MidReal Story

The Play That Changed Everything

Lucas

Scenario:My name is Lucas. Im a somphmore in high school. One of my friends in theatre is Brayden. he's a senior. He is straight, I am gay. I have a crush on him and I act gay around him buy hugging andt alking abt kissing but its "only a joke". Can you write a story to where we end up daitng. make it really romantic.

Create my version of this story

My name is Lucas. Im a somphmore in high school. One of my friends in theatre is Brayden. he's a senior. He is straight, I am gay. I have a crush on him and I act gay around him buy hugging andt alking abt kissing but its "only a joke". Can you write a story to where we end up daitng. make it really romantic.

Lucas Thompson

sensitive, and hopeful. Lucas has a crush on his friend Brayden, a senior in their school's theater group. Despite the age difference and Brayden's straight orientation, Lucas often teases him with playful gestures like hugs and jokes about kissing. His feelings deepen as they grow closer during rehearsals for the school play. Lucas struggles with selfdoubt but remains optimistic about the possibility of a romantic connection with Brayden.

Brayden Mitchell

caring, and oblivious. Brayden is Lucas's crush and friend, unaware of Lucas's true feelings. Despite being straight, he enjoys Lucas's playful jokes about kissing and hugs, seeing them as harmless fun. As they work together on the school play, their bond strengthens through shared laughter and mutual support. Brayden values his friendship with Lucas deeply but remains unaware of the romantic undertones until a pivotal moment changes everything.

Evelyn Carter

witty, and observant. Evelyn notices the dynamic between Lucas and Brayden during rehearsals for the school play. She often provides comedic relief with her sarcastic remarks but also offers words of encouragement to Lucas when he needs it most. Her presence adds depth to the story by highlighting the camaraderie within their tightknit group of friends.

My name is Lucas.

I'm a sophomore in high school.

One of my friends in theatre is Brayden.

He's a senior, and he's really awesome.

He’s my crush, and I’m very much aware of that.

The thing about Brayden is… he’s straight.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

I have a crush on a straight guy.

Welcome to the club!

What I don’t know is… why I act so gay around him.

Like, all the time!

We were at rehearsals today for the school play, and he was talking about how he needs help with his lines, so I walked over to him after we were finished and said, "Hey, do you want to come over to my place after school tomorrow to work on it?"

He said sure, and then I stood up from the seat next to him that I had occupied just for the conversation about his lines and gave him a hug.

"Okay, cool. And… thanks for the hug, man."

He laughed when he said that last part about the hug because he knows I just wanted to touch him.

I always want to touch him.

I touch his arm when talking to him, or pat him on the back, or shoulder… or whatever.

And then I give him hugs all the time because I like to hold him close to me even if it’s just for a second or two or three or ten or fifteen…

"Sure thing, dude."

He knows it’s all just a joke.

So, after school today, he came over, and we’re in my living room right now, going over his lines.

He’s sitting on the couch with his script and I’m in the armchair next to him, watching him read.

I’m not really reading along with him; I just like watching him.

His brow is furrowed in concentration as he reads through the dialogue between him and his love interest.

I know he’s uncomfortable with some of the stuff in here, but he’s a good sport about it.

He’s actually a really good actor.

I can tell he’s getting to the part where they kiss because he starts to squirm a little in his seat.

He looks up at me with a laugh and says, "This is so awkward."

I smile and shrug.

"It’s not that bad."

He looks back down at his script and mutters under his breath, "Yeah, right."

I chuckle and shake my head at him.

He looks back up at me with another laugh and says, "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"

"Maybe," I say with a grin.

He smiles back at me and goes back to reading his script. After a few more minutes of Brayden reading through his lines, he sets the script down on the coffee table in front of us and leans back into the couch cushions.

"I think I’ve got it. Thanks for helping me."

"No problem. Anytime."

We sit there for a minute before Brayden says, "I should probably get home. My mom will want me to eat dinner with them."

"Stay," I say quickly.

I didn’t mean to say that out loud; it just kind of… slipped out.

Brayden looks at me curiously and asks, "Why?"

"Um… I don’t know. Because you’re here already?"

I shrug my shoulders and look away from him.

"I was going to make myself something to eat anyway. You could stay."

