Liam woke the following morning, and the first thing he did was check his cell phone, hoping that Alex had messaged him back via HAWT. He was disappointed to find no new messages from Alex. So, Liam crawled from his bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. As he ate, Liam tried to decide whether or not he should reach out to Alex again or wait for him to contact him. After finishing his breakfast, Liam decided to send a quick message to Alex. He opened HAWT on his phone and typed a short text asking how his day was going.

Liam:

“Hey, hope you slept well,” Liam typed.

Liam hit send and waited for a response.

A few minutes later, Liam thought he heard his phone buzz, but it was a false alarm. He sighed, feeling disappointed that he hadn’t received a response from Alex yet. So, Liam decided to distract himself and went for a walk around the neighbourhood with Rufus, his favourite four-legged campaign. As he walked, he thought about what he could say to Alex if he did respond. Liam wondered if he should be more direct and tell Alex how he really felt or if he should try to play it cool and keep things casual.

Liam had gotten so worked up thinking about Alex that he strayed away from his usual walking route, only to stop when he noticed a new coffee shop had opened on the corner by Terrace View. He’d certainly make use of it during his walk home from school. Figuring, he had time to kill, as nothing had been planned for the day, he took a stroll down to the park with Rufus. Sometimes you’d get lucky and find some neat rock formations in the city park, some quartz and, although unusual, even Nepheline syenite, which blew the teen’s mind.

Liam and Rufus walked, and Liam took note of the interesting rocks they found in the park. He made a mental note to do some research on the types of rocks commonly found in the area. Time passed, and again, Liam’s phone buzzed with a notification. Excitedly, Liam pulled out his phone, hoping it was a message from Alex. Unfortunately, it was just a notification from his school reminding him about an upcoming exam. Liam sighed and pocketed his phone, feeling disappointed once again. He focused on enjoying the rest of his walk, taking in the scenery and spending quality time with Rufus.

He’d returned home for his special backpack and tools, only stopping to drop off Rufus. Liam planned to take small samples of the stones, even if he looked weird to general passersby. He was excited to return to the park and collect samples of the interesting rocks he had seen earlier. Liam spent the rest of the afternoon gathering rock samples and taking notes on their characteristics. It was a pleasant distraction from his thoughts about Alex, and Liam felt more relaxed and focused afterwards. Liam couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace when gathering rocks. Remembering that Alex had UChat, Liam decided to fire off an I.M. just in case he didn’t get a response from Alex on HAWT. Liam typed in his UChat message to Alex.

Liam:

“Hey, just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. Hope you’re having a good day.”

Liam wasted some time dawdling around the home and even checked his cell phone a few times but quickly felt disappointed. As the evening approached, he felt a sense of accomplishment from his day’s work. Liam deposited some samples on his bedroom desk. By the window, he added the Nepheline Syenite to his collection, which he’d be happy to speak about for an hour, explaining the qualities of the rock and how it belonged to the holocrystalline plutonic rock. Collapsing on his bed, Liam decided to relax by watching a movie with Rufus. As he settled in on his bed, his phone buzzed with a notification. Liam’s heart raced as he saw that it was a message from Alex.

Alex:

“Hey, Liam, sorry for the late response. I’m doing well, thanks for asking. How was your day?” Alex had replied.

Liam smiled, feeling relieved and excited that Alex had finally responded. He quickly composed a response, bursting to tell Alex about his day and the rock collecting he had done.

Liam:

“I had a great day,” Liam replied. “I spent the morning trying to reach you, then went for a walk with Rufus and found some interesting rocks in the park. I spent the afternoon collecting samples and taking notes on their characteristics. What about you? Anything interesting happen today?”

Seconds ticked by, and Alex responded.

Alex:

“Who’s Rufus?”

Liam smiled at the thought of introducing Alex to Rufus, his four-legged companion.

Liam:

“Rufus is my dog,” he replied. “He’s my faithful companion and the best listener I know. I’d love for you to meet him sometime. How about we grab coffee together, and you can meet the both of us?” Liam hit send and waited eagerly for Alex’s response.

Maybe Liam was a bit forward, but he remembered the coffee place during his stroll earlier that day. The T.V. noise filled the void between the texts, the gunfire of an epic fight featuring John Wick. Before Liam knew it, Alex responded.

