The Graduation

1 month later, graduation was just around the corner. After what happened at prom, everyone had respected Taylor much more now and Haden had attracted some new study buddies. Both boys were thriving in their own worlds, but at the end of the day, they always ended up gravitating towards each other.

Before graduation, their school was about to have a Grad Nite at an amusement park, which would be a perfect 1 month anniversary date for Haden and Taylor. In the meantime, they were happily spending time together on the school grounds. 

"So what happened today?" Taylor asked.

"Nothing much, I'm just checking up on my college applications to see if I've done everything wrong. Also I was really hoping I'd hear back from this one college. But I still got nothing back."

"You really don't have to work about any of that. For sure, you're gonna get accepted because you're Haden fucking Sallow. You always put your best effort into everything you do."

"Not our relationship though. I feel like I haven't done enough for you as a boyfriend."

"Trust me, you've done more than enough. You being my boyfriend has satisfied me enough."

"Oh, how did I manage to score a date with thee Taylor Fernsby?" Haden chuckled as he kissed Taylor in the midst of their busy atmosphere. 

Suddenly, they were approached by someone that Haden thought he'd never see again.

"Uh, hey Haden." he said.

"H-hello Ivan."

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay away from him." Taylor growled as he was prepared to fight the bully in front of him.

"I'm sorry, I just came by to apologize. I'm really sorry Haden for how I treated you. I was just really stressed with school that I chose to take my anger out on you. I know it's no excuse and I don't expect you to accept my apology, but I just really wanted to tell you this since the year was ending."

"So you're just apologizing to him because you're never gonna see him again?"

"Taylor, please. I appreciate the apology, Ivan, but you're right. I don't think I can accept your apology because you've caused a lot of physical and emotional damage to me. But I still think that in the end, you've helped me become stronger because of that. Still, I'm not thanking you for bullying me, but I just wanted to let you know that your actions did not make the impact that you had hoped for."

"I understand. Again, I'm deeply sorry. I guess I'll just leave you two alone now. I wish you both the best."

"Thank you, Ivan." 

Taylor didn't say anything, he just continued scowling at him as Ivan began to walk away from the couple. It was moments like this that made him realize how much of a better person Haden was than him. Haden was peaceful and forgiving while he, himself, held grudges and rage towards those who wrong him or to any of his loved ones.

"Haden, you know I love you, right?"

"Well yes, you tell me like a million times a day."

"Well this time, I genuinely mean it. I love you, Haden. I love you for being your beautiful, amazing self and not letting anyone break who you are. You are much stronger than you think."

"Taylor, you're making me blush. What made you say such things all of a sudden?"

"Just because. Whenever I look at you, it's like I always gain new things that I want to say to you. There's so much about you that deserves to be appreciated more."

"See, it's things like this that make me feel like I really don't do enough for you."

"Stop being silly." Taylor laughed as he ruffled Haden's hair.

"Guess grad nite is coming up. I was thinking it would be a perfect opportunity to spend our 1 month anniversary there."

"I think that's perfect."

"Okay, hopefully I don't throw up on you again."

"Don't worry I'll bring an extra shirt." Taylor joked with Haden punching his arm out of offense.

"Sorry." Taylor laughed.

"You can be such an asshole sometimes y'know?" 

"Hey!" Taylor yelled and began chasing after Haden while he ran away from him.

And so, the rest of the day goes and grad nite came quicker than expected.

The school arrived at the amusement park and everyone was going crazy over the amount of rides that they could go on. They had the entire park to themselves and people were filled to the brim with joy. The happy couple stayed behind the rest and didn't share the exact same feelings as the people around them as they were in their own little bubble. The two began to walk around the park and marveled at the rides that they would be able to go on together now. They had only talked for one school year, but their relationship had come such a long way in such a short amount of time. While it felt nice to finally be in a relationship, they both felt that space would of course be necessary, but now, it was their time to thrive in their own world.

"What do you wanna do first?" Taylor asked.

"I wanna go on that roller coaster there." Haden said, pointing at a roller coaster that seemed quite bland. It was questionable why they'd even allow it to be installed at the park in the first place.

"That one?" 

"Yeah, can we go, please?" Haden begged with his puppy dog eyes

Curse his adorable nature. It always brought Taylor down to his knees. Haden didn't have to try to be adorable at all, it was just part of his personality. 

"Fine." Taylor gave in.

"Yay! Come on!" Haden exclaimed as he dragged Taylor away with him.

Taylor suddenly had a funny thought on his mind. What if Haden wouldn't be tall enough to get on the ride. Taylor chuckled at his own joke and the couple had arrived at the ride. There was no line because who in their right mind would wanna get on it?

They were both able to get on it and were soon advised to put their seatbelts on. Once they've settled in, the ride was ready to begin. At first, it started off slow but it progressively got quicker as they passed by a few bumps. Soon, there were several twists and turns that didn't really have a huge effect, but it still definitely made you feel something. The ride repeated for a few more times and Haden was having the time of his life while Taylor started to feel sick to his stomach with all the motions going on in the ride. The ride soon ended and they both got off, one feeling relieved and the other not feeling their best selves.

"That was great! What did you think?" Haden exclaimed.

"I think I have to go to the bathroom or the nearest trash can."

"Did you really get motion sickness from that lousy ride?"

"Lousy? So you knew it was an absurd choice of roller coaster?"

"Yes! I wanted to start off slow." Haden said with a devious little smile.

"You little devil." Taylor croaked before running off to a trash can to throw up in.

"And I thought I was gonna throw up." Haden teased.

"Shut up." Taylor stabbed then continuing to throw up.

"You know, if you want, we don't have to continue going on the rest of the rides."

"No, if you want to go on all these rides then we'll go."

"I really don't want to put your health at risk though. I can just go on the rest of the rides with someone else."

"Who else could you possibly go on the rides with?"

"Bridgette, remember?"

"Oh yeah, but I really wanted to spend the entire day today with you since it's our 1 month anniversary."

"Don't worry, it'll only take half an hour for me to finish getting on all these rides."

"Fine, I'm really sorry I ruined our plans though."

"It's okay, we still have the rest of the night to hang out." 

