"Imogen Katy Steph Jess Emma

I don't know how much longer I can do this, Em!" I screamed. Yes. I was upside down. Well, standing on my head, to be precise. I wasn't exactly too sure about the reason behind it. All I knew was that there I was, standing on my head, in the middle of my room, at 10 in the morning. After about 5 hours sleep. Which, now that I think about it, was probably not the brightest idea I've ever had. Especially considering all the junk food we'd consumed.

"Suck it up! Five more minutes, and I'll let you go," she said, holding on to my feet.

I laughed. "Alright then. Five minutes."

Last night (this morning?) had been…interesting. A large portion of the night was spent, obviously, on gossiping. The girls wanted to know everything about me and Beau. Really. Everything. We'd only been together for a couple of hours, but apparently that was long enough to develop a gossip-worthy relationship. Who knew?

The rest of the night was spent, really, on random things, like marshmallow eating competitions, and cart wheeling, and video games, in between the inevitable deep and meaningful conversations that often arise when a bunch of girls get together.

In retrospect, it was one of the best nights I've had.

"OW! Em, what the hell?" I yelled, picking myself up off the floor, glaring at her.

She shrugged. "Five minutes was up," she said simply. As she walked over to the other girls, I swear I heard her laughing.

"Well," announced Steph. "I should probably get going. My brother has a cricket game in… two hours, and I'm expected." She laughed.

"Shotgun!" Emma called.

Steph looked at her, confused. "Since when were you getting in a car?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Well I'm not going to walk home, when I have a friend who can drive me places, am I?"

Steph shook her head, laughing. "You are possibly the laziest girl I've ever met," she told her.

"I prefer to think of it as 'time saving'," Emma said. "And besides, it doesn't matter, because you love me anyway." She pulled Steph into a bear hug.

"Anyone else need a lift while I'm at it?" Steph asked when she finally broke free.

Jess raised her hand. "Right here. I need to get home and study for my piano exam."

Emma laughed. "Yeah. Right. You realise watching One Tree Hill doesn't count as study, don't you?"

We all laughed. Jess grinned. "One Tree Hill has piano IN it… somewhere. Totally counts as study."

"I have to go to a cricket game, and you get to watch One Tree Hill," Steph complained. "How is that even fair?"

Jess stuck her tongue out at her.

"Alright kids, we have places to be, let's get moving," Emma interrupted.

Both Steph and Jess rolled their eyes simultaneously, while Emma collapsed into giggles. She should have gotten more sleep.

"Alright. An, Katy, we'll see you guys later," Steph said as the three grabbed their bags and headed towards my door.

"Bye guys," we called, as they reached the bottom of the stairs. The closing of the front door was the only response we got.

Katy looked at me, and we started laughing. At what, I'm not entirely sure, but it was fun.

"I think I'm gonna get back to sleep," Katy announced, yawning. "Do you think it would be alright if I used Justin's room?"

I nodded, stifling a yawn of my own. "Yeah, go ahead. I don't think they'll be home for a while."

"Awesome," she said, already halfway out the door and heading towards Justin's room.

There was no way I was getting back to sleep. I walked downstairs, searching for some form of caffeine, and something that would pass as breakfast.

As I was boiling the kettle, and rummaging through the cupboards, I heard a hesitant knock on the door. I opened it and found Trey, Justin and Matt all standing in the doorway.

"Hey guys," I greeted them. "Didn't expect you three here so early. What happened?"

"What, do I need a reason to want to see my favourite sister?" Matt teased.

"Uh. I'm your only sister, idiot," I pointed out.

"Details," he laughed.

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes. "Well, I suppose I can't leave you three out here, so I suppose you better come in." I moved out of the doorway as they came into the living room. "Oh, Justin. Katy's in your room. Sleeping," I added to Matt, who had opened his mouth, a mischievous look on his face.

"Ruin my fun, why don't you?" Matt sulked.

"Poor baby. You'll get over it."

