Gay Boy

"Want to know a secret?" Octavian asked out of the blue as we sat together in Olive Garden, waiting on our food.

"A secret? Yes, please." I responded, smiling like an idiot because I was happy to be here with him.

Before my thoughts could go too wild into how much I love Octavian (no homo! Just kidding, lots of homo. I'm gay.), he spoke. "I know what people say to you... you know, online?"

My heart sank. "Pfft, what do you mean?"

Octavian pulled my phone from his pocket. I had forgot I had left it with him to carry it for me. Totally not out of homosexualitiness!

"'You're gay faggot go kill yourself' and 'you're so ugly but good thing you're gay so you can't make more ugly-ass shitheads like you'." Octavian read, not looking at me. His hazel eyes refused to meet mine.

I tried to imagine what he was thinking. I imagine racing thoughts of being embarrassed of knowing a gay boy or maybe how he wants me to kill myself too.

Then the tears came. They flowed out not because I was ashamed of being gay (because being gay is AH-MAZINGGG) but because I was afraid I'd lose my best friend. So childish, I thought as my hands covered my eyes and collected the teardrops that fell at a rapid rate and as if they'd never stop.

I felt something soft and warm hit my hands and peaked out to see Octavian with a breadstick, browned as his own hair.

Octavian sighed. "It's alright, really. If you want me to be honest, well... I think you're perfect. And you know, I read this somewhere. I think it goes something like 'just because you don't look like someone you find attractive doesn't mean you aren't beautiful. Flowers and christmas lights are pretty, however, they are extremely different.'"

"I'm not beautiful," I said.

"Yes, you are."

"You saw what those people said about me online? Didn't you? I'm a fag. I'm ugly. They don't lie."

"Look at me," Octavian says as he puts my phone down onto the table and pulls one of my hands away from my face and holds it in the middle of the table, in his other hand, the breadstick. "You are perfect. What they say is their thoughts and do you know why they think that? Because they don't know you. They don't spend time with you and have gotten to know you like I have. They're horrible to you and should just be ignored because they're just jealous. Don't let them win."

I looked at him, smiling.

Octavian drops my hand and picks up my phone again. He then proceeds to type on it. Once he's done, he faces the phone towards me.

"I got me a boy. #LaterHaters" the post reads.

"I got a boy? What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A boyfriend and I love you so much and you're beautiful. Let no one tell you different."