I was happy. It lasted for awhile. Him and I went to the same college, NYU. Two years after we got out of college, we got engaged. We had to wait a couple years for gay marriage to be legalized and to plan everything, of course. After we got married, we adopted a child. We named him Austin after his mom's dad. Shortly after we adopted Austin, I found out a dark secret about Dylan. When he was younger, his dad abused him. Never in a million years could I have guessed this. I felt terrible even though I knew their was nothing I could do to change the past. After a year or two of having Austin, Dylan started drinking. At first, it wasn't too bad, but it started to become worse and worse. The reason it became a problem was because Dylan was an angry drunk. Every day I would come home and if I didn't have dinner ready quickly, he would yell at me. As he drank even more, he became abusive. He would hit me, shove me into walls, and sometimes even push me down the stairs. I couldn't deal with it anymore, so I left. I planned it for months before I actually left. I called Colin and Ryan, now two of my closest friends, and asked if I could stay with them for a couple weeks. They said I could stay with them as long as I needed. I thanked them and hung up. Colin and Ryan had become two of my best friends because they Colin said I was the reason he felt confident enough to tell Ryan how I felt. Well, not really told, more of grabbed him and kissed him. Because of this, they felt they owed me a lot because I gave them their happiness. I was happy that they had finally woken up and realized they liked each other. I took a train to the town over where they lived. I stayed at their house with Austin for three weeks before I found an apartment. One of their neighbors was moving so interviewed for the apartment and moved in there. A couple months later, Jessica and Grace moved in across the alley. We lived there for awhile. We all got along, and we were all pretty happy. Eventually, Colin and Ryan moved followed by Jessica and then Grace. I was all alone in that apartment building. New couples would come and go, but I stayed. I skipped my ten year high school reunion because I was afraid Dylan might be there. I got full custody of Austin and was able to watch him grow up. Even he eventually left me. I never remarried or even dated anyone ever again. I decided I would travel the world. So, for the rest of my days, I took one trip a year. I started in the US and made my way east. I always wonder what might have happened if I had stayed with Dylan. I guess you never know how life will turn out. I married the man of my dreams only to find out it was to good to be true. Colin and Ryan, the two people that bullied me for being gay, married each other and became my friends. I lost touch with most of my other friends. I miss eighth grade. It was the best year of my life. All my friends were together, I was with a non-abusive guy, and I was happy. I've lived a full life, one with many regrets, but I will never regret leaving Dylan. When I look back at my life, I realize that the Dylan I fell in love with was a dream from my comatose state. The Dylan in real life was always mentally, verbally, and physically abusive to me. I know now that dreams are meant for sleeping, not reality. I only wish I had realized this sooner.
