The Tech Wiz | #2✓

Epilogue

"They should be here in half an hour," Felix said, as we looked out into the road. We were standing by his patio's railings as we waited for the cab that was going to take him to his college to come by. I smiled at his words, resting my head on my hands that I had folded on the railings.

The summer had gone by so fast.

"I'm kind of excited and sad at the same time. Do you feel the same way?" he asked, making me turn to him. He was resting on the railings too, his gaze fixed on me as he waited for my answer.
"Yes," I said with a sigh, looking out into the compound. Felix's boxes were already waiting by the sidewalk, and his dog was running about the yard barking as he chased dead leaves that were falling from the tree.

"I'm going to miss you," he said, removing his weight from the railings so that he was standing up straight. I stood up straight as well, muttering a 'same' as I forced myself to smile. I had to get it into my head that him going off to college wasn't a bad thing, and that I should be happy for him. I mean, it could be worse. There's the internet and it's not like we'd have to send letters that'll take weeks to arrive back and forth just to communicate.

"When I get to my dorm I can attach my phone to a selfie stick and kind of stream my settling in, in real time for you. How does that sound?" he asked, making me smile.

"That'll be great," I said as my smile widened as I watched him.

"Do your parents know you're here?" Felix suddenly asked, making me nod. I frowned a little afterward, not wanting to think back to the string of things my mother had been saying for the past week. She was happy Felix and I were not going to see each other for a while — physically that is.

"Can't wait for things to die off. I'll be here to hug you when you cry."

I grimaced, remembering her words. She'd laughed right after, but that's far from the kind of joke I expected her to make when I told her Felix was attending a college in another state. It seemed like I had been playing down her non-approval.

"Are you still thinking about what your mum said?" Felix asked in a low tone as I let out a sigh and nodded. I mean, it was hard not to. We were trying to make sure things worked out, and it didn't help that there was someone back at home hoping it crumbled.

"Don't worry about it," he said, letting his gaze moved to the trees that had their branches dancing in the wind.  "We'll make it work. I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you too," I said, my chest warming up when Felix reached out to hold my hand in a tight grip.

"If you feel a little detached you come over and hang out in my room, my dad or his boyfriend will let you in," he said, stroking the fingers of my dark hand with his pale thumb finger. "Plus, Simon's taking a foundation course in a small school close by so you can keep in contact with him as well."

I nodded, taking in everything Felix was saying to make me feel better.

"I understand if you don't have time to talk to me much though, you're on a conditional scholarship, right?" I said, looking over at him as he nodded. The man from the contest had helped Felix out, but the scholarship was conditional and required him to keep certain grades to maintain it.

The sound of a horn soon made us look out into the road again. Felix's dog was barking as a red cab came into view. Jumping about before sniffing at the cab when it came to a stop.

"They're here," Felix said with a breathy voice as we watched his father and his father's boyfriend walk out towards the pavement to take his luggage to the trunk of the cab. His father's boyfriend was a young looking man that dyed his hair too often for me to guess it's original color.

"Felix! You should come out!" His father yelled, turning before waving at us from his position by the cab's open trunk that was having Felix's boxes put into it. I turned to Felix, watching him stare at the cab as he took in deep breaths.

"I'm coming!" he said, making his father turn away.

I watched him sigh before biting his bottom lip as if in thought. "I'm not taking this as well as I thought I would," he eventually said, making me look over at him with a worried look. I took his hand in mine again, giving it a little squeeze when he turned to me.

"Thanks..." he trailed with a small smile, before turning his gaze back to the cab and letting out a breath. "Okay, I think I've calmed down."

He took his hand away from me, rushing back into the living room and then out of the house through the main door. I watched him from the patio as he headed to the car, smiling as I observed him adjust the leather belt on his blue jeans as his father ran a hand through his hair while scolding him about not getting a haircut earlier today like he asked him to. I felt evil for chuckling, seeing as he'd wanted to spend today with me and not outside doing what his father asked him to.

As Felix got into the passenger seat of the cab, my eyes widened with realization.

He'll forget it. I thought as I hurried back into the house, heading straight for Felix room. I saw the yellow paperback book sitting on his bed with the black title: Coding for Dummies. I smiled, picking it up before hurrying outside with it. I ran up to the cab, knocking on the window by Felix's seat until it got taken down.

"You almost forgot this." Felix frowned in confusion before laughing and covering his face when the book came into view. I laughed with him, treasuring the moment, realizing that this would probably be the last time I'd heard it outside of a video or phone call for a while.

"You just had to remind me of who's the tech inclined person," he said, taking the book before putting it on his lap. I shrugged, bending forward a bit so I could give him a peck before leaning away. The book was more of a reminder of him making the first move, we've been joking about the awkward cheek peck since we got together.

"See you during winter break then," he said, making me nod as I leaned away from the car, allowing the driver to close the window. I soon heard Felix's dad shut the trunk as his boyfriend yelled that they were set. They both stood by the pavement with me, watching as the car drove away. Felix's dog pursued it for a while but came running back when the car made a turn.

"Thanks for seeing him off," I heard Felix's dad say as I felt myself being pulled into a side hug that didn't last very long. I smiled a bit, watching as his dad turned away and started talking to his partner.

I hung around Felix's room for a while, sleeping off on his bed as I tried to calm down awful feeling that was whirling inside me because he left. I woke up later in the evening around seven, and left his room and told his dad that I was off before heading back home.  

My mind was filled with some of my memories with him as I walked back home. It's too early for this. I scolded myself as a small smile made its way to my lips.

I'll be close to him next year, I can wait. I told myself as I continued on my way.

And I will be.

My mind was no longer filled with a not so enjoyable future in a tech store and unrequited affections. I was looking forward to taking what I knew best to the next level and being happy.