"Okay then." Taylor sighed.

"I'm gonna call Bridgette now because I can't seem to find her anywhere."

"Okay."

Haden called Bridgette on his phone and within a matter of seconds, she picked up.

"What's up Haden?"

"Hello Bridgette, I called to ask if I could go on the remaining rides with you?"

"Why can't you go with Taylor? I thought y'all were dating now."

"We are, it's just that it turns out that he has motion sickness."

"Aw man, that sucks. I mean, sure I'll go with you. I was actually hoping to spend Grad Nite with Rick but he's too chicken to get on any of the rides so we've just been walking around."

"Oh, then that's perfect! Rick can keep Taylor company, I mean they're friends after all."

"Yeah! Okay, I'll go tell Rick and we'll be on our way. Where are you though?"

"I'm by the lousy roller coaster."

"What-oh wait, I see it. Did Taylor pick that roller coaster."

Haden looked at Taylor for a quick second before lying, "Yeah, Taylor picked it."

"Damn, he's not as cool as I thought then."

"I know right?" Haden laughed.

"Alright then, I'll see you later."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

Haden hung up and he could see the disappointment in Taylor's eyes.

"What?"

"You told her it was me that picked the ride, right?"

"What? No. We were talking about something else."

"Mhmm, sure."

"Please don't interrogate me like this. I'm starting to feel guilty for lying to her."

"And what happens if I continue, are you gonna end up telling her the truth."

"Well yeah?"

"Then imma keep guilting you to tell her the truth."

"Please don't."

"How could you lie to your first friend?"

"Taylor, oh my god, you're gonna get into my conscience."

"I hope that's not the only thing I'll be getting into."

"Oh my god, Taylor!"

"What?! Did you think wrong? Because I swear I had no dirty intentions when I said that."

"You're such a perv."

"Me? A perv?! The perv here is you." Taylor teased while going to hug Haden, "But you're my little perv."

"You're such an idiot," Haden said while hugging him back, "but you're my idiot."

Soon, Bridgette and Rick had arrived and caught the two in each others embrace.

"Aww, look at you two!" Bridgette said.

"I always knew you had a thing for him. I mean, it was pretty obvious with the amount of times you'd talk about him." Ricky said.

"Bridgette, I actually have something to say to you." Haden began.

"What is it?"

"I lied. Taylor didn't choose the ride, I did."

"Oh my god, that makes so much more sense! Taylor, you're back on my cool list."

"Thanks, Bridgette."

"Okay, so loser #2 is here to stay with loser #1." Bridgette said as she sat Rick next to Taylor.

"Hey babe." Rick whined.

"Don't you 'babe' me. You're a loser and you know it."

Rick hung his head in shame while Taylor patted his head for comfort.

"Alright, looks like it's you and me now. Come on!" Bridgette said to Haden.

"Okay! We'll see you later Taylor!" Haden said.

"See you, I'll miss you!"

"I'll miss you too!" Haden yelled back, but briefly went back to Taylor to kiss him on the cheek, "I'll be back sooner than you think."

"Okay, still, don't take too long." Taylor said.

"I'll try." Haden replied and went off with Bridgette to spend the rest of his Grad Nite having fun, but unfortunately, without Taylor.

Maybe this time off was necessary for both of them. They could have the time to remember who they were before they got in a relationship with each other. When getting in a relationship, it's always important to have space because if you were always with each other, then eventually you'd grow tired of each other. And no one likes a short lived relationship, especially if it took so long for it to come together. 

•♡•

I felt bad having to leave Taylor behind, but it was what was best for his health. I couldn't continue dragging him along if he was gonna keep throwing up after each ride we get on. This was the first time being apart from him since we started dating. For a whole month, we were always with each other. I'm sure I'll be fine being apart from him now, I mean we didn't talk for 10 years so a few minutes should feel like nothing, right?

"Come on, let's get on this ride!"

"Okay!"

I ran after Bridgette to get on our first ride of the night. This was gonna be fun, still wished I could spend this with Taylor though. 

Me and Bridgette got on the ride and we instantly put our seatbelts on. We were on the ride with several of our classmates. When I turned back, they instantly recognized me and noticed that I wasn't with Taylor.

"Hey, what happened to Taylor?"

"He got sick, so I'm going on the rides with my friend."

"Oh, I see. I still think you should've stayed with him instead of continuing to go on the rides with someone who isn't me. I think that's a pretty shitty thing to do as a boyfriend."

"Hey! You don't get to judge my friend's relationship like that! You have no say in what he should or shouldn't do." Bridgette defended me. Still, I couldn't help but think, were they right?

"Hey Haden, just ignore them. You're not a shitty boyfriend. You left him with his friend and Taylor was okay with you doing this. It'd be shitty if he told you not to and decided to disobey him. I think the key to a good relationship is compromise. So you two should be fine."

"You think so?"

"Yeah! Don't worry about it. Just relax and enjoy all the rides we're gonna go on. You'll be back to him in no time."

"Thank you so much!"

"No problem." Bridgette smiled.

She was right, she was such a great friend. I'm glad I had her by my side. She sure knew all the right things to say to calm me down.

The ride began and I just cleared my mind of any worries I had. It was my time to focus on myself now. Everything's going to turn out alright. As the ride went higher and higher, I could feel my heartbeat increase and I got this sudden adrenaline rush. Once we reached the top, the anticipation made my blood rush throughout my entire body and suddenly, the drop happened.

When we went down, I felt this feeling of freedom and I could feel all my worries go away. This was such a surreal and liberating experience, it was unlike anything I've felt before. For so long, I had all these feelings pent up inside of me that I didn't know how to let go of until Taylor talked to me. This roller coaster was like some sort of metaphorical emotional cleanse for me. All the different rides I was going to go on, each represented a different feeling I felt before and I was finally gonna go through them, literally. I was certainly going to feel like a new person after all of this.

When the ride ended, Bridgette and I felt so relieved, like a huge weight had been lifted off of our chests. Who knew I would be going through this emotional journey with someone else. Guess it was always nice to have a little company. 

"That was great! We should definitely go on that one next!"

"Okay!" I agreed.

At this point, I didn't care which ride we went on, as long as I was reliving these emotions every time.

