1 Seeing an Old Friend

"Axel, come here for a minute please," says Axel's mom Emily.

"Coming... what do you want?"

"We need coffee, go and get some."

"Ok mom, I'll go get dressed."

Axel is a boy. He lives with his mother, and his father left them when he was 6. Axel is now 16, gay, and short. He likes to where girlish closes and because of it he got bullied, it was so bad he had to move a city over. Tomorrow is his first day at his new school, he has one friend there though. His friend Parker had to move 8 years ago, to that city because of his parents jobs. This was a dark time for Axel because his father had left and then his best friend moved. This gave the bullies more to feed off telling him everyone's going to leave and that no one want to be near him. Axel was only 8 at the time so it had a huge effect on him and his mental state. He never told his mother because he was afraid the bullies would go after her too, but one day she found out when she followed Axel to school one morning to see why he was always coming home beat up. When she found out she had a mental breakdown because she felt like she wasn't a good mother and she was a mistake. She almost left Axel on the playground thinking it would be better for him if she was out of his life but she then decided that she'd try to be better. She'd help Axel with anything he needed and support him through anything; homework, relationships, life. She promised herself that no matter what she'd never leave her son. She tries not to think of what would've happened if she left him in that playground alone and defenseless because if she did she knows that she wouldn't be able to handle the guilt of ever thinking that. Axel has always been relatively a good kid. He never did anything that would get his mom angry or anything that would hurt her feelings (or at least never did them purposely) because he was afraid that she'd leave him just like the bullies said and he didn't want to be alone so he listened to his mother. Axel had perfect grades to impress his mom and to make her want to stay, although he didn't have to try hard but he always tries to do advanced stuff. Axel's been smart ever since he was a kid but he thinks he wasn't smart enough to make his father stay so he tries extra hard, even if it's just a mini project that's for fun he puts lots of effort and hard work into them. He's always tried to do his best on anything even if he wasn't good at it. All the kids just saw him as a try hard and a teachers pet so no one really tried to know him. His classmates just made him feel more alone than he already did and Axel took it hard. He was always quiet and didn't talk unless it was to a teacher or a decent student. He was a loner in school but outside of school, like when he was with his mom, he'd talk a lot. He'd tell her about stories he'd read in class or when he went to the library. His mom had friends and sometimes he'd be brought along to have fun. Emily's friends didn't have any kids of there own but they treated Axel like they were the ones who gave birth to him. He called them his aunts and since his mom didn't know her biological family and his father never told Emily about his family, his aunts were the closest thing to relatives he had. Axel was always happy around them but sometimes he felt alone even though he was surrounded by everyone who loved him, he felt utterly and completely alone. So sometimes he'd just fake his smile or go to the bathroom and cry or worse cut. This is the one thing he would never tell his mother. Axel knew that if she found out she'd break worse than last time and he didn't want that to happen so he kept it to himself. Axel has moved 2 times already, so third times the charm right? Emily chose this town because it was supposed to be a small town without a lot of drama but little do they know.

"Mom, I'm ready what did u want again?"

"Just some coffee, please. Oh and take as long as you want. I think this would be a good opportunity to explore the town."

"Ok mom, be back in a few. Bye."

As I walk out the house and pull out my phone to look up where the closest café is. Oh it look like it's not to far from here. Ok well I should hurry it looks like it's gonna rain. As I walk to the café I see dribbles of rain. Should I go back? No, I told my mom that I'd get her coffee so I guess exploring the town will have to wait. But now the rains really coming down and I don't have an umbrella. It doesn't matter mom said she wants coffee so she's getting coffee! I continue walking but it gets harder and harder to see where I'm going. Should I turn around? I can't see so I guess so.

"Um excuse me sir but um come inside we have shelter from the rain and free umbrella"

Who said that? I turn around and look. The guy who called out looks around the same age as me and has brown hair. He's wearing a barista outfit. Does that mean he works at a café. Wait... I look up and see the café sign. This was the café I was looking for. So does that mean he works here. Should I go in? I mean it is raining pretty hard and I still need the coffee. I start walking towards the door.

"Hello," says the guy from earlier.

"Oh hi, so um are you guys open or...?"

"Oh yea do you want something?"

"Yea I'll have a plain coffee and a slice of cake please and thank you."

"Ok coming right up, sir,"

Now that I think about it something about this guy seems familiar. Something about his scar on his hand, why does it look similar to mine and who does it remind me of? Think think... come on think. Wait oh my god, it isn't is it? Well I guess there's only one way to find out?

"Um excuse me mister?"

"I know I work here but you don't have to call me mister I have a name and by the looks of it we're around the same age too but yea what do ya need?"

That attitude it's been so long since I've heard it and now that I think about it his voice sound the same too.

"Um hello," the guy waves his hand in my face.

"Oh yea um what's your name?"

"Kinda personal but the names Parker if you want to know."

"Parker I have a question."

"Ok say it"

"How'd you get that scar?"

"The one on my hand?"

I shake my head in a yes motion.

"Oh I got this when I made an oath to my childhood friend. I've had it for about 6 years now."

Omg it is him. It's Parker.

"Parker, it's me Axel," I say as I jump up and hug him.

"Axel bro is that really you? You haven't grown at all have you," Parker says playfully while laughing.

"Yes I have. I'm 5 foot and 5 inches," I say as I let out of the hug.

"So I guess that means I'm always gonna be taller than you because I'm 6 feet tall."

"Huh how that's not fair?"

"It's not like I can control my genes so stop your complaining and take your coffee and cake."

"Oh yea, I almost forgot about those thanks."

"No problem dude."

"I better text my mom to make sure she's not worried."

"So your still a mama's boy I see. Well ok do you want me to walk you home."

This reminds me so much of old times. I just hope that I don't fall for him again.

"Yea sure, and I told my mom I have a surprise for her. She's gonna be so excited to see you again. It's been like 6 years."

"Yeah, uh sorry for not reaching out much."

"No it's ok, what matters now is that we found each other just like the oath said."

"Yea, let me grab my stuff and we'll go to your house. Oh and I only have one umbrella so we're gonna have to to share."

"Oh ok, I mean we've seen each other naked what's wrong with sharing an umbrella right?"

"Yea."

Oh yea I forgot Parker doesn't know I'm gay. Should I tell him? No I don't want to ruin the moment, I'll just tell him later when the times right.

Parker and Axel walked back to Axel's house. Catching up on most stuff that had happened while they were apart. Axel didn't tell Parker about the bullies or the cutting and Parker didn't tell Axel his secret. It had gotten kind of awkward because Axel had suddenly stopped walking. Parker stopped as well.

"Axel, dude are you ok? Why'd you stop walking?"

"Um Parker, do you promise that you'll be my friend no matter what?"

"Yea dude you know that I would never leave, I'm not like your son of bitch of a father."

"Ok well what would you say if I told you I'm gay?"

"Well Parker your my best friend and we've been friends for a long time but...