February 14, 2018

     It was my birthday. We had all gathered at the park. The decorations were surprisingly not penis related. Well, there was one questionable poster that caught my eye. "I'm addickted to being sevenpeen!" It read, with a picture of a hotdog with sunglasses. I let that one slide, though.

     My entire family, Kila, Julian, and Julian's pug, Piccolo, were all there. A large, forest green tent was covering part of the grass field. 

     Near the end of the party, Julian disappeared. Piccolo was playing contentedly with my sister, Makayla, so I knew Julian hadn't left. I decided to look for him around the playground. 

     He wasn't sitting by any of the climbable things. He wasn't in or on either slide. He wasn't in top of the playground or on the bridge. Only the inside of the tube was left for me to search. 

     I climbed up to where the entrance was, and there he was, lying down and staring at the plastic above him. 

     My breath hitched in my throat at the sight of Julian. He looked sad, but at peace. 

     Once Julian saw me, he sat up and hit his head on the top of the tunnel.

     "Ow!" He exclaimed, rubbing the top of his head.

     "Are you okay?" I asked.

     "Yeah, sorry," Julian said quickly.

     "For what?" I asked. " You didn't do anything."

     "I don't know." Julian looked down.

     "Why aren't you out there, appreciating the beautiful decorations you put up?" I asked.

     Julian shrugged. "I'm fine." He attempted a smile. The attempt failed.

     I sat down next to the horizontal tunnel in which Julian was hunched over. "C'mon, tell me what's wrong."

     "It's nothing," he insisted.

     I raised my eyebrows, skeptically. 

     "It's nothing important," he retried.

     "Please tell me why your upset."

     "It's your birthday."

     I frowned. "You're upset because it's my birthday?"

     Julian flushed. "No. God, no. I refuse to tell you because I don't want to ruin your birthday."

     "That's pretty faulty logic," I argued. "Besides, the only thing that will really dampen my birthday spirit is you not telling me this. I want to cheer you up."

     Julian laughed. "Trust me; you do not."

     I frowned. "Try me."

Julian sighed. "Alright, But now is your last chance to change your mind." His big, brown eyes looked serious.

     I stayed silent.

     Julian looked down and sighed. "I- you know how I-" He took a deep breath. "You are so kind to me. Why are you kind to me?" 

     I looked at Julian. "Because... you're my friend."

     Julian exhaled. "Do you remember Wednesday, when I helped you with all your books?"

     My breath caught. "Of course."

     "Do you remember what happened right before I left?"

     My mind went back to that moment, causing the emotions which went with it to reemerge. My stomach felt light. "Yeah... why?"

     "Something happened to me, then. I don't know what it was, but it made me realize-" Julian stopped himself.

     "What?" I asked.

     Julian took a deep breath. "Sam," he said, "I'm sorry, but I think I love you. I know, it's the last thing you needed, what, with all the stuff going on at school and with the doctors. I hope we can still be friends and-"

     I leaned my head into the playground tube and I kissed him. I kissed Julian De Luca.

     I must confess, it was awkward at first. At first, he completely froze, and I was afraid I had breached his boundaries, so I pulled away.

     Julian looked at me with wide eyes. Then, he kissed me back.

     It felt like I was melting in warmth. In his warmth. I didn't feel fireworks, I felt at home, and, though it's cliche, complete. Then, after just a second, it was over.

     I looked at Julian. His face was flushed and his lips were pink. His warm eyes were filled with something, which no one, besides him, had ever looked at me with.

     I had had boyfriends, and the occasional girlfriend, before I came out, but they never looked at me the way Julian did, nor did they make me feel the way that Julian did.

     Julian rested his forehead on mine, and I shut my eyes.

     "We," said I, "have a lot to talk about."

     Julian hummed in agreement.

     "And we're never going to hear the end of this from Kila or Tonya."

     Just as I finished speaking, I heard the familiar barking of a small dog.

     "Sam," I heard Kila start, "Why are you sticking your head in a plastic tube?"

     Julian, in surprises, jerked his head up, hitting his head on the plastic, and causing me to do the same.

     "Ow," we both muttered at the same time.

     "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Julian asked, rubbing the top of his head, a second time.

      "Oh," Kila said, and I could hear the smirk in her voice.

     "Yeah, I'm fine." I decided to ignore Kila's one-worded remark. "Are you good?"

    "Yes, I've built up an immunity to pain, due to my clumsiness."

     I heard gravel crunching as someone else walked up, next to where Kila was standing.

     "Watcha'll doin'?" asked, my sister, Tonya's voice, rhetorically.

     A clicking sound, which sounded suspiciously like that of Tonya's Polaroid camera, ensued. 

     "Hey!" I shouted, finally removing my upper body from the plastic tube. I stood up. "Why did you take a picture?"

     Tonya giggled. "Because y'all are cute."

     Kila smirked. 

     Julian (adorably) poked his head out of the tube. "I, for one, am offended," he said with a smile.

     I smiled, as well.

     Piccolo barked, causing Tonya to give him the attention that he wanted.

     "Cucciolo viziato," remarked Julian, with endearance. "Spoiled dog."

     I looked at Julian, and knew that, despite the teasing that was bound to come from Kila and Tonya, he was worth everything and more.