Mike was miles away lying in bed when his dad entered his room.

  “Hey, Dad,” Mike said and sat up in bed.

  Dan pulled up the chair from the desk and rolled it over to the bed. He took a seat in the chair and faced Mike.

  “So, I think it’s time we let your mother know about you and Rocco,” Dan said with a look of concern on his face.

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” Mike said and looked down at the floor. “I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.”

  “What do you mean?” Dan said changing his expression from concern to bewilderment.

  “Well,” Mike started. “I’m just not sure how long Rocco and I are going to be together.”

  “Are you guys having problems?” Dan asked.

  “No, not at all,” Mike replied. “It’s just that he’s a senior and going away to college in the fall. He’s planning on spending the summer in LA, so I won’t see much of him after graduation. When he goes away to college, I’m not sure he’s going to want to have a boyfriend who’s still in high school.”

  “I hear what you are saying,” Dan responded.

  “It’s not that I want to break up with Rocco. I just doubt that we will still be together after graduation. I think our worlds are going to drift apart so much that we won’t stay together,” Mike continued in a solemn voice.

  “I understand,” Dan replied.

  “I don’t want to upset Mom unnecessarily. I mean, if I had to label myself, I’d say I’m fluid in my sexuality, but, if Rocco and I are over in a few months, then why bother mentioning anything?” Mike said finally looking up at his dad.

  “You’ve said some valid things,” Dan replied. “You’ve really given a lot of thought to all this.”

  “I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately—more so since New Years. Every time I see Rocco now, I keep thinking what’s going to happen to us in a few months. It makes me a little sad every time I lay my eyes on him,” Mike said.

  “That’s pretty terrible that you even have to think about your relationship like that,” Dan said.

  “I’m sure it’s going to get worse the closer it gets to summer,” Mike said.

  “Breaking up is never easy,” Dan replied.

  “It’s not something I want to do, but I’m sure it’s going to happen. I just don’t want Rocco to be bitter towards me. Wherever he is and whoever he’s dating, I want him to look back on me fondly,” Mike thought.

  Dan sighed. “I can’t guarantee that’s going to happen. Have you told Rocco about your feelings?”

  “I just love him too much to bring it up,” Mike said.

  “You should tell him how you feel. The longer you wait, the more of a surprise it will be for him. That will not end up well,” Dan added.

  “Yeah, I know,” Mike said looking back down at the floor. “Do you think I’m being stupid even thinking about this?”

  “No, not at all,” Dan said. “It just pains me that you are facing a life lesson like this. That everything in life will have an end.”

  Mike laid back on the bed and put his hands above his head. “So, enjoy the time you have?”

  “Exactly,” Dan said.

  “I keep telling myself to enjoy our time together. It worked at first, but it doesn’t work so well anymore,” Mike said looking up at the ceiling.

  “It never has for me,” Dan agreed. “Okay, we will not tell your mother about you and Rocco. You’re right. There’s no reason for her to get all riled up to have Rocco go off to college in a few months.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Mike said and looked over at his dad. Dan got up and put the chair back with the desk. When his dad left the room, Mike took Rocco’s hat and put it on his head. He had worn the hat so much that it had started to mold itself to his head instead of Rocco’s. Rocco’s scent was long gone from the hat but that didn’t matter. Mike still got comfort knowing it had once been on Rocco’s head.

  Mike and Chris were sitting on the bleachers after baseball practice. They were wearing their uniforms – a dark blue stripped with red and white. Mike was wearing Rocco’s cap even though he had a uniform cap. The coach handed out sheets of paper.

  “This is a calendar of practice and of our games for the rest of the year,” the Coach announced. “Be sure to keep these handy and to let me know if you are going to miss anything.”

  When he got one of the calendars, Mike’s heart dropped at the number of practices and games that were on the calendar. Practice was three days a week. Games were every Saturday. This was a full schedule. There was going to be little time to hang out with Rocco or Jared. He loved playing baseball so much. Ever since he put on his mitt again, he felt a new calling.

  “This is an intense schedule,” Chris remarked as they headed to the locker room to change out of their uniforms.

  “Yeah, lots of games and practice,” Mike said looking at the paper.

