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It was two weeks before George's birthday, and Max was losing sleep.
He asked himself what he knew about George -- that he liked cookie-flavored ice cream, kiwi skin, blue, and that the clothes in his closet were arranged by color. “Isn't that something?” Max thought. But then he started to question it-if he really knew George Well, why was he tossing and turning about not knowing what to give him for a happy birthday?
Max began quietly checking out George's shopping app, but to his disappointment, nothing suitable appeared. George is so thrifty that there is nothing in his shopping cart other than groceries.
It didn't work that way, and Max even tried“Side-stepping” George's wishes. “George, do you have anything in particular you like?” Max asked over dinner once, assuming it was an easy question. The astute George easily realized that Max was asking himself what he wanted for his birthday, but he didn't want to spoil the surprise, so the malevolent George got ready to tease max: “Max, are you getting me a birthday present?” Max blushed -- he was choking on the spaghetti. Everything was just as George had imagined it, and Max quickly waved his hand and denied it.
It was clear that Max's plans a and B had failed. And he realized that George had no obligation to keep the birthday entirely to himself. What if his habit was to spend it with friends? Maybe he wants to go home? Birthdays are always with mom. If that's the case, I'm planning to force George to spend his birthday with me. But birthdays are not exclusive, birthdays are not in accordance with their own arrangements to, birthday is to let the birthday of that person happy.
He didn't know who to ask. George? What if he knew he was planning his own birthday and then turned down Alex's plans? What if he gets used to going home for his birthday? But he was afraid to ask George's mother. Max couldn't sleep.
Eventually Max reached out to Alex and Lando. The first thing the three said when they got together was to tease Max about his dark circles, lando, a mutual friend, thought it was about George's birthday. “You're usually so straight-forward,” he said. “Don't you think?” Max scratched his head, then he licked his lips. He knew it wasn't like him. It was like the first time he'd ever felt so self-conscious, so overwhelmed by a person.
“I'm supposed to be the first one of us to know George,” Alex said after a drink, leaning back in his chair, the wooden recliner creaking. “When I met George, he was a little bean, and he first invited me to his birthday party. He was so shy.” Alex can still remember George clutching his shirt, he looked at himself with his head held high, his lips white from biting, not as if he had known him for a year. It wasn't until Alex agreed that George breathed a sigh of relief and acted like an adult. It wasn't until he got home that Alex saw George's hands were so sweaty he couldn't even turn the doorknob. Alex laughed at the thought, and the other two stared at him, then at each other, “Do you know what he's smiling about?”“I don't know. I thought you did.”.
Alex finally laughed for a full minute, then choked on his own saliva and coughed until he couldn't breathe. Max and Lando frantically patted him on the back and poured water. As soon as Alex was fully recovered they both sat up. “Then what? Then what?” He leaned forward with his eyes wide open.
Alex wanted to laugh again, but this time he chose to hold his breath to stifle it, as his throat was still sore. “I went to George's house and found out it was a party, but there was no one there except his mother, father, sister and brother. No wonder he was so nervous. It was the first time he'd ever had a friend over.” Alex smiled, max saw in that Smile Alex's love for George, which was nothing less than his own, a pitying smile for Little George at the time, bitter as old wine, tasting more than just spiciness in his mouth.
Alex turned to look at Lando, “I was the only friend George had for a few years, and I was touched and worried when he said he could trust me. I wasn't the only friend he could have. But then you joined,” Lando recalls, george and Alex, already middle school students, invited themselves to a birthday party and thought of playing video games all night with George and Alex, and then the next day everyone yawned and went to class...
“You're next to him, Max.” Their eyes turned again to Max, who fidgeted, as if at once under a great deal of responsibility. He suddenly seemed to understand what Alex meant-as he saw it, each of these three people was an important part of George's life, and each loved him and wanted him to be happy. He was genuinely happy for George-he'd been so lonely, and he'd come a long way to be surrounded by people, and he wasn't the nervous invite-someone-for-a-birthday kid he used to be.
Alex takes another sip of wine, puts his hands behind his head and slumps back into his recliner. “Okay, let's get down to business. George's birthday, like I said, is every year with us and the family.” Alex looked at Max again, his head down, looking worried. Lando didn't seem to see it, to put the question bluntly: “We're still planning to spend our birthdays with Jorge this year, I flew in from Spain and I ditched my boyfriend Carlos. So your question now is do you want to go home with Jorge? Or Will George Take You Home?”
Max walked home dejectedly, picking up Valentine's Day and birthday presents for George, but the ones he'd carefully chosen seemed like a hot potato. He looked at the beautiful wrapping and for the first time began to wonder if it would never be given.
His lethargy has led him to make a number of minor mistakes, such as emptying the litter box into the bowl of cat food while the family's six kittens stare at it, forgetting to take the toilet paper out of his pocket while doing laundry, and failing to take the toilet paper out of his pocket, he had to clean it again, and he forgot to put salt in his dinner. It was strange for George, who had witnessed it all, to know that Max was a sensitive man-he loved children, had many cats, and took good care of each one... He must have thought of something. But what?