Alex:

“I’d love to meet Rufus and grab coffee with you. Name a time and place, and I’ll be there.”

Liam felt a sudden rush of happiness and relief wash over him. He couldn’t believe it; Alex had agreed to meet him for coffee! Liam quickly typed out a response, suggesting they meet at the new coffee shop he had seen earlier that day. He included the address and suggested they meet at noon the next day. Liam hit send and smiled, feeling excited about what the future held.

Liam:

“That new coffee house on Terrance View in Newhaven; we could meet at noon.”

Liam:

“It’s not too early, is it?”

Alex replied.

Alex:

“Noon works for me, and the coffee shop sounds great. I’m excited to meet Rufus.”

Liam felt a wave of relief and excitement wash over him.

Liam:

“Great.”

Alex:

“Sounds good. I’ll see you there tomorrow at noon.”

Liam felt a sudden rush of excitement and anticipation. He couldn’t wait to see Alex and introduce him to Rufus, and Liam couldn’t help but feel hopeful and optimistic. However, he couldn’t believe he would be seeing Alex. Liam realized that he had never seen a photo of Alex’s face besides the shirtless photo on his HAWT profile. So, Liam asked for a photo so he could recognize Alex at the coffee shop.

Liam:

“Hey, Alex, do you have a photo of yourself that you could send me? I want to make sure I recognize you tomorrow.”

Liam waited for Alex’s response, hoping he wouldn’t find the request too forward.

Alex:

“I’m not really the most photogenic person. But I have a picture of my cat that I could send you. She’s pretty photogenic.”

Liam smiled at the thought of seeing a picture of Alex’s cat.

Liam:

“Sure, I’d love to see a picture of your cat. I’ll send you a picture of Rufus in return.”

Liam quickly snapped a photo of Rufus lying by his feet and sent it to Alex. Alex replied with a picture of his cat, which was indeed photogenic. The cat was a beautiful Russian Blue with piercing green eyes. Liam smiled at the image and returned a message telling Alex how cute the cat was.

Liam:

“Neat cat, what’s her name?”

Alex responded.

Alex:

“Her name is Luna. She’s a little ball of energy and keeps me on my toes. What about Rufus? What’s he like?”

Liam smiled, feeling happy to have something to talk about with Alex.

Liam:

“Rufus is a golden retriever, so he’s super friendly and loves lounging around, and hates anything physical other than walking. Especially fetch. He’s also a great listener and always knows how to cheer me up.”

Alex:

“I can see that… the golden retriever part.”

Liam thought the response was a bit rude since some people don’t always get the breed right and confuse Rufus as a Red Setter. Liam loved talking about Rufus, but a sinking feeling inside him couldn’t help but notice that the conversation had steered away from receiving a picture from Alex.

Liam decided to guide the conversation back to the photograph he had requested from Alex. He didn’t want to come across as pushy, but he was curious to see what Alex looked like.

Liam:

“So, do you think you could send me a photo of yourself tomorrow before we meet up?”

Alex replied.

Alex:

“I’m not really comfortable sending photos of myself to someone I haven’t met in person yet. I hope you understand.”

Liam sighed and replied, “I understand.”

Liam felt disappointed but understood where Alex was coming from. He decided not to push the subject any further and instead focused on looking forward to meeting Alex in person.

Alex:

“Can you send me a picture now so I know who to approach tomorrow?”

Liam felt a bit disappointed that he wouldn’t get to see a photo of Alex beforehand, but he was still excited to meet him in person, even if he thought it odd that Alex wanted a picture without sharing one himself. Something about the situation tingled his insides. Why didn’t Alex want to show himself? More importantly, should he send a picture of himself?

As Liam pondered this, he realized that it was a valid concern. He didn’t know much about Alex beyond what he had seen on HAWT and UChat. Maybe it wasn’t bad for them to exchange photos so that they could both feel more comfortable and secure. However, that didn’t help put Liam at ease; all he had to go on was a photo of the guy’s six-pack. What if the guy turned out to be a creep, serial killer, or worse, a Jehovah’s Witness.

