The Boy That Changed My Life

Chapter 26

One year later.
Graduation day.

Mitch's P.O.V.

"We're so proud of you, Mitchy." Dad said, kissing my head. Mom looked across at me a tear in her eye.

"I can't believe my baby is graduating high school." She said, fanning herself with her hands. I couldn't help but laugh at her trying to keep herself together. I stepped into her arms and held her tightly.

"Don't cry Mom." I consoled and she laughed.

"God, I can remember telling you that. When you fell over. Or hurt yourself. Don't cry Mitchy. I used to say." She said. I tried to wiggle free of her arms but she had me in a death grip which was making it hard to breath.

"Mom, I appreciate the love but I'm really finding it hard to breath here." I said and she let me free, ruffling my hair with her hand.

We drove down to the school in separate cars because I was going out afterwards. Not that I'd be able to drive on the way home anyway. I parked up outside where there were tens of other cars, some just parking, others here with a while. I got out of the car and turned around. That was when I felt a pair of arms snake around my waist and lips on my cheek. I sunk into his arms.

"Hey, Mitchy." He whispered. His voice giving me chills as always. I twisted myself around to look at him. I found his eyes immediately. To say that they were blue was like saying the sun was yellow. Sufficient but not accurate enough to capture the burning. The flickers of gold in them made him look like a cat, beautiful and sly. His face although pale was warm and welcoming, like a bed on a Sunday. His smile lit up the world like a Christmas tree, brightening every room he walked into. His lips were red, not like blood but like a rose, velvety smooth and bright. His hair was gold like the wrapper on an Easter egg, the one that you want most and save until last to eat. It seemed to dance in the wind as if floating in the sea.

"Hey, Sam." I whispered, quickly pressing my lips against his own. I had never really realised just how many gay boys there was in my year until last year. I began to count them up, knocking them out one by one. Gareth. Joe. Nick. Travis. And now Sam. I had dated all of those guys. Gareth for three months. Joe for two months. Nick for two weeks. Travis for five months. And Sam and I have been dating for four months now.

The other guys were just distractions though. I have a feeling that Sam is the one. He is so sweet. Sweeter than a piece of candy covered in sugar and when you pop it into your mouth it just dissolves on your tongue. He is hilarious. He could make a dead man laugh. He is gorgeous and I'm pretty sure his face was carved of a thousand Angels.

"And now we will have Mitch Grassi sing a special graduation song." I shook my head at the sound of my name. I had been day dreaming. I seemed to do that a lot recently. I stood from my seat, letting go of Sam's hand and walking up to the stage at the front. I sat down at the piano and began to play.

"Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure-measure a year
In daylights- in sunsets
In midnights- in cups of coffee
In inches- in miles
In laughter- in strife." By the time I got to the chorus everyone began to sing along.

"Five hundred twenty five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in your life
How about love
How about love
How about love
Measure in love
Seasons of love."

As I finished everyone applauded. I heard whistles and shouts and I felt my heart racing. I love performing in front of people, it gives me such a rush. Like I'm on a roller coaster, but don't actually like roller coaster so maybe not. Like eating a whole jar of peanut butter at midnight maybe.

The week that followed was hard. I began to pack my things up. I had been excepted into LACM and was moving up there three weeks into the summer. Mainly to get used to my surroundings but part of me just wanted to get out of Arlington.

I began to strip down my room of stuff, starting with the book case in the corner. On the top shelf there was the whole Harry Potter series, I dusted them off and threw them in the donate pile. Same with the Lord of the Rings series. I found books from English class thy had been collecting dust for years. I realised that the only book I actually read of all of the, was To Kill A Mockingbird. How did I get away with a B plus in English!?

I then started on the second shelf. This shelf was full of DVDs and video games. There were stacks of them all piled up to the back of the shelf. I threw most in the donate box but I kept some of the Pokemon and Anime series that I had collected over the years, along with a few video games that I still actually played.

When I came to the third and final shelf I found pictures. Some framed, others printed and just left there. I picked up a framed picture of Kirstie and I, sat on the grass last summer. I went through all the loose ones. I found pictures of cousins and aunts and uncles. Old friends from middle school and elementary school. Choir pictures. And then I came across one photo. It was in the very back of the shelf, crumpled and dusty. Through all the dust I could make out the outlines of two people. Two boys. Fifteen and sixteen years old. Lying on a bed, the camera in the taller boys hand. The biggest smiles on both of their faces. I blew off the dust to make out the rest of the picture and then realised. The smaller boy was me and the bigger one was Scott.

I thought back to the fact that I hadn't text him in months. We just lost contact. Long distance friendship was just hard. I actually missed him though. Deep down when I thought of him. I wonder how he's doing? Maybe I should text him!

So that's what I did. 'Hey Scott, it's Mitch. I know we haven't talked in a while and I was just wondering how you were? I've just graduated high school and am moving to LA in three weeks. So everything's good here. Hope you're doing okay.' I sent it without reading it through because I knew I wouldn't send it if I did.

I sat down again tucking the photos into the take with me box and continued emptying my room. But something had been aroused inside me. A feeling that I had not felt in a long time and I just couldn't pin point what it was.