He looks at me for a minute before nodding his head okay.

"Okay."

I stand up from my chair and walk into the kitchen, Brayden following behind me.

I open the fridge and look inside for something to make for dinner when Brayden speaks up behind me.

"What are you making?"

"Just something simple," I say as I pull out some chicken breasts and veggies from the fridge.

"Chicken stir fry or something."

"Do you need any help?"

I look over my shoulder at him and smile.

"Yeah, actually. You can chop up these veggies for me."

I hand him a knife and the bag of veggies from the fridge and he nods.

"Sure thing."

We stand there in the kitchen, chopping up the veggies and chicken, when Brayden’s phone buzzes in his pocket.

He pulls it out and looks at it, then grins.

"My parents just sent me money to order some takeout," he says as he pockets his phone again.

"Want to order something fancy?"

I pause with my knife in my hand, considering his offer.

I mean… I guess it’s not really a date or anything, but ordering takeout and eating it together does kind of sound like a date.

"Sure," I say casually, trying not to make a big deal about it.

We walk over to my laptop on the kitchen counter and pull up the website for the Italian place down the street.

Brayden leans over next to me, looking at the menu with me, and I can feel his shoulder brush against mine every so often as we scroll through it.

Each time our skin touches, I feel a little jolt of electricity run through my body. Brayden points to something on the screen and says, "What about that? Does that sound good?"

I look at what he’s pointing at and nod.

"Yeah, that sounds great."

I click on it to add it to our order and then ask Brayden what he wants to drink.

He tells me what he wants and I add that to the order too before clicking the button to place it.

After we’ve placed our order, Brayden asks if we can watch a movie while we wait for our food to get here.

"Sure," I say quickly, probably too quickly.

But Brayden doesn’t seem to notice anything wrong with my response because he just nods and says, "Cool."

We go back into the living room and pick out a movie from my collection of DVDs on the bookshelf in there.

As the opening credits roll, I realize this moment is enough.

I’m not really paying attention to the movie as it plays, though.

I’m more focused on Brayden sitting next to me on the couch.

He’s leaning back into the cushions with his arm stretched out along the back of the couch, and he looks so relaxed and comfortable.

When something funny happens in the movie, I catch him smiling slightly.

I laugh at that part too and nudge him with my elbow.

Our shoulders touch again as I do, and I feel a warmth spread through my body from that contact.

The doorbell rings then, signaling our food has arrived, and I jump up from the couch to go get it.

I’m grateful for the distraction from my thoughts right now.

I open the front door and take our food from the delivery guy before closing it again and walking back into the kitchen. Brayden follows behind me into the kitchen, and we set out two plates and glasses on the table before opening our containers of pasta.

Brayden pours us each a glass of soda with an exaggerated flourish that makes me chuckle.

We sit down at the table then, digging into our food as we continue watching the movie.

We talk occasionally between bites about what’s happening in it, but mostly we just eat in comfortable silence.

After we’ve finished eating, Brayden gets up from his chair to put his dishes in the sink, and I follow behind him to do the same.

As he rinses his plate off, he turns to me with a smile and says, "Thanks for dinner."

"No problem," I say as I put my own dish in the sink next to his.

We stand there for a minute, rinsing our dishes off and putting them in the dishwasher.

When we’ve finished, I turn to him and say, "You wanna go back to the couch?"

Brayden nods and we walk back into the living room together.

The movie is still playing in the background, but neither of us really pays attention to it as we settle back onto the couch.

I stretch out along the couch with my head resting on Brayden’s lap, and he looks down at me with a chuckle.

"You’re gonna use me as a pillow now?"

I grin up at him and say, "You’re the perfect size."

He chuckles again and shakes his head before looking back at the TV screen.

I lay there in silence for a while, feeling Brayden’s fingers brush through my hair as he plays with it.

It’s a gentle touch, and it makes me feel at ease.

After a few minutes, I let out a content sigh and Brayden glances down at me.

"You comfortable?" he asks with an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face.

I nod and smile back at him.

"You make a great pillow."

Brayden chuckles and shakes his head again, but he doesn’t say anything else.

We lay there in silence for a while longer, watching the movie play on the TV screen in front of us.

After a few minutes, Brayden breaks the silence between us by saying, "So… how was school today?"

