Will watched the door open from the examination table he was sitting on. Dr. Lopez came in with Nurse Alana, who was holding a clipboard in her hand.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Lopez. It’s nice to meet you,” he said quite warmly and cheerfully, extending his hand. “Don’t think we’ve met before,” he added.

“I’m Will. Nice to meet you,” Will reached out and felt Dr. Lopez’s strong grip wrap his smooth hands as they shook, noticing Dr. Lopez briefly glancing downwards at the paper gown he was wearing, noticing his eyes scanning past his chest and towards his lower body.

Dr. Lopez then positioned himself a few steps away, placing his hands on his waist in a relaxed yet authoritative manner., “Well, I see you’ve graduated from the pediatric department. Congratulations! The adult clinic is only one floor above, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost,” he chuckled while giving Will a pat on the head, gently ruffling his hair.

Will couldn’t help but laugh and crack a small smile from Dr. Lopez’s playfulness. At first glance, Dr. Lopez had an a average build and grey hair that seemed somewhat grown out. Will couldn’t help but look at his bushy eyebrows though. He looked like he was in his mid or late 40s. However, beyond his six foot frame and his white doctor coat with the name “Dr. Lopez” written in cursive above his chest pocket, he seemed very warm and kind hearted.

Dr Lopez then turned around and took the clipboard from Alana, thanking her for holding his clipboard. He glanced at the chart on his clipboard and skimmed through the first two pages quickly with his trained eye, nodding his head to himself, and flipping the pages over the back. As he sat down on the rolling chair, he couldn’t help but catch one significant detail: Will’s birthday was exactly a month ago.

“Hmm, well excuse me for being exactly a month too late, but Happy Birthday!”, Dr. Lopez exclaimed, interrupting himself with a lighthearted chuckle. Eager to establish a personal connection, Dr. Lopez rolled closer to Will and asked, “Did you do anything fun a month ago?”

“I did, my friends and I went to the beach and had a neat bonfire. Nothing special though, but it was fun,” Will responded. He recalled how hard he had to convince his mother to let him go to the beach one whole day with his friends to celebrate.

“So, how does it feel to finally be an adult?"

Will shrugged, trying to act casual and not mention his somewhat overbearing mom sitting outside. “It’s alright, I guess. I’m just happy to be out of the house soon.”

“Right, you’re going to college, right? That must be exciting! Do you know where?” Dr. Lopez smiled, genuinely interested in Will's future plans.

“Yeah, I’m going to San Diego. It’s far enough from my family, but not too far.”

“That’s a really good school! Any idea what you wanna be or study?”

Will hesitated. He didn’t really have a clear idea of what he wanted to do with his life. He had applied to college because his mom had pressured him to do so, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready for it. “I don’t know yet,” he admitted. “Maybe I’ll take a year to figure it out.” He hoped his mom would understand and let him find his own path, but he doubted it.

“That’s okay, there’s no rush. I’m sure you’ll find something that suits you. Maybe join some clubs on the side, you know?” As Will heard the doctor's kind and understanding words, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. It was a stark contrast to the pressure he felt from his overbearing mother, who wanted him to attend a prestigious school much closer to home. However, Will had different priorities and wanted a healthier transition to college in San Diego, where most of his friends are also heading.

“So, before you go to college, I just want to make sure you’re healthy and ready” he said casually. He turned the paper on his clipboard and took out a pen from his chest pocket, scribbling down notes that only doctors could read. “Do you have any allergies or medical conditions that I should know about?”

Will shook his head. “No, not that I know of.”

“Good” Dr. Lopez said, proceeding to write something down on his clipboard. “And how about your diet and exercise? Do you eat well and stay active?”

Will shrugged again. “I normally don’t go out and eat and yes, I still swim, but I’m just taking a break now.”

Dr. Lopez looked interested. “Oh, are you going to swim for college?” he asked.

Will shook his head and smiled a bit. “No, I’m sick of it. Plus mom didn’t want me to swim and study at the same time.”

