Author's Note:Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews! I'm glad that you all are enjoying this story.

ONE WEEK LATER

Justin sighed as he sat down on his bed at the Novotny Shelter. He had just finished using the riding lawn mower to mow the grass. He had been sitting down, but it was still tiresome and he was all sweaty. Everyone that was old enough was expected to help out in some way at the shelter.

It had been one week since his mother, sister, and him had arrived at the shelter. His mother was still working at McMurphy's Grocery, but it was going to take a while for her to save up enough money to afford an apartment.

'I just need to find a job and that's all there is to it,' he thought. His mother wanted him to watch out for Molly and be a regular teenager. She hated thinking that he had more worries thn anyone his age ought to. "I'll just find a job and that'll be that," he mumbled to himself.

"How ya doing?" he heard.

Justin looked up, pulled from his thoughts, to see Brian Kinney standing with his ight shoulder leaning against the room's door. Justin had met Brian when he had met everyone else, the week before. From the moment he had laid eyes on Brian, he had been attracted to him. Who wouldn't be, with his hazel eyes and auborn hair. Justin also knew that Brian had to have an awsome body under his clothes. Justin had done a coouple of sketches of Brian, without Brian's knowledge, the night they had met. Maybe oneday, he'd show them to Brian.

Justin shrugged. "Alright. Just resting for a few minutes before hopping in the shower."

Brian gave him a half-smile. "Mind if I come in and sit down?" Justin shook his head no and waved him on in.

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Brian sat down in a chair, that was across from the bed, and looked at the blonde. He didn't know why, but from the minute they had met, Brian had felt something for Justin. He didn't the story behind Justin's family arriving at the shelter. Deb never gave anything away. She respected the privacy of the 'guests'. But he could see the saddness and determination in the young blonde's blue eyes. Maybe, oneday, Justin would open up.

"So, you want to watch some television tonight? I'm sure that we could find a good movie or something."

Justin seemed to be thinking it over, then shrugged. "Uh, sure."

Before Brian could say anything else, Lindsay was entering the room. She smiled brightly at Brian. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere!" When her eyes landed on Justin, she glared at him. Justin just met her gaze straight on.

Justin had no idea why Lindsay Peterson seemed to hate him. But she had taken an instant dislike to him when they met. And, she neve failed to let him know that she thought he was below her.

Justin had seen the way that she would look at Brian. 'Maybe she thinks that I'm competiton,' he thought. He could barely hold back a laugh. 'Yeah, right! Like she has to worry about me. Brian can have anyone he wants. Why would he pick me?' he thought with some saddness.

"I was just talking to Justin about watching some television tonight," Brian told her. He knew that Lindsay fancied herself in love with him. He didn't believe that she actually loved him. He believed that she wanted him because she couldn't have him. He had told her, he didn't know how many times, that he was gay. He wasn't interested in her as anything other than a friend. But she refused to believe it.

"So, why have you been looking for me?" he asked.

"Oh! I wanted to find out if you want to hang out with me," she said as she gave him a lustful look. Brian couldn't resist a little eye-rolling.

"You can go, Brian. I need to get a shower, anyway," Justin said as Brian hesitated.

Brian nodded. "Come on downstairs when you're done." With that Brian walked out of the room.

Lindsay got in his face and hissed, her eyes blazing, "Stay away fom him! He's mine, you little fag!" A minute later, she was gone.