"It was good," I say as I look up at him.

"What about you?"

Brayden shrugs.

"It was alright. Just trying to get through senior year."

I nod sympathetically.

"Yeah… I can imagine. I’m just trying to survive sophomore year myself."

Brayden chuckles again and says, "Yeah… high school can be tough sometimes."

We sit there in silence again for a minute before Brayden asks, "So… what do you want to do after graduation?"

I think about that question for a minute before answering.

"I’m not really sure," I say honestly.

"I’ve been thinking about going to community college for two years and then transferring to a four-year school. But I’m not really sure what I want to study yet." Brayden nods thoughtfully.

"That sounds like a good plan. What are you interested in?"

I shrug again.

"I don’t know… maybe theater or something. I’ve always liked acting."

"Oh yeah? You’re in the theater club at school?"

Brayden asks with interest.

"Yeah," I say as I look up at him with a smile.

"Actually… that’s how we met. You came to our last show."

"Oh yeah," Brayden says as he looks away from me, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"I remember now."

I chuckle at that and look back at the TV screen again.

We sit there in silence for another minute before Brayden breaks the silence again by asking, "So… what do you like about theater?"

I think about that question for a minute before answering.

"I guess… it’s just fun to pretend to be someone else for a while," I say honestly.

I look back at him as I answer, "I like how it lets me be someone else for a while. And I like the feeling of being on stage in front of an audience."

Brayden nods thoughtfully and says, "Yeah… I can imagine that would be cool."

He pauses for a minute before looking back at me and asking, "So… what do you think about after graduation?"

I shrug again.

"I’m not really sure. I’ve been thinking about going to film school or something."

"Oh yeah? You want to be a director or something?"

Brayden asks with a smile on his face.

"Yeah… maybe. I’ve always liked movies and stuff, so I thought it could be cool to make them."

"That sounds awesome," Brayden says with genuine enthusiasm.

"I’ve always liked movies too. I’ve actually been thinking about going to film school too."

"No way," I say with a chuckle.

"Really?"

Brayden nods and smiles back at me.

"Yeah… really. I’ve always liked movies and stuff, and I thought it could be cool to make them." "That’s so cool," I say with a grin.

"Maybe we could work on a short film together sometime."

Brayden looks thoughtful for a minute before nodding and saying, "Yeah… that could be cool. What kind of movie were you thinking of making?"

"I’m not really sure," I say as I look away from him, considering that question.

"What kind of movie do you think we should make?"

Brayden shrugs.

"I don’t know… maybe some kind of action movie or something."

"That could be cool," I say as I look back at him.

"But we’d need to come up with a plot first."

"True," Brayden says as he nods thoughtfully.

"What kind of plot do you think we should use?"

I shrug again.

"I’m not really sure… maybe something about two guys who are fighting against an evil villain or something."

"That sounds cool," Brayden says with a grin.

"Maybe we could even film it in the woods behind my house."

Brayden nods again.

"That could be cool. We could even have a big fight scene at the end where the two guys defeat the villain."

I chuckle at that and look back at Brayden.

"You’re really getting into this, aren’t you?"

Brayden looks away from me, his cheeks flushing slightly again.

"Yeah… I guess so. I just think it sounds like a cool idea."

I smile back at him and say, "Your eyes light up when you talk about movies."

Brayden glances back at me, a hint of surprise on his face.

"Do they?"

He chuckles softly and says, "Yeah… I guess so. It’s like you’re already living the dream."

Brayden smiles warmly at me, and for a moment our eyes lock together.

The air between us is charged with unspoken possibilities.

Brayden leans in slightly, and I know this is just the beginning.

I lean in closer to Brayden, my heart pounding in my chest.

But then I suddenly feel a rush of nerves and quickly back away from him, not wanting to make things awkward between us.

Brayden looks at me with a puzzled expression on his face as I stumble over my words.

"I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to lean in so close."

"It’s okay," Brayden says gently, his voice soft and reassuring.

We sit there in silence for a moment, the tension between us palpable.

Then Brayden shifts closer to me again, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asks, his voice filled with concern.

I nod and smile back at him, grateful for his understanding.

"Yeah… I’m fine. I just got a little nervous for a second."

