Damaged

On a hot summer night, Will and Sergio sat next to each other in the backyard, staring up at the sky looking up at the stars. It had been an amazing summer for them both, having enjoyed an adventure of a lifetime together. But all good things come to an end, and Will was staring right at the end of this wondrous adventure as Sergio found himself looking for the next one. Will had known it wouldn't last. They had all told him it wouldn't end well, his friends, even his mom warned him. He didn't care, however. He was just head over heels infatuated with Sergio and his cute romantic gestures, that Will decidedly disregarded every red flag. Like how Sergio never said he loved Will even though Will told him early on that was how he felt. He was so swept up in the romance, the fun trips to scenic places, adorable picnic dates, or the way Sergio would wrap him up in a warm hug and kiss softly. He cannonballed into the relationship, threw all caution to the wind and lost all sense of time and space during the course of those three magical summer months. When Sergio finally sat him down and explained to him, "this is just a summer thing, nothing else," Will felt frozen. The hot summer air turned cold around him and the night became much darker. He had seen it coming from miles away but had ignored all the signs and warnings. He had hoped that maybe love might be a real thing and that it was in fact attainable for him. He was so sure Sergio was the one, perfect, adventurous, charming Sergio. But it turned out to be the idea of him rather than the reality that drew Will in, and Will fell so deeply into that age-old trap. Now, Sergio, the heartbreaking-conniving-insensitive asshole, is sitting there as if the past three months meant nothing. "It was like an adventure, it was fun, but that was all it was."

The stars blink sparse and barely visible from the light pollution on the strip a few miles out. Even though Sergio was only a foot away, Will feels him so impossibly distant. He sits huddled, withdrawn and uncomfortable. He tries to avert his gaze to pretend he doesn't see the tears pooling in Wills eyes. Will tries to cover up the swell of hurt and anger he felt. "I have to go. I'm sorry it had to be like this," Sergio awkwardly stood up and headed toward the side gate by the garage. The backyard never felt so empty. Will sat alone on the gravel floor looking upwards, wishing he could fly away and disappear into the dark void between the stars. Tears streamed down his cheeks and the sound of his light snuffles fill the dull air. "Hello heartbreak," he whispered to himself, "my old friend. We have got to stop meeting like this! So often and so little time in between." He let out a long sigh and stood up, dusting himself off and wiping away his tears. He went inside to find his mother, passed out on the living room in front of a blank TV announcing, "input source not found," casting a blue light into the room. A bottle of liquor, some generic brand vodka, lay on its side on the coffee table among a crowd of empty prescription bottles and scattered pills. "Jesus, mom," he said, seeing the state she was in. It certainly wasn't the first time he's found her like this. She's been a mess ever since she divorced John, a.k.a. dick husband number two, but then again, she was a mess way before that. He grabbed a blanket to cover her comatose body. Gently so as to not make a sound, he leaned over to kiss her cheek goodnight, and slowly he descended into his bedroom to hide from the world, at least for now.