Garret mindlessly goes about his day feeling like he's just about given up, on trying to be happy, having a great senior year, and his feelings for Porter. To him, there was no point in trying to change who he was.

The halls are empty and this is his free period so Garret wonders around with nothing else to do. As he's walking his phone rings, answering the random number "hello"


"Hey" Porter's voice answers on the line causing him to stop walking, he wonders how Porter could've gotten his number but probably won't ask. "I know it's weird I'm calling but-"

"Garret!" Harper sees her brother and rushes to him, "have you seen Porter?" She asks "I keep calling but he won't answer"

Staring at her without an answer Garret continues to hold the phone to his ear, "say no Garret"


Porter says

"Nope" Garret answers.


Harper sighs "ugh I wish he'd answer his fucking phone! I just saw Elia and he said that Porter broke up with him"

"You- He did?"

"Yes," Harper answers and so does Porter on the phone. "I have to go find him thanks for nothing" she walks away. "Where are you?" Garret asks Porter

"Top of the bleachers on the football field" "Should I tell Harper?"

"Please don't but you're welcome to join me"

Garret wishes he could say no to Porter but sadly his feelings are too strong to ignore, "I'll be right there."

Walking to the back of the school out to the field, Garret looks around until he spots Porter sitting at the very top of the bleachers. Walking up he gets closer and Porter sees him "welcome" he smiles. Stopping a couple of steps away Garret stares at him "do you want to sit down?"

"There?" Garret points to the spot next to him "Yes, Garret come sit."

Garret sits and they both look out to the field, but when Porter isn't looking, Garret takes a quick

glance at him "you don't seem sad" "Why would I be?"

"You lost your boyfriend"

Porter chuckles "I didn't lose him I dumped him, big difference." "Why did you do it?"

"I didn't do it for you if that's what you're thinking"

"I wasn't," yes he was.

"Elia wanted an open relationship, turns out Europeans love to be fluid." "I'm sorry to hear that"

"No you're not and trust me I'm fine, Elia was never serious about what we had." "But he took you to Italy,"

"Yeah and that trip was more for him than for us, I was just an excuse for him to go back."

Garret is having a hard time not feeling bad for Porter, he wants to not care about Porter's life but he can't help it. "So you're fine then?"

"Not really" he shakes his head, "thank you for telling me how you were feeling this morning, but Garret" he turns to the boy sitting next to him, "I don't think I can be who you need me to be. I can't guide you through this and that's what you need"

"No, it isn't, I've been out since sophomore year I think I know how to be gay."

"And yet you've never had a boyfriend," Garret thinks about that, why did he never experiment? How does he know he's really gay if Porter is the only guy he's ever liked? "Why is that?" Garret shrugs "maybe you were waiting for me" Porter guesses

Shaking his head "I wasn't-"

"It's ok if you were" Porter shows a slight smile.

"I always knew me having feelings for you was a long shot, Harper would kill me before she let me tell you how I felt, which is why I never expected anything from you. But I still don't get what made you kiss me"

"You're still on that Garret, sometimes a kiss is just a kiss" "This wasn't just a kiss, not to me at least."

"You've never just kissed someone before because you wanted to?"

Garret shakes his head, "the only other person I've ever kissed was Daphne Collins in the 9th grade and it felt like such a mistake." It's safe to say Garret gets no action and that's why this kiss is such a puzzle for him

"Ok then maybe I kissed you because I didn't know how else to thank you for saving my life, I probably would've drowned if it weren't for you. You're my Florence Nightingale"

"Technically it'd be a reverse Florence Nightingale since you kissed me but that's not the point" "Then what is?"

Garret stands up "I think I'm ok now" he finally smiles, "you know the truth and I know why you kissed me. Like I said I never expected anything and maybe now that I've said my peace I can move on. I'll see you around Porter" he starts to step down the bleachers

"Garret-" Porter calls him and he turns, Porter seems like he wants to say something but instead doesn't. Sighing Porter says "nothing" and Garret continues.

—

Saturday afternoon Porter is in Harper's bed while she's on her computer at her desk, as he stares at her ceiling Porter asks "why do you hate your brother?"

"What?" She scoffs "what are you talking about?" "Garret came out to me" Porter sits up looking at her

She chuckles "news flash genius he came out in the 10th grade"

"No dummy I mean he told me how he felt about me and the fact that he came out because of me." Harper sighs rolling her eyes "why didn't you want him to tell me?"

"Because it's freaking Garret! And I was protecting him if he had told you, you would've just dissed him."

"Bullshit" Porter disagrees, "you made him not tell me because there might've been a chance I'd actually consider it"

"Consider what Porter? Being with him?" She tries not to laugh

"You really don't give your brother enough credit Harper," Porter wants her to take him seriously and she doesn't. "I kissed him at my party"

"You what?! Why?" She looks at Porter disgusted

"Because I wanted to!" Porter calms himself down "and it's been messing with his head and he couldn't even come to you about it, you're not a good sister"

"Shut up Porter" he lays back down and she turns back to her computer. It's quiet again and without looking at him Harper asks "what? You want to date Garret now?"

"No" he sighs, "I can't"

"Because he's a loser?" She turns "I get-"

"No Harper" he sits up again looking at her "because he deserves better and it'll be his first boyfriend, I don't want to be another Elia to him."

"Oh god" she makes a face "it actually sounds like you like him" "Would that be so bad?" Porter thinks of the idea

"Do you like him?" Harper stares at her best friend prepared to hear the truth

"I think I do"

"Guess I have to show you this then" she turns to her computer, "come here" Standing up Porter walks close to her "show me what?"

"You know how you'd always complain about how we pretty much spent high school making

memories and never capturing them?" Porter nods "and you know how I said I found the perfect senior gift for you?"

"Get to your point Harp,"

"Well turns out because my brother is an A/V geek, he made it his priority capturing the moments we missed" she pulls up the video.

While in the kitchen looking for a snack Garret's in the cabinets "mom! Are we out of pretzels?!" He calls out head deep in pantries looking for the bag, "MOM!" He screams then remembers "oh right you're not home, and I'm talking to myself" he turns. "Geez!" He jumps seeing Porter standing there with a smile not saying a word, "thank you for scaring the crap out of me" he breathes.

"You're welcome" Porter replies "and Harper and I finished the pretzels, sorry." "Oh it's ok, did you want something else?"

"I did actually" Porter steps closer until his face is mere inches from Garret's who is trying to stay

calm. Porter leans until his lips are touching Garret's. Taken by a kiss he wasn't expecting Garret kisses back until Porter pulls away, "thank you" Porter whispers with a grin.

"What- I- I- for" Garret stammers surprised "for what?"

Porter steps away "the video, Harper showed it to me it was perfect"

"Oh yeah no it was nothing"

"It was everything" Porter stares at the confused and stunned look still on Garret's face, "look I can't promise I'll be everything you expect, and I'm not going to lie and say this isn't any pressure but I'd really like to give this a shot."

"Th-this?"

"Us Garret, maybe we could go on a date? You could teach me how to use one of your cool cameras?"

"You don't have to do this Porter I meant it when I said I was ready to move on, I just wanted you to know."

"Well now I do and I don't want you to move on, at least not yet." Porter waits for an answer but Garret just stares at him not knowing what to say, "it's ok you don't have to say yes now, will you at least think about it?" Garret nods "thanks" Porter smiles then leaves him in the kitchen.