Over the years, we’ve seen all kinds of adorable movies, television shows, and animated shorts about first time crushes and puppy love. I’m talking now about shows like The Wonder Years and My So-Called Life, which almost always centered around the main character’s obsession with a girl/boy in school who seemingly doesn’t know they exist. But almost all of these pieces of entertainment had one thing in common – they were all about heterosexual first loves.

Watching things like the previously mentioned shows, even the really good ones, was always painful for for young LGBT viewers like myself, because it reminded us that our experiences as teens falling in love for the first time with the cute kid in class not only didn’t count, they seemingly didn’t even exist.

But times are different now for LGBT teens for sure, and although there are still many obstacles, the visibility for LGBT kids has never been higher. A perfect example of this is “In a Heartbeat,” a new animated short film by Beth David and Esteban Bravo. In this adorable Pixar-esque short, we follow a closeted young boy who runs the risk of being outed by his own heart after it pops out of his chest to chase down the boy of his dreams, who happens to be a fellow student at his school.

You can check out the full animated short down below:

This short film was produced at Ringling College of Art and Design by David and Bravo, with music provided by Arturo Cardelú, and sound design by Nick Ainsworth.

What do you make of this absolutely adorable short film? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Image:Beth David and Esteban Bravo/YouTube