Beautiful Boy

six

"The view is really amazing here!" he exclaimed in excitement, looking back at me to see my expression,"everything is so pretty!"

"Haha, no," I responded, plopping down to the ground, sitting on the grass, "you're just seeing a small park where old people and kids come to play everyday. It's usually noisy as fuck here."

"Then why is there barely anyone here?" he asked curiously, before going back to clicking pictures of the sky.

"Because," I retorted, "it's almost 6:45. This is the time when mosquitoes are at their prime."

"Pfft-" he giggled, "that rhymed!"

I blushed, embarassed about how I was being around him.

I can't believe I just said that.

"Anyway," he said, looking at his phone for the time, "it's getting pretty late. We should head back soon."

"Huh? Oh yeah."

This all felt so natural back then, ever since we first met.

Kind of awkward, yet open.

Treading on thin ice, and then swimming in the deep ocean.

If we ever had an aesthetic to describe how we first were in front of each other, I'd like to think that it was a nice, cool breeze that refreshed your mind right away.

Or hands spread out, open to anything.

"I need to get home, quick," he looked worried, biting his lip, "my aunt's gonna kill me."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just smiled a bit.

"Oh yeah, what's your Instagram? I'd like to follow you, if you don't mind."

I just looked at him once more, embedding this moment into my mind.

He looked at me with these curious eyes, which were kind, and yet unafraid.

Most of the times, whenever two people first meet each other, it's really awkward. Now that I think about it, it's was never awkward between him and I, at least, not that much.

We exchanged our accounts, and then he waved me a bye before we parted ways.

I felt my heart thumping as I turned back, listening to the crashes of the waves onto the shore.

Is it always like this?

Being able to hear your heartbeat banging against your eardrums.

Am I flustered because I liked him or just because he was handsome?

I didn't know at that time, that then, I had gotten used to seeing his face in class.

Before that moment, I'd always see him, looking at him from afar as he talked to his friends animatedly, smiling and being loud.

He was nice, gentle and warm. That's the feeling he always gave off, making people attracted to him from left and right. They often clung onto him like a magnet.

And yet, on that day, when we first properly spoke to each other and hung out, he seemed different. Not exactly self conscious, but a little out of control. A little shy.

I walked home with fulfillment that day, with a warm feeling in my heart.

It may seem like I'm rushing, but remember, I've known him for weeks. I've thought about him for a long time.

So talking like that with him so freely that day just felt. . . .

Really, really nice.

I opened the door to my house, finding it unlocked with a pair of shoes outside.

"What are you smiling like that for?" my mother asked, making some nice dinner before my dad came.

"I'm just really happy."

I couldn't keep the excitement escape from my voice. Not all of it anyway.

"Good day at school?"

I smiled to myself, dazed.

"Something like that."