  “This is going to cut into your skateboarding time,” Chris remarked.

  “Yeah, I know. I like being on the team though. I don’t want to give it up,” Mike said folding the paper in his pocket.

  “Cheer up old pal. You’ll work through it!” Chris said running into the locker room.

  Mike stopped at the door. This was yet another roadblock in his relationship with Rocco. Of course, he could quit the team to spend his time with Rocco. However, quitting would hurt his chances on getting back on the team when Rocco was gone. He was going to be stuck here another two years, and he wanted something of his own liking for those two years.

  “Hey Rocco,” Mike said as he took his time to sit in his seat for class.

  “Hey, what’s going on? You don’t look like you’re in a great mood,” Rocco replied with a look of empathy on his face. Rocco was concerned about what may have happened to Mike between yesterday and this morning.

  “We got the schedule for our baseball practice and for our games,” Mike replied giving Rocco a sad look.

  “It’s that good, huh?” Rocco chuckled trying to give the moment a bit of lightness.

  “Baseball is going to put quite a dent in my social life. I’m not going to get to see you as much anymore,” Mike replied.

  “What do you mean?” Rocco asked. Mike handed him a folded-up piece of paper. It was the schedule the coach passed out yesterday. Rocco unfolded the paper and looked over the sheet. “Oh, I see what you mean.”

  “Yeah,” Mike replied. “I’ve got games when you are playing at the skatepark on Saturdays. Plus, all the practice during the week. I’m not going to get to practice skateboarding nearly as much as I want.”

  Rocco sat back in his chair and thought for a moment. “How much do you like baseball?”

  “I love it,” Mike said not realizing his facial expression perked up.

  “Yeah, I picked up on that,” Rocco mumbled. “I can’t ask you to give up something that you love so much.”

  “But I want to see you too,” Mike pouted. Rocco was so moved by Mike’s sincerity in his statement that it took his breath away for a moment.

  “See, your games are during the day on Saturday. We don’t play until night. You can still make our shows,” Rocco reassured Mike. “We can manage this.”

  “You think so?” Mike asked. Mike was certain he would be beat after games so he knew he would likely not be up for a nighttime concert.

  “I know so. It’ll just mean you won’t be able to come to as many of my shows as you used to. We will manage,” Rocco replied.

  “It wouldn’t bother you?” Mike asked.

  “Not at all. I want you to enjoy the fuck out of baseball. When you’re happy, I’m happy,” Rocco smiled sweetly at Mike. Seeing Rocco’s smile instantly lifted Mike’s spirits. He loved it when Rocco flashed him his crooked little smile. It was both sweet and mischievous.

  “You think you might want to come to one of my games sometime?” Mike asked.

  “Of course, I’d love to. I bet you look hot in your baseball uniform,” Rocco replied, his smile changing from sweet to sly. Mike blushed.

  “You know, I always wear your hat instead of the uniform cap. Everyone thinks I’m really into the Yankees,” Mike replied.

  “You’re not?” Rocco replied sarcastically.

  “Nah,” Mike said. “I only wear it because it reminds me of you.”

  “Yeah,” Rocco said. “I’m not into them either.”

  “Then why did you even buy it?” Mike asked bewildered at Rocco’s response.

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  “I wanted a hat and really the only baseball team I could think of was the New York Yankees,” Rocco replied with a shrug.

  “That’s it?” Mike asked.

  “Simple as that,” Rocco replied. Mike chuckled at Rocco’s rationale for buying a Yankees cap—typical of Rocco.

  “I’ve been wanting to ask you something all week,” Rocco said changing the subject quickly.

  “Yes?” Mike asked.

  “Would you go to the Valentine’s Day Dance with me?” Rocco asked Mike. Rocco put his hands together mimicking a pleading motion. Mike looked at Rocco for a moment to take in this image. He would never forget how romantic Rocco could be, and he wanted to remember this moment forever. “We don’t have to hide behind masks or anything this time. We can go openly as a couple.”

  “It would be an honor to be your date, Rocco,” Mike said blinking away the beginnings of his misty eyes.

  “You mean it?” Rocco replied blinking his eyelashes a few times.

  “I mean it,” Mike smiled.

