Mike and Rob walked to and from school every day together. That was the benefit of being neighbors, Rob guessed. They passed by the beach along the way, and on Fridays after school, they would treat themselves to some fast food from the Shore Shack; Rob would always get an ice cream sandwich, and Mike would alternate between fries or nachos, depending on what he was feeling like having that day.

Things felt different this year. At least, that’s what Mike said on the first Friday of their first week of their senior year. Rob didn’t feel any different, admittedly. But, that’s what made them different; Mike was always dreaming. He was dreaming obtainable dreams, mind you— ones of becoming famous musicians in an amazing band and touring the world— but, his head was still in the clouds. Rob had that dream too, but he tended to keep things real. His feet were on the ground, and his hand was wrapped around the string that held on to Mike, who was floating, constantly floating, keeping him within the Earth’s atmosphere.

It was a responsibility keeping him here, but it was one Rob didn’t mind. Rob knew he loved him, he knew it, but it was a secret that he’d keep within himself for... forever, if he had to. There was so much at stake if he let that one get out. Between the risk of losing his friendship with his one true love— or who he thought was; no, knew he was— and the whole school finding out and all that would and could come with that, Rob estimated that his whole world would simply implode. Or explode. Whichever one, he never quite got the concept of implode vs. explode, despite what his science teachers and assigned textbooks tried to tell him.

“Y’know, Rob,” Mike began, pulling out a French fry before sitting down on the wooden stairs that looked out to a nearly empty beach, one that was on the cusp of filling up with people freed from the confines of work and school for a measly two days. “It’s senior year. Senior year, Rob.”

“Yep.” Rob said, before biting into his ice cream sandwich.

“And I,” Mike popped the fry into his mouth before continuing, “have never. Been. Kissed.”

“Yeah, neither have I. So what?”

“Well, this is the year to do it then!”

“Why is this the year? What makes this year so special?”

“I dunno, it’s our last year, I guess. Our final year to live our lives before we get shipped off to college and separated forever. I just... wanna get some experience in before going on with my life.”

“Y’know... I’ve never really gotten why everyone is in such a rush to do that stuff. First kiss, lose your virginity, smoke... there’s no need for it. Let everyone do that stuff at their own pace.” Mike stared at him slack jawed for a moment as Rob took another bite of his ice cream sandwich. When he finally noticed his friend’s expression, he asked, “What?”

“You sound like an old man.”

“Whatever. I guess I just don’t get the hype around all of it.” Rob’s heart clenched around the thought that suddenly popped into his head: You don’t get the hype ‘cause you know you know you won’t experience that stuff in time. You won’t have your first kiss before graduation, or any of that other stuff. You’re too socially awkward, with only a handful of friends. And to top it all off, you’re in love with your best friend! You’ve got nothing going for you, and you’ll never be able to be normal and live those normal experiences that everyone else will get to.

“Hello, earth to Rob!” Rob now registered Mike, who was now busy eating the fry he was just waving in his face. “You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“Nah, I’m... good...” he replied warily. He looked down at his hand, where he finally noticed the melted ice cream dripping out between the two halves of chocolate in his hand, dripping dangerously close to the new pair of shoes his mom just bought him. He let out a sound of disgust before getting up and throwing it away in the trash bin at the top of the stairs. Mike followed, handing Rob a few napkins he had grabbed out of his pocket, hanging on to his fries as they made their way home in somewhat comfortable silence. Mike was at least comfortable, despite Rob’s weird moment. Rob, not so much. He was caught between the thought from earlier and internally hating himself for being so weird with Mike for all of 5 seconds. He was so caught up in himself that before he knew it, they arrived at their neighboring homes.

“Hey, you wanna hang out on my deck? I could use the company.” Mike’s invitation surprised Rob, but the only thing to come out of his mouth was a simple,

“Sure.” The pair went around the side of Mike’s home and up a few steps, finding some shade underneath the wicker patio set that sat beneath the pergola. They dumped their bags off in the empty seats, and Mike excused himself inside for a moment, so he could throw away his empty fry container. When he came back out, he sat down a sulked a bit.