For the rest of the night, we got on every ride and each one felt like a new experience each time. It was so exhilarating and breathtaking; I didn't know I was capable of feeling such emotions. Probably this night was never meant for me and Taylor, it was meant for my final moments of being alone. All my life, I've been alone and I wasn't going to be anymore. I gained friends and an amazing boyfriend, things couldn't have possibly gone any better. Haden the loner is gone now.

After we got on all the rides, Bridgette and I got some food and decided to just talk for a bit before going back to our lovers. We felt this time was crucial for ourselves before we went back to being trapped by a crazy thing called love.

"So how are things going with Taylor?"

"They are going really well. This past month with him has been amazing."

"I bet it has been, you're dating Taylor fucking Fernsby! He's like the coolest guy at school, not to mention the hottest too."

"I feel like that really never mattered to me though. I didn't fall for him because of his reputation or his looks, that just turned out to be a plus. I fell for him because of how he made me feel and just the way he takes care of me. He's the one person who makes me feel good about myself and one of the few people who cares deeply about me. I still don't understand how I got lucky enough to end up with a guy like him. It all just feels so overwhelming, kinda like a dream come true."

"I mean, I get what you mean. It's good that you're not into all that shallow shit, it means you genuinely love him for who he is."

"Yeah, how about you? How are things with Rick?"

"Well he's certainly...different, but I know he got his heart in the right place. He's a funny dude, and he's been such a gentleman. Kinda makes me question if I even deserve him."

"What do you mean?! I think whatever life throws at you, it's for a reason. If you ended up together, then it must be fate."

"I guess I see what you mean."

"Come on, don't be discouraged about dating him. I think you two deserve each other because you both care for your friends deeply."

"You're right, I do like him...a lot. It's just this whole dating thing is new to me."

"Me too! But look at me, I'm making it work with Taylor."

"Well that's because y'all knew each other your entire lives. It's like getting to know your crush for a long ass time before finally dating him. It's easier when you know everything about each other because you've built a bond and a foundation for your relationship. So your situation is completely different than mine."

"Still, I believe you two will make it work. Trust me."

"Thank you dude, you're a great friend."

"Same goes to you." I said as I hugged her, "By the way, Scarlette is your sister?"

"Oh yeah. I might've lied about my last name. I hate associating myself with that bitch."

"Oh, it's fine. I totally get it."

Bridgette laughed and said, "So you ready to head back?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Taylor misses me a lot right now."

Bridgette laughed and so we headed back to our lives, where we were no longer gonna be alone anymore because we had someone to love and someone who loved us back.

•♡•

Haden had only been gone for a few minutes and I already missed him like crazy. Here, I was stuck alone with my best friend, Rick. Don't get me wrong, I love him but right now, I didn't want to be with anyone but Haden. I wonder if this time apart from him was meant to mean something. I mean, I don't think I needed time away from him, I needed more time with him. There's 10 years worth of conversation that we were missing.

"Hey bro, are you okay?" Rick suddenly asked me. He must've noticed how distraught I've been.

"No, I'm not okay. I really miss Haden."

"Come on, you gotta pull yourself together. You know you can't be so dependent on him, you gotta remember that you're your own person. You literally lived 10 years without him, what's so different about now?"

"The difference is that he's in my life now and he hasn't been with me for 10 years. Now that we're together, I just wanna take advantage of the time we have now."

"I get where you're coming from, but you two are gonna have plenty of time for the rest of your lives to be together. Those 10 years don't mean a thing because they're in the past. You're in the present now, and in the present, you two are together now. Shit, you still have the future to look forward to and your future is long as fuck. You're still young, quit acting like you're about to die tomorrow."

"Look, I get what you mean, but I don't know, I just kinda feel guilty."

"Guilty? What are you guilty about?"

"Well we weren't talking during the time that he was mourning his mother's death. We weren't talking when he was struggling with the transitions between elementary to middle to high school. We weren't talking when he was being bullied in high school. There was so much I missed out on his life and I just felt so guilty for not being there for him for any of that. I didn't protect him when he needed it most. Do you understand how helpless that makes me feel? This entire time he was in pain while I was being pampered for my popularity and good looks. He got the short end of the stick and he had to just deal with it. He really believed that he deserved all of that when he didn't deserve a single bad thing that came to him. Honestly, I just wished the roles were reversed if it meant he would live a safe life being happy."

"Wow man, that was pretty deep. You must really love the dude."

"Of course I do. He just makes me feel happy, like he has no idea how much he means to me. It's much more than he could possibly imagine."

"You're a huge softie and I love that about you, but I still think you should learn to depend less on him. Y'know like doing the things that you usually like to do when he isn't around."

"I know what you mean. I could get back into sports like I used to."

"Yeah dude, you were great on the soccer team! You could also get into basketball because you're hella tall. How tall are you even?"

"I don't know man, it's been a while since I've been measured."

"Ah whatever, that doesn't matter. But seriously dude, you should get back into sports. You should continue playing in college."

"College...I don't even know which one I'm going to. I wanna go to the same college as Haden too, but it's most likely gonna be some prestigious university that's too hard to get into."

"I mean, hopefully you guys don't end up having a long distance relationship because I heard those suck."

"Yeah, that's what I heard too. Whatever happens, I hope me and Haden will be able to work things out."

"I think you two will be fine, but I definitely recommend looking into athletic scholarships or something."

"Thanks for the advice and you're right, I get what you're trying to say. Every relationship needs some space. I'm sure if I'm constantly hovering around Haden, I'm sure he'd get annoyed with me and therefore, end with him breaking up with me."

"Yeah, when you put it like that, it should definitely stick to you now."

"Thanks for snapping me back to reality, bro."

"No problem, bro." 

We hugged it out and from there and I knew what I had to do now. I'm glad Rick and I had this conversation. He was a lot more insightful than I thought, I felt bad for underestimating him. He's a better friend than I could ever be. From the start, when we first met in middle school, I knew I did not deserve him. At the time, I was going through a lot emotionally and I didn't really have anyone to talk to. Sure, a lot of people thought I was cool and they all wanted to talk to me, but I doubted anyone wanted to hear my personal life story.