  “You’re going get me all verklempt,” Rocco replied as he started grasping for imaginary big hair.

  “Oh my GOD, that was so funny!” Mike exclaimed. “Linda, don’t tawk to me. I’m having a bad hair day!”

  They were acting out a Saturday Night Live skit that had recently aired. It was the Coffee Talk skit with Mike Myers, Madonna, and Rosanne Barr in which they acted like a trio of stereotypically Jewish New York ladies. Mike started to roll his tongue over his teeth and sucked in air trying to clean something from between his teeth.

  “Ya hair is like butta,” Rocco replied trying to mimick Mike Myers’s impression of a character named Linda Richman. Neither Rocco nor Mike knew anything about Jewish culture, but the skit was hilarious all the same. “This dance is going be like butta.”

  “Like a big stick of butta,” Mike replied as they both had to contain their laughing before the start of class. Rocco loved to cheer up Mike. He hated to see his little guy wallow in misery.

  Mike sat down at the lunch table with Chris, Jared, and Rusty. It was a particularly unappetizing mixture of mystery meat and randomly thrown together vegetables. Of course, Jared had already finished half of his tray by the time Mike sat down at the table.

  “Hey Mikey,” Jared said. “What’s up?”

  “Hey, what’s up?” Mike asked the table.

  “Did you hear the news about Stanton?” Chris asked.

  “What news?” Mike asked. He hadn’t seen much of Stanton since last semester.

  “He’s going to a private school now,” Chris asked.

  “What?” Mike was stunned at this revelation.

  “Yeah, he told his parents he wanted to transfer somewhere else, so they enrolled him in that private Catholic school one town over,” Chris informed the group.

  “Really? I didn’t think he was Catholic,” Mike pondered.

  “You don’t have to be to go,” Chris said. “My parents thought about doing that. I pitched a fit about it, so they backed off.”

  “Wow, no more Stanton,” Mike thought. He was not unhappy about this piece of information. Stanton was a dick. He had become a non-entity once the school became more gay tolerant. This must have sent Stanton over the edge to want to leave. Mike was not going to be sad at this news.

  “Yeah, no more Stanton,” Chris repeated.

  “Hey, Jared,” Mike said. “Listen, I’ve got some bad news.” Chris stopped picking at the Salisbury steak to hear what Mike was about to say. Jared also stopped eating to look at Mike.

  “Uh-oh,” Jared said putting his fork down.

  “I’m afraid I may not be at skateboard practice as much this semester. I’m going to have baseball practice during the week which is going to cut into my practice time,” Mike explained.

  “Oh, I see,” Jared replied looking down at his tray. “I was afraid things were going to change once you joined the team.”

  “Yeah, it’ll take a lot of time. More than I thought it would,” Mike said.

  “So, I’ll see less of you?” Jared asked downtrodden.

  “Well, just for skateboard practice. I mean, we are always going to have lunch. And I’ll always be able to pick you up for school. I just won’t be able to take you home since practice is right after school,” Mike replied.

  “Okay,” Jared replied with one of the saddest expressions Mike had ever seen Jared make.

  “Our games are on Saturdays, but they are during the day. I will always make sure that you have a seat at the game whether you want to come or not. We will make sure you get to the shows in time to set up. That is, if you ever want to come to a game,” Mike tried to reassured Jared.

  Jared thought for a moment. “Yeah, I guess that could work. We’ll just have to make it work.”

  “That’s right,” Mike said grabbing his fork to dig into his lunch.

  “You wouldn’t care if I went to a game?” Jared asked.

  “I would fucking love to see you there! I’ll need my best bro there to cheer me on.” Mike said. Jared’s face lit up. Mike was amazed at how much he meant to Jared. They had grown close over this year, but it wasn’t until this moment that Mike realized how much Jared valued their friendship. Jared always had a rough exterior, but Mike knew deep down Jared was just a kid that wanted to belong to a group. Jared belonged to Mike’s group no matter what.

  Mike admired himself in the mirror. His suit and tie matched perfectly. His hair was slicked back with copious amounts of gel. He even managed to neatly fold his pocket square. His intention was to leave Rocco breathless. The chance of doing so was going to be very high. This was the night of the Valentine’s Day Dance. While this dance paled in comparison to the Prom or even the Halloween Dance, it was a significant event for him and Rocco. It was going to be the first time they attended a dance together out in the open as a couple. It wasn’t going to be like the Halloween dance when they could hide behind masks. Tonight, everyone would know Mike and Rocco were an item.

