to catch him, and did have to hold him up so he wouldn't fall on his head when he jumped. When both boys were safely on the ground they sprinted for their dad's car. "Hey Ang, you alright? What happened up there?"

"We're not so bad, Mal. You hear? We ain't so bad!" Malcolm chuckled at Angus' smile, and drove down the road.

"What are you talkin' about?"

"Hannah's mum, said we ain't so bad after all! She likes us, Mal!"

"Heh, I wouldn't go that far..."

The door to their own house was cracked open, a beam of light from the moon pouring on the carpet. Two pairs of eyes scanned the room for any activity from adults. Mr. Young was snoring upstairs and Mrs. Young had fallen asleep on the couch waiting for her sons. The television set was on, a color western program running. The new window was looking sharp too. Angus would have to be tied to a leash if he ever broke this one.

Malcolm hurried over to turn the television off and kiss his mother on the cheek. She didn't wake. Angus went to the freezer to place his ice pack and use his warm one. No use going to sleep now, besides. Doctor's orders. He saw his math test on the fridge and thumbed at it when Malcolm gave him his attention. The older boy snickered at the arrogant face Angus made and they both quickly hurried upstairs.

The bathroom door closed and Angus sat on the counter holding up his warm compress to his eye. Taking a good look in the mirror, he saw his eye in the first stage of turning a purple hue. It'd darken over time, and Angus couldn't wait for his parents to bombard him with questions and the kids at school to tease him. If he was lucky, he'd get good attention, and maybe get waited on by girls in his class. Years ago he'd want nothing more, but now all that he wanted was asleep in her bed.

Malcolm rummaged through the medicine cabinet looking for any painkillers or ointment to help clean him up. Angus sat there watching him, wondering if he should come out and tell his brother all that had been on his mind. A brother would understand, right? Maybe tease a little, but support him no matter what. "Hey, Mal?"

"Yep," he said not turning his head.

"Just askin', ya' know, the question just popped in my head. How do you tell a girl...you're in love with her?" The cabinet slammed closed a bit too loudly for their taste and they hastened to steady it. A bottle of Tylenol was in Malcolm's hand.

"That depends..."

"On?"

"How much love are we talkin'?" Angus closed his eyes in consideration of his answer. No word seemed to completely describe how he felt.

"There's not enough room in the world," he sighed. Malcolm looked at the bottle in his hand and set it on the counter next to his brother. He turned to face him and stared him down.

"Angus...how do you know it's love?"

"What else would it be?"

"Oh, dare I say, a crush?" The boy frowned.

"It hardly feels like a crush, Mal, an' weren't you the one who advocated the two of us in the first place? Or are your blossoming feelings overstepping that thought?"

"What feelings? The only feelings I have are thinkin' maybe you hit your head a little too hard." Malcolm handed him the bottle. "Here, take one of these."

"I know what I'm feelin' Mal, and I say-"

"Angus, you've never been in love before, Susan was just infatuation-"

"You're right! Susan was just a crush! But this is...different." Malcolm turned on the faucet allowing Angus to rinse the pill down. Once he finished, he kept talking. "Mal, if this is a crush, then my bones are broken."

"If you have feelings for Hannah, I'm all for it. But let's take a minute to think here, is this really love? It's an important word, you can't just throw it around like a boomerang, or it'll come back to hit you in the face."

"Why can't I love her?" Malcolm blinked, unsure if what he heard was correct.

"What?"

"Why can't I love her?"

"What do you mean why can't you?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Is it 'cause I'm just a fourteen year old boy with no experience with emotions?" The older boy rolled his eyes but gave no answer. "Huh? Is that it? Is it because she's miles out of my league? I know that already."

"That's not the issue here Ang, that's not-"

"Is it because my brother wants her too? He wants me out of the picture?"

"Bloody hell, you're bein' the biggest idiot I've ever had the unholy privilege of speakin' to! I have no interest in Hannah that way, she's up for the takin'!"

"What was that I saw at the hospital? I saw the way you were lookin' at her, don't lie to me!"

"I ain't lyin'! I was just thinkin', it's not my fault you got the wrong idea."

"Then why can't I love her?" No reply. "Why can't I love her?!"