It's a Love Story: When Jules Met Dylan.

It was late August when Jules first met Dylan. They were just kids. Five years old.

School was starting in a few days. Kyle had come over to Jules' for a play-date. The boys went outside to chalk the sidewalk. They walked a block or two, and started coloring.

Down the street, Jules saw a big truck. A moving truck. All sorts of things sat on the front yard—furniture and suitcases and golf clubs. Kyle was drawing a sun, and Jules was making clouds.

Ethan locked eyes with Jules. Jules squinted, trying to get a better look at him. Dylan stared straight at him and started waving, fast, his arm like a windshield wiper. Jules crinkled his nose and laughed to himself, waving back.

Later that week, he saw him again, dribbling a basketball on the corner. Jules watched as Dylan took the same shot over and over again. Each time he would make small adjustments to his form, his angle, his jump. He didn't stop until everything was perfect. He seemed totally oblivious to Jules presence. Focused only on making the basket.

He sat on the stoop, just watching, until he was finally satisfied with his shot. Seeing him, Dylan came over and took a seat. He offered him a chocolate-covered pretzel from his lunchbox, and he took it. Jules hid his smile when he saw Dylan was smearing chocolate all over his face. He offered another. They sat like that for a while, comfortably silent, side by side.

Then, it started to drizzle, and Dylan said he better be going. From that day on, a day rarely passed that they didn't see each other. Sometimes it was snacks on the front stoop, or bike rides around the neighborhood, maybe a shake at Starbucks. They became a pair. Jules and Dylan. Dylan and Jules.

Now, with high school starting, Jules kept thinking back to that day. All summer, Jules had been in Los Angeles, studying under Kevin's dad. They'd only talked a few times. Jules missed him. He missed the little boy who waved too fast. He missed the older boy, who'd kissed him after the Spring Fling.

Jules and Dylan. Dylan and Jules.