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Web had a quick sharp mind. He excelled in all his classes except advanced Mathematics. When it came to dealing with numbers he faltered and struggled. When he saw what a whiz Joseph was in the subject, he approached him about tutoring. When Joseph agreed, they began forty-five minutes to an hour of intense studying of the day's assignment every night.

As Joseph observed Web working on various assignments, he noticed how Web had no problems as long as there wasn't a series of numbers. But with numbers, he would write down a series and then often erase them and rewrite them, usually cussing under his breath. When Joseph realized what the problem was, he asked, "Have you always had this problem with writing down numbers?"

"Oh, yeah, Man. In high school I nearly flunked out in Algebra and Geometry. I just can't seem to keep them straight."

"I've got an idea that might help. Will you go along with me?"

"Man, I'd do anything to get over this problem."

"This is going to seem a bit stupid, but I think it might work."

"I'm willing."

"Okay, I want you to go to the far side of the room and crawl to me on your hands and knees. Will you do that?"

Web looked at him blankly, and then asked, "Is this some kind of sexual fantasy of yours?"

Joseph lost his friendliness. "Just do it."

"Are you sure this isn't something kinky?" Web asked, as he hesitantly walked across the room.

Joseph then saw the humor in the situation and chuckled, "No, Web. Just trust me."

Web got down on his hands and knees, looked at Joseph and then studied the floor in front of him. He started to move his right hand and right knee simultaneous and nearly fell sideways. "Damn," he muttered under his breath and started again. He got half way across the room this time before he got confused and fell over. "What the hell?" he yelled, as he scrambled to his feet. He expected Joseph to be laughing at his clumsiness, but when he looked at him, Joseph's expression was very serious.

"Just what I thought."

Angry and frustrated, he yelled, "What, that I'm a clumsy oaf and can't even crawl across the floor?"

"Sit down, Web."

Web strode back to his chair and dropped into it. "So what is it you thought?"

"You're dyslexic."

"What the fuck is that?"

"Calm down. Maybe we can correct it. I've been reading up on this because my little nephew seems to be this way, too. Fortunately, his was caught early; he hasn't started school yet."

Joseph, at that point, realized that he thought of David and Eve's twins as his nephews because David was Max's older brother, when they were really his cousins because Eve was his mother's baby sister. He lost his train of thought as he wondered for the millionth time where Max was, and what he was doing.

Web took a deep patient breath and let it out slowly. "Joseph, explain to me, what is dyslexic?"

Joseph blinked, and brought his thoughts to the here and now. He hoped that Web hadn't noticed that he'd totally spaced out for a moment. "Dyslexia's a condition in your brain that gets mixed up somewhere between what your eyes see and what the brain registers, like eye and hand coordination. In most people, it is manifested in the words they read and write. With you, it's apparently only numbers. You have a tendency to jumble them, especially if it's more than four in a series. Let me ask you something. Are you the first born?"

Web shook his head. "Remember, I told you I have two older sibling-ettes?"

"Can you remember the time before you learned to walk?"

Web shook his head. "No."

"Next time you talk to your mom, ask her if you were allowed to crawl around very much. I'm willing to bet that being the only male child with two older sisters; you were picked up and carried nearly all the time."

"And that has something to do with this dyslexia?"

"Crawling is where a baby begins to learn eye/hand coordination. There's speculation that learning to crawl can correct the mix up in the brain."

"I don't believe that. There's nothing wrong with my eye to hand coordination. Just look how well I can catch and throw a football."

Joseph nodded in agreement. "You're among the best."

Web had expected an argument. Not getting one, made him think. "So if I learn to crawl without falling over, you're saying I might be able to keep numbers straight in my mind?"

"What's to lose by trying?"

"You won't tell anyone about this, will you?"

"It's just between you and me, Web."

Web got up and walked across the room. He stood staring at the floor for a few moments and then got down on all fours. Again he studied the floor. "I feel like a silly fool."

"Stop thinking about it and just do it."

He crawled forward and stumbled a few times, but he kept at it. After his third circle around the room, he was stumbling less. He sat back on his legs and grinned at Joseph. "Who'd of thought that crawling is such hard work."