Dr. Lopez nodded sympathetically as he listened to the young man sitting across from him. The room was quiet, save for the occasional hum of the air conditioning. "I see. Well that’s unfortunate," he said, eyeing his patient thoughtfully. "Maybe you can try joining the team once you can manage your time?"

Will, sighed. "Yeah, I guess I can do that. I really don’t want her knowing though."

“As for your diet, I suppose you’re going to be on a meal plan right?”

Will nodded.

“You may wanna watch out about how much weight you may gain, you may end up with freshman 15, and …” Dr. Lopez's sentence trailed off a flurry of muffled sounds came from the pile of clothes left on the chair next to the examining table. Will's face reddened slightly as he fumbled to pull out his phone from the pile. The name 'Stephanie' flashed on the screen in big letters seen by Dr. Lopez and Nurse Alana, causing his blush to deepen.

"Sorry, I should've silenced it” Will said, quickly silencing his phone and tossing it back onto his clothes pile. He didn’t bother to read the texts.

The doctor raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Is this someone you’re seeing? A girlfriend?” He inquired.

Flustered, Will shook his head. "No, not a girlfriend. Just... someone I like."

Dr. Lopez nodded, then deciding to shift the conversation towards a more sensitive yet important topic. "Well, Will, since we're on the topic of relationships, it might be a good time to discuss some sexual health-related questions." He said, turning a new page in his notepad.

Will looked a bit taken aback, but nodded.

"Are you currently sexually active?”

Unsure of how to respond, Will felt a tingle under his briefs grow a bit bigger in embarrassment. He had only shared a few kisses with Stephanie during that birthday beach party a month ago, and that was as far as he gone in terms of his romantic encounters. Will crossed his legs and felt his cheeks flush red as he tried to contain his unease to little or no avail. Discussing his romantic life with an authority figure felt unfamiliar to Will, as he had kept these details hidden even from family and some of his closest friends.

"Uh, just kissing, I guess." Will’s said with some fear, as he was scared of being judged by both Dr. Lopez and Nurse Alana for something he thought was embarrassing, even though it was not. Will was aware of the thin walls surrounding the examining room and spoke with caution, careful not to let his voice carry past these walls, anxious about his privacy.

"I see," said Dr. Lopez in an even tone. "So you've never had intercourse before?"

"No, I haven’t. My family is very repressive, unfortunately“ Will admitted, embarrassed.

Will tried to again hide the bulge that was now pressing against his briefs, but Dr. Lopez was more than aware of the reason behind Will's awkward posture. In reality, Dr. Lopez really intrigued by Will, whom was not like any other patient he had ever encountered before. The young man was quiet and really sheltered. There was an air of innocence about Will, one that made him seem vulnerable and naive. Dr. Lopez saw the discomfort of the young man, whose arousal was becoming more obvious. At the same time, he wanted him to get out of his shell and prepare him for life in college and the real world.

"Will, you're 18 now. It's normal to be curious and have urges. But it's important that you be responsible and know what you're doing. What if we made your visit today a teaching experience as well, how does that sound?"

"Sure, I guess. What did you have in mind?" Will asked with some apprehension.

"Let's start with the exam, shall we? Let's go from there,” said Dr. Lopez with a slight smile. “As you may know already, Nurse Alana will be here to watch over so she will be staying. You can go step up on the scale first. I need to get your weight."

Will slowly got up off the table, adjusted his gown, and then walked over to the scale as instructed. As Dr. Lopez was taking his weight, Will couldn't help notice that Dr. Lopez is really warm and kind, too warm and too kind, as if something about the him just seemed odd. "He's a professional, he probably means well," Will thought.

But at the same time, the young man was also puzzled at the doctor's question. What does he mean by "teaching" and how is this going to be a "learning experience?" Will dazed off thinking as Dr. Lopez was adjusting the weights on the scale, not realizing Dr. Lopez was speaking to him.