Rick was the one person who actually cared and it made me feel good. I think that's why I did it so much to Haden because I know how lonely he's been for most of his life. Not having anyone to talk about your feelings to, it gets tough when you're dealing with it on your own. I think I haven't done it to Rick enough times because I probably have always been complaining about my problems to him and not once, have I asked how he was doing. Maybe now was one of those times to ask him.

"Hey, how's your life been?"

"Oh, it's been alright. Nothing interesting has been really happening."

"Oh really? Then what's the deal with Bridgette?"

"Oh," he suddenly blushed, "well she's great, dude. I just feel like she's way out of my league. She's so funny and pretty, she's unlike any girl I've met before."

"She sounds special, you should definitely hold onto her. I think you two would be good for each other."

"Really? Well I just don't know if she feels the same. It's kinda hard to tell with her."

"I think you should ask her how she feels. Don't avoid the subject, I think it's necessary to be honest with each other from the beginning of a relationship."

"You're right. Thanks so much, dude. When she comes back, I'm gonna be honest with her and ask how she feels."

"That's great, dude! Speaking of which, here they come now."

I beamed at the sight of Haden but I reminded myself that I had to be respectful of his boundaries now. I wouldn't want to lose him again, especially if it was my fault. There were so many ways to mess up my relationship with him and I didn't want to do any of them because I loved him. Keeping this relationship alive might require a lot of work, but I was prepared for it because it was worth it. Haden was worth it.

•♡•

The couples were together again with each pair having a lot on their mind. However, it was Haden and Taylor that had the most to talk about as they had a lot to unpack.

"Hey, I have something to talk about with you." both boys said in unison.

"Well you go first." both boys said in unison again.

"You go first." Taylor said while scratching his head.

"Oh, well I wanted to let you know that I'm really grateful that you're in my life. Also you've helped me a lot with getting to know myself emotionally. And I just wanted to let you know that whatever comes in the future, I'll be ready for it because I have you now. You're much more important to me than I thought. Oh, by the way, you should know I just don't like you for your looks, I like you for who you are. You've always been so protective of me and I really appreciate that about you. Now what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Well I was gonna say that I know that there are boundaries that I gotta respect. Like I really don't want to become overbearing, so if that's what you want, then I'll start doing that."

"Oh, I mean I never minded you constantly being around me, but I can see where you're coming from. You still have a life of your own that you gotta live."

"Yeah, thanks for understanding. But still, what you said earlier is highly appreciated. I didn't know I did so much for you."

"Well that's just the truth."

"I love you so much."

"I love you too."

The two boys hugged and turned to the other couple next to them.

"How did things between you two go?" Taylor asked.

"They went great actually." Rick replied.

"Yeah, I think we're officially dating now?" Bridgette added.

Haden laughed and said, "You two will be great together."

"Thank you so much guys for helping us." Rick said.

"Yeah guys, thank you, I feel like without you two, we would've been stuck in this awkward position but now that we worked things out, we're better now." Bridgette said.

"No problem you two, you're both our friends and if you two are happy with each other, then we're happy for you." Taylor replied.

"Yeah, just like Taylor said, I think you two definitely deserve each other." Haden added.

"Again, thank you. I'm so glad we all met each other before graduation. It's just gonna make it much more memorable for the four of us." Bridgette replied.

"Yeah, I think so too." Rick agreed.

"I'm pretty sure the night is coming to an end soon. We should probably head back and meet with the rest of our school." Taylor said.

"I think so too. Come on guys." Rick said.

And the group of friends all headed back to their classmates just to call it a night. They knew the night was meant to last longer, but they thought it was best if things ended now. In a few days, graduation was going to happen and decisions were yet to be made and goodbyes were yet to be said. For this group of friends, they had no idea how memorable their senior year would be. They were all equally grateful that they had each other in their lives and in more ways than one, they helped each other grow. Now their next and final mission with each other was to walk the stage and turn to the next chapter of their lives.

•♡•

It was now graduation day and Taylor and Haden were changing into appropriate attire in their own rooms. When they finished, they both actually came out at the same time. They were both stunned by the others attire. They couldn't believe that they were gonna graduate together now. The couple walked towards each other and gave each other a big hug. While in the embrace, a sudden realization had come over them. 

"Wait, when are we gonna tell your mom that we're dating?" Haden asked, " I mean, are we even gonna tell her?"

"I think we could tell her today. It'll be one helluva graduation present for her."

"You really think so?"

"Yup, I honestly don't think she'll be against it. I mean, she's always wanted us to be close and we ended up getting way closer than she anticipated."

"I don't know, I still kinda feel like she won't be okay with it."

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Taylor said as he kissed Haden's forehead and continued hugging him. 

"Do you think we should start heading out?"

"Yeah, probably. Imma go tell my mom that we're ready."

"Okay then." 

Haden had this sinking feeling that Taylor's mother might not approve of their relationship. It's not that she was homophobic, she would probably just think the relationship is strange because she always thought of them as her sons. He couldn't imagine the reaction she'd have if she finds out they were lovers instead of brothers. The whole thing just felt strange in Haden's head. 

Suddenly Taylor came back and held Haden's hand. 

"She's coming right now. I think now would be the time to tell her."

"Right now?! I thought it would be better to tell her after we graduate!"

"I think it's better she sees the real us graduating instead of the us she thought she knew. Don't you think so?"

Haden squeezed Taylor's hand tighter and said, "Yeah, let's do it. Let's tell her."

"Okay then." Taylor replied then kissing Haden's cheek.

Suddenly Ms. Fernsby came in and saw the two holding hands and she looked very puzzled about the state the two were in.

"What's going on with you two?"

"Well mom, Haden and I have something to tell you."

"What is it, Taylor?"

"Taylor and I are dating." Haden replied quickly.

"W-what? Taylor, is this true?" 

"Yes, it is mom. Haden and I are in love. We've always been since we first met." 

