Adam hurried toward the park muttering under his breath. "I can't believe I'm running late, since this is the most important day of my life."
This was the day. That day that might make his dreams come true. The day he finally told Rocky how much he loved him.
Normally, he wouldn't admit his feelings without prompting, but the way Rocky had been watching him lately had made his hopes soar.
He smiled when he saw Rocky leaning against a tree waiting for him.
Rocky grinned back. "You keep running late like this and we'll start calling you Tommy. C'mon we only have ten minutes until school starts so what do you want to talk about."
Without conscious agreement, they headed through the park. Adam struggled with what he should say. Maybe he should just blurt it out and hope for the best.
"Rocky, there's something I need to tell you," he hesitated briefly. "I love you."
"WHAT?" Rocky's expression was a myriad of emotions. The first being stunned until the last that conveyed disgust. "You're gay?"
Adam reached out his hand and Rocky slapped at it. "Don't touch me, you disgusting freak. I don't want you coming near me, you pervert."
Adam felt his eyes fill with tears but he tried to reach out for Rocky again.
Rocky jerked away again and backed up a few steps. His voice was quiet and harsh. "I mean it, Adam. Our friendship is over until you get these disgusting thoughts out of your heard. I'm not going to be friends with a fag."
Adam's tears rolled down his face. "You're going to give up on us because…"
Rocky interrupted. "There is no "us". We were friends, that's all. If you can't handle that, then we aren't friends anymore. Simple as that." With that, he turned around and walked out of Adam's life.
Adam's heart broke. He stumbled into a grove of trees for some privacy. His arms wrapped around his trembling frame and he cried violently. He had gambled with something that had meant more to him than anything and he'd failed. Rocky hated him. Nothing would be able to make this better even if he tried to do what Rocky asked.
He cried out, "NOOOOO! Please don't leave me."
"NOOOOO! Please don't leave me."
Rocky jerked awake at Adam's scream. He slid onto the floor and grabbed at Adam, who was writhing in his sleeping bag.
"Come on, baby, wake up." Rocky winced at his choice of words. Male friends did not call male friends baby.
Adam didn't comprehend the words but reacted to Rocky's voice. "Don't leave me." A tear rolled down his face and he brushed it away harshly, but they just kept falling. Embarrassed, he rolled onto his side away from Rocky.
He tensed when he felt Rocky's hand on his back. Rocky rubbed his back softly. "It's okay, Adam. Just breathe."
Adam shuddered, but didn't say anything. Rocky rubbed his shoulders and finally lay down on the floor next to Adam. He kept a few inches between them to be appropriate even though he wanted to snuggle up next to Adam. He kept his hands still on Adam's back though it was really hard to be touching Adam's smooth skin without caressing. Am I such a pervert that I'm thinking about petting him while he's so upset? He had known he was gay since he was 15. Everything had one day snapped into place for him. Every day his attraction to Adam was growing until he wasn't sure if he could keep it hidden much longer.
He stayed next to him until Adam stopped trembling. "Do you want to talk about it now?" he asked quietly. Adam rolled onto his back but kept his burning eyes closed. "I had a dream that I lost you."
"How?"
Adam shook his head.
Rocky sighed. "Do you remember that fight we had when were 10?"
"Yes. We stabbed our fingers with a pin and became blood brothers."
"That's right. You're never going to lose me, Adam, I promise. We're going to be friends until we die. Forever friends."
Adam turned his face towards Rocky and finally opened his eyes. Rocky's breath caught when he met them. He saw forever in the brown depths and then Adam's shield dropped and all he could see was an emotion not easily identified.
"Yeah, forever friends," Adam whispered softly.