Mike was very smart when he was in elementary school but when high school came around, everything changed.

“Mike, where are you going?” asked Mike’s best friend Alfred.

 “I’m gonna go talk to Brianna,” Mike responded.

 “Are you finally going to ask her out?” Alfred asked excitedly.

 Mike responded just by looking back and smirking at Alfred. 

Mike spots Brianna alone sitting at a picnic table near the main building of their school reading a book. Mike was really nervous but excited to ask Brianna to be his girlfriend because she had been giving him hints since the beginning of seventh grade. “H-Hey Brianna!” he yelled as he was running up to her table.

Brianna put her bookmark in her book and looked up curiously. “Oh hey Mike!” she said with a big smile on her face. 

As Mike came up to her out of breath his nervousness had become worse. “Hey, uhm--” he said out of breath,

Brianna looked up at him waiting patiently till he got his breath back.

Mike stuffed his hands in his front pockets of his jeans and looked down at his feet. “I uh was wondering,” he started and cleared his throat, “w-would you be my, uh, girlfriend?” he finished, looking at her hopeful rocking back and forth on his heel.

She gave him a sympathetic smile and said to him, “I'm sorry Mike but I'm not interested”

Mike’s heart skipped a beat hearing those words and he felt his body draining of everything and he simply responded with “Alright.”

Brianna picked up her things and gave him another sympathetic smile and walked away.

 Mike stood there for a little while and watched her walk away. Mike heard footsteps running up to him and he felt a hand shove his shoulder indicating Alfred was next to him.

“So? How did it go?” Alfred asked. 

“She turned me down,” Mike responded quietly. 

Alfred's smile disappeared and he said, “Oh, I'm sorry, bro.” The next thing Alfred knew Mike was hugging him tightly and crying quietly. Alfred's face flushed red and he hugged him back.

Mike didn't notice he latched onto Alfred until Alfred hugged him back, Mike’s face flushed red but he didn't let go; he felt…safe in Alfreds arms. The two boys hugged for a couple minutes more and Mike reluctantly let go. 

“Thanks,” Mike told Alfred as he let go but the next thing Mike knew was Alfred pulled him back into a hug.

Alfred had pulled Mike back into the hug without realizing it and he automatically let go and turned and started to walk away as he said to Mike, “No problem.”

Mike stood there for a bit longer trying to understand what had just happened. 

Alfred walked away with butterflies in his stomach, he mumbles to himself “why is he so cute…UGH” 

Alfred walked to his class and his girlfriend mandy popped up next to him “Hi babe” she says and kisses him on the cheek as she grabs his arm and walks with him to his classes 

she was talking his ear off as they walked to his class but he didn't register a single thing “hey are you listening to me?!” she said agitated, “sorry love my mind is somewhere else” 

“Who is she?!” she yelled, “what?!” he yelled back “there isn't a she what made you think that” 

“You’ve been distant and hanging out with your friend instead of me!” she yelled even louder and everyone turned their heads their way to listen to the drama unfold. 

“You’re mental” he yelled even louder “i would never cheat on you with my life”

“I don’t believe you” she responded. “I'm not dealing with this right now i'll see you later” 

“If you walk away we are done you hear me” She yelled

 “looks like we are done then” he shrugs and walks away leaving Mandy stunned.

A few minutes later Alfred tried to call Mike but Mike didn't respond and he was getting worried but chose not to push it because maybe he's busy. 

The rest of the day was a blur for Mike. He avoided Alfred for the whole day ignoring his calls when he called him to check up on him.  

Mike was on the bus and he was sitting there ashamed and confused about the moment he and his childhood best friend had just shared. The worst part was he had to hide it from his parents.  

Mike walked through the door while his mom was in the kitchen. He tried to get past her but she cornered him. 

“Hey you. How was your day?” she asked. 

“It was fine mom i need to go upstairs though i have school work to get done” he said while walking away

While he was walking away his mom said to him “pastor jacobs is coming over tonight for dinner don’t forget” 

Mike ignored her and went to his room to play video games.

A few hours later his mom came up to his room. “Why aren't you dressed!” she said 

“Sorry mom i got busy with stuff” he responded 

“Playing video games?” she asked as she threw his dress clothes at him. “Get dressed pastor is going to be here soon” she said as she walked out of his bedroom. 

Getting dressed his mind started to run all over the place and he ended up putting his shirt on backwards. He quickly fixed it and took a deep breath before going downstairs.

The bell rang and Mike’s mom jumped up and got the door with a fake smile and started greeting him as Mike started his way towards the kitchen to get something to drink and he bumped into his dad. “Sorry dad didn’t mean to bump into you” unlike Mike with his sandy blond hair and hazel eyes his dad has brownish black hair with brown eyes. 

“It's fine it happens..Is the Pastor here?..” his dad said a little angry.

“Yeah..moms greeting him right now” Mike responded nervously. 

His dad suddenly looked angry as he walked out of the room cursing under his breath. 

Mike followed behind his dad and his dad looked like a raging bull and a argument broke out between everyone and the one thing Mike's dad had said changed Mikes whole world 

“We are getting a divorce and that's final” Mike's dad yelled at his mom and his mom turned to Mike who was stunned.

“What…” Mike asked like a scared child. His mom started crying “I’m sorry i should have told you sooner” she said trying to walk towards him with her arms open. 

Mike backed away from his mother and ran upstairs before the tears started falling in front of his family and the pastor. 

Mike called Alfred 5 minutes later and told him about what he just heard. 

Alfred listened and when he thought Mike was done he said “im sorry man that's really hard” not sure of what to say 

“No, it's fine, I saw it coming sooner or later” Mike said over the phone trying not to break again. 

“That’s never fine” Alfred responded fiercely, “things might get better but it's no guarantee it will ever be fine”.

They talked on the phone until Mike fell asleep.