“I don’t know... I at least wanna know what it’s like.”

“What what’s like?”

“Being kissed.” An awkward moment settled between the two before Mike spoke into it. “We should kiss.” Mike looked somewhat startled at his own words. If Mike looked startled, Rob was sure he looked like a deer in headlights. “J-just to see what it’s like— y’know?”

“Y-yeah...” Rob didn’t even think he knew what he was saying yes to, until Mike’s face was coming closer to his, and both of their eyes were closing. Their lips connected, and no fireworks went off. No one cheered them on. No celebration was had in the silence of Mike’s back deck, protected by the gentle woods behind them. And yet...

They pulled away from each other— well, Mike pulled away. If he had a choice in the matter, Rob would have never let it end. They lingered in each other’s spaces for a moment, eyes still closed before they opened them simultaneously.

“Wow.” Mike said, breathless. “I...” He didn’t say anything else— couldn’t say anything else— before his lips were back on Rob’s, and a hand traveled up to Rob’s cheek, cupping it, like it was natural for him to do that. This time, they only separated when the need to breathe was too great. Rob stared at Mike again, taking in his face, his expression, waiting for a reaction. He couldn’t think of a proper way to react, his brain wasn’t functioning properly anymore, so his face reacted for him by smiling. A breathy laugh bubbled out of his chest; Rob thinks it originated in his heart. The same place his smile must’ve come from too.

He was just glad that Mike was having a similar reaction, a smile on his face, his hand still connected to where it was on his cheek for a moment before it slid off. He wasn’t being pushed away. Or slapped. There wasn’t anyone from school coming out of the woodwork, pointing and laughing and whispering. It was all fine. It was more than that. “That was... great.” Mike giggled at him.

“Just great?” Rob’s face got even hotter than he thought it was able to, and he hid his face in his hands.

“I mean— it— it—”

“No, I get it,” Mike said, laughing now. “It was... like... plain and simple, but great at the same time, somehow.”

“Yeah...” Rob said, taking his head out of his hands only for a moment, before he repeated the action, saying, “God... you have no idea, I... ugh. I don’t even know what to say. I— I don’t know how to... to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” Mike’s face dropped, but showed a hopeful curiosity.

“I... I’m... God...” Rob took a breath in. His cheeks were tingling. He let go of his face, finally, but kept looking at the ground. He chose not to tell Mike the truth, not the full truth. Not yet. “I like you. Like, really like you.” It was his first time confessing his feelings to his crush ever, and all he heard was silence. And a bird sing, somewhere. He looked up at Mike. Mike was looking back at him, using Rob’s pleading face as a background as he frantically searched his mind for the words, hoping to pick out the right ones that wouldn’t ruin everything.

“Okay...” his voice tipped up like it was a question, but it wasn’t. Of course it wasn’t. There was no question about this. Rob said the wrong thing at the wrong time. That was it. “Well, I’m not... there, yet,” Rob’s mind began the physical process of reeling, having already started the mental and emotional aspects of it, “But, I wanna be.” Rob’s mind shuttered to a stop at this news.

“Wh... what?” Mike shrugged.

“I wanna... be... with you. If... that’s okay.” Gears attempted to re-start turning in Rob’s brain, being fueled by disbelief.

“It’s... yeah, it’s okay. Why though? I’m not...” Rob trailed off.

“Well, we’ve known each other since like, day 1. We’ve been best friends for forever, and been neighbors since before that, and honestly, when I think of my life in the future, there’s no way where you’re not there. So... yeah. I wanna be with you.” Rob looked at his friend— could Rob really call him his friend in this moment?— dumbfounded. “Rob, dude, say something.”

“Sorry, I just... I’m trying to take it all in.”

“Well, how about we take it all in... tomorrow night? At the Olympic Diner? I mean, if you want to.”

“Y-yeah.” Rob’s blush returned to his face, along with a smile. “Yeah... that’d be great.”

“Oh shit, your mom’s home.” Mike said, noticing a car pull into the driveway next door.

“Shit, I gotta get going.” Rob said, grabbing his bag and making a run for it. “Bye— see ya tomorrow.”

“See ya!”