"W-wow, I'm...this is such a surprise. All this time I was pushing you two to be brothers when I should've known all along that you two never saw each other that way. That explains why you had that fight with me, Taylor. You didn't want him to be your brother because you hated him, it was because you loved him." Ms. Fernsby started tearing up and the boys went to comfort her by hugging her, "I'm so sorry boys, if I made you think that I only wanted you two to be brothers. I just never thought of the possibility that you two could fall in love. Gosh, the world is changing so quickly and I'm still struggling to catch up."

"It's okay, mom, you don't have to be so hard on yourself." Taylor said, "It's not your fault, you didn't know."

"Well I'm glad you two are at least happy with each other. How long have you been together?"

"It's barely been a month, Ms. Fernsby. And it's been a great month with him so far. You've raised a very kind boy and I'm glad to have him by my side. He's helped me in more ways than I thought."

"I'm glad to hear it. Oh, I love you two very much." Ms. Fernsby said as she hugged the boys closer to her, "Thank you so much for taking care of each other. Guess I won't have to worry about you two going off to college now."

"About that. Mom, I don't even know if me and Haden are going to the same college."

"What?! Who's gonna take care of you now?!" 

"Wait, Taylor, what are you talking about?" Haden asked. 

"I don't think we'll be able to go to the same college because you're most likely gonna get into some highly prestigious university where smart people like you can go. But I won't be able to go with you since my grades are barely average." 

"Taylor, don't worry about that. I'll go to a college that I know you're capable of going to."

"That's the thing, I don't want to hold you back. If you get accepted into that university you really wanted to go then I suggest you take it. We'll be fine, I'll be fine. I've been looking into some athletic scholarships to get into college. I'm gonna continue doing sports so I have something of my own to focus on since I've seemed to only be focusing on you."

"That's great! I'm glad to hear that you're finding your own thing to be passionate about. I've heard that you were a great soccer player back then."

"Yeah, I remember when you used to play soccer. Why did you suddenly stop?" Ms. Fernsby asked. 

"I think I lost the motivation. Back then, I went through a really hard time. I think I was depressed but I didn't know why."

"Nobody really knows why they're depressed, it just happens. How has it been recently?" Haden asked. 

"I mean, I haven't been feeling sad lately. Ever since you and I started talking, I've been feeling a lot better."

"You don't necessarily have to feel sad, how about your thoughts? What are they like?"

"Well sometimes, when you're away, I start having these negative thoughts that you'll leave me someday. And I keep thinking that something wrong will happen to you when you're gone and I just start panicking."

"You probably have abandonment issues."

"Abandonment issues?" 

"Yeah, I don't know why though."

"I think I know why." Ms. Fernsby suddenly interrupted, "It's because of his father. I've never let you two have a proper goodbye. Also I never really told you why we divorced."

"What happened, mom?"

"You see, your father was a man with a lot of power and money. At the time, when I met him, I didn't know. He looked like every other idiot at the bar. When he approached me, I thought he was someone who was barely living on the minimum wage. Not long after, we hit it off and we began dating. Later, we got married and then you were conceived. From there on, your father knew he had to tell me the truth. He told me he came from a rich family and insisted that you became the next heir to his family to live on the family name. However, I had my own ideas for your future. I wanted you to live an ordinary life. I didn't want you to be raised rich because you would've turned out to be some greedy brat. I wanted you to have the best future possible, but I wasn't gonna let you take the easy way out. By the time you were born, your father and I fought constantly about what we wanted to do with you. We always tried looking like the perfect parents to you, but when you weren't around, a lot was happening. Sometimes, he would barely come home and would stay at work overtime. And every time he came back, he would be drunk. Eventually, I got tired of his crap and told him I wanted to divorce and so we were separated, but the divorce wasn't finalized until a few years later. He kept holding off on signing the papers because deep down, he still loved me. But still, I think you've had abandonment issues since he left and I guess you thought everyone would leave you eventually. It is true but it would never be your fault, I think you should be able to talk to your dad now. If you want, I still have his phone number."

"It's fine, mom. I don't wanna speak to him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I don't need him in my life.  Besides, I think I'm going to start handling my issues on my own now."

"Still, I think you should meet with him, just for some closure." 

Ms. Fernsby gave Taylor his father's phone number and looked at it thoughtfully. Maybe his mother was right, closure was what he needed to finally put the past behind him. 

"Thanks mom, I'll think about it."

"Okay, good. So are we gonna head out now?"

"Yes." both boys said in unison. 

"Alright, let's go." 

They left the house and drove off to their high school, which they would see for the last time. When they arrived, everyone was outside wearing their caps and gowns. Some were with their friends and some were with their families. The sight was quite special and endearing, seeing as everyone was about to move on to their adulthood. It was definitely something you had to see to believe. The boys put on their caps and gowns then got out of the car while Ms. Fernsby stayed a bit behind, watching the two walk off together. She couldn't help but capture the moment and did the signature mom move.

"Boys, come on! Lemme take a photo of you guys!"

Both boys groaned and faced Ms. Fernsby.

"Come on, smile!"

The boys forced a smile, but Taylor secretly decided to tickle Haden and left him bursting out in laughter in the middle of the photo.

"Hey!"

Ms. Fernsby looked at the photo and laughed at the result.

"Oh my gosh, Haden, you look so funny."

She showed the photo to him and he turned bright red.

"Ms. Fernsby, could you do a retake?" he asked shyly.

"Of course, sweetie. Alright boys, pose for me."

Both boys held hands and this time, they felt truly happy. Taylor could feel the warmth of Haden's hand and Haden felt his firm grip on his hand. The two knew that they were complete with each other now and knew that nothing could change that now. After Ms. Fernsby took the photo, she looked at it and she could clearly see the love in their eyes when they were looking at each other. She was happy to see that the two bonded after all, even if it wasn't what she expected.

"Alright, I think it's time for you to two to head in. I'll go in and find a seat in the audience."

"Okay, mom." Taylor said.

"We'll see you later then, Ms. Fernsby." Haden replied.

"See you later, I love you two very much." she said and hugged them before letting them go on to their ceremony.

She had this heavy feeling in her chest, watching them go away. They had grown up so fast and she wasn't ready for them to leave yet.

The boys arrived at the auditorium and sat in their assigned seats. They were unfortunately a bit far from each other, but they at least still had someone nearby to talk to.

"Oh my god, hey Bridgette!" Haden exclaimed.