When Web sat down to do his homework, he turned to Joseph. "What happened a while ago? Where did you go off to when you were talking about your little nephew?"

"He's not my nephew. He's my cousin."

"But you called him your nephew."

"He's Max's nephew. His oldest brother is married to my aunt."

"Who is Max other than your Australian style mate?"

"Max? Well, I guess I should just tell you. I'm sure I'll slip sometime and say something to get your curiosity up again. Max was my other half, my life partner."

"So... you are gay."

Joseph stared at him a moment before answering. "Yes, I'm gay."

Web grinned and looked at the ceiling. "There is a God."

Joseph punched his shoulder and shook his head. "Shut up. Nothing's changed."

Every night for the rest of the week Web crawled around and around the room, and then he would do his home work under Joseph's watchful eye. In the beginning, there wasn't any noticeable difference, but by the end of the week, Joseph noticed that Web was beginning to transpose numbers less often. They continued the same routine through the following weeks.

There was an exam on Friday... Web was uptight and anxious. "Relax. Remember you have learned to crawl," Joseph whispered to him before he went in to take the exam. Web gave himself a pep talk... and when he started checking over his work on the test, double checking all the numbers, he found only a couple of places he'd turned the numbers around. After he'd corrected those, he handed in the papers. "I think I finally got it," he whispered to the TA who looked up at him and then checked the paper. Web stood and watched, holding his breath. The TA finished and looked back up at him. "You usually have half of them wrong. I think this is totally correct. How did you do it?"

Web beamed at him. "I'm learning to crawl." He turned, gathered his books and left the room with the TA still staring after him. He waited outside the door of Joseph's classroom. When Joseph finally appeared, Web grabbed him in a one armed hug and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Man."

Joseph hadn't had any intimate physical contact with another person since 'the incident.' He froze. Web let go of him, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Joze. I didn't mean anything other than thanks."

"Don't call me that. My name is Joseph. Don't ever call me that." He stormed off, leaving Web lost in confusion.

By seven that evening Joseph had recovered his equilibrium. He was getting worried; Web was usually in the room by this time. He wondered if he should call and apologize for snapping his head off. He knew Web had just been joyous that he'd finally aced a test in his class. But the nickname had been a sharp stab through his armor.

He sat in front of the TV, oblivious of what was on. He wondered, again, where Max was and how he was doing in his life. He shut off the TV and stumbled over to his desk. He pulled out the special stationary on which he wrote a weekly letter to Max. He sent each one in care of Mary, Max's mother, who put the sealed envelope in a box, saving them for the day Max finally relented and decided to forgive Joseph.

In this missal he told Max about his work with Web and his aced exam. He went on to tell him about Web's hug and kiss on his cheek and his reaction to Web calling him Joze, then ended by swearing he'd never allow anyone to call him that except Max, not even a straight football jock.

"Max," he wrote, "I'll spend eternity regretting that one slip. I'll never love anyone but you. I'll continue to remain celibate until you forgive me, and let me make love with you once more."

He signed it, "With eternal love, Joze." He sealed, addressed and stamped the envelope, and then he'd set it against his computer and stared at it until a contrite Web interrupted his reverie. It was seven-thirty.

They both said "I'm sorry" at the same time and broke into smiles.

"You did nothing wrong, Web, and I apologize for my reaction."

Web hesitantly looked at him. "So we're still friends?"

"You've become my closest friend, Web."

Web nodded and gulped. "Will we.... will we still be friends when I tell you that I am gay?"

Joseph's darted his eyes right and left, and then he crossed them, making a funny face. "I was wondering if you were ever going to admit it. Yes, we're still friends. Best friends. But I can't be your lover."

Web broke into a big smile. "I need a friend. I have a lover."

"The guy in the photo on your desk?"

"Yeah, him."

With Web as his friend, his only close friend, Joseph began to open up to other people. Web spent a lot of time with Joseph and observed that Joseph allowed no one to get close to him intimately. Web finally confronted him with it one evening when they were alone in their room.

"I've been observing you for a long time now," he told him. "I've decided that you are as crippled, emotionally, as I was with numbers. Someone hurt you really bad. You want to tell me about it?"

