"Hey, are you free tonight?" Travis asked.

Aaron, his long-time studious best friend, has been so busy with the SAT test that he forgot his own birthday was actually today. And Travis-the one guy that is basically head over heels over him, who, coincidentally, is also Aaron's best of friends since the year both of them were born in Honolulu, Hawaii, is the only person who could remind his exhausted friend of that.

"As a matter of fact, I am. What's the plan?" Aaron answered.

Then, he glanced at the taller guy, and the answer back to him was a lovestruck eyes from his friend. And this isn't the first time this had happened: Aaron understood Travis enough to correctly guess practically all actions from the sturdy guy; it is understandable, if the amount of time you had seen each other is from the "sacred birthday luau" to your junior year in high school...

"Hey Trev, what's the case?" Aaron asked.

He wondered to himself about how oblivious his friend could possibly be: except for himself, everyone knew that Travis was head over heels in love with Aaron and it was way too obvious for anyone to object the claim once they saw Travis talking about Aaron. Those eyes and the dreamy voice every single time he said the word Aaron from his tongue called him out for the entire Moanalua High School that Travis Miller, the captain of the school's soccer team and the most popular jock in Manoa, has a crush on Aaron Song, one of the leading members of the school's state-leading Math Team. And a major one, anyone would want to add.

"TRAVIS!"

Aaron loudened his voice, just to attract attention from the older guy; and worked as Travis snapped his head intensively and looked at Aaron with timid eyes.

"Um...so, you wanna grab dinner at our favorite place tonight?"

"That place? Okay, what's the occasion?" Aaron snorted, oblivious with the fact that today is his own birthday.

"You really don't remember?" Travis said, sounded hurt.

Aaron shrugged and finished his sentence anyway.

"That it's my 17th birthday? Well thank you, but I just don't really... understand why we should have such...celebrations!" Aaron whispered, his head slightly hung down right near Travis's neck region.

"We're going to be seniors in no time, Artie. This would may be the last time we could spend your birthday completely free, since we're gonna be mad busy the upcoming months." Travis sighed.

"Alright, what time should I be there?" Aaron said, and started to write in the details he needed for the rendezvous.

Six thirty and wear something beach-appropriate? Aaron wondered to himself after hearing the bizarre thing that his friend had told him to do. Alright, let's hope that at least this time won't be as bad as what he had put on back in our Homecoming parade.

Aaron couldn't stop himself from shuddering while recalling that horrendous time they went on their first "date": he accidentally pulled both of them from the Homecoming float all the way down to the muddy pile of the school's football field, by which costed Aaron a full night of hearing his parents laughed their minds out of the hilarity of the story and a long session of washing and cleaning up the mud . So, this one time, he is praying that nothing would actually happened that could results in Aaron being embarrassed by his own parents.

Artie's excitement keeps on rising and rising when the clock sluggishly strikes to five fifteen, and he is already on the Fasi's Limo number six onward from his house in East Manoa Street to Mahukona and Atkinson Street intersection, allowing himself to walk through the metropolitan area and the walk along Waikiki beach.

His senses flutter when he remembered their first time walking together to Waikiki Beach: it was already mid-November in Oahu, so the wind at the shore were gradually colder and colder by the hour at night; coincidentally, Moanalua High School hosted a small Hawaiian Constitution Day celebration that one night, but no one said about the one fact that Travis and Aaron- the people who were top of their class by each part( academic for Aaron and performing arts for Travis) were not there when the bash happen. Instead, they went to Waikiki.

And for the first time, Travis pulled Aaron's hand out to the magenta-colored sea, with a shocked look and a slight blush from Aaron himself.

Deep inside a strong, optimistic and smart Aaron that everyone knows, lies a person who is always lonely, and rarely anyone in his family would talk to him.

Just like everyone else at his age, he is insecure about himself. But his family seems to ignore the fact, by constantly reminding him about the expectations that they put on him.

In the times when he wouldn't ever think that he would get out alive, he thought of Travis.

He thought of his encouragements.

His laughs when Aaron said something that Travis thought it was funny, even though Aaron himself did not think so.

