Day 26

"You meet a girl you can't get your mind off of for the very first time. It scares you but not as much as it scares her." Then Kyle closes the card I drew with hearts all over. "I'm glad the card didn't say like it'll be the first time you have sex because that would've been fucking sad."

"Also, that ship has sailed," said Abraham with a snicker.

"She didn't need to know that Abe," said Kyle with a frown. "Thanks for making it weird!"

"I'm glad I could help," Abraham replied without an ounce of sarcasm. Abraham visited Kyle on one of his bad days. Not bad as in puking his guts out. Bad like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. He seemed more irritable than usual.

"Happy Birthday, Kyle," I said.

"You know what would make this birthday of mine better?"

"What?" asked Abraham and I at the same time.

"If you tell me who the girl is?" replied Kyle as he gestured at the birthday card still in his hand.

Shrugging, I replied, "Just a girl, Kyle. I don't know her name, her race, or how tall she is. Plus, none of those things should matter when true love is part of the equation."

"True love? I didn't peg you for much of a romantic, Renata. More like super inexperienced."

My cheeks grew warm, but I pushed the embarrassment away. "Now look who's calling the kettle black when you're clearly a black fucking pot."

"Burn," said Abraham with a grin, causing his normally pouty black lips to stretch wide into a thin line.

I smirk back at him before looking at Kyle. "Yes, true love was always out of my reach. Then again, I wasn't the type of guy who desperately went searching for it."

Abraham shrugged as he said, "True love is the last myth that gets broken. The worst part is that the True Love myth usually gets broken in your adult years. Makes the hurt and realization that much worse."

"Who broke your heart, heartbreaker?" asked Kyle with a snort. "I may have played Raoul in the Phantom of the Opera but you were the one to take Christine home that night."

I wrinkled my nose, feeling very disturbed to be within hearing distance of this conversation. "Nobody worth mentioning," was Abraham's reply. "I can tell you it wasn't Christine though. Now Christine was what I would call an easy lay."

"EW!" I couldn't help but screech. Kyle and his friends shared a knowing look.

"Abe, you have to be more understanding. Easy lay is not a term easily digested by virgin ears." Then he looked at me as he said in no mocking tone, "If you want to change that though you let me know."

Abraham looked back and forth between Kyle and I. "Now I'm feeling a bit disturbed. Do you two need a moment?"

"No," I said while Kyle said, "Yes."

We both looked at each other and my cheeks warmed again. "No way, it's my turn to feel disturbed. I'm gonna go."

"Smart choice. Kyle is in a mooood," replied Abraham.

"You don't speak for me Abe. I speak for me and I'll be damned if you think--" the yelling became muffled through the door as it clicked shut. I was so relieved an awkward moment was averted. Without thinking then that there could be more.