"Hi Haden! I guess having Scarlette's last name might've come in handy after all."

"What are the odds that we'd be next to each other though? Actually, wasn't Scarlette supposed to be between us?"

"Yeah, but she's still in the hospital with her broken back so she's gonna be graduating via live. The staff got her scheduled for later."

"Oh, I see. Even though I'm supposed to hate her, I can't help but feel bad for her."

"Ugh, you're too much of a nice person sometimes."

"I'm sorry."

"Also stop saying sorry."

"Oh my god, sor...I apologize?"

"You're such a goof." Bridgette laughed and Haden laughed along. 

He was fortunate to have a friend like her because she made him feel less lonely and more confident too. She was like the perfect hype person. He was sad that they might lose communication after this, but he hoped they would exchange a few text messages here and there.

Meanwhile, Taylor could literally talk to anyone he wanted, but he only wanted to talk to Haden or Rick. Then again, this could be a perfect opportunity for him to practice his people skills. He couldn't live the rest of his life relying on the same people so this would help him immensely.

"Hey."

"Oh my god, Taylor Fernsby is talking to me. Ahhhhh!!"

"On second thought, nevermind."

Maybe now wasn't the time, college would go much better where no one knew him. Being popular in high school sure had its disadvantages when it came to making friends, you would only attract the people with selfish intentions.

The principal soon came up on stage to announce the start of the ceremony. 

"Hello students and parents, it is my pleasure to announce the beginning of our graduation ceremony!"

Everyone cheered and some students were much louder than others, which annoyed some people around them.

"Anyways, let's begin!"

And so it began, the group of friends each patiently waited for their names to be called and the first of the four to go up was none other than the strange Rick Cochran.

"Rick Cochran."

"Woo! Let's go! Officially walking the stage! Look mama, I made it!"

In the distance, Rick's mom was cheering for him and crying tears of happiness.

The next of the four to go up was the popular Taylor Fernsby.

"Taylor Fernsby."

Everyone cheered loudly, but nothing compared to Haden's loving cheers of joy. He was watching his childhood friend, now boyfriend walk the stage. He couldn't believe how far they've come. 

As Taylor walked across the stage, he looked at Haden and gave him a warm smile that made Haden's heart melt. Despite his cold nature, he had a very warm and caring heart, at least for him the most. 

"I would like to thank the people in my life who love me unconditionally, I couldn't have made it without you. I especially would like to thank my childhood friend and boyfriend, Rick Cochran and Haden Sallow. Thank you, Rick for being there for me during my darkest times and for encouraging me to be myself. And thank you, Haden for being your amazing self and persuading me to be a better person. Because of you, I found a purpose for my life and the motivation to continue doing what I love."

As Taylor walked off the stage, everyone applauded in response to his speech.

The next of the few was Bridgette.

"Bridgette Rosales."

Bridgette got on stage and people clapped for her while she prepped to say her speech.

"I would like to thank everyone for giving me the best 4 years of my life. I had a fun and memorable time with you. I'll miss you all, but I'll miss my dear friend, Haden, the most. Hope we can talk more after graduation, man. Oh yeah, I forgot, Rick, you better be prepared for all them dates over the summer."

"Yes baby!" Rick yelled in the crowd.

Bridgette laughed and continued, "Again, thank you all, it's been a pleasure."

The crowd cheered and the last of the few was Haden.

"Haden Sallow."

As Haden walked up to the stage, he could hear the loud cheers from Taylor. They were almost embarrassing. He laughed and once he got on the stage, he thought of what he wanted to say and eventually knew the right words to say.

"Hello fellow classmates, I can't really say I had the best time here as during my first 3 years, I was bullied and a loner. I was completely invisible to you all because I spent my time studying instead of socializing. It wasn't until senior year, that my world had been completely flipped upside down. Taylor came along and I learned that there was more to life than just academics. For so long, I was so focused on my future that I forgot to live in the now. While we may have not been friends, I do appreciate your support for my relationship with Taylor. But I know that all the sudden interest in me is only because I'm dating Taylor fucking Fernsby, so in conclusion, I want to say this. Fuck all of you except for Taylor, Bridgette, and Rick. Thanks to those three, I know what true love and real friendships are. Thank you for making me an outcast. Taylor, as always, I love you and thank you for bursting my bubble."

When he walked off the stage, the crowd was silent until Taylor started to applaud him for the sudden confidence he had while on stage. Soon, Bridgette and Rick followed suit because they thought what he said was bold and that it was the actual truth too. The rest of the crowd decided to follow suit too, so it wouldn't be so awkward anymore.

The rest of the ceremony continued and in the end, the four friends met up one last time. 

"Wow Haden, that was one helluva speech. Where did all of that confidence come from?" Bridgette asked.

"There were so many things I wanted to say, but I thought all I had to say was the truth. It did take a lot of guts for me to say, but it certainly felt relieving afterwards."

"Bro, that was awesome though. You a real one for that."

"Thanks, Rick."

"I...am at a literal loss for words, I don't know what to say. I didn't expect that from you, but I liked it. I could tell you had this passion in your eyes when you said it. Guess this definitely means you won't be as much of a pushover like before." Taylor commented.

"Yeah, I guess so, but it's all because of you. You're the reason why I want to put myself out there more. You helped me get to know myself better, and now I want to improve myself too."

"That's great! Eventually, you won't need me to protect you anymore though." Taylor pouted.

"It's okay, there'll be situations where I'm gonna need you. Trust me." Haden said and then hugged him afterwards. 

"Guess this is goodbye." Bridgette said.

"Yeah, I guess so." Haden replied, "I'm gonna miss you."

"Me too, we should definitely hang out over summer."

"Yeah, we definitely should." 

"Well dudes, gonna miss you. Bridgette, lemme know when our date's gonna be. I'll pick you up."

"Okay babe, bye." Bridgette said as she kissed his cheek, and he was the first to leave.

"Well, it was nice knowing you, Taylor. You were way cooler than I thought you'd be." Bridgette said with a small laugh.

"Thanks, you're pretty cool too. Thank you for keeping Haden company when I can't."

