He was twelve years old, just slightly chubby and just barely pubescent, with small freckles on his cheeks and sandy, unkempt hair."Mom's gone?" he as...ked softly.Tina nodded."You gonna watch me?"She nodded again. Silence followed. She looked around the small room, same as ever: littered with clothes, dishes, and crumbs. The television set was loud with the sounds of a Superman cartoon while a radio blared country music from the kitchen area."Whatta you wanna do?" she asked.He shifted his eyes a. Of not enticing a person away from another happy relationship. Of not using laws, morals or social customs for personal gain at the expense of others. Of not gaining in personal wealth at the expense of a subjugated -or coerced- work force. Of not being a personal burden of society, friends or family due to your own inactivity.Ethics were self evident and self enforcing. If you lived by them, then you never need worry about your conscience. There was nothing to feel guilty about.Alice did. This was more likelate 50s or early 60s and someone had been buying up the houses andrenting them out to college students.?Looks pretty happening,? Michelle said.?Is there a keg or something?? Sarah asked.?I dunno,? Gina said. ?We can always find out.?We jumped the curb and made our way across the patchy lawn throughlittle groups of people. Some guys and these really cool looking girlswere sitting in folding lawn chairs on the front porch. I kind ofhopped up the brick step and suddenly one of. . the way you like her." What do you mean?" I asked him, finding no sense in that."I want you to ... kiss me and stuff," Jamie said, biting his bottom lip and shifting his weight from one foot to the other."Oh." I blinked at that and leaned back in my chair."I love you, Mr. Valentine," he told me, looking ready to run away after confessing that. "I want you to love me too. That's all." I see." I nodded slowly. "We're boys though, Jamie, and..." I know," he said quickly. "That's why, uh ... I.