Under My Skin

Private Joy

"Connor! It's so good to see you!" The slim blonde-haired boy took his welcome into the house

"You too! God, how long has it been?" Connor pulled his friend into a hug

"Two years! How have you been?"

"I've been good! ...Haven't been to church in a long time, but.. I think you expected that much.. God, I missed you, Thomas!"

"You.. Really don't have to keep calling me that, Man"

"Right.. right... Chris. Sorry, I'm not accustomed to it, still.."

"It's fine.. I always had a hard time calling you 'Elder"

"Yeah, well that's because you're two years older than me."

"That, and you were never really the 'Elder' type.. you couldn't stop cursing, we all had to pray for your forgiveness three times an hour"

"I know.. I don't know why my father thought I was a good candidate for a mission."

"No idea.. so what's been up with you? You're still in school?"

"Yes! And I will be for.. a very long tune. But things are going well there.. I have the second-highest grades in my class, which is a.. big one.. Uhm, I had a boyfriend!! For a while.. but he started beating me up, so that ended"

"Wait what-"

"And now I don't have a boyfriend anymore, that about brings you up to speed"

"What do you mean he-"

"Have I told you about my new neighbor?"

"No. He beat you up?"

"No! He's an absolute angel!"

"No, not the neighbor, your boyfriend"

"Oh! Yeah, he did... my neighbor's really cool, though!"

"You're just.. going to gloss over that?"

"Yeah."

"...Okay then. Man, you really haven't changed."

"Not a bit"

"Tell me about your neighbor."

"Well, he's tall.. very tall. And he's incredibly sweet.. he's a little uptight, but I like that.. he wears his shirts buttoned up to his chin and wipes down everything anyone touches.. other than me, he lets me touch him.. he doesn't really go outside, but he's working on it.. he lost his parents four years ago, he hasn't left the house since... well, actually, once, i had to get him out.. there was a gas leak in his house, he wouldn't leave, I had to drag him out of the house.. but he's improving a lot"

"That's great!"

"Yeah... oh, you'd love him, he's the best. He has these.. big brown eyes, and this insanely perfect hair, I don't know how he does it- he looks amazing! He's.. he's got this real nervous energy, but it's honestly cute, he's.. he's the best.. he punched my boyfriend when he yelled at me.. I mean, I had to stay with him while he washed his hands for the next twenty minutes, but... he's fantastic. Really, you'd like him.. oh my god, you should see his smile, it's like.. the brightest smile you've ever seen, once you get it out of him.. you should meet him! You'd love him- everyone loves him, you can't not love him"

"...Dude, are you in love with him?"

"What? No, of course not! Don't be ridiculous, he's my friend!"

"Yeah, well Elder Davis was your friend too"

"Okay, that- that's different we were two closeted nineteen-year-olds, six thousand miles from home, of course, we ended up hooking up!"