[Mahdi's heart hurts. Jack's so young, he thinks, and then with a little twist of horror like a corkscrew jabbed into his stomach he realizes he was Jack's age, a little younger, when it happened to him.]

It's not sex.

Not really.

If you're doing something you don't want to do, then it's not sex.

[Mahdi nods once, as if in agreement. It's good to hear himself say it.

He pushes the long bangs which have escaped his braid behind his ears, chews on the straw but doesn't touch his drink.]

The stupid thing is sometimes I really do want to cut it. Just for a change, you know? Taking care of this much hair is a pain. But I hear him in my head saying, I was tired of your hair that way and I just can't do it.