The answer comes when George picks up Max's clothes to hang in the closet. George fumbled in his pockets for the two gift boxes, and everything became clear in an instant. Max, he thought, must be struggling with his birthday.
So George sat down on the couch and waved to Max as he was about to come in. “Max, come here. We need to talk.” Max sat down on the other side of the couch like two people on a scale, it made George Frown.
“Come closer, what are you doing so far away from me?” So George caved in. “Keep your head up. Do I have to ask you to move? Are You a robot?” George couldn't resist. Max lifted his head again, this time without waiting for George to order him to speak.
“Anyway, I'm glad you have so many people with you, if you don't want to be with me. . .” Max's voice trailed off. . . He still finds it hard to accept that he might not qualify for George's Birthday Circle, which would be meeting his parents. ... He can't think any further.
“Stop, stop, Stop! What are you thinking, Max Vestapan? You didn't even ask me how you know about my birthdays every year, did you, Alex?” George's beautiful brows furrowed, his mouth flattened, and he interrupted with a look of disgust.
“UH... and Lando.” Max scratched his head.
“And Lando! How Do You Know Him? It's Alex again, isn't it?” George closed his eyes, too, it took him ten seconds to suppress his emotions, then he said, “How much do you have to think by yourself? When did I say I didn't want to spend my birthday with you? My parents are going to take care of my sister this year, and I was going to spend it with you and Lando and Alex.”
The mist was blown away from Max's mind, and he sat up involuntarily, with a big smile on his face, “Was he already important to George for his birthday?” He was filled with the thought, but wanted more, to be taken home to meet his family, wanted to be recognized by George as his partner.
So he plucked up the courage to ask the question: “If given the chance, would you take me home?” He watched George's face carefully. The expected beauty's slight anger did not show up, instead, he heard George's laughter.
“Of course! I was going to introduce you to my family. You're my boyfriend. Of course I'm going to introduce you to my family.” George realized that Max had been distracted that day, he was so cute.
He kissed Max on the lips, his lips meeting his teeth and his love growing madly. The excess is stripped away and then returned to what it was like when you first came into the world. Kisses, kisses, kisses a lot of kisses and tears mixed together. Once again, the love grew madly, turning into a warm current that flowed from one to another.
By George's birthday, Max was getting ready early in the morning. He was even more nervous today than he had been the day before. He went to the Internet to learn a new hairstyle, his own in the bathroom, each hair should have its own place. He remembered that Lando had told him in confidence that“George will have an apple on his birthday morning,” and hurried to wash one and put it next to George's pillow. Then he turned around and went back to getting dressed.
Alex and Lando arrived soon. They brought a big cake with George's favorite blue body on it. It was a two-tiered cake, and George was trying to control his weight, they chose a light, not-so-fat fruit to garnish with. Apples, peaches, bananas, Kiwis and cherries were spread all over the cake. Candles were placed between the fruits, and pearls were added as decorations.
George also had special plans for today. When the doorbell rang, he stopped Max as he was about to answer it and got up to answer it himself. They entered the room and were led by George to Max. None of the three looked at each other. George's face was so serious, as if he were about to make an announcement, that the three of them had their hearts racing and Lando swallowed.
“This is my boyfriend Max,” George said. Silence, Dead Silence. Then Alex burst out laughing, “George, you know Max and I have met before. I was the one who picked you both up at the airport when he first came to England, remember?” Alex laughed and choked, started coughing hard.
“I know, but I didn't tell you this was my boyfriend, let alone Lando. I know you've met in private, but I think some of these guys need me to admit it.” George stood with his back akimbo beside Max, it made Max feel like a queen. George really took what he said to heart and really, really loved himself.
A group of people had been fooling around all day, and most of the cake had been smeared on them, and George's pretty face had been smeared with several creams, and Lando's curls were so stained that he had to borrow George's shower, he's asleep on the couch after a shower; Alex is still struggling with his video games, which he and Max play in perfect sync, from“Alex and max” to“Bro” and“Bro” and so on.
What about George, the star of the party? He is video-chatting with his mom and Dad. They wish him a happy birthday with their sister and regret not being able to spend it with him this year. “Don't worry, Alex and them are with me this year. Just take care of yourselves.” George got up and called Max, who was playing with Alex excitedly. “Max, come over and I'll show you my mom and Dad.”
Suddenly Max couldn't hear a thing. The handle of his hand fell on the table. With his mouth open, he followed George to the phone, hand in hand, foot in foot. The moment he saw George's mother and father, his sanity returned, and he straightened up his face and gave a proper smile. Even his teeth were eight.
“This is my boyfriend Max. He's supposed to be introduced face to face, but he has to be. I'll take him home sometime so you can meet him,” said George, poking max, he snaps to his senses and says hello politely. He also handled his elders' questions so well that he almost made George wonder if he had rehearsed.
The evening saw off Lan and Alex, who were lounging on the sofa watching a movie. Max suddenly remembered that he hadn't given George his present yet, so he ran back into the house and pulled out the tote bag -- a blue key bag inside. “You carry so many keys every day, and you said you didn't like the jingling, so I thought this would help.” George picked it up, he opened it to find a handwritten card stuffed inside:
“On this day, the world has an ordinary person, but for me, the stars fall to Earth.”