“Daniel”, Noah pleaded. He stepped into the room but stopped when Daniel backed further away.

                                                           ***

“Dad? Can I ask you something?”

“Sure kid, what’s up?” His dad where laying on the couch, a newspaper laying across his chest as he was drowsing off. Not old my ass, Daniel thought. Daniel stood beside the television, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. When his dad saw the look on his face, he sat up on the couch and furrowed his brows. “You okay?” he asked. Daniel moved to the couch and sat down next to him.

“How do you know if you like someone?” Daniel blurted out and looked at his dad.

“Oh, uh. Like a crush?” he asked. Daniel nodded. His dad thought for a while before he said, “Well I think it’s different for everyone. But I guess you get butterflies in your stomach when you see them. You smile and laugh at everything they say, even the bad jokes” he said with a smile. “And you kind of want to be around them all the time.”

“But how do you know that you’re not just friends?” Daniel asked nervously.

“It’s different from a friendship you know? It goes deeper. Its like a friendship, but just… more. Does that make sense?” his dad asked, looking a little confused himself.

“I guess”, he said. “But like… how do you know if they like you back?”

“That’s a little bit trickier. They look at you different, more fondly. And their body language changes I guess? But there is really no way to know for sure unless you ask them.” Daniel looked at him with misbelief. “No?”

“No”, Daniel stated before he went up and left. His dad helped. Unless for that last part, at least.

He walked down the stairs to the basement and put on his boxing gloves. He punched the bag, once, twice.

“I have a…” he started shakily. He punched the bag again, feeling the heat from his anger rising.

“I have a… crush…” He forced out before he punched the bag again. He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t. It was impossible. Hell, he couldn’t even think it, what made him think he could confess it out loud?

“I have a crush… on No-” he got out before he yelled and punched the bag until his muscles grew tired. He threw the gloves in the wall and sat down in the corner of the basement. He felt desperation creep up at him and tears pushing behind his eyes. He forced the tears back and breathed deeply three times. He repeated, and felt his body relaxing.  

                                                          ***