Brayden nods thoughtfully and says, "It’s okay. We can just go back to watching the movie if you want."

"But, you know," Brayden adds, his voice barely above a whisper, "I wouldn't mind if you leaned in again sometime."

I glance at him, surprised by his honesty.

"Really?" I ask, my heart skipping a beat.

Brayden nods, his eyes locked on mine.

"Yeah… really."

I shake my head again.

"I don’t know, Brayden. I just don’t want to make things weird between us."

Brayden chuckles softly.

"Things are already weird between us, Lucas. But that’s okay. I like weird."

I smile back at him, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.

"Okay… good."

We sit there for a moment, the silence between us comfortable and easy.

Then Brayden shifts closer to me again, his knee brushing against mine.

I look over at him, feeling a rush of anticipation.

Brayden looks back at me with a soft smile on his face.

"What do you say we finish watching this movie?" he asks, his voice filled with warmth.

I nod and reach for the remote control.

"Sounds good to me."

We settle in together, the movie playing softly in the background as we watch.

The room is filled with a sense of possibility, and I can’t help but feel grateful for this moment with Brayden. As we sit there watching the movie, I feel Brayden’s eyes on me from time to time.

I glance over at him occasionally, catching him looking at me with a soft smile on his face.

I smile back at him and return my attention to the movie.

But I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation building inside of me.

I know that something special is happening between us, and I’m eager to see where it will lead.

As the movie comes to an end, Brayden reaches out and gently takes my hand in his own.

I look over at him, feeling a rush of emotions flood through me.

Brayden smiles softly at me, his eyes filled with warmth and affection.

"I really like you, Lucas," he says, his voice filled with sincerity.

"I really like you too," I respond, my voice trembling slightly with emotion.

Brayden squeezes my hand gently before letting go and standing up from the couch.

"I should probably get going," he says, looking down at me with a smile on his face.

I nod and stand up as well, feeling a sense of disappointment wash over me.

But as we walk towards the door together, Brayden turns to me and says, "Hey… can I ask you something?"

"Of course," I respond, looking up at him curiously.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" he asks softly, his eyes locked on mine. I hesitate for a moment before answering.

"No… not right now," I say truthfully.

Brayden's eyes flicker with something I can't quite place.

"Would you ever consider, you know, dating a guy?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

I swallow hard, feeling my heart race as I meet his gaze.

I take a deep breath and nod.

"Yes, I would consider it."

Brayden's face lights up with a smile that makes my heart skip a beat.

"Good," he says softly, his voice filled with relief.

We stand there for a moment, the tension between us palpable.

Then Brayden reaches out and gently touches my arm.

"I have to go," he says, his voice filled with regret.

"But I'll text you later, okay?"

I nod and smile back at him.

"Yeah… okay."

As we walk towards the door, Brayden turns to me and asks, "Can I ask you something else?"

"Of course," I respond, looking up at him curiously.

"Do you think we could try dating?" he asks softly, his eyes filled with hope.

I feel a rush of excitement flood through me as I process his question.

Then I nod and smile back at him.

"Yeah… I'd like that."

Brayden's face lights up with a smile as he reaches out and gently takes my hand in his own.

"Great," he says softly, his voice filled with happiness.

We stand there for a moment, the weight of our decision hanging in the air.

Then Brayden leans in and gently kisses my forehead before pulling away. "I'm going to go now," he says softly, his eyes locked on mine.

"But I'll text you later, okay?"

I nod and smile back at him.

"Yeah… okay."

As Brayden turns to leave, I feel a sense of relief wash over me.

I'm glad that we were able to have this conversation and that things are now out in the open between us.

I walk Brayden to the door and watch as he steps out into the night air.

He turns back to me with a hopeful grin on his face.

"See you tomorrow?" he asks softly.

I nod eagerly, already looking forward to our next meeting.

"Yeah… see you tomorrow."

"Definitely," I reply, my voice filled with anticipation.

Brayden gives me one last smile before heading down the steps.

As I close the door behind him, I can't help but feel like this is the start of something new and exciting.

After Brayden leaves, I sit down on my bed and stare at my phone in my hand.

The room is quiet except for the hum of my thoughts replaying the events of the evening over and over in my mind.