He thought about his eyes. Oh Lord, Travis's eyes.

His eyes resembled the water of Western Oah'u waters. Deep blue, as if he had so many secret, waiting to be told.

His voice. It's just like Queen Liliuokalani's voice was in his body, although he is not a part of the Big Four.

And Aaron does know, that he is in love with his best friend. But the stubbornness of a teenager would stop him from doing so.

That's the reason why he let Travis take the leading role in the "dates", even though he miserably failed time after time.

Aaron got to the diner, and Travis was standing there, with a smile on his face.

"Well, hey there my good friend!" Travis greeted, and Aaron smiled.

They sat down, and Travis started to place their order, before pulling out a birthday card.

"So, I don't have anything for you, and I'm sorry for that, but at least I have this..."

Aaron thanked his friend:

"Aw, thanks!"

But he quickly regretted it, as soon as he opened the card: everything was written in red ink, including his name.

"What is this?" Aaron asked.

Travis quickly noticed the anger on Artie's face, and said:

"Is there something wrong?"

"Are you kidding me? OF COURSE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG!" Aaron shouted, and Travis started to calm the other person down:

"Okay, Aaron, calm down..."

Aaron, at that time, were standing stiff at the table, his hand fixed on the table itself and was trying his best not to scream at Travis's face: he understand, that Travis was so nice and kind to remember his birthday, but he wouldn't think that Travis would write his name like he's dead.

"You wanted me to calm down?" Aaron muttered. "After you just did the action that you do know since forever that will make me go ballistic?". Then as he started to stomp out of the diner, Aaron said:

"Nice attempt trying to tell me you love me. You blew it up."

Travis stood there, feeling like his world crumbling down to pieces as the figure of Aaron walking out of the diner, his shoulders shaking.

He got his chance, and he ruined it.

---*---

"Hey Travie, have you seen Aaron by any chance?" A friend of them asked Travis, and he shook his head.

Artie had not came to school for the past 3 days. And for Travis, it was a living hell.

Not talking to him. Not being with him.

Not seeing him.

He knew he deserve it, for offending him. But it doesn't have to be such a severe punishment.

Travis rang the doorbell of Aaron's house, and his mom replied it with a sad smile.

"Hey there darling, are you looking for Artie?'

"Yes, Ms. Song. Is he inside?"

"He's inside. I don't fully understand why, but he is a wreck right now."

He thanked Aaron's mother, his mind filled with guilt as he entered his room.

Laying on a bed with a hoodie and surfing shorts, was the figure of Aaron, completely disheveled and lost.

He slightly turned his head, just to be seen with the figure of Travis into his glassy eyes.

Now Travis Travis started to notice the look of his love of his life: his hair was a mess, and the jacket's hood was covered over his head. There were bags under his eyes, and he seems skinnier than ever.

"Hey." Travis whispered, and Artie replied with a slight smile, then gesturing him to sit down on the bed.

"Was I the reason you weren't you at school these days?" was Travis's first question. He understood that that should be the worst question to address practically anyone, but he had vowed to himself to clear up the atmosphere between them two.

And Travis is approaching more into the desperate move: either they can be in a relationship, or they cannot be in a relationship. Simply as that, no in between zones.

Aaron sat up, and sighed:

"You're not the reason why I miss school."

Then he started sneezing and coughing, when realization came across Travis:

"How did you get the cold?"

"From not bringing a jacket when the wind was blowing like there's no tomorrow?" Aaron scowled. Then he continued speaking, while opening up the curtains:

"All right, cut the chase. Why are you in my room? In fact, why are you at my house?"

"You do know why." Travis said, placing another card onto the bed.

"Stay here." Aaron replied, after picking up the envelope, sealed by the frangipani-shaped sticker.

The word "Aaron" was written in blue ink. And inside of it, was a photo of Aaron himself back in freshman year, in Waipahu.

Half of his face was illuminated by the sun, while the other half was hidden in the shade. But, he was smiling.

Aaron flipped the photo.

June 21st. The love of my life.