Mike & Caleb

You met him a couple of years ago. He was lying beaten near the garages, with a split lip and torn clothes. Caleb was fifteen then, like you.

After that incident, you started talking more. You noticed Caleb had grown broader in the shoulders, taller. He spent a lot of time training in the gym, and now it wasn't him who was getting hit, it was him. But with you, he was always different. Quiet, calm, caring, as if he changed when he was around.

Then Mike came to your class. A rich, handsome, and fashionable guy. You didn't even realize how he started hitting on you. You went out a couple of times, and he brought you flowers. But you didn't feel as comfortable with Mike as you did with Caleb.

One day, you walked out of your building to go to the store for some chocolate. Your gaze immediately caught Caleb sitting on the curb. Tall, broad-shouldered, with short dark hair and an old but familiar tracksuit. He was twirling a pebble he'd picked up in the park in his long fingers.

And then your gaze stopped on Mike. He was wearing a light suit that looked very expensive, his blue eyes mockingly slid over Caleb, then returned to you. But his gaze remained mocking. In his hand was a large bouquet of roses.

You realized that this can’t go on any longer, and it’s time to make a choice about who you want to communicate with.