Michael had not stopped beaming since the moment he had seen his friends, preparing to tell them about his new-found happiness. They were presently on their usual playing ground—a hockey field, where they’ve always been right since when they were all in elementary school. “Is it just me, or you are all seeing the lasting smile on Michael’s face?” Joshua was the one who spoke first as he stepped back from his locker to inspect Michael's face carefully. Scott, who was done dressing and was about to wear his helmet, paused and stared at Michael’s face intently, as if he wanted to see something behind his eyes. “Not to exaggerate, the last time I saw Michael smile like this was when he was telling us about Nathan’s ex-girlfriend,” he uttered, his gaze locking with Joshua’s at the end of