Joseph's demeanor changed instantly. "I don't want to talk about it," he snapped, and turned to leave the room.

"Come on, Joseph, if I can get down on my hands and knees and crawl for you, surely you can tell me what wounded you so badly. After all, I am your best friend."

Joseph glared at him. "Then why are you picking at me?"

"I'm not. You helped me. I want to help you."

Joseph continued to glare at him.

"Look, someone obviously hurt you. Keeping it bottled up like this can only make it worse."

"No one hurt me."

Web stared at him incredulous. "Bullshit," he yelled.

Joseph yelled back, "If you're my friend, then you'll leave me alone."

They were both on their feet glaring at each other. "I am your friend, and that is why I'm not leaving this alone," he yelled back, and then as they continued to glare at each other, Web whispered, "So... tell me. It was Max, wasn't it?"

Joseph dropped his gaze to the floor, his shoulders slumped.

"So what did Max do to you?" he asked.

Joseph looked him straight in the eye and said, "I did it to myself. And he refuses to forgive me."

"What did you do, fuck his worst enemy?"

"Wild guess, but right on target."

"Oh, hell! I'm sorry."

Web then did something that he hadn't done but once before. He touched Joseph. He cupped his hand around the back of his neck and pulled him into his chest, embracing him. And Joseph, completely defeated, let him. "Why can't you just let me alone?"

"Tell me about it." Web insisted.

"Why? There's nothing you can do."

"Just talking about it will make you feel better."

Joseph pushed Web away. "I spent months talking about it to a shrink. It still hurts just as much."

"Have you ever told anyone else? Like a friend that could share your pain?"

Joseph shook his head. "I've never told anyone except Dr. Chestnut."

"Then it's time to tell me."

Joseph turned his back to him. Web stepped up and wrapped his arms around him. Joseph stiffened. "Relax, Joseph, I'm not coming on to you. You're my friend. I'm just offering you comfort."

Joseph relaxed and laid his head on Web's shoulder. "Damn you, Web," he muttered.

"Talk to me, Joseph."

"Let's make some coffee. This is going to take a while."

Web let go of him and followed him over to the little refrigerator in the corner where Web had a coffee maker. He leaned against the wall and watched him go through the motions of making coffee. Joseph said nothing while he watched the coffee start to dribble into the pot. When there was enough for two cups, he poured it into a couple of mugs. Web watched him, never saying a word. Joseph sipped his coffee and then set the mug down and started talking, telling Web the whole sordid story. At first it was as if by rote, emotionless, but eventually, as he told his story, he started feeling what he'd gone through as he told it. The telling got emotional. Web just sat, wanting to hold and comfort his friend, but knew Joseph wouldn't abide it.

"The worst part is that Max had told me what Allen was doing and saying behind my back while he was playing at being my good buddy. I chose to believe Allen over Max. I was wrong." Joseph sighed

"I'm the one that destroyed my relationship. Sure Allen supplied the weed and his body. But I made my own decisions, as fucked up as they were."

Web shook his head in disbelief. "You are amazing." He reached across the table and covered Joseph's hand with his own. "So, Max isn't gone, as in dead?"

"No, he's gone, as in living in L.A."

"I can't believe that you two were together for six years and you didn't believe Max over this Allen fellow?"

"I was stupid. What else can I say?"

"So you apologized and begged forgiveness?"

"I have tried over and over. Max won't talk to me. If I call him, he hangs up. I've written him a letter nearly every day since I started to school here. He's never shown any interest in reading one."

"So Max hasn't talked to you at all?"

"Only to say that I'd made my choice, and he wasn't it."

"But that wasn't true, was it?"

Joseph shook his head. "No, Max is my soul mate. There is no other choice."

"Have you tried to let someone else into your heart, Joseph?"

"It wouldn't be fair. They would always know that they're not my first choice. Could you live with that knowledge?" he asked, looking up into Web's eyes.

"No, no I wouldn't want to be in that situation."

"And I will not put anyone in that situation. So the only solution is to keep to myself."

"So why is Max in L.A.?"

"Max had been accepted into med school here, but now he's at UCLA."

"So, what happened to this Allen character?"

