SAHC: summer of 78

the first time i felt i was actually flirting with another boy must have been during summer vacation right after graduating from elementary school. i was 12yo then. i still had my cousin and neighbor as my barkada, doing 'boy stuff' like war games, climbing fences and picking neighbors' fruits, skateboarding.

but i also became close to a classmate of mine, ill call him daryl because of a common love for the Mickey Mouse Club (way way before britney) that was a regular sunday program we'd watch religiously. we had our crushes on the pretty talented little girls (yes, girls). and we'd talk almost every night over the phone just to share stories, fantasies during that summer.

from time to time, we'd meet on certain days and just hang out, either at school or in each other's houses. we were so into mmc that we actually became mouseketeers (we registered and were mailed our badges and kits)

some of those conversations turned sexual as we started discovering the changes in our bodies (how pubic hair started to grow, and of course, wet dreams). we had yet to talk frankly about masturbation though i actually havent discovered that joy yet. i would get excited over his discoveries of his body, his erections and nocturnal emissions but was too scared to admit.

over the phone one time, close to midnight when we were still talking and everybody else was asleep, he told me he dreamt of kissing me. though i was still in denial then, the thought didnt abhor me. i just acted cool about it. and asked him if he really wanted it. and when he said yes, i said sure, lets try it one time.

we were in school, it was still empty since classes hadnt started yet. and while walking, he stole a kiss on my cheek. again, i tried to be cool and just said 'you okay now?' and we never mentioned that incident again. it was back to our mousketeer crushes and cars and robots.

but i never forgot that (obvious ba?). and that paved the way for a more exciting time in high school when classes started.