"Our story can be compared to the movie Friendship Plus," says Alex 20, who is sitting with Haley and me in the sun at Bellevue to tell me their very special story. Alex is a passionate, ambitious snowboarder and skater, which makes him a freedom-loving and active person. His character is very unique, but anyone who knows him knows that he is easy and open. Haley is a young woman with a thirst for knowledge who likes to further her education. Despite her quiet and rather reserved nature, she loves dancing and acting. Haley's friendship has to be earned, as she doesn't immediately open up to anyone. But when she and Alex met for the first time through friends at vocational school in Bülach, there was an immediate attraction. Haley was 15, Alex 17 years old. "I liked Haley right from the start, I found her shy nature very positive," says Alex. After a few meetings with colleagues, they went on their first date at the skate park at the airport. When saying goodbye, Haley wanted to kiss Alex on the cheek, but no way, Alex just had to kiss her. This was the beginning of many dates at the skate park and then at home. After just two weeks, Haley was no longer a virgin. That's pretty cool, because Haley doesn't usually let anyone get close to her for fear of being hurt. At this point, it wasn't even clear what their relationship was. Haley: "I just knew that I had feelings for him and he was so familiar to me from the start that I didn't even have to think about whether I wanted it or not, it just happened". The sex got better and more intense from time to time and the two enjoyed their time together. However, as Alex snowboards in the mountains all winter, a permanent relationship was out of the question for him. In keeping with the movie "Friendship Plus", they opted for an open relationshipA relationship is a deep, close connection between two or more people. Relationships can be romantic, platonic, sexual or familial and can take various forms, such as couple relationships, friendships or parent-child relationships. Maintain.... Haley appreciated that Alex was so honest with her and the whole thing only worked because Alex always told her everything. Haley, on the other hand, always communicated when she wasn't dealing with things well. "Of course it's nice to enjoy such freedom, but I didn't want to hurt Haley under any circumstances, so I set myself very clear no-goes," says Alex. What caused the two of them more trouble was the talk from others who couldn't understand the whole situation. Haley "It made me feel ashamed and I didn't want others to think I was stupid or that I was being taken advantage of." Haley could no longer cope with the pressure and told Alex that she couldn't go on like this. So the two of them decided to have a steady relationshipA relationship is a deep, close connection between two or more people. Relationships can be romantic, platonic, sexual or familial and can take various forms, such as couple relationships, friendships or parent-child relationships. Maintain.... Because what Alex certainly didn't want was to lose Haley. At the time, Haley was having a pretty turbulent time at home and she took some time outOuting, outing: To out someone is to disclose a person's gender identity and/or sexual orientation to another person or group against his/her will. at the safe house and found refuge with Alex and his family. After six months of dating, they ended the whole thing and actually wanted to draw a line under it, but they couldn't keep their hands off each other. So they simply resumed their friendship plus, because this kind of relationship simply works better for the two of them. They appreciated and enjoyed their time together much more. Alex "It's not like it's just about sex, we do a lot together, like homies do."Haley & Alex "We're always there for each other. We can always tell each other everything and we don't have such a strong bond with anyone else."Every generation has a slightly different approach when it comes to loveLove is a strong feeling of emotional and often physical attraction to another person. It can manifest itself in various forms, such as romantic love or love for friends and family. Ideas and experiences of love and relationships develop du... and sexuality. Nevertheless, it's always about being liked and appreciated. It is often said that today's young people are far too open about sexuality. However, they simply live it in their own way, as I was able to experience with Haley and Alex. I was fascinated by the strong bond between the two of them and how blindly they understand each other. The two of them give a lot of thought to their feelings and their bond, which is the most important prerequisite for a relationship, no matter what form it takes."You can compare our story with the film No Strings Attached", says Alex 20, whom I met with Haley in the sun at Bellevue to listen to their very special story. Alex is a passionate, ambitious snowboarder and skater, which makes him a freedom-loving and active guy. His character is very peculiar, but whenever you get to know him you will notice that he's easy-going and open-minded. Haley is an inquisitive young woman who likes to study. Despite her quiet and rather closed character she loves dancing and acting. One must earn Haley's friendship and she does not open herself immediately to someone. But as she and Alex met for the first time in the school of, they were immediately attracted to each other. Haley was 15, Alex 17 years old. "I liked Haley with her shy nature from the beginning," says Alex. After several dates with friends, it was time for the first dateA "date" is an appointment made by two people to get to know each other better and possibly develop a romantic or sexual relationship. Dates can take a variety of forms, such as dinner, a movie, a party or other shared activity. It's import... in the skate park at the airport. When Haley wanted to give Alex a goodbye kissA kiss is a form of physical intimacy in which two people press their lips together to express feelings such as affection, passion or friendship. There are different types of kisses such as the hand kiss, cheek kiss, French kiss and so on. ... on the cheek, Alex couldn't help but kissedA kiss is a form of physical intimacy in which two people press their lips together to express feelings such as affection, passion or friendship. There are different types of kisses such as the hand kiss, cheek kiss, French kiss and so on. ... her for real. This was the beginning of many dates; first at the skate park, then at home. After just two weeks, Haley lost her virginity. This is hard to believe, because Haley usually hardly trusts anybody for the fear of being hurt. At this time, it was not even clear how the two relate to each other. Haley: "I just knew that I had feelings for him and he was so familiar to me from the beginning on that I did not have to think about whether I want it or not, it just happened".The sex became better and more intense from time to times, and the two enjoyed their time together. Since Alex spends his winters in the mountains for snowboarding, a relationship was out of the question. They decided to lead an open relationship, just like in "No Strings Attached". Haley enjoyed that Alex's honesty and the whole thing only worked out because Alex always told her everything. Haley on her side always communicated if she could not deal well with something. "It's nice to be free, but the last thing I wanted was hurting Haley, so I have set myself very clear no-goes,"says Alex. What caused the two more effort was the talk of others who could not understand the whole situation. Haley:"It made me feel ashamed and I didn't want the others to think I was stupid or taken advantage of."Haley told Alex that she couldn't handle the pressure anymore. Thus, the two decided on a solid relationship. At that, Haley went through a very turbulent time at home and took a break in the shelter house and found refuge at Alex' place and his family. After half a year of relationship, they finished the whole thing, but they could not keep their hands off each other. So it went back to "Friends with Benefits", just because this kind of relationship works better for both. They appreciated and enjoyed the time together much more. Alex: "It 's not like it 's all about sex, we do very much together, just like homies". Haley & Alex: "We are always there for each other. We can always tell each other everything and no other person is closer to us."Each generation sees something different again when it comes to love and sexSex is an intimate activity between two or more people who share physical closeness. Sex can be practiced in different ways, depending on the preferences and desires of the people involved. The only rule that always applies: sex without mut.... Nevertheless, it is always about to be liked and appreciated. Often it is said that today's youth is far too open about the topic of sexuality. However, they simply live it their way, as I experienced with Haley and Alex. It fascinates me to see their strong bond and trust in each other. The two of them think and talk a lot about their feelings and their bond, which is the most important part of a relationship, no matter what form it might be. Text: Corinne Kurz Photo: Deniz Gez