  Joe came in all dressed up, not in a suit, but in a fashionable ensemble. He was wearing a pair of slacks and button-up shirt that was tailored to highlight his physique. His hair was neatly parted to the side.

  “Wow!” Joe said. “Look at you in a suit!”

  “What do you think?” Mike said making a turn to show off his attire.

  “You went all out.” Joe said impressed.

  “Is it too much?” Mike asked looking at the suit.

  “Not at all!” Joe said. “A suit and tie are never too much.”

  “I just wanted to look good for the dance,” Mike said looking at himself in the mirror again.

  “You mean, you want to look good for Rocco,” Joe said smirking.

  “Yes!” Mike giggled and smoothed out the blazer.

  “Well, you’re going to knock him dead,” Joe said.

  “You think so?” Mike asked.

  “I know so,” Joe said. “Why are you so worried about this? You know Rocco will approve.”

  “I know,” Mike said facing Joe. “I just wanted to do something extra nice.”

  Joe gave him a puzzled look. “Something extra nice?”

  “Yeah,” Mike said looking down. “I told him about my practice and game schedule. He pretended to be okay with it, but I could tell he was kinda sad about all the time baseball will take up.”

  “I get it,” Joe said. “Sports take up a lot of time, but he’ll understand.”

  “He said we will manage it,” Mike said. “I just don’t want him to think I’m moving on.”

  “Moving on?” Joe said.

  “You guys are graduating this year and going off to college. I’ve still got two years. I feel like I need to carve my own path after you guys are gone,” Mike explained.

  “That’s true,” Joe said slowly. “Aren’t you guys going to continue to be boyfriends?”

  “I definitely want to,” Mike replied. “But I know the deal. He’s going to go off and have this great college experience. I don’t want to hold him back from that.”

  “You really think of yourself as something that’s holding him back?” Joe asked.

  “A little,” Mike said. “I don’t want him to be obligated to come back every weekend to see me and miss out on the excitement of his freshman year at college. He’s going to make new friends and probably find someone in college to date.”

  Joe stood and looked at his brother for a moment. “You really think that’s how it’s going to end up?”

  “I’m just preparing for it,” Mike said kicking at the carpet.

  “Oh, Mike,” Joe reached up and put his hand on Mike’s shoulder. “You can’t predict how anything is going to happen. You shouldn’t be focused on something that may or may not happen.”

  “I can’t help it,” Mike said looking up at Joe.

  “Hey, that’s a way off. Just enjoy tonight,” Joe said with a soft smile.

  “You’re right,” Mike said shaking his head. “It’s not going to happen tonight so don’t think about it.”

  “Not tonight,” Joe said.

  “Ok,” Mike said.

  “Are you ready to go?” Joe said.

  “Yeah,” Mike said nervously laughing. “Rocco is picking me up here.”

  “Oh, okay then,” Joe said. “I guess I’ll see you at the dance.” Joe walked out of Mike’s room. Mike walked over to the bed and sat down. Rocco was going to be at his house in ten minutes. He had some time to get in the right frame of mind. Tonight, he was not going to think about the Fall. He was only going to focus on tonight even if it killed him to do so.

  A few minutes later, a pair of headlights entered the driveway which meant that Rocco was here. Mike exhaled deeply and made his way downstairs. His parents were sitting on the couch watching tv.

  “I think my ride is here,” Mike announced to his parents. Both turned around to look at Mike. They were both impressed at the way Mike looked.

  “Well, don’t you look handsome!” Emily exclaimed and got up to approach Mike.

  “Thanks, mom,” Mike said.

  “Who’s the lucky girl?” his mom asked.

  “Oh, a bunch of guys decided to go stag,” Mike replied and looked at his dad. His dad gave him a nod and a smile.

  “You’re going stag and wearing a suit?” his mom asked in surprise. “That’s a little odd.”

  “Well, I want to make a good impression. We may not have dates but who knows who I’ll meet there,” Mike retorted and smiled. Emily laughed out loud.

