Memories in Red

Chapter 1

Do you ever wish you could obtain a remote control for life?

Pause. Rewind. Play.

Damien Pleasant does.

If he could, he would go back to when everything was so perfect. To when he had a good head on his shoulders and could imagine a future as clear as day. The future he imagined always had one constant, no matter if he was 22 or 42, and that constant was Hayes Robertson.

Their relationship was a once in a lifetime love, Damien was sure of it. They met back in sixth grade and become best friends right away, instantaneously inseparable. Things began changing in eighth grade though. They were maturing and edging against the corners of themselves to find out who they were. Hayes ended up coming out to him over Christmas break, telling him that he had always liked boys instead of girls and that he was sorry if Damien hated him for it. Only... Damien didn't. He was already curious about his own sexuality and ended up realizing that he was bisexual not long after Hayes came out.

They started dating over the Summer before their first year of high school. It happened during Hayes' fifteenth birthday party when Damien was unintentionally flirting with another boy there.

"Do you like him?" Hayes had asked him, leaning against the counter in the empty kitchen as Damien scooped ice cream into a bowl.

"Of course not. I don't even know who that is. Its your party, remember?"

"I know, but you seemed to really like him when you were flirting with him outside."

Damien looked over with a raised eyebrow, placing the spoon in his bowl, "What? I wasn't flirting with him."

"So you don't like him?" Hayes glanced up, something written on his face that looked like hope. Damien wasn't sure.

"No."

"Do you like...anyone?"

Hayes looked incredibly nervous now. They never got nervous around each other so Damien decided not to tease him about it. Instead, he looked around the empty kitchen and gathered his thoughts. He could always just admit that did like someone and that it happened to be his best friend, but Damien didn't want to make it weird between them.

He hadn't even realized he liked Hayes until they had a sleepover before school started back after New Years. They were watching a movie and their fingers accidentally brushed while getting popcorn at the same time. That was the moment Damien noticed the way his heart always sped up when Hayes was around.

"I mean...I do like someone, yeah." Damien ended up saying, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Maybe it was now or never. He could always find a way to get their friendship back if it messed everything up, couldn't he?

Hayes stood there quietly, now staring at him like he was afraid to reply in case Damien changed his mind about telling him.

"Um. You, actually. Is that weird? It's weird, isn't it?" Damien rushed out, turning back to the bowl and scooped more into it. He couldn't bear to look at Hayes.

Silence filled the room for just a few moments before Hayes moved over next to him and placed his hand over Damien's, stopping him mid scoop.

"That's not weird, Damien. Unless you think it is because in that case Im just as weird as you are." Hayes spoke quietly, eyes locked on Damien's face. Even after that, Damien couldn't get himself to look up. He knew Hayes was staring at him. He could feel it.

"Oh." Damien breathed out, feeling like a huge block was lifted off of his shoulders.

"Oh? That's it? I just told you I liked you too." Hayes laughed.