Bandaid

January 2019

The beginning of January comes around and i'm still talking to Alex (now 19 years old.) At this point I already told him the truth about my age and that I was 16 and that my real name is Marco. To be honest at first I was kind of skeptical to share this because I didn't want to lie to him about me and who I was. I feared but when I told him the truth, his reaction made me smile because he told me that it was alright and that he wouldn't be mad at me for this. He cared and loved me so much to let such a little thing bother him. He was amazing. He works at Starbucks and when he would work he couldn't text as much. As much as I missed talking to him I had to understand well, work is important. I was also scared that maybe when me and him meet for the first time that things would be different. I was still on winter break. I didn't know what to expect. Eventually winter break ended and the week I go back to school I'll be able to see him on his day off for the first time. And that day was a day to remember. On January 10th, it was the day that me and him were to meet for the first time in the plaza near my school. The bell rung, my heart was beating fast. I was nervous not going to lie. That day as I was walking outside I had thoughts that maybe I should bail. I didn't. I didn't because well I knew he would be driving all the way down from Boynton to Boca. That long of a distance would be a waste if he didn't get to see me. As I approached the book store where I was supposed to meet him, I reach the second floor. The windows facing the parking lot were my only source to trying to see him beforehand. I get a message on my phone, he is here. I asked him where and he said he needed to use the bathroom and I decided to go downstairs to the bathroom to see him. As I was approaching the bathroom my heart was beating so bad. I was so nervous. I'm opening the bathroom door and just as I was opening the door, there he was, right in front of me. I don't remember what happens after but we leave the bathroom and we walk around the store. None of my friends were expecting to see me with him because I never told them. As me and Alex were walking around the store I see my friend Natalie looking at me from a distance with a confused expression on her face. I had to stop her from telling other people. I told Alex I had to be right back and I legit ran around the store finding her. Eventually I found her, I told her to keep everything a secret just for now. She said alright. As I returned to the area where I left Alex I see him browsing the book aisles. He see him and he sees me and I go back to him and we go around the corner of the aisle and he stands against the shelf. I move a bit closer to him and well then we kiss for the first time and well it was not just an ordinary kiss it felt special to me and I could tell that he felt the same way because then he sat on the floor still against the bookshelf and he pat his hand on the floor next to him indicating for me to sit next to him and I did. We were talking and I told him about my friend who saw us and how I was nervous and he was laughing about how nervous I was about meeting him. He told me that it was alright, still smiling at me. From that moment onward we continued to spend the rest of the afternoon together. We went into his car to talk more and we did kiss more there as well. He was hungry and asked me if I was hungry as well and I said "no I'm good!" He then asked if he wanted to go with him to get smoothies at this Smoothie place in the plaza. I agreed and we both walked there together. He bought me a small smoothie and he got one for himself too, along with a flatbread lol. As we sat inside the store I noticed he began to take his phone outside his pocket, he didn't think I noticed and he began to record us enjoying our meal and posting it on his story. I see him and I'm like "omg nuuuu" and he begins to laugh as he said "you're so cute". My friend calls me, it's Amanda, she asks me where I was. I said I was somewhere and then ended the call. We both had finished our meal at this point and I propose we walk to the book store where we first met that very day. As me and him approach we see my friend Amanda with another friend of mine exit to store walking our direction. With the puzzled look on their faces and proceeded to walk towards the both of us saying "hiii" and of course since none of my friends knew about my current relationship with Alex I of course introduced them to him and they weren't expecting this at all! I asked them what they were doing outside and my friend that was with Amanda said "oh we were going to stalk you!" As she said this Amanda showed me her phone screen showing the snapchat map with my bitmoji at the smoothie store me and Alex were at moments before. I was like "omg wow 😂". After all the introductions we all decided to go upstairs to the second floor of the book store. At the second floor we can see windows facing the parking lot of the plaza. It was a pretty scenery at this time of the day. The rest of my friend group was already up there minding their own business not knowing that I had someone else with me. As Me and Alex reach the window area he begins to express his affection towards me by hugging me and resting his head against mine. It felt really nice to feel happy once again with someone knowing that they care and love me so much. I was in love. And that day ended with me having to leave the bookstore, after I said my goodbyes to everyone there me and Alex go to the side and we kissed before I had to go. As I left the store I looked up to the second floor windows, and I saw Alex, looking down on me, making sure I was safe before I left the plaza.