I wanted to tell him that I wasn't gay, but then again I also didn't want to deny it either. The short of it was I wasn't sure if I was straight, gay, or bi, or something else. No matter what, I didn't want it to seem like I thought being gay was wrong either.

He stopped right outside the door of the school and turned around to face me as he dug around his coat pocket for his keys. "About your bag, I can replace it for you."

I looked down at the ripped bottom that finally broke apart. "I've had it for a few years. It was bound to break eventually." For some reason, I felt a lot calmer. The irritable panging hadn't exactly gone away, but it wasn't as prevalent anymore.

"Okay." He shifted to the left to let some people through. "Still, I am the one who broke it and I don't mind replacing-"

"Fine, then." I sighed, giving up. The more he talked the more that feeling was crawling its way back to my attention. "I don't really care."

He was smiling again. Really made me regret saying anything. How could one person be so damn happy? I should have just picked up my things and walked away. Instead, I had to let my anger get the better of me and now look where we are. "Should we go to Target?"

"Target?"

"Kohl's might have something, too, but I think Target has a larger selection." He went on.

The more I stared blankly at him, his fake smile started to waver. "No?" He asked.

"I was thinking you'd just reimburse me and that's that." I looked down at my phone again for the time. "I've got to go."

I shoved past him. With it being Monday and all I really didn't have time to be messing around. Had this day fallen on a weekend I'd of had more time, but with winter the sun was already starting to meet the horizon.

I walked under Swing Bridge towards the bus stop. The city was bustling this time of day. We weren't in the poor part of Milwaukee, but it wasn't like we were in the Third Ward, either. It was an average middle-class district of the city. Even so, I called this, the most segregated city in the States, my home.

Just as I crossed the first sidewalk I caught my eye on a flower shop. The closer I got, the stronger the smell of flowers became. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the smell. It smelled Earthy and gross. Still...

I opened the door and walked inside. It was a small shop with a few displays outside and in the window with more arranged flowers on the floor. Right behind the desk was an open door with flowers and petals overflowing the room.

"Hello?" I asked after a moment. No one answered back. "Hey!"

"What? Geez, with the screamin'!" An older man with thick glasses slowly descended some stairs hidden behind a bouquet of flowers. "Well, what do ya want?"

"Um... I want to buy flowers."

"Huh?"

"Buy flowers," I said loudly. "I want to buy your flowers."

"Well duh, why come to a flower shop then?"

I sighed.

"Papa, what are you doing?" A young, pretty woman appeared from the open doorway. "Hello there."

"Hello." I glanced at my phone again.

"What can I get for you?" She turned to her father, "go back upstairs, papa."

He waved her off. "Old men can't get a wink of sleep these days with all y'all fuckin' yelling about the place." His complaining got softer as he ascended the stairs. "I'll only get silence when I'm dead. Kids and their X Box's and Gameboy Nintendo's-" he grumbled.

The young woman shrugged. She didn't look old enough to have a father like him.

She grinned. "He's my adoptive father." As if reading my mind. "You looked confused." She set down the box of flowers she had in her arms. "What can I get for you?"

"I just want to buy some flowers."

"Okay. What's the occasion?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "An apology to your girlfriend?"

"A gift to my dead friend." I corrected.

Her smile dropped. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine... he died two years ago."

She nodded, getting a large spiral book from under the desk. "Well, I have all kinds of flowers for all different occasions." She slid the open book over to me. "Which one do you think they'd like?"

I looked over the book. The last two times I visited his grave I gave him a mixed bush of flowers. To be honest, I didn't think it mattered. I wasn't one to really believe in heaven, but I hoped if there was he was there. I didn't, however, wish he was looking down on me.

Sometimes I wondered if he hated me. If he were somehow aware of me from the last two years he must know I didn't care he was gay. I'd hate me if I were him.

"Just... this one." I pointed at an arrangement with white flowers and some purple and blue ones. It was one of the more expensive ones.

"Okay." She watched me for a moment. "When did you need it?"

"Oh, um, today."

"O-oh."

"Sorry... should I have ordered ahead?"

She shook her head. "It's fine. I can arrange it real quick. It'll just take me a few minutes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She took the book and disappeared through the back hallway.

I checked my phone. It was getting a lot later than I wanted. His grave was about twenty minutes away, too, where other members of his family were buried.

My phone pinged. Natalie: Where are you? We were having a family night tonight.

I glared at the text. It's not like they didn't know. Peter: I'm busy. Won't be one until later.

Natalie: Mom and Dad said specifically to come home. Why'd you go and make plans?

Peter: I'm going to Lucas's grave.

Natalie: What? Why?

Peter: It's the anniversary of his death.

A few minutes passed before she sent me a reply. Natalie: Omg. It's not like you two were dating. Get over it! It's been two fucking years since she shot himself.

I switched contacts over to my mother. Peter: I'm going to visit Lucas's grave because it's the anniversary of his death. I'll come home when I can.

Mom: Okay sweetie. Try to be back before 7.

At least my mother isn't a bitch.

"Okay!" The woman reappeared in the doorway. "I'm not the arranger for the store, my mom does that and I just take orders and manage so it's not that great." She set down the basket of flowers. It looked fine.

"Thanks. I'm sure he won't really care." I got out my wallet to pay.

She smiled at me. "Have a good night."

"I'll try. Thanks, bye."