This story is completely fictional. This is a love story between two high-school aged boys and their relationship, any relation to person's living or dead is coincidental. If the nature of the story offends you, or if you are under the legal age to view this content, I ask you not to read this. If you have any questions, comments or criticism, email me at loverboystory28@gmail.com.
The community park was Bobbie's favorite spot when he was younger, more of a nature preserve than a park, he would always drag me along with him when we would ride bikes in 8th grade. One time we had even got lost for a few hours, me bawling my eyes out as we went through the forest and came out on the other side at the sheriff's office.
Bobbie practically pulled me out of the car, rushing me out of my seat as he dragged me into the woods, for what, I had no idea. He took me a little beyond the woods on the outside of the park, where a family area had been made by clearing out the trees and covering it with grass. Bobbie plopped down on the ground at the center of the field, patting the place next to him; I followed close behind and sat carefully on the fresh greenery. Sitting there, we had let the awkward silence follow us from the car into the park. I would occasionally look at him, but he never seemed to return my gaze, as if his eyes were fixed ahead looking into the forest.
For the longest time, we sat in the field, watching the grass grow underneath us. Eventually he did speak, though his voice sounded uneasy, like it was sad and shaking.
"Hey, remember that time we spent my birthday in the woods?"
"Wasn't that the time we got lost and I cut open my leg? You swore up and down like you would carry me to the hospital, even though we were the same size."
That day, I had slipped crossing the tiny stream that went through the park, cutting my leg on the side of a rock that sat in the water, Bobbie freaked when he saw all that blood, but I told him I would be fine. I tied my sweater around my knee until we could find someone to look at it.
"I even have the scar to prove it, Mr. Wild Child"
I could hear that in his voice he had lightened up a little, though we were not facing each other.
"I was so glad you went with me, I know how much you hate being out here"
"You know that I love the park almost as much as you do, you monkey"
It couldn't be further from the truth; I had hated virtually any time spent without civilization, but the park, camping and the outdoors reminded me of Bobbie, so I could never turn down the opportunity to spend days alone with him in the woods.
"What did your dad say when we got home that day?" I continued.
"He told me I was a blockhead, but he was glad that we were okay, but your dad never let me do that again..."
I thought back to every time he would come to my house after running around in the woods. He would come over all dirty and sweaty and fill up my whole room with that intoxicating smell; a smell like the outside.
"Do what?" I was intrigued.
"Let us wander around in the woods like a bunch of animals, he said it was too dangerous" He turned to me and he smiled, his face like twinkling stars.
"Why would you need permission from my dad?"
I could tell I had asked a difficult question from the way it hit him, his face dropped as he looked away, letting the air hang quietly for a minute.
"Well... I asked him if you could spend the day with me and then sleepover that night, but then you got hurt..."
If I hadn't put it together before, I had in that moment; it was clear from the way he talked about it that it meant a lot to him, to ask my Dad if we could spend the day alone. Together. My heartbeat kicked into overdrive, creating a ringing in my ears as my cheeks turned bright pink, it was now or never. I had to choose, was he my friend, or could I risk it all for something so much better?
"I remember you bawling your eyes out that day too, under that crazy wild child exterior; you're just a big softie"
He was looking away from me, so I gave him a gentle push to jostle him back into reality.
"Sort of like that Valentine's Day last year?"
I could tell that got him, turning around to face me, his pretty, little cheeks held a deep blush, he tried hard not to make eye contact. He looked so adorable flustered that I was dying to kiss him, my heart fluttered for a moment as I was ready to give in to my feelings. All my doubts were pointless; I wanted him, there and now. I had made my decision and I was about to lean in, just as his phone rang and shattered the moment like glass.
"Hi mom... we're fine... we'll be back for dinner in a few minutes... love you too, bye." With the end of his phone call, he fell back into that wall of silence between us. I couldn't let this moment die, not when I was too charged with passion to hope to let this moment slip away.
Pulling his phone from his sweater pocket, I quickly raced through the songs on it; he sat looking at me, but did not say a word. Finding the perfect song, I let it play as I turned up the volume on his phone.
The loud electric guitar and whistling gave it away, it was "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, we both loved the song, though I never fully knew why until now. It fit the scene perfectly, and it showed him what I felt.
He looked at me utterly shocked, one of the few times I had seen that face in the entire time I'd known him. He was the calmest person I knew, for him to be generally surprised was insane. It was in the middle of the song that I saw the sun setting down on his face, the way it made his hair glow a golden brown as the light hit it, the way the shadow covered everything but his teal blue eyes. Without a second thought I leaned into him, knocking him to the floor as my lips finally met his.
We laid among the grass for what felt like an eternity, holding each other tight was we kissed. The music had ended ages ago, but we still sung it in our hearts. I had almost forgot to breathe before he broke us apart, gasping for breath. Bobbie had asthma since he was little, being outside was the only thing that made him feel better.
" You brought me out here just for this huh?"
Still struggling slightly to take in air, he laughed really loud, as if he held it in this entire time.
"I almost chickened out too. James Forrester, you don't know what you do to me"
He pulled me in close to him with one arm, falling into his chest, I could smell that same aroma he always had around him, like the grass and the dirt and the trees that had made up the park. We laid like that for a little longer as he hugged me close to him, watching the evening roll in.
Notes: Thank you for everyone who emailed me with praise about the first chapter, it really means a lot to me. There's much more in store for Jay and Bobbie, so I hope you'll stick around for the ride. This story was inspired as homage to the wonderful stories from nifty years back, especially It Started with Brian' and Quarterback with the Emerald Eyes'. The first in the high school section, the other has been turned into a book.