Justin and Matt headed up the stairs, leaving me and Trey alone in the living room.

"So, Trey. What did you want to talk about last night?" I asked, breaking the somewhat awkward silence.

"Um… do… do we have to do this here? I mean, I just… I don't… I would prefer to talk to you alone. If that's cool." He seemed nervous.

"Uh, sure. Let me just get changed, and we'll go down to the park."

The park was nothing special, just a small playground down the street from my house. It was the place that any of us went when we need to think, or talk, or just get away. It was hidden away behind a heap of trees, so there was rarely anybody else there.

I went up to my room and hunted through the mess of clothes on my floor (leftovers from last night's fashion parade), and came up with a denim mini, a plain white singlet, and a pair of black Converse. I changed quickly, knowing whatever it was Trey wanted to talk about was probably important, and god knows he didn't need to wait any longer to come out with it than he had to.

"We're going down to the park, see you guys later!" I called over my shoulder as I rushed down the stairs, nearly tripping over an untied shoelace. "Ready?" I asked Trey, who was still standing where I'd left him in the living room, looking like he was going to vomit. I really hoped he didn't vomit on me. I was way too fond of these shoes.

He nodded. "As I'll ever be."

"Then let's get moving. Shall we?"

The walk to the park, however short, was torturous to say the least. He didn't speak, and I didn't know what to say, so we walked in silence. Not the most pleasurable experience. I just wanted to hold him, and fix him, fix whatever it was that was going on in his head. At the same time, I didn't want to push him too much into telling me, or make him feel embarrassed or anything. It was hard, this not knowing.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, we were there. It wasn't much – two swings, a slide, a roundabout, a couple of those little bouncy horse things, a see-saw – but it did us just fine. As was tradition, we headed straight for the swings – our confession booth.

"So, what's up with you?" I asked, breaking the silence. "You've been pretty quiet."

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I was just…thinking."

"About what? If you don't mind…"

He shook his head. "Nah. I don't mind. I was just thinking about how I'm going to tell you. How it's going to sound. How it's going to sound when I say it, for the first time, out loud."

"Okay. Well, take your time. I'm here for you, not the other way around. You don't have to worry about me."

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes like it normally did. "Thanks. I knew you'd be like this. That's why you're the first person I wanted to tell. I trust you."

I smiled comfortingly at him. "Thanks, Trey. Means a lot."

He sighed. "Well, anyway. Look. I don't… I don't know how to say this… I don't even know where to start…" he trailed off hopelessly.

"I've got as long as you need," I told him, reaching out to rest my hand on his knee. He was shaking. "You know I'm here for you."

"Ok. Well. Ugh, god, why is this so difficult to say?" He took a deep breath. "I just don't want you to think any differently of me, you know?"

I shot a hurt look at him. "Do you really think that would happen? That I would do that? Change everything I've come to think about you, love about you, just because you have some big secret? Is that really who you think I am, Trey?"

He shook his head quickly. "N-no, I'm, I-I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry." He was falling over his words. "It's just, I mean, I know, in my head I know that that wouldn't happen, it's just… I don't know. I guess I'm just paranoid."

"Honey, you have nothing to be worried about. I mean, unless you're going to tell me that you're a crazy axe murderer, with bodies buried in your backyard, and you need help disposing of your latest victim. I mean, I'll put up with a lot, but the line has to be drawn-"

"Anna, I'm gay," he blurted out, cutting off my feeble attempt at lightening the mood.

"Wait. What?"

"I… I'm gay."

I didn't know what to say. I just sat there, staring at him. It was just such a shock, so unexpected. Just hearing him blurt it out like that.

"Please say something," he pleaded, eyes focused on a particularly interesting pile of mulch by his feet. "Anything."

"Well, it's not exactly what I was expecting…" I began.

"I knew it," he said despondently. "I'm a freak."

"Hey," I said sharply, shocking him enough to let his eyes meet mine. "You're not a freak. Don't ever think that. It was just a surprise, that's all. So you're gay. So what? It doesn't change anything. You're still the same person you were when I first met you. You're still one of my best friends. Nothing's changed, honey."

