The Autumn wind sang with a desperate scream as it passed my ears, and the brownish orange leaves crunched as I passed over them. I couldn't distinguish one leaf from another anymore; my vision was too blurry from the tears. That bastard swore he would meet me one day, but it's been five years and my hope is wearing thin.
I nearly ran into the once bright white circle of plastic that announced "Sunny Crescent Park", my destination. The park was as old as me, 21 years, and looked about as broken and worn as I felt, but the "A+L" Antonio had carved into the white plastic was still as deep as it had been the day he put it there.
"Damn you," I whispered, remembering the way his bright green eyes had sparkled as he pulled out the knife, the way his bright white grin stood out over his stupid tan skin, the way it felt when we secretly kissed under the slide.
"Damn you," I whispered again, remembering how many secret notes I still had stashed away where no one could find them, even now that the world was more accepting of gays.
I kept repeating those two words as I stood, tears sliding down my face. I remembered the way he had babbled with me about the books we read, Farenheit 451, Animal Farm, the Scarlet Letter, all the books other kids our age avoided like the plague. I remembered being surprised he could sit still long enough to read.
I remembered the time he fell into the river because he couldn't stop showing off his 'balance', I remember kissing him in the middle of the night because we shared a tent.
I remember his mother finding out about us and saying she knew it. I remember him conveniently moving away very soon after. I remember him promising to meet me.
"Damn it Antonio, where the hell are you?!" I screamed, burstimg into rough, broken sobs.
"Right here."