"No problem dude, you two definitely deserve each other. Well imma head out now, my mom's waiting for me in her car."

"Okay then, bye." Taylor said and hugged her.

"Bye Bridgette." Haden said and hugged her too.

"Bye guys, I wish you two the best." Bridgette said and was the next to leave now.

"Well looks like it's just you and me now." Taylor said.

"Yeah, let's go home now." Haden said with a small smile.

The two held hands and headed home together, with nothing but the future ahead of them.

•♡•

1 month later, it was Taylor's birthday and Haden was busy preparing his birthday cake. Even though he said he wasn't much of a sweets person, he was still determined to bake the perfect cake for his birthday. Plus, he would just end up having more cake for himself. However, time was not on his side today. Taylor was out at an interview for an internship. The college thing didn't work out so for now, he'll be trying to earn money to pay off his tuition.

For Haden on the other hand, he was recently accepted into his dream college. The good thing is that it wasn't too far from home, but it still meant he had to dorm, which Haden was struggling with to pay off. So he was at risk of having to drive to college for two hours every morning.

Ms. Fernsby suddenly came to warn Haden of how much time he had left.

"He said he's on his way right now."

"Oh my god, I probably have like 20 minutes left."

"If you want, I can help."

"Please do."

Ms. Fernsby quickly assisted Haden with what was left for Taylor's birthday. It felt like time was going by much quicker than usual, which always seems to happen at the most inconvenient times. Why couldn't that happen during class?

The two suddenly heard a car pull into the driveway and they panicked, there was still some time left on the oven. 

"I have an idea, I'll go distract him!" Haden suggested.

"Okay, I'll stay here and finish up."

"Alright, thank you so much!" Haden yelled as he ran out the door and found Taylor barely getting out of his car. In the midst of his panic, Haden almost tripped on a stone and Taylor quickly caught him before he fell.

"Thank you so much, I almost broke a bone there." Haden said awkwardly.

"What is going on? Why were you running?"

"Oh, no reason. I was just really happy to see you again." Haden lied and quickly decided to kiss him in hopes he'll forget about the questions on his mind.

When they pulled away from the kiss, it was clear that Taylor could not be fooled.

"I know what you're trying to do. Now tell me what's going on."

"Nothing is going on." Haden's voice cracked.

"Your voice cracked, you must be lying."

"I'm not."

"Tell me or I'll have to tickle you until you do."

"Please don't tickle me, you know how I get. I'm like, dangerously ticklish. If I end up kicking you, then it's your fault."

"I don't care. If that's what it takes to get the truth from you then so be it."

"Please don't." 

And so, Taylor began to tickle him and Haden's uncontrollable laughter started to ring throughout their entire neighborhood.

"Stop! Oh my god, I'm gonna hurt you!"

"Tell me what's going on!"

Suddenly, Ms. Fernsby came to save the day.

"Boys, come inside."

Taylor stopped tickling Haden and let him go, "You still didn't tell me what's going on."

"You'll see." Haden said as he went into the house.

Taylor followed him in and found the house completely decorated with birthday decorations. There were gifts on the table and there was a cake sitting in the middle of the room, which he assumed was baked by Haden.

"Oh my god, you guys. I forgot it was my birthday today."

"You usually do." Ms. Fernsby commented.

"I baked you a cake even though I remember you said you didn't like eating sweets."

"Well if it was baked by you, then I'm gonna eat it. I'm not gonna let your hard work go to waste."

"Really?!" Haden exclaimed with his eyes sparkling.

"Yeah." Taylor chuckled and hugged Haden.

"Okay, it's time to cut the cake then!" Ms. Fernsby said.

They huddled around the cake and began singing Happy Birthday to Taylor. While they were singing, he thought of what he would wish for, and he had got it. When they were done singing, Taylor made his wish and blew out the candles. Ms. Fernsby and Haden applauded and began to cut the cake. Everyone took a slice and all moaned in satisfaction of how good it turned out.

"This is a really great cake! Oh my god, Haden, you're literally so good at everything you do." Taylor exclaimed and hugged Haden really tightly.

"N-no, I'm not." Haden said shyly while blushing.

Taylor laughed and kissed him, "I guess now it's time for gifts."

"Y-yes." Haden said.

Taylor went to grab his first gift and opened it. It was a soccer ball, which he guessed was from his mother.

"Wow, thanks mom! I'll definitely need this for college." Taylor laughed and hugged his mother.

"No problem, sweetie." Ms. Fernsby said with a smile.

Next, Taylor opened his next gift, which he was sure would be from Haden. In it, he got a pendant and when he opened it, it was a picture of them when they were kids.

"Haden, where did you get this picture from?"

"Ms. Fernsby gave it to me. I remembered we had taken a picture together before we stopped talking to each other. I always had the picture with me in my room because I've always missed talking to you."

Taylor started to tear up and hugged Haden, "We're not gonna lose each other again, I promise."

Haden started to tear up too and hugged him back, but a bit more tightly. For so long, he wanted to feel his touch again and now he knew they weren't going to be separated again. Taylor thought back to wish and knew he had made the right decision. He wished that Haden would always be happy, even if he wasn't with him anymore.

•♡•

Taylor finally gathered up the courage to call his father and picked up the phone to call him. The line rang for a few minutes before he eventually answered.

"Hello?"

"H-hey, is this Sebastian Coldwell?"

"Yes, this is him speaking. Who is this?"

"It's Taylor Fernsby. I'm your son."

"Taylor? Why are you calling me? Does your mom know this?"

"Yeah, she gave me your number. She thought if I talked to you, I'd be able to gain some closure."

"Closure? What about?"

"I used to struggle emotionally after you were gone. I think I ended up developing some sort of abandonment issues and I think it's because I thought it was my fault that you left. But mother explained everything to me, and she said she felt guilty for not letting us have a proper goodbye."

"Oh, I see. That's quite a lot you got there, son. I'm sorry you went through that, but if there's anything I can make up for it then just say the word."

"Actually, there is one favor I wanted to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"I want an apartment, do you think you could get that for me?"

"Of course, son. What kind do you want? Do you want a penthouse?"

"No, an ordinary apartment will do."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I don't really wanna ask too much of you."

