Walking Buddies
It hurts to breathe. My chest is tight and the tears won't stop. Now I understand when they say Love is a violent act.
I still remember the first time we met. It was a Wednesday, I'll never forget. While in line to order my daily slice of pizza from my favorite pizza place someone spoke to me.
"Thanks for saving my spot, buddy."
I still remember his warm smile and soft chuckle when I waved back. It was love at first sight.
Next Wednessday I was back hopping to bump into him again.
"Hey buddy."
"Alex,"
"So, your name is Alex. Nice to meet you I'm Silvano." We talked for hours that day and found out we lived close. Starting that day we became walking buddies. We would meet at the pizza place and talk on our way home. Everything was perfect until his friends started teasing him by saying we were a couple. Thats when he started to show up less and less making excuses why he would be going home late.
"Hey Silvano!," I called out one day when I saw him walking alone. With a skateboard on his hand he waved back and speed away.
Towards the end of the year I called him one day and we talked for hours. And that's when I made the biggest mistake of my life.
"So, Silver," I chuckled.
"What's up, Al?"
"I know who likes you," I laughed but inside I was shaking.
"Really? Who?"
"It starts with an M and ends with an E."
"Melissa? I knew she liked me. I should probably ask her out then," he rammbled. I knew he understood what I was saying and I should have stopped myself. The fear of being rejected was making my stomach hurl and my head spin. But I knew I needed to do this. The pain of being quiet was killing me.
"No, it's me,"
The line was quiet for a long time until with a low voice he finally said "but you're a boy". The line cut off and I was left alone and in tears.
How could I forget such a big detail? Boy's don't like boys.
