Santiago Diaz

Santiago was born in Medellin, Colombia to Lisandro and Antonella Diaz. There wasn't much to say about their lives there; it was uneventful. He grew up around a handful of cousins, his aunts and uncles always visiting – though of course it got a little confusing when he realized that some of those aunts and uncles were actually just neighbors. But whatever the case, Santiago was happy and content...right up until he was five years old and his parents announced they were moving. They were moving to America, a place of opportunities they couldn't seem to find there in Colombia. Santiago had ranted and railed and "ran away" (aka going to sit on the curb) at least three times. He didn't care for this moving business, but he was five years old and his opinion didn't really hold a lot of weight. The place they moved to was nice, but it had nothing like he was used to. It was interesting, but Santiago wasn't going to be swayed by it. At least until he met his new neighbors. The neighbors were nothing exciting, but they had a kid Santiago's age named Zian. Santiago had found his new best friend. Suddenly, moving to America was the best thing in the entire world, suddenly he had the best little playmate. This was the best thing that happened. Santiago and Zian grew up thick as thieves, the kind of friends that, eventually, their parents decided it wasn't weird when one would just let themselves in or even climb up a tree to get into a window. Where one went, the other followed.

Content, they grew up. But it was about middle school that things began to change. It was about then that Santiago realized he was gay and while he hadn't been taught that was bad, he figured out he had feelings for Zian. Big feelings, big romantic feelings. The problem was that Zian was his best friend, could he risk that friendship? Not only that, Zian was always doing school work, what if his parents got mad that Santiago was taking him away from that? He kept quiet on his feelings and hid them away so well that Zian had no clue of his feelings. Clueless to Santiago's plight, Zian began dating another boy. Santiago hated him, he despised him. He told himself he was trying to give the guy a chance because it wasn't his fault that Santiago didn't have the courage to speak up, but...but the guy was bad. He seemed wrong for Zian from the get go, but then he turned downright mean. The jokes he said never really seemed that funny and Zian got quieter and quieter. Zian wouldn't say anything bad about this guy, but Santiago need an asshole when he saw it. It was about this time that Santiago got desperate for a boyfriend, for love, for any kind of attention because Zian had been pulled away from him. Tommy was a clingy boyfriend, but he had given Santiago what he wanted. At least until he didn't. While Zian's boyfriend had been a bit more obvious in his abuse, Tommy had been a lot more subtle, slowly picking at Santiago and pulling him down. A wedge developed between Santiago and Zian thanks to their boyfriends, but Santiago didn't know what to do. At least not until Zian showed up with a bruise he couldn't explain away. Santiago got suspended for decking Zian's boyfriend, but he didn't regret it. He didn't regret it even when Tommy came after him, belittling him for his "white knight" attempt. He didn't even know how to hide his gratefulness when Tommy broke up with him.

Zian got away from his boyfriend, Santiago was away from his...and both were total dumb asses, who couldn't spit out their feelings for each other. They awkwardly reconciled after their relationship mishaps, only falling into another round of bad boyfriends. The cycle continued up until graduation. A gap was forming, Santiago felt. Zian was going to college to be a doctor, he was the smartest man Santiago had ever known. And Santiago? Well, he had no drive to go to school and his interests to be a famous soccer star or musician never panned out. How could Santiago even hope to match Zian's drive when he was working only two jobs that people considered the lowest of the low? He didn't deserve Zian.

The rest of Santiago's story is explored in the To the Moon, Through the Stars story, The Stars Within You.

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