"Well okay, son, whatever you say."

"I guess this is goodbye then?"

"Yeah. Again, I'm sorry, son for any pain I've put you through. These past 10 years, I've started learning from my mistakes and I think your mother was right to not have you be raised rich. You've turned out to be a finer young man than I am. I hope you stay the way you are now."

"Thanks dad, it really means a lot."

"You're welcome, son. Well goodbye then."

"Bye." Taylor said and hung up. 

For so long, he thought of what he wanted to say to him and yet he didn't say any of it. He still felt this overwhelming feeling of relief now that he talked to him. Maybe things would be better now.

Meanwhile, Haden started his first day of college and everything was completely different than he expected. It was a lot to take in, but he was sure he'd be able to fit in eventually. He went to his classes and found them pleasantly interesting, he was definitely looking forward to his first year in college. 

He headed to the cafeteria to get some lunch because it had been such a long day. He ordered a lot because he was pretty much starving at this point. After he got his order, he was about to sit at a table, just when he ended up bumping into someone. He almost dropped his lunch on them and he panicked. So much for being more confident in college.

"I'm sorry!" Haden said.

"It's fine." they said with a small laugh.

Haden looked at the person and saw a boy looking back at him. He had really nice facial features that almost completely took him by surprise. At the same time, his face looked really familiar. It took him awhile to realize who it was.

"Oh my god, Taylor!"

"Hey there." he said with a smile.

"I missed you so much! Even though it's only been a few hours since I saw you. What are you doing here?"

"Actually I have a surprise."

"Really?"

"Yeah, so you should probably eat that fast." Taylor laughed.

Haden looked down at his lunch and blushed, "Y-yeah."

A few moments later, Haden finished his lunch and the couple went off to see the surprise that Taylor got him. When they arrived, Haden saw that they were at an apartment building that wasn't very far from the college.

"What are we doing here?"

"You'll see."

Both boys left the car and entered the building. Taylor checked the apartment numbers and later headed to the elevator with Haden following suit. When they arrived at their floor, they went down a long hallway until they reached a door, which Taylor happened to have the key to. When they opened it, the room was completely empty and Haden was still puzzled by what this all meant.

"Taylor, what are we doing here?"

Taylor suddenly handed Haden a letter and he was even more puzzled than before.

"Open it. It's kind of  a bit long overdue"

Haden opened the letter and read it.

"Happy Birthday, Haden! I'm not exactly sure how to start this letter off, but recently, someone made me realize some feelings that I've been keeping to myself. So I decided I'd write how I feel in this letter. So here it goes. I've been in love with you for so long. It honestly goes back to when we first met. I would always see you in our kindergarten class and I always thought to myself that someday, I wanted to become your friend. Then the day of our first project came. As the teacher was announcing our partners, I was looking at you in hopes that we'd be paired together. Surprisingly, it happened and I was so excited. As soon as we spoke to each other, I noticed that my feelings kind of changed. I didn't know how to explain them, but I always felt when you were happy. When I found out that our mothers were friends, I thought that it had to be fate, like we were meant to end up together this entire time. From then on, I wanted to always spend time by your side. Suddenly, on the day that your mother died, I was in pain at the thought of how brokenhearted you must've been. I wanted to comfort you, I wanted to be there for you, but I didn't know how to do that. Instead, I watched as my mother comforted you. I felt guilty for not doing more for you. Then when my mom decided to take you in, I was excited because it meant I had more opportunities to hang out with you. However, when my mother told me to treat you like a brother, I got upset. I was upset because if you were my brother, then we wouldn't be able to date. And without thinking, I made an outburst without realizing what I said. Suddenly, I saw you standing in the corner. Your eyes began to well up with tears and I watched as you ran into your room. I felt an immense guilt after that and from then on, I felt like I owed you everything I had. So I would give you gifts in front of your door every night. Eventually, I stopped doing it because I thought there was a time when I had to stop. After that, I gained the need to talk to you but I could never build up the courage. When senior year came, we were in the same class and I thought that it was just like kindergarten all over again. The entire time during class, I would look at you every now and then and just admire you from afar. You had this beauty that was far beyond any words that could explain. And when I found out that you were being bullied for the past 3 years, I felt the sudden urge to protect you at all costs. I was desperate to save you and be there for you, and that's when I realized that I had to talk to you now. So I did and from there on, these feelings came back and this time, they were extremely hard to ignore. Only I didn't know how to say them to you, however, I thought writing them down would probably do the trick. So here I am, writing to you, Haden Sallow, that I like you. I like you so much that I want you to be my boyfriend. Will you be my boyfriend?"

Haden looked up from the letter and had tears in his eyes. He had no idea how much Taylor liked him. Even though they were together now, it always surprised him every time Taylor mentioned his feelings for him. He couldn't believe that out of all the people in the world, Taylor chose him. He believed it now when he said they were meant to be. They've been through so much together, it was almost impossible to deny that they had this chemistry between them. 

Haden looked at Taylor and suddenly, he saw him get down on one knee and his heart skipped a beat. What was he gonna do? Everything was moving so fast, he didn't know what to do. Taylor pulled out a box from his pocket and Haden's heartbeat began to increase. When Taylor popped open the box, Haden saw a key in there and he was thrown into a deep state of confusion. 

Taylor saw the confusion on his face and laughed then went on to pop the question. 

"Haden Sallow, will you make me the happiest man alive and...move in with me?" 

Haden gasped and a huge smile spread across his face. 

"Yes, Taylor, yes. I will move in with you!" Haden exclaimed and kissed him. Taylor picked up Haden and spun him around. 

The two boys would move in together now where they would be living in an apartment close to Haden's college, which made things much easier for him. Taylor got a job to start saving up money for his college tuition and the two happily lived together. From then on, they made sure to always talk things out with each other just to avoid any misunderstandings. Since it was a misunderstanding that started all of their drama, they learned that communication was key to their relationship. 

While the hardships they went through may seem horrible, it actually helped strengthen their bond and made for a better chemistry between the two. Sometimes you gotta go through the bad to get the good because there's always a hope that everything will be alright. And for Haden and Taylor, they lived by this motto after they found out what they didn't know.