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Jake reaches the twin's mom's bakery in a very bad mood. He doesn't say anything to Willie or Winter, who have been waiting for him there, and starts to work silently. 

After work, he says his goodbye to Mrs. Roberts and is about to leave when Winter and Willie grab his arms from both sides. 

"You aren't going anywhere without dinner today!" Willie announces and both of them take him upstairs in their place. 

They eat dinner together in Willie's room. Only when the eating is over and all three open three cans of cola does Willie ask, "So," he says in a deeply fake casual tone. "What's going on with you?"

"About what?" Jake feigns ignorance too.

"You know what. You and Chase," says Willie. "What's the scene between you two?"

Jake eyes them with suspicion. "Did you follow me today?" He demands.

"No, we didn't," says Winter. "We just guessed things after seeing you two tangled on the floor of the toilet yesterday. You know, Chase over you, looking at you like he wants to eat you alive?"

Jake goes silent for a while. Then finally says, "It's all wrong, though. We aren't like that. We won't be."

"Because of Chase?" Willie asks. 

Jake nods. 

"But you want to....?" 

Jake sighs. "I don't know."

The twins eye each other silently.

"So are you gay?" Winter asks tentatively.

Jake splutters. "Oh," he stammers. "Uh... I never... I mean I don't know. I've never dated anyone before."

"WHAT!?" Willie shouts. 

"LET HIM TALK!" Winter shoots at her brother.

Jake groans. "I definitely liked it when you showed worry for me, you know?" He tells Winter. "I even imagined us dating. But now that I think about it, it was momentary. I mean, I did feel something but I didn't exactly fall for you."

Winter nods, very solemn. "Go on," she says

"And about Chase..." Jake feels his stomach tighten. Damn these reactions. "My body reacts to him. I've spent 20 minutes out of 10 sharing punches with him but there were moments, you know. Moments when he'd look at me like... like he feels what I feel."

"What do you feel?" Willie prompts. 

"I want to touch him," Jake admits. 

"WHAT THE F--"

"WILLIE!" Winter yells.

"NOT LIKE THAT!" Jake yells too. "It sounds wrong when you react like this. I mean like hold him, you know? Hold him when I feel vulnerable, hold him when I'm angry. I want him to be there for me in bad times because it feels like he can handle me. And I feel like I want him to."

"I'm confused about one thing here," says Willie. "Are we talking about your sexuality or who you actually have feelings for?"

"Apparently you're a bi," points Winter, ignoring her brother.

"I guess," Jake nods. 

"And you like Chase," she continues.

"I don't!" He says. "I was-- interested in him and that too is gone."

"What did Chase say today?" Willie asks. "You definitely went back to meet him earlier today, didn't you?"

"Before that, let me clear one thing," says Winter. "I'm also interested in you but like you said, I haven't fallen for you yet. And now that I know that you're someone with feelings for some other person, I won't fall for you in the future too. And also about Chase's sudden act today... I'll be lying if I said my heart didn't flutter. But that was very momentary. He's pretty and hormone's a bitch." 

"Ew," comments Willie.

"But we can't be sure about these things, can we?" Winter adds. "It's just that it's too early to make a direct statement. Today's the fourth day after we first met, same goes for you and Chase. And we're already discussing getting over our feelings."

"Exactly," agrees Jake. 

All three take sips from their cans, thinking and sighing.

"Why didn't you date anyone before?" Willie suddenly asks Jake. 

"Never got the time to be interested in these things, I guess," replies Jake.

"What were you busy with? You don't seem like the nerd type," says Willie.

Jake doesn't respond.

"Oh just spill already!" Willie whines. "I'll tell you secrets, too."

Jake stares at his cola. "Will you find it crazy if I said I ran away from home?"

"Holy--" begins Willie with his loud reactions again but shuts up when Winter hits him. 

Jake takes a deep breath. Four days is too early for these deep talks but who cares. Here goes nothing. "It's the same classic tale. My dad's abusive. I have no idea how mom lived with him, I don't know if he used to abuse her too. She died too early for me to know. I was a little more than 2 when she died in a car accident. My stepmom is another classic figure. She hates me to the bones. But the irony is that she doesn't have a child. Turns out she can't have children. That made me the sole heir to her hatred and my dad's frequent violence. He wanted me to help him with work beside studying. I said no, he hit me so well I ended up in the hospital. Police got involved because one of the doctors made a report it looked like domestic violence. I didn't let dad get jailed though. I thought that'd make him a bit grateful. Instead, he got more pissed because people started gossiping about him after my hospital slash police incident. When I got home after getting discharged, he slapped me right outside our gate. I told him I'll move out. He said he'll disown me if I do that and not leave me one penny behind." Jake lets out a bitter laugh. "As if I want his freaking money. I didn't wait one day. I moved out."

"When was that?" Winter asks.

"Almost two months," Jake replies. 

"You changed school, too?" Willie asks. "On your own?"

"I just turned 18, turns out I can do things now," Jake shrugs.

"What about expenses? Where are you staying, what're you eating?" Winter asks, upset. "That's why you bring bun and milk for lunch."

"Don't worry about that. I've been saving up for this for years. I've done so many part time jobs, I've saved whatever pocket money dad used to give me. I have quite a lot, you know. The place I got in this town, I have a one year contract with the landlady and I've already paid six months of rent in advance," Jake says proudly. "Besides, now your mom gives me so much money. If I save half of it every month, that'll be loads. I'm settled with no worries."

"Shit, this is crazy," mutters Willie. "And so effing cool."

Jake laughs. 

The twins smile too. "Glad you're okay," says Winter. Willie agrees.

Jake nods. "Now tell me your secrets." 

Winter shoots a glare at Willie who says, "What? He's our friend. It's okay if he knows. Besides, he just told us about his past too."

Jake eyes them with narrowed eyes. "I have a feeling something big is coming."

"Not more than yours," says Willie. "It's rather dull and sad. So, Winter and I aren't twins."

"I knew it. You're too ugly," Jake says at once. 

Willie stands up. "I'm leaving."

"Alright, alright, no more jokes," laughs Jake and pulls his short friend down again. "So why do you tell people you're twins?"

Willie begins again resentfully. "I had kidney issues right from birth. It was a mess with constant dialysis and shots every month multiple times. I needed a kidney implant." He looks at Winter. "Winter's news reached us. A 13 year old girl from an orphanage is willing to have one of her kidney transplanted. My parents were very grateful. They decided to adopt her. So I got a kidney and a sister. We are even the same age but Winter didn't know her birth date for sure. We decided to have the same birthday after that." 

Jake watches as the siblings smile to themselves at the memories. 

"But how did you know about Willie from the orphanage?" He asks Winter.

"Our principal was a... businessman. He used to look for chances to earn money from these offers. Blood donations were regular thing in the orphanage." 

They sit silently at that.

Winter stands up. "That's enough tell tale for now. You guys go to sleep. We have school tomorrow."

Jake jumps up. "I'll leave."

"Don't be stupid, Jake, look at the time," she says.

Jake looks and stares. It's past 11 already. When did so much time pass... He looks at Willie. 

"Will you be okay if I crash here?" He asks. 

Willie beams. "I'll get you my pajamas."

"As if that'll fit," Winter snorts. "Go wash up, I'll bring something of dad's," she tells Jake. 

Jake nods, thanks his friends and goes to the washroom. Inside, he watches his reflection and sees a sort of relief he hasn't seen before. 

This must be what it's like to have good friends, he wonders.