Soul Search

And Just Like That, Everything Falls Apart

Greg showed me to this spot down the river where is was mostly rocks and sand, that way we couldn't accidentally start a forest fire. We sat in the shade and the grass while we watched the dress go up in flames. The two of us snaking on a basket of cookies we had stolen from the lunch. It was weirdly romantic.

"Would you consider this our second date?" I asked, "this feels like a date."

Greg nearly snorted up snickerdoodle. "Sure."

He seemed weirdly solemn, or at least quiet. Maybe I had just been hanging around Alex too much.

"You okay?" I asked.

He shrugged, taking my hand and leaning against my side.

"I don't know. It's gonna take me a while to get over this I think, that was once heck of a dysphoric experience." He sighed. "I'm not..."

He trailed off abruptly, shoulders tense. He bit his lip and looked down.

"Take your time."

"I'm not sure how much more I can take of living with them." He spat, unconsciously tightened his grip on my hand.

"You could always come live with me, if it came to that." I assured.

He looked up at me. "Really?"

"Oh yeah, my dad's been dying to meet you." I rolled my eyes. "It's like ninety percent of our conversations now. How's was school? Good. Was Gregory there? Yeah. Is that a new shirt? Yeah I just got it. Has Gregory seen it?"

Greg took in this information, he looked thoughtful. "Huh. I haven't exactly...told anyone about you, but I think my parents suspect. They're not entirely too pleased that I'm even friends with...what ethnicity are you exactly?"

"Hispanic-Arab."

"Yeah, much less date you." He sighed. "Lucy likes to think she's all high and mighty because she was the first to get a boyfriend, he's a jerk though, and not even her soulmate. I haven't seen him in a while and I'm glad."

I nodded. "I don't really like her either."

Secretly she reminded me of Maria, those two would hit it off immediately.

Greg drifted off again, his eyes glazing over as he stared up at the sky through the trees and smoke.

"I should come out." He sighed.

I stared at him in amazement. "Are you sure?"

He shook his head. "No. I want to, but I'm really scared."

I switched hands with his so I could wrap and arm around him and pull him close. He went to lean against me, but changed his mind and put his hands around my face. He pulled me into a kiss, soft, and gentle, like he was. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and leaned into it. He tasted like cookies and smelled like smoke.

"Micah..." He said slowly, foreheads touching. "I...I love you."

His glow flared noticeably and I felt a rush of...something. Whatever it was I wanted it to stay.