"Really?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am." I leaned over and hugged him tightly. "How could you think that something like that would change years of friendship, you idiot?"

He laughed. "I know, I know, I'm sorry. I mean, I know that you understand. But some people… that's why I wanted to tell you first. You're one of my best friends, An, you've always been there for me. I value your opinion more than anything."

I grinned, still refusing to let him go. "I love that you trust me, Trey, it means so much. And you know I love you."

"What about the rest of them?" he asked, worried again. "The rest of our friends. I mean, I know that they're friends and all, but there are some people who are raised a certain way, and I don't want…"

"Trey," I interrupted him. "You know, if they don't accept this, accept you, then they're not the people that either of us thought that they were."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Although. I should probably mention… last night, at the formal, you know, when Beau leaned in to kiss me… I kind of… Well, I sort of… wanted him to?"

I laughed. "I never thought I'd have to worry about you stealing my boyfriend," I teased.

"It's not like I like him or anything," he added hastily. "I don't, I promise. I just, I wanted to know what it felt like, you know?"

"It's alright, I get it. And just as long as nothing happened last night when I wasn't around…" I smiled cheekily at him, finally letting go.

He laughed. "Nope. Nothing. Promise."

"Well, that's alright then. Lucky, though. I might have been forced to kill you."

We both laughed.

"You wanna head back now?" I asked.

He nodded. "Sure." He stood and held his hand out for mine, helping me up. He didn't let go, and we held hands while we walked home.

"Have you told your parents yet?" I asked on the walk back.

He shook his head. "Nope. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"You know you have to tell them though, right? I mean, they need to know. And, more than that, you shouldn't feel like you have to hide it from them. Like I said, it doesn't change you. Doesn't change the fact that you're their son, and they love you."

He sighed. "I know. I'm just… afraid, I guess. Afraid that they'll be ashamed, or, I don't know. Disappointed. Paranoid that they don't love me anymore?" His voice wavered, like he was going to cry.

I stopped, and put my arm around his shoulders. "Trey, they have nothing to be ashamed of. You are an amazing person, and an amazing son. I would be ecstatic if I had a son that turned out to be half as great as you are."

"I love you for saying that, Anna, I really do. But, no offence, I have to hear it from them."

"Sure."

We lapsed into silence after that, and continued walking.

As we got closer to my house, I decided to break the silence. "So," I said, trying to distract him. "Now that we've established that you don't like my boyfriend, and, even if you couldn't have him, is there anyone you do like?" I asked cheekily.

He grinned. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"Oh come on," I pleaded. "I won't tell, I prooomise."

He laughed. "Well, I guess. There is someone… I have no idea whether I stand a chance in hell with him, but I do sort of have a thing for him…"

"Come on, Trey," I begged. "Spill, please?"

He swung one of his arms around my shoulders.

"Well. You remember the guy from the formal? The MC, Jason?"

I nodded. "Yeah…"

He looked at me like I was an idiot. "…Him. I like him. Jeez, Anna, how slow are you?"

"Oh. Right. I knew that. I just wanted to make you say it," I lied.

"Sure, sure," he laughed.

"But he was incredibly hot. And he was nice. And sweet. And he really seemed to like you," I pointed out, remembering how happy Jason seemed when Trey was crowned King.

"Yeah, I know, but…" he trailed off as we walked up the driveway to my house. "Um. I'll talk to you about it later, ok?" he said at the door, seeing both Matt and Justin in the living room.

"But-"

"Anna, I just… I need to think about it. Don't say anything, please?"

I nodded. "Of course I won't. But…"

"I'll just see you later, okay?" He hurried back down the driveway.

"What was that all about?" Matt asked, confused.

"Oh, nothing. He just had some stuff to do, that's all. I'll be in my room if you need me."

He shrugged, and returned his attention to the TV.

I rolled my eyes, and made my way up the stairs to my room.