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Zach seemed to be watching him closely； waiting to hear what he had to say。 In the daylight Trevor saw that his eyes were a startling shade of green； large and slightly tilted。 His face was fine…boned； sharp…featured； interestingly shadowed by his wild spiky hair and the round black frames of his glasses。 Trevor realized who Zach resembled： his drawing of Walter Brown； the singer who'd been arrested with Bird in Jackson； Mississippi。 The singer whose face Trevor had had to imagine because he'd never seen the man's picture。 The likeness wasn't exact； but it was strong enough to put him more at ease with Zach。 This was a face he knew； a face that pleased his eye。
Trevor began to talk。 The words came slowly at first； but soon he could not stop。 Never in his life had he talked for so long at one time。 He told Zach everything： the deaths； the orphanage； the dreams； the things that had happened since he'd been back in the house。 He even talked about the time he had cracked that kid's skull open in the shower； though he didn't mention how much he had liked it。
He was surprised at how good talking felt。 Not since he stopped letting blood from his arm with a razor blade had he felt such a wele sense of release； of poison draining from his system。
He wasn't sure why those two words Zach had spoken … my parents…had opened him like this。 Certainly there had been other kids at the Home who had taken plenty of abuse from their parents； and probably would have told Trevor about it if he had asked。 But those kids had not appeared in the house of his childhood like embodiments of someone he had drawn。 Those kids had not stood their ground and talked him out of 。。。 whatever he had been about to do。 He had never gripped those kids' thin wrists hard enough to leave red impressions of his fingers in the flesh。
And if he had； he doubted they would have stayed around to hear his reasons why。
Trevor's face was hidden behind curtains of long hair； and his voice was so low that Zach had to lean in close to hear it。 Trevor kept sneaking looks at Zach as if to gauge his reaction； but would not look him full in the face。
Slowly the tale unfolded； beginning with the bloody history that had been branded upon the house before Zach was even born。 He would have heard much of this in town soon enough； Trevor said rather bitterly； word was no doubt getting around Missing Mile that the last survivor of the murder family had e home。 He said it just like that； the murder family； as if he knew that was what they would be called in the local legends that must have unfolded around them。 But Trevor's own story got weirder and weirder until hammers were appearing from thin air and drawings were undergoing sinister mutation betwixt hand and page。
Zach kept nodding his encouragement。 He was far too fascinated to let Trevor quit。 Back in his familiar French Quarter； back in his forting little corner of cyberspace； Zach thought he had seen strange things； maybe even done some。 But he had never met anyone who had lived through experiences like this； anyone who had taken such damage and remained among the walking wounded。
Eventually Trevor's flood of words ran down and he sat staring out through the drifting； glistening fronds of the willow。 Through the undergrowth one weathered corner of the house was just visible； paler gray than the threatening afternoon sky。 Zach watched a single raindrop making its way down the knobby ridge of Trevor's spine。 At last Trevor said； 〃I don't know why I told you all that。 You still must think I'm crazy。〃
〃Maybe；〃 Zach told him； 〃but I don't hold it against you。〃
It was obvious no one had ever said such a thing to Trevor before。 He didn't know what to make of it。 He looked wary； then surprised； and finally tried a tentative smile。
Zach thought Trevor might indeed be quite insane； but was developing a healthy respect for him in spite of it。 Terry； Victoria； and Kinsey were fun to hang out with； but if he was going to stay in Missing Mile for any length of time； he wanted Trevor for his first friend。
He'd have to sublimate the attraction； though。 He'd done it before； once he realized that he actually liked someone。 He didn't think it would be a problem： whereas Terry gave off the wrong kind of pheromones； Trevor didn't seem to give off any。 It was as if he had no sexual awareness at all。 Zach caught himself wondering how hard it would be to teach him。
He watched the raindrop finish its navigation of Trevor's spine and disappear beneath the waistband of his jeans。 There was a dusting of the palest golden hair there； slightly damp； right in the hollow of the back 。 。 。
He bit his lip painfully and realized that Trevor was asking him something。 〃Huh？〃
〃I asked what you do。〃
〃Oh。〃 After the raw honesty Trevor had shown him； Zach could not entirely bring himself to lie。 〃Well； I work with puters。〃 With great relief he watched Trevor's eyes glaze over。 It was the look of the willful puter illiterate； plete with the hasty little nod that said that's enough； that's all I need to know； please don't start talking about bits and bytes and drives and megarams and all that inprehensible mop。 Zach had seen that look hundreds of times； weled it。 It meant he wouldn't have to answer any unfortable questions。
He dug into his pocket and found his last prerolled joint； flattened and mauled but more or less intact。 〃Do you mind？〃 he asked。 Trevor shook his head。 Zach produced one of the lighters Leaf had given him and set it afire。
Trevor's nostrils flared as the smoke drifted past his face。 〃I better not；〃 he said when Zach offered him the joint； though Zach saw his fingers twitch as if wanting to reach for it。 〃I smoked some pot yesterday and almost passed out。 I'm not used to it。〃
Zach gathered all his considerable nerve。 〃Want a shotgun？〃
〃What's that？〃
Oh god。 How to explain a shotgun without making it sound like the obvious scam it is？ I'm not going to take this any further； I'm really not； I LIKE him； dammit； but there's no harm in a little innocent frustration。 〃It's； uh； where one person breathes in the smoke and then blows it into the other person's mouth。 See； my lungs filter the smoke before you get it； so it won't be as strong。〃 Yeah； right。 Heavy science gain' down。
Trevor hesitated。 Zach tried not to slip into social…engineering mode； but he thought he could feel the power radiating in great joyous waves through his brain now。 He felt as if he could convince absolutely anybody of absolutely anything。 〃C'mon；〃 he said。 〃Pot's good for you。 It relaxes you； clears out your brain。〃
Trevor eyed the smoldering joint； then shook his head。 〃No； I better not。〃
〃What？〃 Zach couldn't hide his surprise。 He had known Trevor would say yes as surely as he'd known Leaf would give him those damn lighters。 〃Why？〃
Trevor studied Zach's face as intently as anyone ever had； more intently than most of his one…night lovers had done。 Zach felt almost unfortable under the scrutiny of those striking； serious eyes。 〃You really want me to do it； don't you？〃
Zach shrugged； but he felt Trevor had looked straight through his skull to the whorls of