What's a friend to do?

Jools could hardly explain what happened with Evan. It was a jolt he wasn't sure he could grasp.

Honestly, being with Evan was the last thing he expected. Yes, he'd told Valentina that he'd stayed over at Evan's. Maybe he said too much. It left him empty, as if he needed to explain, yet he didn't know about these feelings, either. That he had for Evan.

True, Evan always made him laugh. He liked being with Evan if he wasn't with Valentina. Actually, it was a comfort to spend time doing nothing with Evan. Yet something had happened.

Was he just trying to get away from his girlfriend Joley.

"Just don't hate me," Jools said about the matter with Evan. Actually, he didn't care what Joley thought. After all, she cared about what was in fashion and when the next party would be. Totally, the opposite of Evan who liked staying home and finishing jigsaw puzzles. "Really, I'm quite boring."

He hugged himself hard, thinking the last place he'd have a talk with Valentina in her family's livingroom. But it was home, not just for her, but for him too. She was like real family to him. He certainly couldn't bring something up like this to his family back in Bei Jing. And the more he thought about it, he didn't want to go home. He bit at his upper lip, still remembering the sensation of his real kiss with Evan.

"Oh," even in her small voice he could sense she was shattered. "I just..I just want you to be okay." She was straight lipped and she couldn't quite look at him as she hugged herself hard.

"I'm sorry." His voice cracked.

"Don't be sorry." She finally looked up at him. "It's better to find things like this out, before it's too late."

Even when she said it, he felt as if he might be catching a cold. His throat was raw. How in the world was he ever to explain this to Joley. Had he led her on? It was one more obstacle to get through. Although, the hardest would be to explain this to his folks.

He wasn't sure which would be harder, facing someone with the truth, or making a phone call.