  “Oh, okay, honey,” his mom said. “Well, are you driving?”

  “No, Rocco’s picking me up. He’s here now actually. He just pulled in the driveway,” Mike replied. He looked over at his dad who gave him a thumbs up.

  “Bachelors on the town,” Emily said chuckling as she went into the kitchen. “Have a great time, sweetie!”

  “Thanks, mom. I will. Bye, dad,” Mike waved at his dad who returned the wave.

  Mike walked out the door and stood on the step as Rocco’s car approached. When Rocco’s car came to the front, he turned the car off and got out. Rocco was instantly mesmerized. Standing before him was his handsome boyfriend decked out in a suit with a matching tie and pocket square. Rocco had no idea that Mike was going to dress up this nicely. Rocco was wearing a solid black dress shirt and a pair of khaki slacks—not in line with Mike’s outfit. Rocco couldn’t help but be dazzled by Mike’s neat appearance.

  “Good evening, Rocco,” Mike said pleasantly and stepped to approach Rocco’s car. Rocco couldn’t find the words to say a sentence. “Something wrong?”

  Rocco thought his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Mike. He found the composure to speak. “Wow!”

  Mike laughed. “Is that all you can say?”

  Rocco blushed at his stupor. “You look incredible.”

  “Do I take your breath away?” Mike said jestingly.

  Rocco took a moment to respond. “Yes,” he said—his voice shaky.

  “Then my mission is accomplished. That’s what I wanted to do,” Mike replied.

  “I feel so underdressed,” Rocco said quietly.

  “You look as handsome as ever,” Mike said smiling.

  Rocco swallowed hard and opened his car door. “I had no idea you were going to get so dressed up.”

  “Well, I wanted to look my best for you,” Mike said as he got in the car.

  Rocco quickly got into driver’s seat and sat staring out in front of him.

  “Is something wrong?” Mike asked after a few moments.

  Rocco turned to look at Mike. Mike’s eyes glimmered in the moonlight and sent a shudder through Rocco’s body. Rocco hastily leaned over and gave Mike a deep passionate kiss. Mike returned the kiss with equal desire.

  “Okay, you’re going to mess up my hair,” Mike said after a minute of kissing.

  “You just look so amazing tonight,” Rocco said locking eyes with Mike. Mike simply smiled feeling proud that he was able to stun Rocco.

  They parked just a short walk from the entrance of the school. It didn’t look as if the Valentine’s Day Dance was going to be as well attended as the Halloween Festival. However, that made no difference. What mattered was that Mike and Rocco were going to enter as a couple.

  When they entered the gym, the entire space was filled with red and white. There were red hearts and white balloons all over the place. The stage was decorated with images of Cupid and hearts along with the school’s sound system which was blaring some pop dance music. In the front of the dance floor, Rocco spotted Joe talking with a group of the popular kids including David. While David had become more comfortable with his gay identity these days, Rocco was still cautious about him. The effects of years of bullying and harassing don’t just go away in a few weeks. The scars that David inflicted upon Rocco’s psyche went deep.

  The dance was relatively uneventful in comparison to the Halloween dance. There were no surprise reveals or any name calling. Everyone seemed to mind their own business having a good time. None of the guys in the band were there. It was only Mike and Rocco enjoying each other’s company. Joe and Tiffany seemed to catch on that the two wanted to be alone to dance with each other. Rocco and Mike walked over to the photo booth to get their picture taken together. Before they knew it, the last song played. They had gotten so lost in the moment of dancing with each other, they lost all sense of space and time. They came to their senses when an announcer said it was the last dance. To close out the festivities, the DJ played “Save the Best for Last” which was a new slow dance song about a friends-turned-into-lovers scenario.

  “May I?” Rocco asked and offered his hand to Mike. Mike smiled and took Rocco’s hand as Rocco led the dance. They were in an embrace going around in a circle. Mike noted several couples around them watching Mike and Rocco with an appreciation of their love for each other—almost as if they were saying “how sweet.” Rocco inhaled the smell of Mike’s hair. The gel prevented him from running his hands through it.

  “I want this moment to last forever,” Mike whispered as the song came to an end.