most definitely

Kyle's brother was being his usual self. Naturally, he didn't believe him when Kyle said he had a girlfriend.

"Fine." Kyle shrugged. It was always like that. It made him feel bad that he'd kept it from him about Sam's ex. But Kyle didn't want to think about her, and a part of him wondered if he would be different if it had never happened. He didn't want to think about it. Yet it ate at him like a disease.

As if was Casey, Sam's girlfriend was just too damned perfect. She couldn't be that nice. She smelled of Tommy Boy. Maybe she was the whole package. Thin. Remarkable smart. Straight blond hair. Even spectacular teeth.

Yet why was Sam like that. All this perfection. Kyle knew he wasn't. He wouldn't want Amanda that way, either. He sensed even now that she was both fragile and strong. Although, he wasn't sure when it had happened if she was being fragile or strong at that moment. He might never know.

Kyle was reluctant to even say anything at all to Sam. God knows, he wasn't going to tell him everything about Amanda. The only one he called on the matter was Nick. Even then he couldn't say what had happened.

"God, you shouldn't have," was all Nick said. "You don't know what kind hell you're getting in to."

"But she's older than me," Kyle said. "A little, anyway."

"That does not mean shit." Nick addressed the whole issue of the legality of it. "You might have to pay for it. Still."

"I won't." Amanda wasn't like that. That was the least of his worries. It was all this emotional stuff that went with the sex stuff. He didn't want to admit it, but it was true. He didn't want to talk to him about this, after all.

"Just stay away from her." Nick's best advice.

"I can't." Kyle couldn't. It was already like a done deal and before he knew it, Amanda was buzzing in to their conversation. "Look, I gotta go."

"I'm telling you-" Kyle cut him off.

"Hey," he knew it was her. "You OK?"

"Yeah," she said. "Of course."

"Good." What could they talk about now? Definitely, he wouldn't ask how was it? You just didn't. Never. "I'm sorry my Mom came. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, um, you know that last thing that happened?" It sounded kind of serious, Kyle was pretty sure he knew the last part she was talking about. "That was just totally freaky."

"Well, that was actually the condom." He bit his tongue to say anything more.

"About that," she then said. "How about if we try it next time without it?"

"I don't think so." Kyle felt himself in a sweat now.

"Why not?"

"Because." This was making him nervous by the second. "Maybe we don't have to do it all. We have good time not doing it, don't we? There are plenty of other things that keep us occupied."

"Yeah." At least that was good revelation. "You're good at making me-"

"What?" His ears were burning.

"Forget things."

"Yeah, well, we can't forget everything." Although, he remembered her lips and sensing how even the rhythm of how her body changed when he touched her flesh.

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

"No. Its just if we do it again," Kyle sighed. "Condoms, most definitely."

"OK."

"Good." That was settled. It looked like there would be a next time, and Kyle couldn't help but do a little dance of satisfaction once he got off the phone with her in his room. Alone.