"I DID EXATLY WHAT YOU TOLD ME TO DO!" Dylan yelled.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID!" Alek yelled back. He took a deep breath. "Dylan, I told you to take the wrench to the left. You know, clockways?" He knew Dylan was trying to be helpful, but he didn't follow instructions.

"I BARKING DID EXACTLY WHAT YOU BARKING SAID!" He yelled. "You told me to turn it that way," he motioned, "and I barking did! AND THE WHOLE THING JUST BLEW UP! What do you want from me? It's your barking clanker machine that failed!"

"WHAT? Failed? FAILED? It did NOT fail, you turned it wrong! You darwinists don't know mechanics. Do me a favor and just stay out of my way!"

"Aye, maybe I will!" Dylan started to storm off, walking a little funny, swaying.

"What?" Alek asked. Dylan is leaving? Just like that?

"Aye," he said. "I'm leaving. You told me to go so I'm going." His voice is high, higher than usual. His hips are sticking out oddly. Ether he's skinnier or curved?

"What?" Alek was confused and upset. How could he just leave like that? "Fine then, go!"

"Oh, I am, don't worry," Dylan sassily sashayed to the door. "I won't bother you any more, your princelyness." And he left. And he didn't come back.

"I hate that nickname," Alek muttered. "You're not a bother, you're a wonder." Alek missed his friend. Dylan was the bright light in his gloomy day.

One week later, Dylan still wasn't talking to him, still avoided him, still ignored him. Alek was alone. Dylan, on the other hand, was sitting with a group of his friends, his other friends. He was always so good at making friends. He always had someone, while Alek, on the other hand, had zero people skills. He supposed it came from growing up thinking he was better than others. But then he met Dylan. He was special. He could get along with everyone, he learned German in basically a month, and he was skilled in everything he did.

Alek has the education of a prince, for the obvious reason, but if Dylan had the tutors Alek had, he would know what to do with the information. He could probably end the war. But over the past week, Alek had been observing Dylan, rather obsessively. Alek missed his friend. Recently he begain to noticed a few things, now that he had time to think and no one seemed to see him watching...

Like during their fight, when Dylan is upset, his voice goes higher

His face is very feminine and his slender frame and well tailored clothes don't completly hide his unusual curvy hips

Dylan is graceful and walks with an elegance that none of the other boys have

He's always with the other boys; always in a group of people, very social

And finally, the thing that started his suspicions, one simple phrase he hears every day but hasn't given the slightest atention to, hasn't thought about; the oh so obvious and sarcastically said Mr. Sharp...

With all of this weighing against him, and no one to talk to about it, he was determind to make Dylan speak to him. Even if it meant braving the darwinist crowd. He walked up to Dylan.

"We need to talk."

"No," was his simple response.

"Dylan, please. I need to talk to you."

"Fine. Bye, fellas." They walked to the edge of the whale's back and Alek waited until they were alone.

"What's this about?" He did that thing with his hips again.

"I'm sorry for offending you. But I miss you! You're my only friend and I need to ask you something. Dylan, are you-"

"WAIT!" Dylan yelled. "This is too much. Just slow down." He took a step away from Alek and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, too, I guess. It was a stupid fight, but I'm too stubborn to just tell you that. So sorry. I... m-missed you, too... you're my best friend." He took another breath and took a step toward Alek. "So... what is it you want to ask me?" His bright blue eyes looked sad and downcast.

"Are... um... well are you..." Alek sighed. "Dylan, I'm sorry but I need to know! Are you a homosexual?" Alek was bright red, and ready to block his face in case Dylan took a swing at him.

Dylan's face was pale. His eye's were big as dinner plates, and his mouth was about hit the floor. "W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-why? Why would you think that?" Alek restated his list. "Oh." Dylan's face was pained and quizical, he seemed to be mulling over something. "Alek," sigh. "Alek," he restated. Sigh. "Alek, I am not... I can't... I don't possess the 'tool' to... what I mean is..." ran his hand through his hair. " You don't understand! You wouldn't understand. But... you know what? I'll tell you! I... I'm a... I like men, ok? But I'm not... I couldn't be...FINE! I'm homosexual!" He laughed, loud and long and uncomfortably.

"It's ok, Dylan." Alek smiled and gently placed his hand on his homosexual friend's arm. "I don't really understand, but you're my friend, and I will accept you no matter what." For the first time in a week, Dylan looked him in the eye.

"Really?"

"Yes, really." They hug, and all of a suden Alek could understand Dylan's choice.

"We may have to have another one of these conversations, soon." Dylan said with a smile. They walked away with their arms around each other while Alek wondered if Dylan knew of Alek's new choice.

Dylan= Deryn. this is Alek's point of veiw. i don't know what the argument was about, but I guess it was bad. Deyrn's too afraid to tell Alek cause she thought he wouldn't like her, so she lied. Alek doesn't know people are born that way, so please don't yell at me about that. I'm totally fine with anything, people can do whatever they want, it's fine with me. GO GAY MARRAGE! Anyway, when they hug and Alek 'understands' he *cough cough* gets happy... and he thinks Deryn felt the happiness, but she's talking about how she's a girl.