"He's now living in Southern California, too. Down in Orange County, just below L.A."

"Wouldn't it be ironic if they ran into each other out there?"

"Pray they don't. Poor Allen's been through enough, between me shattering his jaw and his old man beating him half to death. He doesn't need Max trying to commit mayhem on him, too."

"You're amazing. After Allen destroyed your thing with Max, you still care what happens to him. Have you tried talking to Max recently?"

Joseph hung his head and nodded. "Yeah, I called him on his birthday. When he answered the phone, I said, 'Happy birthday, Max.' And then the line went dead."

"That's the pits."

Joseph just sighed.

Web looked at him with a hopeful smile. "I don't suppose that talking about this made you feel any better, did it?"

"No, but now there's one more person who knows what a stupid fool I am."

"Hold on, right there. You may have fucked up and let your hormones take over once, but you are not the one that is stupid. Max is a hard headed idiot to turn away from you. He's not worthy of kissing the bottom of your foot."

Joseph laughed.

"What's so funny about that?"

"It's just the irony. Max loved playing with my feet and sucking on my toes. Actually, I loved for him to do it. Nothing got me hotter faster."

Web chuckled and shook his head. "TMI, Joseph. That's way more than I want to know."

Joseph shrugged and smiled wryly. He was on a roll. "Just looking at Max got me all hot and bothered." Tears suddenly filled his eyes. "God, I miss holding him and just snuggling. That was one of our favorite things to do. Just snuggling. His little body fit against mine so perfectly. We were made for each other, you know."

"It's obvious that you still love him, Joseph."

Joseph just looked at him, shrugged and sadly grimaced.

The next evening the door was flung open and Web rushed in. "I have got a solution to your problem."

Joseph looked at Web who was grinning like a Cheshire."Spring break is coming up." Joseph nodded. "I'm taking you out to the West Coast. We're going to Disneyland."

Joseph shrugged. "I've been, and it's not all that fantastic."

Web's countenance fell. "Hey, that's only a diversionary tactic anyway."

"And the main objective then is....?"

Web's countenance changed to exasperation. "What's on the West Coast that you want most in the world?"

"To see the Golden Gate Bridge?" Joseph asked, innocently.

"That's in San Francisco. We're going to L.A."

Joseph knew exactly what Web was trying to get him to say, but this was fun. "Oh," he said, looking surprised and then disappointed.

Then it dawned on Web that Joseph was playing with him. "You knew that, didn't you? You're just yanking my chain, aren't you?"

Joseph turned to an imaginary person sitting next to Web and said, "It's hard to believe this guy has a 3.2 grade average."

"I'll get you for that remark, Joe. Jeez, you make it hard to help you."

Joseph turned serious. "What makes you think I want your help?"

"You're not getting anywhere on your own. Of course you want my help."

Joseph turned to Mr. Imaginary. "You know what he's talking about?" He glanced at Web whose mouth was hanging open. He had a difficult time keeping a straight face. "Don't you think his plan is off the wall? Do you really think it could possibly work? So you think I should listen to him?" Joseph asked, then turned back to Web. "I'm listening."

Web shook his head. "I don't think you deserve to hear it."

"So you're just going to drag me off to Lala land?"

"Maybe you're not as dense as you're leading me to believe."

Joseph turned back to Mr. Imaginary. "How long have you known this guy?" Joseph raised his eyebrows as though surprised. "And you're still hanging around with him?"

"You both are going to pay for that." Web said.

Joseph grinned and asked, "So what makes you think this will work?"

"It has to work. Think about it. Two big studs like us against one puny little would-be doctor."

Joseph cut him off by asking Mr. Imaginary, "Do you think he's a stud?"

"He has to think I'm a stud. I'm his lover." Web stated in a flat voice.

Joseph grinned. "Touché."

Web ignored the surrender. "So, anyway, if we have to, we'll sit on him while you talk to him."

"Web, all joking aside. I really appreciate you taking on my problem with Max, but there is no way it will work until he's ready to make amends. So please drop it. Everyone keeps telling me that he will come around. Maybe he will, eventually, but I can't force the issue." He smirked, "Besides, I hated Disneyland."