Learn How to Love (Boy x Boy)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟐

Warm sun washed over my face while Luke stroked my hair with gentle fingers. Sadie sipped her lemonade as we all sat outside in my yard beneath the treehouse, talking about our favorite moments from highschool. Boxes were piled outside on the porch, ready to be piled into my car when Luke and I drove across state to college. Our first semester started next week. I was still amazed we had both gotten into the same college, and we found a cheap apartment a couple blocks away from the university we could share. 

Sadie was blabbing about all the fights she had gotten into while also claiming that she was a "changed woman". I could feel Luke shaking above me as he tried not to laugh. I was so glad that Luke and Sadie ended up getting along so much better than I expected. Once Luke came out to our school, the Douche Squad became way more supportive, mainly thanks to Hayden, who was much more supportive about our relationship than I thought. Hayden had gotten into a college in California, and left yesterday after a party between all the graduates.

Luke's fingers stroked my cheek, his soft fingertips tracing the features of my face. "I remember when you and Justin would always get into huge fights. I'm surprised it took you until sophomore year to kick his ass."

Sadie grinned. "What can I say? Better late than never."

Justin got a job as a mechanic at his dad's auto shop in town, and dropped out of highschool sophomore year. He wasn't as unbearable as he used to be, and we'd talk if we saw each other in town, but I'd been busy with getting ready to move to another state. I was trying to catch up with Sadie one last time before we left. I wouldn't see her again until Christmas break.

Luke glanced down at me. "Hey, could you get me some more lemonade?"

I nodded, slightly groggy as I lay there soaking up the warm sun. I sat up and rose to my feet, brushing dirt and grass off of my hoodie as I walked through the sliding door into the house. There was a note on the table from my mom, saying goodbye and thanking me for being such an awesome child. I had to admit, I cried. I cried and Luke held me and tried to comfort me as I sobbed because my mom actually noticed my accomplishments for once. Everything seemed to be going right today. 

I walked past my bedroom, and noticed something was off. I poked my head into the room and noticed that there was a tiny green journal on my desk. One of grandma's. Frowning, I walked across the room, my bare feet creaking against the floor boards. Was Luke rummaging through the boxes? He usually respected my privacy, and he wouldn't have left it out. It was the green journal, the most recent one. "Margaret" was still written across the cover in fancy letters. I picked it up and flipped to the last page that had letters on it, the last passage she had ever written.

𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟖𝐭𝐡

My mijo talks nonstop about this boy in his class named Luke "fucking" Salazar. My day is approaching, the day of my death. I can feel it, which means this is the last time I will be writing. I pray you are reading this, Kylar, and I'm sorry I can't be there to explain. I did not curse Luke for your sake, I did it for his own. I could tell he was sad, lost, alone, and needed someone to help drag him out of his dark hole into the bright world of self-acceptance. He needs to learn to love, mijo, he needs to learn to love himself. 

I paused, staring at the words in awe. He needs to learn to love... himself. The curse being broken was never about finding him a boyfriend, it was about finding him the confidence he needed to accept himself for who he was. It was weird, thinking about how everything was so uneccesary and necessary at the same time. Luke never needed to search for a girlfriend, but if he hadn't kissed Melanie he wouldn't have realized he was gay and therefore started to accept himself. 

My grandma knew she was going to die? I wondered. And she didn't tell me... That bit hurt, but it was also comforting to know that she had left me little notes like the one Luke found on the folded piece of paper and the one in the journal. Maybe I'd bring a few with me to college, to read them whenever I had time. It'd be fun getting to know my grandma a little better from a perspective where she wasn't constantly lying to me. Not that I minded. She did it for my own good. Besides, I never would've ended up here if it wasn't for all of her help from beyond. I smiled happily. 

I think Luke and I both learned how to love.