I open our chat and type out a message, hesitating for a moment before hitting send.

"Hey, tonight was really nice. I'm glad we talked."

I stare at the screen as I wait for his response, my thumb hovering nervously over the screen.

Then, a few moments later, my phone buzzes with Brayden's reply.

"Me too. Let's hang out again soon?"

A smile spreads across my face as I type out a response.

"Definitely. How about tomorrow? We could meet up at the park?"

I send the message and wait for Brayden's response.

A few seconds later, my phone buzzes again.

"Sounds good. I'll meet you there at 10?"

I nod to myself as I type out a response.

"See you then!"

I set my phone down on the bed beside me and let out a deep breath.

I can't help but feel a sense of excitement wash over me as I think about our plans for tomorrow.

I climb into bed, feeling grateful for this new connection with Brayden.

As I drift off to sleep, I can't help but wonder what the future holds for us.

The next morning, I wake up early, feeling eager to meet up with Brayden at the park.

I get dressed quickly and head downstairs to grab something to eat before heading out.

As I walk towards the park, the sun is shining brightly overhead and the air is filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers.

I arrive at the park a little early and take a seat on a bench near the entrance.

Brayden soon appears, walking towards me with a smile on his face. "Hey," he says softly as he approaches.

"Hey," I respond, smiling back at him.

We stand there for a moment, looking at each other awkwardly.

Then Brayden gestures towards the path that winds through the park.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asks softly.

I nod eagerly and we start off together, strolling along the path as we talk about everything and nothing.

The trees tower above us, casting dappled shadows across our faces as we walk.

The air is filled with the sound of birds singing in the distance, adding to the peaceful atmosphere of our stroll through the park.

After a while, Brayden stops by a bench situated near a small pond and gestures for me to sit down beside him.

We sit there in silence for a moment, watching as a family of ducks swims by in front of us.

Then Brayden turns to me with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Lucas," he begins softly, "I really meant what I said last night."

I look at him, feeling my heart race.

"About liking me?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Brayden nods, his eyes steady on mine. "And about wanting to try dating," he adds, a hint of vulnerability in his tone.

I nod, feeling a warmth spread through my chest.

"I'd like that too," I say softly, reaching out to take his hand in mine.

Brayden smiles, his eyes shining with happiness.

"Good," he says softly, squeezing my hand gently.

We sit there for a moment, the only sound being the soft quacking of the ducks and the rustle of the leaves in the gentle breeze.

Then Brayden stands up, pulling me to my feet beside him.

"Let's go get some ice cream," he suggests, still holding my hand in his.

I smile and nod, feeling hopeful about this new chapter in our lives together.

As we walk towards the ice cream stand, Brayden glances at me with a curious expression.

"Lucas, can I ask you something else?" he says, his voice a mix of curiosity and hesitation.

"Sure, what's up?" I reply, intrigued by the sudden shift in his tone.

Brayden pauses for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth as if searching for the right words.

Then he takes a deep breath and speaks in a voice filled with vulnerability.

"Can I kiss you?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

I look at him, feeling my heart skip a beat.

I nod slowly, my lips parting slightly as I lean in towards him.

Brayden's eyes lock onto mine, his gaze filled with anticipation.

Then, without another word, he closes the distance between us and presses his lips against mine.

As Brayden's lips leave mine, a shy smile spreads across his face.

"Let's get that ice cream now," he suggests, his voice light and playful.

I nod, feeling a mix of joy and disbelief wash over me as I process the reality of our first kiss.

We walk side by side towards the ice cream stand, our hands brushing occasionally as we go.

The air is filled with the sweet scent of vanilla and chocolate, enticing us to indulge in a cold treat on this warm summer day.

Brayden orders a double scoop of mint chocolate chip, his favorite flavor, while I opt for strawberry.

As we wait for our ice cream, the sound of children's laughter and the clinking of metal against cones fills the air.

The sun shines down on us, casting a warm glow over the entire scene.

After receiving our ice cream, we walk over to the swings, finding a quiet spot to sit and enjoy our treats.

The chains creak softly as we sway back and forth, Brayden laughing as he tries to balance his cone in one hand while licking it.

I watch him with a contented sigh, feeling grateful for this moment of happiness with my crush-turned-boyfriend.

