First Meeting 

Many months ago...

Jebediah  sat at the edge of the field, watching listlessly his classmates playing their sports games, overlooked by the teacher who directed their  games. 

He let out a sigh, resting his chin on his palm as he watched the figures move before him around the place, eyes out of focus. 

His attention began to return to him slowly, as he gradually became aware of a figure coming closer to him. He blinked lazily, watching this figure. He was quite tall, with shaggy black hair, and a handsome face. 

Jebediah continued to watch him, as the boy moved closer to him.

'Hey' he said to Jebediah as he drew closer. 'How are you?'

'I'm fine I guess.'

'Why aren't you playing with the others?' the boy asked him.

'I can't' Jebediah replied. 'I have asthma so....'

'Oh right. Do you mind if I sit with you?'

'Sure' Jebediah spoke flatly.

The boy sat on the grass beside Jebediah, maintaining a gap between them. 

'My name is Carl.'

'I'm Jebediah.'

'That's a long name. Can I call you something else?'

'Like what?' 

'I'm going to call you Jay' Carl grinned at him. 

'Ok?'

'Do you wish you could play with the others?' Carl asked then, looking towards the boys and girls in that class that played their sports game. 

'Yeah' Jebediah said forlorn. 'I just want to be normal like everyone else.' Jebediah looked towards Carl then. 'Why are you out here by the way? Where is your class?'

'Just there' Carl pointed a short distance away, and Jebediah looked around, seeing a small group sitting upon the grass with drawing pads on their laps, some kneeling before small easels. 

'Oh' Jebediah said. 'An art class.'

'I'm a bit rubbish at art' Carl laughed. 

'Yeah me too.'

'I like to play the trumpet though.'

'You can play an instrument?' Jebediah raised and eyebrow. 

'Yeah' Carl gleamed, 'I'm actually not half bad. I can play the saxophone too but I prefer the trumpet.'

'I prefer more elegant instruments, like the harp and violin.'

'Those are overrated' Carl waved him away playfully then. 'Maybe I can play for you some time.'

Jebediah's attention flickered towards Carl then, finding this a strange thing for him to say. 

'So do you like anyone in this school?' Carl asked him out of the blue. 

'Do I like anyone?'

'Yeah. Or do you have a girlfriend?'

Jebediah stared at him silently for a few moments, before turning his head fully to face Carl. 

'I heard that only people who want to be with you in that way ask about previous relationships' Jebediah said. 

This caught Carl off guard, and he stared at Jebediah in shock.

'Do you fancy me?' Jebediah asked, almost mockingly, his tone harsh. 

'Tch.' Carl turned away angrily then, gritting his teeth and hiding his face from Jebediah. 

'You do don't you' Jebediah said. Though he already knew. 

'Jeez. This is not how I thought this first meeting would go' Carl spoke to himself, his voice wavering with nerves. 'Maybe it was wrong of me to approach someone I knew nothing about.'

'So you like me' Jebediah spoke matter-of-factly, looking ahead of him again. 'Why?'

Carl looked back at Jebediah sullenly. 'I don't know. I guess its because I thought you were handsome.'

Jebediah watched him out of the corner of his eye then, before turning to face him again, this time with a smile. 'Well I think you're pretty handsome too.'

'What?' Carl said in surprise. 

'I like to sieze the moment' Jebediah replied smiling to him. 'How about we at least give it a try....and see where this could go. And if it doesnt end up going anywhere, then at least we tried.'

Carl stared at Jebediah with eyes wide with surprise, before his expression relaxed. 

'You're weird' Carl smirked at him then. 

Jebediah only smiled back. 

'Tell me about yourself then. You've just moved here I'm guessing? I've never seen you before, in this small town most people know most other people. Where did you come from?'

And so they began to talk, their conversation instantly very relaxed and flowed back and forth smoothly.