Tyler meets Josh when the older boy is clambering up a tree on the playground. They're not supposed to climb trees, but Tyler isn't a tattler, so he just stands there and pretends he's just looking at the tree as not to arouse suspicion from the teachers.
"Hi," Tyler says.
"Shh," the boy replies as he reaches up for a tree limb. "This is Very Important work."
Tyler nods even though the boy isn't looking and sits down.
A couple minutes later, the boy says, "Okay," and Tyler looks up to see him perched on the limb directly above Tyler.
"Hi," Tyler says.
"Hi," the boy says. "I'm Josh. I'm in first grade."
First grade? Tyler looks up at him in awe. "I'm Tyler," he says. "I'm in kindergarten." Josh nods, and Tyler feels very grateful when he doesn't make fun of him for being a baby.
"Do you like Very Important things?" Josh asks.
Tyler was so excited to be in first grade so he could be as old as Josh, and it really, really stunk to find out Josh went to second grade.
"Why did you do that?" Tyler asks him.
Josh shrugs. "I don't know."
"Well, don't do it again," Tyler says.
Josh nods. "Okay."
They sit in silence for a while. Josh's house is kind of dark, and Tyler likes that.
"We got a trampoline," Josh says, and Tyler's eyes widen, because everyone knows that trampolines are Very Important.
"Race you!" he says, jumping up.
Later, when Tyler's mother is driving him home, Tyler says, "I'm gonna marry Josh someday."
His mother smiles. "Why?"
"Because he's super fun to play with," Tyler explains, "and I want to play with him every day for the rest of my life."
"I didn't know that you're lesbian," Josh says.
Tyler blushes. "Lebanese," he mutters.
"Oh," Josh says. They're both quiet for a while, the creak of the swings the only sound. Swings, like trampolines, are Very Important. Tyler discovered this after Josh taught him how to swing without a push. "You know, it's okay with me if you're lesbian."
"Lebanese!"
"That's okay with me too," Josh tells him earnestly.
Third grade, as Tyler discovers, is a wild ride. Kids are meaner, teachers are meaner, and parents are meaner.
But Josh isn't meaner.
Josh brings Tyler cookies and a new comic book on December 31st even though it's New Year's Eve.
"Birthdays are Very Important," Josh tells him, cheeks tinged pink from the cold. "We're both nine now."
"I know," Tyler says, taking a bite of one of the cookies.
"I made them," Josh tells him.
"You did?" Tyler says, studying them.
"Well, Mom helped," Josh admits. "But I helped measure things."