Liam:

“I don’t know if I should.”

After giving it some thought, Liam decided it was better to err on the side of caution and not send a picture of himself. He didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks, especially with someone he had never met. Liam replied to Alex.

Liam:

“I’m sorry, I don’t feel comfortable sending a photo of myself either. I hope you understand.”

Alex:

“Ah, take another cute picture of your dog Rufus? Take a picture together.”

That meant he’d still be in the picture. Liam felt pressured to take a photo for Alex, even though he didn’t feel comfortable doing so. He worried about taking unnecessary risks with someone he had never met. Liam decided to give in to the pressure and sat up, curling his legs inward; a lump was forming in his throat, and his heart rate slowed. Liam hesitated but eventually gave in to the pressure.

“Come, boy?” Liam beckoned.

Rufus didn’t move, but his eyes lazily flickered toward his owner. So, seeing that his best friend was uncooperative, Liam shimmied down the bed and ducked in low beside Rufus, his chin resting on the crown on Rufus’ head. Liam picked up his phone and opened the camera app, positioning himself and Rufus in front of the screen to get a good shot. He took a few photos until he found one he was happy with, then sent it to Alex.

Liam:

“Here’s a picture of Rufus and me. I hope you like it.”

Alex replied.

Alex:

“Aww, Rufus is so cute! And you, you’re hot asf....”

It came with a heart-eyed emoji, and Liam felt a sudden rush of happiness and relief. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all to exchange photos with Alex. Liam replied.

Liam:

“Thanks, he’s my best friend. Can’t wait for you to meet him tomorrow.”

Liam felt his heart skip at the thought of seeing Alex in person. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow to arrive.

Alex:

“Dogs are always a pleasure to meet, but I’m practically giddy now just thinking about you.”

Liam suddenly felt butterflies in his stomach at Alex’s message. He wasn’t sure how to respond, feeling excitement and nervousness. Liam took a deep breath and replied.

Liam:

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow too.”

Liam was starting to find sitting uncomfortable, so he stood up, pacing around his room, his stomach churning and his heart accelerating. Rufus never moved an inch. Instead, he watched his master waltz about like an idiot. Liam’s heart was pounding with anticipation; he had to choose his outfit carefully and practise what he would say to Alex. Everything would go smoothly if he rehearsed everything in advance, maybe even kissing the back of his hand in case they reached that stage.

Alex messaged again.

Alex:

“Could I get another photo? You’re like super cute.”

Liam felt a bit discomforted with Alex’s request for another photo. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to send another one, especially since he had already sent a picture with Rufus. Liam hesitated, wondering if he should go along with Alex’s request.

Alex:

“Pretty please?”

On the one hand, Liam was flattered that Alex found him attractive, and he was excited about their upcoming meeting. Liam decided to take a few moments to think about it before responding to Alex’s request. He paced around his room, his heart still pounding with expectation and disquiet. Liam knew that sending another photo could lead to something more between him and Alex, but he also knew it could be risky.

After some deliberation, Liam decided to go for it and send another photo. He reasoned that he had already sent a photo with Rufus, so what harm could one more shot do? Liam snapped a quick snapshot of himself and sent it to Alex. He reviewed the picture he sent as he waited for Alex’s response. All Liam could do was pull apart all his flaws, how his freckles made him look gross, or how his touselled brown hair looked like he’d been roughhousing like a five-year-old. Though Liam did like his light beige sweatshirt, so that’s all that mattered. He wondered if Alex would like the photo and if he had made the right decision. Liam felt vulnerable and exposed, and he hoped that he wouldn’t regret sending the image later on.

Finally, a message from Alex appeared on his phone screen. Liam’s heart raced as he read the message, relieved that Alex liked the photo.

Alex

“You’re so handsome.” Alex typed. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

Liam felt a sudden rush of endorphins. He couldn’t believe that he was actually going to meet Alex in person, and he couldn’t wait to see what the future holds. As Liam got ready for bed that night, he couldn’t help but feel nervous about his upcoming meeting with Alex. He knew he needed to be cautious and take things slow, but he couldn’t deny the chemistry between them. Liam was hopeful that tomorrow would be the start of something special, and he couldn’t wait to see what the future held.