The park is quiet, the only sound being the distant chirping of birds and the occasional bark of a dog.

The sun is setting in the distance, casting a warm orange glow over everything.

Brayden nudges me playfully with his shoulder, causing me to grin at him.

We continue to eat our ice cream in comfortable silence, savoring each other's company as much as our frozen treats. After a few minutes, Brayden breaks the silence by asking me about my favorite movies.

I tell him about my love for sci-fi films and how I've seen Star Wars at least ten times.

He shares his own favorite movies with me, including The Princess Bride and The Goonies.

As we talk, I notice that Brayden's ice cream has started to melt slightly, leaving a sticky ring around his mouth.

I reach out to wipe it away with my napkin, causing him to blush slightly at my touch.

We continue to chat about school and our shared love of theater, Brayden telling me about his experiences on stage and how he hopes to pursue acting as a career.

I listen intently, feeling happy for him and proud of his ambitions.

As we finish our ice cream, Brayden glances up at the sky and notices that the sun has dipped below the horizon.

"Let's head back," he suggests softly, his voice filled with a gentle longing.

I nod in agreement, feeling a sense of contentment wash over me as we leave the park together.

As we walk, Brayden reaches out and takes my hand, intertwining our fingers in a warm embrace.

The evening breeze whispers against us, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the distant sound of crickets.

We stroll along in comfortable silence, passing by familiar landmarks and enjoying each other's company.

Occasionally, Brayden glances over at me, his eyes filled with a mix of happiness and curiosity.

After a few minutes of walking, we reach the corner of the street where we need to part ways.

Brayden stops and gently pulls me closer, his expression thoughtful.

"Lucas," he says softly, his voice filled with vulnerability.

"I've been thinking about us."

I look up at him, feeling a sense of anticipation wash over me.

"What do you mean?"

Brayden takes a deep breath, his eyes locked on mine.

"I mean, I've been thinking about how much I like you, and maybe... taking things further."

His words hang in the air, leaving me feeling both excited and nervous.

I nod slowly, trying to process what he's suggesting.

Brayden smiles softly, his hand still intertwined with mine.

"Good," he says gently.

"Let's take things slow and see where this takes us."

I squeeze his hand in response, feeling happy and content in this moment with the person I care about most.

We start walking again, discussing what this new development means for us as we head towards my house.

As we walk, Brayden and I start making plans for a quiet dinner together.

We both agree that we don't want to do anything too extravagant, so we settle on making some homemade pizzas.

We stop by the store on the way and pick up all the ingredients we need, laughing and joking as we try to decide on toppings.

Brayden wants to make sure we get enough cheese, while I'm insistent that we need multiple types of vegetables.

Finally, we head back to my house, where my mom is happy to hear about our plans and sends us off to the kitchen to get started.

The kitchen quickly becomes a mess as we spread out ingredients and start working on our pizzas.

The dough sticks to my fingers, making it difficult to shape it into perfect circles.

At one point, Brayden flicks a bit of flour at me, causing me to jump back in surprise and start a lighthearted food fight. We laugh together as flour covers the counters and floor, feeling like kids again as we have fun in the kitchen together.

After a few minutes of battling with flour and sauce, we finally finish our pizzas and slide them into the oven.

I set the timer and grab two glasses of water for us as we wait for them to cook.

As we sit on the floor against the cabinets, I can't help but notice how cute Brayden looks with flour still stuck to his face.

He notices me staring and smiles softly at me, reaching over to brush some of the flour off my own face.

I smile back at him, feeling happy with this new development in our relationship.

The timer beeps after a few minutes, signaling that our pizzas are done.

We stand up and pull them out of the oven, examining our creations with pride before digging in.

The taste is amazing - crispy crust covered in melted cheese, savory sauce, and delicious toppings.

We eat quickly, enjoying every bite before settling back down on the floor with full bellies. As we sit there, Brayden turns his head towards me with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"So," he says softly, "what are you hoping for with this whole thing?"

I glance over at him curiously, not entirely sure what he's asking.

"Do you mean us?" "Yeah," he replies with a nod.

"I've never been in a serious relationship before. What are you hoping will happen with us?"

I take a moment to think about my answer before responding.

"I'm not really sure," I admit honestly.