"How was it?" Taki asked as soon as I emerged from my chemistry final. Since he had study hall that period, he had waited anxiously outside the classroom.

"Not something I ever want to experience again." I said, sighing and leaning against the wall for support. That test had been as physically draining as the gym final.

"Is there anything I can do to assist you, O great and noble Ethan?" Cole suddenly appeared by my side.

"Here." I held out my backpack. "I'm too tired to carry this."

Cole flung it onto his back, right over his own, and grinned energetically. "Anything else, Great One? Perhaps a massage to ease the tension in your shoulders?"

"Hey." Taki stepped between us. "I though we already established this. If anyone's going to give Ethan a back rubs, it's going to be me."

"Listen to what you're saying." Cole said. "Are you in love with him or something?"

"Look at yourself. Are you in love with Ethan?" Taki snorted. "Ethan is my best friend. Of course I feel something for him. Best friends like him fit into the fondest place of your heart. Best friends want to do things with each other, right? Like give each other presents and take them on trips and hold hands."

"I owe my entire existence to Ethan, but I've never wanted to hold his hand."

"Ethan!" Neil called my name from down the hallway, coming out of his own class. "Why are you hitting your head against the wall. You know that's bad for your health."

"No reason." I replied, talking over Taki, who was explaining the depths of male companionship to Cole, who was arguing his every point.

"Let's go." Neil offered. "They don't look like they need us very much."

"Yeah." I agreed, and we were half way down the hall when Taki cried out loudly, presumably to himself, "I'm not gay!"

I was laughing when we rounded a corner. "Sorry," I said to the person I narrowly avoided hitting.

"You again?" Evan sneered down at me. "Do you always laugh so vacuously that you run into people?"

"Do you even know what vacuous means?" I retorted. "Let's go, Neil."

But my roommate was having a stare down with the rock star and couldn't come. I waited for the whole male dominance thing to be over. Even with my new found knowledge of the hierarchy, I still couldn't tell who was the winner. Maybe they'd just have to beat each other up, and the guy less bloody at the end would be the top dog. That was a good plan, I thought, until I remembered that Evan had no reason to fight with Neil.

If that was true, why was Evan glaring at him so viciously?