Luke Castellan

I was at home just doing some stuff around the house. Cleaning the kitchen, mainly. The oven really needed a clean.

And Percy calls me for a video chat. So I answered, propping my phone against the window sill above my sink, being I was scrubbing my oven racks at the moment.

"Hey, babe," I said. "What's up?"

"Uh, not a lot," he told me as I think he was at his desk. "Apollo left a little bit ago so I emailed my psychiatrist and then called in a prescription. But when's your next day off?"

"Mmm... Not tomorrow but the day after," I answered. "Why?"

"We should go on a date."

This idea, as it has literally every other time it's been mentioned, intrigued me. I like dates, they're a lot of fun. Percy once tried to reach me how to skate and that didn't work super well.

I tried my best, but didn't really succeed.

"I mean, I'm never going to turn down a date," I insisted. "With the most amazing boyfriend ever. But can I ask what we're doing that prompted you to video call and not text?"

"Uh, I called because I texted and when you didn't respond I figured I'd try calling and if you didn't answer I'd try in like, an hour or so." My boyfriend clarified, which would make sense. I haven't been checking my phone a ton today. "but Apollo did like, something, I was asleep so I don't know what, but it told him like things that should work for me better than what I'm doing now."

"Okay?"

"So he gave me new meds," Percy went on, glancing at a sheet of paper. "Therapy is just normal. But then he told me that it would be in best interest for me to get either a emotional support animal or service animal."

I gasped a little because I knew where this was going because of we've talked about this once before in different context.

We've talked about getting some sort of pet once we know where I'll be going to college and what not. Once we're set in a place for a while.

"So," Percy concluded. "would you like to go out on a date with me to the humane society?"

I smiled.

"I'd be honored."

Excited for that, I finished cleaning up the kitchen before taking a nap before work. And work wasn't too busy. Truck wasn't huge. I stock overnights at a MoMA clothing store like a block or two away from MoMA. It's a whole vibe. Also, I do new sets for stuff and I think we're setting tonight, so I'm excited.

It's the best part of my job, okay? Because I get to use my creativity and move stuff around and build little displays. Also, my coworkers are a lot of fun. One of them is going to Pratt right now for fashion design, which is really cool. I personally want to go into animation with a minor in studio art.

But that's just me.

Getting into work, I was blessed to find out that it was a set night so it's just two of us here all night. Just twoof us. Our boss locked up and left once the three of us were clocked in, saying that truck was already unpacked and sorted so we're good to set as we please, there's some new stuff, please put it out.

So first things first, we started to take down the old fixtures that were going into storage.

"You seem happy tonight," Payton remarked as they were taking down some Andy Warhol cans and I was taking down the Keith Harring fixture. Our theme this last month was pop art, for the most part. That was the featured style. "what's going on? You've been quiet the past few shifts we've worked together, I was starting to get worried."

"It was just stressful," I assured them, shrugging as I took one of the cardboard figures to the back room as they grabbed the tub of cans and walked with me. "My boyfriend, Percy, lost his memory in January and got it back after like a month, it was two weeks ago, and he got super depressed and so he was in a mental home for 12 days and they released him today, which was super cool and we're all happy that he's home because he hated being there after like three days just as much as we hated him being gone. So yeah. He's home again, with his memory, so I'm excited. We're going to the humane society not after today shift, but the next day!"

"Oh!" They responded, seeming intrigued by the subject. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend. I know you've mentioned Percy before but... You guys don't live together, do you? I know you said you have your own apartment."

I shook my head, sliding the pop up figure between two other ones for other sets that we weren't worrying about yet.

"He lives with his parents, he's 17, will be 18 in August." I clarified. "plus, I graduated early and all. He's almost done. He's the oldest in his grade, though, so he has like, another year left, but he's going online so it doesn't much matter, and either way, I'm not applying to colleges until this coming year. Saving my money."

"Smart," Payton figured as we walked back out with a sketchpad to concept the new layout. A very vague idea. "Does he have any idea as to what he wants to study?"

I sighed.

"He's not a college sort of guy," I explained that situation to Payton as we walked around to see what we still had on the floor to work with. "he said he might take a few business classes or something if he can, but as of right now he wants to open a bakery or maybe a cafe, depending on his skills when he gets to that point. He said that I could help with some design if I wanted to, assuming we're together still, which, I hope so."

Payton smiled.

"You really like him?"

I nodded my head with a slight smile.

"Hold onto him then," they told me, thinking for a second. "my girlfriend, bless her heart, is studying chemical engineering at NYU, insanely smart, love her to death, although she either gets what you say immediately or will never get it. We moved in together... A year ago now? A little over that, threw start of the year last year. But we told towels differently and that was a whole thing."

I chuckled a bit as we took to moving some stuff around.

"Hey, if you get past how to load the dishwasher, you're set." I insisted. "that's different for everyone."

They nodded their head in agreement as we condensed some racks down so we had empty ones for the new product to go on.

"Yeah," Payton agreed. "I don't know man, I think I might propose soon. Her birthday is next month."

"Really?"

"Really," they nodded in confirmation. "I mean it's been two and a half years, we've lived together for a while, travelled together and separately. I think she's the one."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"I mean, yeah, literally anyone I would ever tell doesn't know you." Payton assured me, which is true. Their family is from Oklahoma so I really wouldn't know anyone. The closest would be Piper, but even then, that's a long shot. I barely know Piper. "what's the secret?"

I paused for a moment, because I've thought about this a lot, but I've never really said it to anyone because it's been six months as of this coming weekend. It's Wednesday night, were getting the support animal the day before our six month anniversary, so I'll probably stay over at his place or he'll stay at mine, whoever works best.

"So it might be a little early to really say for sure, we're young, things change, that whole deal," I acknowledged that right away because I know that's the reason why I don't mention it. It hasn't been super long and neither of us are old enough to drink and he's still in high school and there's a lot of things happening in our lives. "but I think he might be the one, too."